The 6 Best Smart Air Quality Monitors and Sensors for Your Home

Not sleeping well lately? Poor air quality in your home can negatively impact your sleep, energy level, and cause cold symptoms like watery eyes or sniffles; not to mention other dreadful possibilities like lung disease or cancer.

The air quality within our homes can be up to eight times worse than outdoors. Our need for a more secure and confined environment has somehow contributed to this disparity in air quality indoors and outdoors.

Here are some of the best smart indoor air quality monitors and sensors to consider. Each air monitoring device may track some or most of the air pollutants while some may also have extra-added features.

1. Plume Labs Flow

Plume Labs Flow Plume Labs Flow Buy Now On Amazon $179.00

The Plume Labs Flow is a great air monitoring device no matter where you are, including the home. The portable device measures three categories of pollutants; nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter. When away from home, the built-in battery will provide up to 24 hours of use.

When you want a quick look at what the current air quality is like, press a button on the device to see animated LEDs that provide feedback. The smartphone app provides a minute-by-minute look at the different pollutants during the day. It also creates an air quality map so you can see an overall look at where you have been.

For more information about the versatile air quality monitor, take a look at our original Plume Labs Flow review.

2. Kaiterra Laser Egg 2+

Kaiterra Laser Egg 2+ Kaiterra Laser Egg 2+ Buy Now On Amazon $199.00

Kaiterra’s Laser Egg 2+ can sense temperature, humidity, fine dust, and volatile organic compounds. The device calculates the overall air quality in a home into one index that is shown on the front color screen. You can also view exact readings of all of the different data points to get a better handle of the home environment. As a nice touch, the air quality detector displays the local weather forecasts to help plan the day.

A smartphone app allows you to quickly view home and local air quality readings. It can also provide historical graphs by the minute, hour, or day. Anyone with an iPhone or iPad can add the monitor into their HomeKit setup and check air quality readings with a simple command to Siri.

3. Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Buy Now On Amazon $117.05

The regular smoke detector you already know is growing up. A number of options, including the Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm, are bringing smart home technology to the extremely important life-saving device. The Protect detects both smoke and carbon monoxide in a home. Before the actual alarm sounds, a voice will provide an early warning. And when that happens, the information is also sent to the companion smartphone.

There’s no more worrying about being woken up in the middle of the night by that annoying low-battery chirp. Whenever you turn off the lights for the night, a quick green glow lets you know that the detector has been testing itself and the batteries are good. So there won’t be any rude wake-up calls. If you have more than one Protect, they can work together through a home’s wireless network. So when one alarm sounds, the other will also go off.

And instead of having to worry about running a monthly test to make sure the speaker and horn are working properly, the Protect will automatically run its own with no intervention needed. You can select from a battery-powered or hardwired version of the detector. In the event of a power outage, the wired version also contains a battery backup.

4. Awair 2nd Edition

Awair 2nd Edition Awair 2nd Edition Buy Now On Amazon $172.60

Tracking five factors of air quality—dust, chemicals, carbon dioxide, relative humidity, and temperature—the Awair 2nd Edition is made from natural materials including 100 percent North American walnut.

One of the best features of the monitor is the Awair score on the screen, from 0 to 100, that quickly helps you understand the quality of the indoor air. The smartphone app also shows you different patterns over days and weeks. It even provides personalized tips for healthy air. The monitor connects to other smart home devices like the Amazon Echo lineup, Google Home, and IFTTT.

5. Foobot

Foobot Foobot Buy Now On Amazon

An easy-to-use indoor air quality monitor, it takes just minutes to install and start receiving data from Foobot. The monitor tracks volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, relative humidity, and temperature. Using the iOS app, you can view an indoor air quality score that combines all of the metrics into a simple and comprehensive score. The app also provides real-time details for each data point. You can even tag a specific event to recall what is causing pollutants and receive tips on how to breathe better air.

Even if you don’t have a smartphone nearby, LED lights on the Foobot will let you know about the environmental conditions inside a home. Using services like IFTTT or Stringify, you can connect Foobot to other smart home devices too.

6. AirThings Wave

AirThings Wave AirThings Wave Buy Now On Amazon $184.01

While radon can be found at some level in every building, it has the potential to be dangerous. Completely invisible and odorless, in higher levels, it can cause a number of health problems including lung cancer. Along with tracking that gas, the AirThings Wave monitors temperature and humidity in your home. Using the companion smartphone app, you can view information about all of the data points.

There’s no need to worry about constantly charging this device, despite its use of Bluetooth to communicate with your phone. The two AA batteries will provide up to a year and a half of power with normal use. You can install the detector on either a wall or ceiling with a single-screw mount plate. Instead of needing to check your phone, color-coded LEDs on the Wave show you the indoor air quality at a glance.

Breathe Easy With These Air Quality Monitors

These are just a few of the interesting smart indoor air quality monitors currently available on the market. Any of them should be a great addition to your home and help you understand the air you are breathing.

And you don’t need a monitor to check the outdoor air quality around the world. Take a look at these apps and sites to check air quality anywhere.

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