As air quality on the west coast has gone to complete $#!% with all of the fires, it has made daily life a bit more challenging, to say the least. As if this Covid-19 stuff wasn’t enough. For folks without air conditioning, they have been trapped inside with the windows closed. The unseasonably hot weather and pollution have made for quite uncomfortable and potentially unsafe conditions.
This has gotten me going down the path of researching air quality monitors. I have spent days researching and there are too many variables (VOC, PM2.5, PM10, temperature, humidity, CO2, portable, home units, etc…) to do a fair apples-to-apples comparison. With that said, here are my favorite units based on the following categories – portable, Homekit enabled, and feature set. Read on for the results.
Best Portable Air Quality Monitor
The Huma-i (HI-150) portable air quality monitor is my pick based on the fact that it has the best reviews and just seems to work. It doesn’t come with an app or external interface for monitoring and charting data. The Huma-i or HI-150 relies on a small screen to display all information. Maybe that is why it has so few problems when compared to other portable units.
The HI-150 measures CO2, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), Particulate Matter (PM2.5 and PM10), temperature, and humidity. It does all of this while being portable and battery operated. It runs for about 10-minutes on battery and then shuts off to save battery life. You also have the option to run it off of wall power as well. Great for taking with you to hotels, potentially polluted areas, etc…
Best Homekit Enabled Air Quality Monitor
The Kaiterra Laser Egg+ CO2 Indoor Air Quality Monitor is one of the few decent options for Apple’s Homekit. Frankly, there aren’t a bunch of great options yet. I imagine this will improve over time. The Kaiterra Lawer Egg+ CO2 is made to live on a tabletop or shelf and runs off of wall power. It monitors PM2.5, CO2, temperature, and humidity. It also shows the sensor stats in Homekit and the Kaiterra app. The unit connects to your wifi and provides access to historical trends and alerts for levels that you can set. Not cheap at $199 but looks pretty good.
Best Features in an Air Quality Monitor
The uHoo Indoor Air Quality Sensor is packed with cool features. Not cheap at $329 but if you want to monitor a bunch of air quality data, this is your machine. It is a countertop model with a great app for data monitoring and history. The uHoo Air Quality Monitor keeps track of temperature, humidity, CO2, VOC’s, PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and air pressure. Great for those with allergies or asthma. The unit connects to your wifi and has a slick app for 24/7 monitoring and control. It even works with Alexa (bleh) and IFTTT.