Best Air Quality Monitor

No matter if it's wildfires, pollen, or pollution that has you worried about air quality, there's a monitor that fits your needs. We researched the best air quality monitors and found the uHoo Smart Air Monitor to be our top pick. This top air monitor can detect nine different air quality factors and provide tips to make your home’s air quality better.

Don’t miss our other picks, though. We found the best air quality monitors to detect carbon dioxide (CO2), formaldehyde (HCHO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter (PM), and more.

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Another thing we love about the uHoo is its app. This indoor air quality monitor is user friendly, with all of the air quality stats laid out in an easy-to-read way. The app also provides tips on how to improve your air quality.

If you don’t want to open the app, a glance is all you need. The indicator light will tell you if the air is clean (green light) or if the air quality is poor (red light).

Even better, the app links with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or IFTTT. When the app senses indoor air pollution, it can use these home automation services to turn on your air purifier. Or, if it gets too humid, it can switch on the air conditioner.

Other than radon, Airthings Wave Plus detects pollen. This is good news for allergy suffers. Airthings Wave Plus also detects CO2, VOC, humidity, temperature, and changes in air pressure.

Like uHoo, this air checker can be added to your home automation. It’s compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT.

The drawback of the Airthings 2930 is that it doesn’t detect the deadly gas CO like the uHoo. If you already have a CO detector, then this really isn’t a problem. You can also buy one separately. Check out our top carbon monoxide detectors list.

While it’s missing a few features, the Yvelines still has a couple of perks. It’s the only monitor on our list that detects formaldehyde. It also detects lots of different air pollution, including CO2, HCHO, VOC, and PM.

It also has a big screen that displays all of the air quality factors and their current levels in real time. The rechargeable battery is nice, too, since you won’t need to buy new batteries.

Besides the cute graphics, we like that the IQAir compares indoor air quality to outdoor air quality for more than 10,000 locations. In places prone to high pollution or inversions, this info is important to your daily plans.

The larger screen makes reading the stats easier when you’ve misplaced your reading glasses too.

With Apple TV or HomePod as a hub, the Eve Room can automatically turn on your air purifier, humidifier, or air conditioner when it senses that the conditions in a room aren’t up to your standards. All you have to do is set up a scene.

At about half the height of your phone, the Eve Room is tiny, so it’s easy to stash anywhere in your house. Since it’s wireless, you can even carry it from room to room.

We also like the bright, e-ink display that lets you see the air quality of a room at a glance. In addition to VOC levels, you can track the temperature and humidity levels in a room by checking the companion app.

The Airthings-292 Wave Mini is the little sibling of the Airthings 2930. This puck-sized air pollution detector is the budget version of its bigger sibling at under $80. With the low price come some limitations: it only detects VOCs, humidity, and temperature.

The Temtop M10 Air Quality Monitor detects HCHO, VOCs, PM, and AQI. While that’s great, the display is small and hard to understand. We may have been able to overlook the confusing display if the Temtop had an app to clear things up, but it doesn’t.

The Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor detects PM, VOCs, CO, humidity, and temperature. It also has a nifty app that’s easy to use. Overall, it isn’t a terrible choice for a budget air quality monitor. The downsides? This air quality sensor is only compatible with Alexa, has a tiny indicator light, and has no display.

Before you buy an air quality monitor, you need to understand how to test air quality, and become familiar with the types of contaminants found in the air so you can decide which one you’re most concerned about.

• Pollen: Pollen is an allergen created by trees, grasses, and weeds. The levels of pollen in your home can vary depending on the time of year.
• Carbon dioxide (CO2): This gas is what your body breaths out. In small doses, it’s no big deal. If the CO2 levels in your home get more concentrated, it can mess with your sleep or give you a headache. High levels of carbon dioxide can be deadly.
• Carbon monoxide (CO): CO is an odorless, colorless gas created by fuel-burning devices like stoves, heaters, and furnaces. This gas is deadly. You can learn more in our carbon monoxide guide.
• Formaldehyde (HCHO): Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable chemical with a strong smell. It’s commonly found in plywood and other pressed wood products, car emissions, and tobacco smoke. Exposure to high levels of the chemical can lead to cancer. Casual exposure can cause eyes, skin, nose, and throat irritation.
• Volatile organic compounds (VOC): Volatile organic compounds are gases that can cause short- or long-term health problems. They can come from paints, turpentine, office furniture, cleaning products, glues, building materials, and much more.
• Particulate matter (PM): These are microscopic solids or liquid droplets. When inhaled, these fine particles can cause health problems. Some types of particulate matter include dust, dirt, smoke, and some pollen. When shopping for air quality monitors, you’ll see PMs measured as PM10 (10 micrometers) or PM 2.5 (2.5 micrometers). Look for an air monitor that will detect PM 2.5. This means the device will detect a PM that is 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.
• Radon: Radon is a gas byproduct of uranium and a major cause of lung cancer. Some areas are more susceptible to radon than others. You can learn more in our radon detector guide.
• Nitrogen dioxide (NO2): This noxious gas is formed by kerosene, wood, or gas heaters and stoves. NO2 can irritate the lungs, cause breathing problems, and may cause cancer.
• Air quality index (AQI): Some air quality monitors just list that they measure the air quality index. It’s unclear what indoor air quality monitors are measuring for their indoor AQI rating. For the EPA’s outdoor standards, AQI is a measurement of how polluted the air is by particulate matter, ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide. An AQI of less than 100 is considered good. Check out the EPA’s Air Quality Index for outdoor forecasts.

Our research found that the uHoo Smart Air Monitor is the best air quality monitor on the market. It detects nine air quality indicators, has a user-friendly app, and it has a large indicator light that’s easy to see across the room. If you’re looking for radon detection, the Airthings Wave Plus is the way to go.

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