The Best Air Quality Monitors to Help You Track Air Pollution

The Airthings Wave Plus is our top pick · Best Overall: Airthings Wave Plus Radon & Air Quality Monitor · Best Splurge: uHoo Indoor Air Sensor. > WhattoBuy HomeImprovementReviews AirQuality TheBestAirQualityMonitorstoHelpYouTrackAirPollution TheAirthingsWavePlusisourtoppick By TheresaHolland TheresaHolland Instagram LinkedIn TheresaHollandisafreelancewriterspecializinginhomeimprovement,cleaning,andbedding. ShesharesherfavoritelifehacksonherblogTheTabooTextbook. LearnmoreaboutTheSpruce's EditorialProcess Updatedon04/12/22 Factcheckedby JenniferKlump Factcheckedby JenniferKlump JenniferKlumphasbeenafact-checkerforTheSprucesince2019.Shehas22yearsofexperienceasalibrarianconductingliteraturesearchesonhealth,wildlife,andeducation.JenniferisatechnicallibrarianwithASRCFederal,whereshefieldsrequestsrelatedtoairqualityissuesfortheEPA.  LearnmoreaboutTheSpruce's EditorialProcess Weindependentlyresearch,test,review,andrecommendthebest products—learnmoreabout ourprocess.Ifyoubuysomethingthroughourlinks,wemayearnacommission. TheSpruce/ChloeJeong AnindoorairqualitymonitorcanhelpyoudiagnoseindoorairqualityissuesandtakeactionbycleaningairductsorreplacingyourHVACsystem. Weresearcheddozensofindoorairqualitymonitors,evaluatingtheireffectiveness,accuracy,easeofuse,andsmarthomecompatibility.OurbestoverallpickistheAirthingsWavePlus,whichdetectsradonandofferseasyreadabilityandimpressivebatterylife. Herearethebestindoorairqualitymonitors. OurTopPicks BestOverall: AirthingsWavePlusatAmazon JumptoReview BestSplurge: uHooIndoorAirSensoratAmazon JumptoReview BestBattery-Operated: ECOWITTWH0290AirQualityMonitoratAmazon JumptoReview BestSmartMonitor: AwairElementIndoorAirQualityMonitoratAmazon JumptoReview BestDesign: EveRoomIndoorAirQualityMonitoratAmazon JumptoReview BestCompact: AirthingsWaveMiniatAmazon JumptoReview InThisArticle Expand OurPicks WhattoLookfor WhyTrustTheSpruce? BestOverall: AirthingsWavePlusRadon&AirQualityMonitor 4.7 HomeDepot ViewOnAmazon ViewOnHomeDepot Dimensions:4.72x1.4inches|Weight:7.72ounces|PowerSource:Battery-powered|SmartDeviceCompatible:Yes WhatWeLike Detectsradon Compatiblewithsmarthomedevices WhatWeDon'tLike Somesoftwareissues Whoelserecommendsit?BobVila,PopularMechanics,andBestReviewsallpickedtheAirthingsWavePlus.Whatdobuyerssay?85%of1,600+Amazonreviewersratedthisproduct4starsorabove. Haveyoutestedtheradonlevelsinyourhomelately?Radoncomesfromthenaturalbreakdownofuraniuminsoil,rock,andwater,gettingintotheairyoubreathe.It'sfrequentlyfoundinhomes,andit'sthesecondleadingcauseoflungcancerintheUnitedStatestoday.TheAirthingsWavePlusnotonlydetectsradon,italsocheckscarbondioxide(CO2)levels,volatiletotalorganiccompounds(TVOCs),temperature,humidity,andairpressure. Thisbattery-operateddeviceholdsachargeforupto16monthsandcanbeinstalledanywhereinyourhome.ItconnectsviaBluetoothandsyncstothefreeAirthingsWaveapptogiveyouacomprehensivereadoutandtotalcontroloveryourhome’sairquality.Themonitoritselfhascolor-codedindicatorsthattellyouthestatusofyourindoorair.It’salsocompatiblewithAlexa,GoogleAssistant,andIFTTTsmarthomedevices.Oncetheindoorairqualitymonitorisinstalledandsetup,aweek-longradoncalibrationperiodwillbegin. The11BestAirPurifiers,TestedbyTheSpruce BestSplurge: uHooIndoorAirSensor CourtesyofuHoo ViewOnAmazon ViewOnWayfair ViewOnHomeDepot Dimensions:3.3x3.3x6.3inches|Weight:.6pounds|PowerSource:Cordedelectric|SmartDeviceCompatible:Yes WhatWeLike Compatiblewithsmarthomedevices Compactandsleek Manydedicatedsensors WhatWeDon'tLike Expensive Physicaldevicelacksdisplay Withthecutting-edgeuHooIndoorAirSensor,youdon’thavetowonderabouttheinvisiblepollutantslurkinginyourhome.Whileit’scertainlynotthecheapestairqualitymonitoronthemarket,thisadvanceddevicehasawhoppingninebuilt-indetectors.Itchecksforcarbondioxide,nitrogendioxide(NO2),carbonmonoxide(CO),TVOCs,PM2.5,temperature,humidity,ozone,andairpressure. TheIndoorAirSensorfromuHoohasasleekdesignandit’ssurprisinglycompact—notmuchbiggerthanastandardcoffeemug.Thishigh-techgadgetispoweredbyamulti-coreprocessorandencryptedwith128-bitSSL.Youcansyncitwithyoursmarthomehubandpairitwithanairpurifierorthermostatforautomaticairqualitycontrol.TheuHooappiseasytouseandofferspersonalizedalerts,tips,androom-to-roominsightsabouttheairinyourhome. TheBestAt-HomeMoldTeststoUseAroundYourHome BestBattery-Operated: ECOWITTWH0290AirQualityMonitor CourtesyofAmazon ViewOnAmazon ViewOnEcowitt.com Dimensions:3.4x3.1inches|PowerSource:Battery-powered|SmartDeviceCompatible:No WhatWeLike Affordable Portable WhatWeDon'tLike Slightlyslowerreadings Areyoupartialtowirelesstech?Ifso,you'llwanttocheckouttheEcowittWH0290AirQualityMonitor.Thedevicerunsontworechargeablebatteries(whichcomeincluded)andthedisplayscreenindicatestheunit'sbatterylevel.Italsohasaniftysolarpanelthatcanbeusedasabackuppowersource. ThismonitoringsystemusesaHoneywellHPMSeriesparticlesensortoaccuratelymeasurePM2.5andinstantlytellsyouwhereyoustandbyratingyourcurrentairqualityasgood,moderate,poor,unhealthy,severe,orhazardous.Italsomeasuresyourindoortemperaturesandrelativehumiditylevels.Inadditiontohomes,thisairqualitymonitorcanbeusedincars,offices,hotels,rentalhomes,andvirtuallyanyotherindoorspace. BestSmartMonitor: AwairElementIndoorAirQualityMonitor Amazon ViewOnAmazon Dimensions:6.06x1.8x3.33inches|Weight:Notlisted|PowerSource:Cordedelectric|SmartDeviceCompatible:Yes WhatWeLike Compatiblewithsmarthomedevices Trackstrendsovertime WhatWeDon'tLike Steeperpricepoint DifficultyconnectingtoWi-Fi Awair'sElementIndoorAirQualityMonitorisawonderfulsmarthome-compatibleoptionforanairqualitymonitor.ThiscompactdevicecanintegratewithAlexaorGoogleAssistantforeasyuse.Itmeasuresyourhome'stemperature,humidity,TVOC,PM2.5,andCO2levels,compilingitsfindingsintoonesuccinct,overallscoreandalertingyouwhenlevelsareunhealthy. Itsabilitytotrackchangesovertimehelpsyoubetterunderstandwhatexactlyimpactsyourhome'sairquality,whileitscorrespondingappprovidesyouwithtipsandfeedbackonhowtomakeimprovementstoyourhome'sconditions.Youcanevencustomizethetypeoffeedbackyoureceivebasedonyourwellnessgoals,likegettingabetternight'ssleeporreducingallergensaroundthehouse. The7AbsoluteBestDehumidifiersof2022 BestDesign: EveRoomIndoorAirQualityMonitor CourtesyofHomeDepot  ViewOnAmazon ViewOnQVC ViewOnApple Dimensions:0.5x2.1x2.1inches|Weight:1.58ounces|PowerSource:Battery-powered|SmartDeviceCompatible:Yes WhatWeLike Aestheticallypleasing Longbatterylife WhatWeDon'tLike Difficulttosetup Whenitcomestoairqualitymonitors,designmightnotbeyourtopconcern.Ifyouwantsomethingthatblendsin,though,theEveRoomisforyou.Thisdeviceaccuratelymeasuresanddisplaysthetotalvolatileorganiccompounds(TVOC),temperature,andhumidityinyourhomeonahigh-contrast,customizablescreen.YoucanalsoreviewyourairqualityontheEveapp,whichanalyzesandpresentsyourdataindetailedgraphs. TheEveRoomispoweredbyarechargeablebatterythatlastsuptosixweeks.Onceyouneedtorecharge,youcandosoviaaUSBpowersupply.Ifyouwanttotakefullcontrolofyourindoorairquality,thisisthedevicetoget.Itssmartdesignandsophisticatedtrackingfeaturesmakeiteasytoseenotonlywhatyoumayneedtoadjusttoimproveyourairandmakeyourhomesafer,butalsotheimpactyouradjustmentsmakeovertime. BestCompact: AirthingsWaveMiniIndoorAirQualityMonitor  CourtesyofHomeDepot ViewOnAmazon ViewOnLowe's Dimensions:3.14x1inches|Weight:4.8ounces|PowerSource:Battery-powered|SmartDeviceCompatible:Yes WhatWeLike Space-efficient Affordable Portable WhatWeDon'tLike Physicaldevicelacksdisplay Ifyoupreferacompactdesignbutdon’twanttocompromiseonquality,checkouttheWaveMinifromAirthings.ThisairqualitymonitoringdevicecanbeusedonitsownortosupplementanexistingAirthingsmonitor.Withintricatesensors,thisproducttestsforpotentiallyharmfulTVOCs.Italsohasatemperaturesensor,moldrisksensor,andhumiditysensorwhichindicateswhetheryourlevelsareoutsidetheidealrange. TheWaveMinirunsonthreeAAbatteries(included)anddeliversairqualityreadoutsdirectlytoyoursmartphoneortabletthroughtheAirthingsmobileapp.SimilartotheWavePlus,thisdeviceconnectstotheappviaBluetooth.Youcanalsocheckyourdashboardanytimebyloggingintoyouraccountonawebbrowser. The9BestProgrammableThermostatsof2022toSaveMoney FinalVerdict TheAirthingsWavePlusRadon&AirQualityMonitor(viewatAmazon)goesaboveandbeyondbymonitoringnotonlyCO2,TVOCs,temperature,humidity,andairpressure,butradonaswell.Foramorebudget-friendlyoption,werecommendtheAirthingsWaveMini(viewatAmazon),abattery-operatedmodelthatchecksTVOCs,moldrisk,humidity,andtemperature. WhattoLookforinanAirQualityMonitor Measurements It'simportanttochooseanairqualitymonitorthatwillprovideyouwithathorough,clearreadingofyourhome'senvironment.Monitorsthatmeasuresmallparticulatematter(ideallyPM2.5)andVOCswillgetyouwellonyourwaytowardunderstandingthequalityoftheairinyourhome.Thosetwomeasurementsareextremelyimportanttomaintaininghealthyairconditions.Monitorsthatprovidehumidity,CO2,temperature,andairpressuremeasurementswillinformyouevenfurther. Size Noairqualitymonitorwilltakeuptoomuchspace,butifyouwanttotestairqualityonthegoorinmultiplelocation,ahandheld,battery-powereddevicethatprovidesreal-timereadoutsisanexcellentoption.However,itmaycomeatthecostofadetaileddisplayorsophisticateddesign.Ontheotherhand,adevicedesignedtostayinoneplace,say,onthewalloratabletop,maybealittlemoreaestheticallypleasing,ifalittlelarger. Smartcapabilities App-enabledandsmarthome-compatibleairqualitymonitorsareonlygettingmorepopular,buttherearestillsomehigh-qualityoptionsthatremainrelativelylow-tech.Theadvantageofintegratingyourairqualitymonitorintotherestofyoursmarthomesetupisthatitcantheninteractwithyourthermostatorairpurifierstoprovideanall-encompassingairqualitycontrol.Meanwhile,anapp-enableddevicewillappealtoyouifyou'reinterestedinadditionalinfoonyourreadings,recommendationstoimproveyourhome'sairquality,andqualitytrackingovertime. FAQ Whyisitimportanttomonitorairquality? Indoorpollutantslikedust,dirt,smoke,andpollencanbeamajorsourceofallergiesandgeneraldiscomfort.Anairqualitymonitorcanhelpyounotonlykeeptrackofwhatkindsofpollutantsaremakingtheirwayintoyourhome'sair,butevenlearnhowtoreducetheminthefuture. Canairqualitymonitorsdetectmold? Technicallyspeaking,airqualitymonitorscandetectparticulatematter,ofwhichmoldisonetype.Mostmoldisprettyeasytodetectthough,soyouprobablydon'tneedanairmonitortotellyouwhenyouhaveaproblem.Ifyou'reconcernedaboutthepossibilityofmoldinyourhome,thebestthingtodoistackleleaksimmediately,keepindoorhumiditylow(manyairqualitymonitorswilltellyouwhenit'stoohigh),andincreaseventilation. Whatcanyoudotoimproveyourhome'sairquality? Luckily,learningthatyourhome'sairqualityisn'tuptoparisnotalifesentence.Followingaregularcleaningschedule,keepingyourhomewellventilated,maintainingyourheatingandcoolingsystems,andpurchasingairpurifiersarejustafewstepsyoucantaketowardimprovingyourhome'sairquality. WhyTrustTheSpruce? ThisarticlewaswrittenbyTheresaHolland,afreelancewriterwhohaswrittenforTheSprucesince2020.Moreofherhome-relatedwritingcanbefoundonMyDomaine.Tomakethislist,sheconsideredeachpick'smeasurements,size,andsmartcapabilities. ArticleSources TheSpruceusesonlyhigh-qualitysources,includingpeer-reviewedstudies,tosupportthefactswithinourarticles.Readoureditorialprocesstolearnmoreabouthowwefact-checkandkeepourcontentaccurate,reliable,andtrustworthy. TheBestAirQualityMonitorsof2022.BobVila.https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-air-quality-monitor/ The6BestAirQualityMonitorstoKeepanEyeonHarmfulPollutants.PopularMechanics.https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/g37373234/top-air-quality-monitor/ BESTAIRQUALITYMONITORS.BestReviews.https://bestreviews.com/home/air-purifier/best-air-quality-monitors CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention.ProtectYourselfandYourFamilyFromRadon. EnvironmentalProtectionAgency.Acitizen'sguideToradon:theguidetoprotectingyourselfandyourfamilyfromradon. EnvironmentalProtectionAgency.VolatileOrganicCompounds'ImpactonIndoorAirQuality. EnvironmentalProtectionAgency.ParticulateMatter(PM)Basics. EnvironmentalProtectionAgency.IndoorAirQuality. EnvironmentalProtectionAgency.Abriefguidetomold,moistureandyourhome. The11BestAirPurifiers,TestedbyTheSpruce TheBestSmartWaterLeakDetectorsof2022 TheBestSmartSprinklerControllersforWateringYourLawn ControlYourHome'sTemperatureWiththeBestThermostats TheBestSmartThermostatsforaMoreEnergy-EfficientHome TheBestSmartPlugsforaMoreConnectedHome TheBestCarbonMonoxideAlarmstoKeepYouSafe TheBestHiddenCamerastoMonitorYourHome TheBestHomeWeatherStationsforMonitoringLocalConditions TheBestSmartSmokeDetectorsforAdvancedPeaceofMind KeepYourHomeSafeWiththeBestWirelessSecuritySystems The8BestandMostReliableSmokeDetectors The9BestProgrammableThermostatsof2022toSaveMoney TheBestSmartHomeHubstoKeepYourHomeConnected TheBestSmartFaucetsforYourModernHome SaveUpto$350onTheseLaborDaySmartHomeDeals