Smart Home Air Quality Monitors: know the air that you breathe
Previously Featured Air Quality Monitor
Not the most exciting in the design and looks department but the second generation Foobot air quality sensor offers a great way to monitor the air quality in your house. It will measure VOC levels, PM as well as humidity and temperature in the room. To trigger an instant alert, tap twice on the top of the top of the unit and it will push a notification to the Foobot app giving you details of all the readings it can capture.
The app is easy to use and aligns each reading against the WHO’s global health index great to know where you stand in comparison. You can also get helpful tips and the timeline gives you access to historical data. A great way to quickly check and get an overview of the status in the room the device is in. The device can work with other third party smart devices such as Nest Thermostat and air purifier or the home’s air conditioner. It can even work with IFTTT if you can cook up a sensible recipe to turn on or off your other appliances when needed.
Features:
- Coloured LEDs shows air quality at a glance, these can be dimmed or a sleep time can be set via app
- Sends real time data to your mobile devices, see pollution levels over time
- Sends alerts and offer actionable tips
- WiFi Connectivity
- Works with other smart home automation devices and services (e.g. Nest, IFTTT)
- Companion App
Awair Indoor Air Quality Monitor
At first glance, the Awair Indoor Air Quality Monitor looks like your standard bed side clock but it does more than show the time. The Awair has 5 sensors to track dust, chemicals (VOCs), carbon dioxide, humidity and temperature making it the most comprehensive air quality monitor. A quick traffic light indicator shows the state of play with the air quality in the room. The large array of LED display to the right shows how your room is performing against the EPA’s guidelines.
Compared to other air quality monitor that relies on the companion app to relay information, the Awair offers all that up front without pulling up your phone or tablet. If you find the light annoying especially at night, you can use the app to control its brightness. It comes with settings to let you customise it with preference on better sleep, controlling allergies, increase productivity or just improve your general health and offers the relevant insights and tips. When the air quality is bad, it will immediately offer advice to help you improve the condition in the room. It has a timeless walnut enclosure and works in any room, from the kitchen to the nursery to the bed room.
Features:
- 5 factor tracker: dust, chemicals (VOCs), carbon dioxide, humidity and temperature
- Timeline feature offers insight to the changes in the air on daily basis
- Scores air quality from 0 to 100 based on the 5 parameters
- Hook up with other home automation products to automatically keep the air clean
- Supports Nest, Amazon Echo, IFTTT and others.
- Companion App
Awair Glow Air Quality Monitor
A compact indoor air quality monitor that does not get in the way, do not need to be mounted or placed on a table, simply plug it directly to the wall and off it goes. Awair Glow even doubles as a night light and works as a smart plug so you can use it to control your standard fan, heater, humidifier or air purifier. What’s more, it will work with Alexa or Google Assistant via voice commands and comes with its own companion App.
Features:
- Tracks Toxins and Chemicals (VOCs), CO2, Humidity and Temperature
- Turns on your appliances the moment your air quality deteriorates
- Provides actionable insights and personalized tips via App
- Has an elegant night light that activates by motion, touch, or through the app
2.4 GHz WiFi Connectivity - Covers up to 1,000 sq ft
- App for iOS and Android
Nokia Home Video and Air Quality Monitor
Nokia Home is the only air quality sensor that comes with a camera, so you it can double as a security camera or as a baby monitor. The small, non-intrusive device is no bigger than a canned drink but is packed full of features. Nokia Home comes built-in with VOCs sensor and offers real time data. The HD camera is capable of 12x zoom, night vision and 135° wide angle so you do not miss anything. The Nokia Home can pick up sound and motion, sends alerts and perform 2 way conversation via the app. It does not however detect humidity or temperature in the room.
Features:
- Air Quality – monitor indoor air quality & be notified of pollution spikes
- Lights up in red when it detects a high level of VOCs in the air
- Camera: HD video, smart alerts – get notifications when an event is detected (noise and movement), night vision
- 24/7 security – 48H time-lapse, 2-day diary of events & continuous recording options
- Baby monitor mode – hear and watch your baby even when on the lock screen, talk to them or entertain them with light & sound programs remotely from your Phone
- Companion app
Don’t be fooled by its size, this small sensor from Elgato can measure VOCs as well as humidity and temperature, sending this to your mobile device via Bluetooth. It also works with Apple’s HomeKit so you can connect it to your iPad or Apple TV at home and control it using the iOS Home app. If all you need is a sensor then the Eve Room is for you.
An air quality monitor which is an extension of or can be pair with air purifiers that the company makes, the Blueair Aware can work on its own as a standalone monitor with sensors to detect particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon dioxide and more. The Aware presents a viable solution for those looking for an automated system that upon detecting poor air quality goes to work by triggering compatible air purifiers in the home. Much like the Foobot and Netatmo, the design focuses on simplicity with only one LED indicator strip that tells you the current air quality. More information can be had from the customisable app with graphs and visuals to present the historical air quality to see how the air has improved or deteriorated over time.
Other Things To Consider
Please note that the air quality monitors featured here do not replace safety alarms such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. If you use gas heater, oil burner, fireplace or wood stove at home, you will need a smoke and/or carbon monoxide sensor to detect the poisonous gas and alert you when levels are too high. Smart smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are also available.
Nest Protect Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Features:
- Detects smoke and Carbon Monoxide
- Voice alarms with custom location
- Tests itself automatically and checks over 400 times a day
- CO sensor lasts up to 10 years
- Sends alerts to mobile devices
- Alert types: low-battery, smoke, carbon monoxide or sensor failure
- Split-spectrum Sensor detects fast- and slow-burning fires
- Tells you what’s wrong and where the problem is if you have multiple detectors
- You can silence the alarm using the Nest App
- Battery or mains powered options available
- Soft green glow battery indicator so no surprise beeps at night
- Steam Check stops the alarm from going off when it detect steam instead of smoke
- Works as a path light when you walk under it at night.
It works with your heating system to regulate the indoor temperature in your rooms. The system can pick up when you are at home or out and set to work controlling the boiler or air conditioner. It does this using geo-location on the app for your mobile device and learn your behaviour and routine. You can also set it to control individual room temperatures and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control and home automation.
Easily the smartest thermostat in the market right now, it comes with a bright and smart circular display and a case that doubles as a dial. The smart thermostat also learns the way you like the temperature at home and when you need hot water and quickly adapt the heating system to make it more efficient. All it needs is a week of learning and it will program itself.
