Five Best Indoor Air Quality Apps

With the advent of Spring comes warmer weather, pollen, and increased air pollution. But while we keep an eye on outdoor air quality reports to help us plan activities, staying inside could be an even greater health hazard. The EPA reports levels of about a dozen common organic pollutants in homes to be 2 to 5 times greater than outdoor air—regardless of whether you’re in a rural or highly industrial area.

Since we spend over 90% of our time indoors, monitoring the quality of the air and being able to take steps to improve it tops the list of things we can do to improve overall health. Fortunately, Wi-Fi enabled monitors and IAQ Apps are making this easier than ever.

While dust, pollen, and mold are annoying irritants, VOC’s can be deadly. Now Wi-Fi enabled detectors come armed with multiple highly engineered sensors and deliver alerts and helpful information directly to your smartphone. Let’s check out what we should look for in a Wi-Fi enabled IAQ monitor and then we’ll list our top 5 recommendations for Apps.

When deliberating on which App—and IAQ monitor—is best for you, there are a few things to consider.

• What exactly does it detect? Some monitors only detect temperature, humidity, and particles greater than 2.5µ. A more comprehensive detector will report PM2.5, VOC’s, CO2, as well as CO.
• What information does it provide? IAQ monitors can provide everything from just the numbers to color-coded indicators connected to specific areas in your home, plus outside pollution levels. Many will display graphs over time for tracking your IAQ and allow you to schedule the operation of a room air purifier for mitigating high levels. Some also detect smoke as well as VOC’s.
• How intuitive is the App? If it’s hard either to operate or understand, it won’t be much help to you. Most monitors which are App supported have a website with space dedicated to presenting their App in detail. Take some time to review these when you’ve narrowed down your decision to 2 or 3.
• How does it alert you? Color change, beeps, voice, and mobile alerts are some of the ways your monitor can alert you to poor indoor air quality.
• Does it provide suggestions for improving your IAQ or if instant action is required for safety? Some Apps work in conjunction with major medical resources which offer steps to help you improve indoor air quality.

All things considered, here is our list of the top 5 Indoor Air Quality Apps, and the monitors associated with them.

uHoo

The uHoo Smart Indoor Air Quality Sensor provides information regarding PM2.5, CO2, Carbon Monoxide, and VOC’s. It also monitors temperature and humidity indoors and is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, working equally as well for iOS and android systems. Monitors can be set up in separate rooms in your home or office and all monitored through the app.

Key Feature: Ultra-secure with 128-bit AES end-to-end encryption, this sensor and app can also be synced to IFTTT-compatible devices throughout your space to control air purifiers, dehumidifiers, and more. You can find and download the app from the App Store and Google Play.

Awair

This device tests for all the usual suspects with 5 calibrated sensors to individually report data. The app is easy to use and allows you to see air quality levels at a glance. Receive alerts and access trending graphs and data to see what is actually causing the poor air quality.

Key Feature: Partnership with Mayo Clinic provides visual cards with quick fix tips and relevant healthcare information, including articles, blogs, and FAQ’s to help you understand your IAQ and take steps to improve it. Download the app.

Nest Protect

Nest Protect air quality monitor is part of the Google Home Nest family of products, sending information, voice alerts, and updates directly to your smartphone. Working seamlessly with other Google products, Nest Protect helps you monitor types of smoke and carbon monoxide levels in your home.

Key Feature: Nest Protect detects different types of smoke, including steam, so you don’t get false alarms, and you know exactly where the source of smoke is located .

Airthings Wave Plus

This air quality monitor has six sensors that track three of the most troubling pollutants, Radon, Carbon Dioxide, and Total VOC’s that come from common items in your home.  These include benzene, ethylene glycol, formaldehyde, and chloride. In addition to the color-coded light on the monitor, you receive complete indoor air quality information on your smart phone that includes levels of the above pollutants as well as temperature, humidity, and air pressure.

Key Feature: The ability to discover and track levels of Radon, CO2, and TVOC’s in your home as well as tips to reduce indoor air hazards, optimize ventilation and save on energy costs. The App is downloaded on Google Play or the App Store.

Healthy Home Coach

Netatmo indoor air quality monitor tests for CO2, temperature, humidity, and noise. The app provides easy-to-read indicators of air quality via an LED strip on the device, and sends notifications to your smartphone. You also receive advice on how you can improve your IAQ.

Key Feature: Connect Several Devices throughout your home and monitor them all with the app. Personalize profiles for spaces which need special attention.

Averting Danger

Because they’re invisible, we may not think about these pollutants or even realize they’re affecting our indoor air quality. Of all particulate matter (PM) particles 2.5 µ (microns) or smaller are the most dangerous because they can reach deep into our lungs and even our bloodstream. This is a short list of PM for the sake of comparison.

• 90µ – Fine beach sand
• 50-70µ – Human Hair
• < 10µ – Dust, pollen, mold spores
• 5µ or smaller – Combustion particles (e.g. vehicle emissions), organic compounds (VOC) like Carbon Monoxide (CO), CO2, and metals

Need More Information?

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitors have come a long way from the simple plug-in detectors with alarms. We hope this quick review of IAQ Apps and monitors help in choosing the best one for your home. If you have additional questions about indoor air quality monitoring or improvement, we’re here to help. Give us a call at 1 (800) 934-9194, leave us a comment, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.