The 5 Best Air Quality Monitors of 2023

We’ve put together this list of the best air quality monitors available on the market today to help you keep an eye on the quality of the air you breathe.

Although air quality metrics vary widely from city to city , air quality in the United States has generally improved since the 1970s, when advocates began pushing for better pollution controls (more on that in the FAQs below). In addition, recent changes to air quality standards and a shifting climate have increased consumer interest in real-time air quality monitoring.

With an air quality monitor, you can get a better idea of various pollutants in and around your home and office. You can also analyze the conditions when they’re at their peak. With more information, you can have peace of mind about the air you breathe and also decide if you need to take action to clean up your air.

Best Overall

Airthings Wave Plus Radon & Air Quality Monitor

4.7

Home Depot

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View On Home Depot

To earn the best overall rating, an air quality monitor must be easy to use, compact and well-rated. The Airthings Wave Plus monitor offers all of this and much more. In addition to measuring Total VOCs, carbon dioxide, air pressure, temperature, and humidity, it is one of the few monitors that also monitors radon.

The Airthings Wave Plus looks like a typical smoke detector and can hang on the wall. Connecting via Bluetooth technology, it works well with your smartphone, Alexa and Google Assistant, and has customizable “If This, Then That” (IFTTT) technology options. That means you can custom program how you’d like to be notified based on the indoor and local outdoor air quality. For example, via the Airthings app or online dashboard, you can program it to text or email you when to turn on an air purifier or close a window.

The monitoring device itself does not have a numerical display, but you can simply wave a hand in front of it to trigger a green-yellow-red light system where green is good air quality and red is poor. The monitor is old school, using two AA batteries. The free mobile app will notify you when they need replacing.

Not only do users love this monitor’s functionality, but it has also won Time Magazine’s 2019 Award for Best Invention and was a 2019 honoree for the CES Innovation Award, presented annually by the Consumer Technology Association for outstanding design and engineering.

Price at time of publish: $230

Why Radon Matters

According to the EPA, radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. It causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths a year. If you know you live in an area with naturally occurring soil radon, or you work in the basement or underground areas with floor drains that connect directly to the soil, the sensor you buy should detect radon.

Best Smart Monitor

Awair Element Indoor Air Quality Monitor

Amazon

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Many products made today are designed to interface with smart-home technology, allowing you access and manipulation no matter where you are via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to your smartphone, tablet, or computer. We like the Awair Element Indoor Air Quality Monitor for its ease of use, customizable interface, and ability to integrate with its free app (iOS and Android) as well as Alexa or Google Assistant.

An added bonus is the in-app feedback and tips based on your custom air quality goals that will help you immediately improve your living space to improve your indoor air quality. We also appreciate its compact, inconspicuous design that helps it blend seamlessly into your home or office décor. Check your home internet specs before you buy as this unit requires a minimum 2.4GHz Wi-Fi Connection to work properly.

The monitor accurately and affordably measures temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, VOCs, and PM2.5. Each is displayed on the front of the device as a series of stacked dots on a scale from one to five, with five dots being unhealthy. A numerical score from 0 to 100 and a green-orange-red light also indicates at a glance your overall air quality (100 is best, green is good).

“I liked the Awair because it had an appropriate mix of measurements for a residential interior (although I would have liked to also have NO2); it connected to my phone and keeps a record so that I could track the air quality over time … and it was a cute little thing that didn’t look like some computer readout and doesn’t look too out of place on the mantelpiece.” ~ Treehugger Design Editor Lloyd Alter

Price at time of publish: $299

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Best Budget

Temtop M10 Real-Time Air Quality Monitor

Amazon

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View On Temtopus.com

Competition on the market and consumer demand has helped bring down the cost of air quality monitors without compromising technology quality. The Temtop M10 Professional Air Quality Monitor is a great option for quality and ease of use on a budget.

For under $100, this monitor reports particulate matter as small as 2.5 microns (PM2.5), Air Quality Index (AQI), total VOCs, and formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is often found in indoor air settings due to smoking, off-gassing from household products, and from un-vented fuel-burning appliances like gas stoves and kerosene heaters.

This unit is just over 3 inches tall and wide but has an easy-to-read full-width display. It can remain plugged in at all times via USB, or can be portable and run on battery power for about six hours on a full charge. Temtop offers a full range of monitors, including the P10, with slightly fewer features for about $20 less (view on Amazon). The 12-month warranty and 24/7 customer support will give you peace of mind too.

Price at time of publish: $90

Best Portable

Biaoling Air Quality Monitor

Amazon

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A runner-up for Best Budget, the Biaoling Air Quality Monitor is a great combination of affordable easy-to-use portability without losing function. The unit will monitor air quality for up to 10 to 12 hours on a single four–hour charge and displays results on an easy-to-read LED screen. The battery charges via a USB port. It is the perfect size for hand-held use, measuring about 6 inches tall x 3 inches wide x 1 inch deep.

Its built-in stand allows it to be conveniently placed upright for easy viewing. This model will identify PM2.5, PM10, and a range of VOCs, in addition to detecting formaldehyde and carbon dioxide. You can set the unit to sound an alarm when the air quality reaches an unsafe level.

If you prefer to avoid apps, smart tech, and extraneous electronic devices for your no-fuss interface, you’ll appreciate the reliable, logical, and accurate performance of the Biaoling monitor. Its lack of a smart tech interface has not hindered this handy monitor from earning a top spot on many “Best of” lists.

Price at time of publish: $74

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Best Indoor/Outdoor

IQAir AirVisual Pro

IQAir

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View On Iqair.com

Most air quality monitors designed exclusively for outdoor use tend to be professional-grade monitors that are watertight. They come with greater accuracy and often a much higher price tag. But there are also several monitors on the market rated for both indoor and outdoor use. Read the fine print before buying, as most are not watertight and will be destroyed by too much moisture.

An excellent solution is IQAir Air Visual Pro which is well-rated for a number of reasons. This monitor reports outdoor air quality side by side with indoor air quality so you can add your city, and it will report real-time data. It has a large 5-inch LED screen, and it’s easy to set up and pair via Wi-Fi with the native AirVisual app, available in both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

An added special feature is that Air Visual Pro has artificial intelligence that you can connect to your smartphone and other Smart Home IFTTT integrations including compatibility with Google Assistant, similar to the Airthings Wave Plus.

It monitors temperature, humidity, and PM2.5 using laser technology. For monitoring carbon dioxide, it has an industrial-grade sensor. It also displays the weather report. This compact unit is just 7 inches long and has a built-in battery that recharges via a USB connector.

Science lovers can also place the monitor outdoors and designate it as a public outdoor station so that you become a data source in an extensive network. Not only will you be providing neighbors and researchers with air quality information in your area, but you can also see how your data compares with others in the network anywhere in the world.

Price at time of publish: $289

Best Wearable

Atmotube PRO

Amazon

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When you’re on the go, you may want an air quality monitor that measures in real-time and can alert you when air quality is poor, so you can make immediate changes. The Atmotube Pro Portable Air Quality Monitor is just 3 inches long, weighing less than 4 ounces. It can be clipped to your belt or bag and lasts a full week on a single USB charge.

It has particulate matter sensors that detect PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 pollutants as well as VOCs, barometric pressure, temperature, and humidity. Measurements are transmitted in real-time via Bluetooth to iOS and Android smartphone apps in a user-friendly interface so you can monitor your personal air score. Data is uploaded anonymously to their global air quality map. When your score gets below a healthy threshold, you’ll receive an immediate alert.

If the price tag is too steep for you, check out our review of the popular and less expensive runner-up, Flow Personal Air Quality Sensor.

Price at time of publish: $189