2023 Products for Monitoring Indoor Air Quality at Home

Find air pollution and other environmental hazards near you here

Here is a quick look at some great products to monitor indoor air quality:

Highly Rated Budget Selection (under $100):

• Temtop M10

Highly Rated Mid-range Price Selections ($101-250)

• AirThings 2930 Wave Plus

Best for Larger Spaces ($251+)

• AirThings 2960 View Plus

• AirThings 4200 House Kit

Overview#

Americans, on average, spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, according to the EPA. Nearly every home (96 percent) has at least one indoor air quality problem. You can take steps to improve the air quality in your home by reducing or removing the sources and by proper ventilation with clean outdoor air. Additionally, research shows you can effectively supplement this by filtering the air and catching pollutants, allergens and dust particles with air purifiers.           

While you will want to know more about the air you are breathing indoors, you’ll also want to check on outdoor conditions using our AreaAir Index. Outdoor conditions can provide clues for air quality issues indoors.

Additionally, as energy efficiency requirements for buildings have become increasingly stringent, building envelopes have become tighter to reduce uncontrolled air infiltration. In such a situation, air pollutants emitted inside buildings could be more concentrated due to a lack of dilution if adequate ventilation is not provided.

Many consumers are unaware of how much everyday cooking affects indoor air quality until they get an air monitor. Millions of U.S. homes lack kitchen exhaust ventilation, or the fans recirculate the air instead of venting it outside. In many cases, people need to remember to turn them on or find them too noisy. And the familiar gas stove, which burns natural gas directly, is one of the main sources of indoor air pollution. Studies have shown that gas stove pollutants can have adverse health effects, often worsening asthmatic conditions. A 2022 study found that 12.7% of current childhood asthma in the U.S. is attributable to gas stove use. As more news reports tie health concerns to gas stoves, many consumers wonder, "Is a gas stove bad for your health?" 

Indeed, research suggests that even in the absence of food, combustion from gas cooking produces twice as much PM2.5 as electric stoves. Additionally, gas stoves can emit nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), formaldehyde (CH2O or HCHO), benzene (C6H6), and methane (CH4).

Fortunately,  air quality monitors are available that can measure pollution levels inside your home. The electronic devices featured in this guide are equipped with sensors that collect data about the levels of different pollutants in the air. These consumer air quality monitors are used to gauge the pollution levels in your immediate surroundings, such as homes or workplaces.

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the air pollutants monitored by the EPA. The EPA considers particles smaller than 10 micrometers to be of concern as they can easily enter the lungs. Coarse particles (PM10) are typically found in dust from roads, farms, dry riverbeds, construction sites and mines. Fine and ultrafine particles are even smaller at PM2.5 or smaller. Outside, US fine particle pollution comes primarily from cars, trucks, buses, and construction equipment while inside the home, burning fuels such as wood, heating oil or coal can create indoor pollution. Exposure can cause  a range of health effects. Coarser particles (PM2.5-10 micrometers) can be irritants to your eyes, nose, and throat. Fine particles (PM2.5 or smaller) are considered the most dangerous because they can infiltrate deep into lung tissue.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can also impact indoor air quality. Concentrations of VOCs indoors can be up to ten times higher than outdoors (Source: EPA). Many common household products emit VOCs, including  paints, varnishes and fuels. The health effects of VOC exposures include eye, nose and throat irritation. They can also cause damage to the liver, kidney and central nervous system. Some organics are known to cause cancer in animals, and some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans. 

What are the different types of Air Monitors?#

There are two types of monitors: Particle monitors and gas monitors. A room's air quality monitor can measure everything from temperature and humidity to CO2 levels, radon levels, and volatile organic compounds. Some of them include built-in apps that allow users to send results to their smartphones or computers. Advances in low-cost sensor technologies have led to the development of indoor air quality monitors for the consumer market.

Why You May Need an Air Quality Monitor#

• People who are most vulnerable to poor air quality impacts (e.g. elderly and children) spend most of their time indoors.

• Indoor air quality has worsened over time due to the increased use of synthetic materials and energy-efficient designs that limit ventilation (source: EPA).

• The first step to knowing how to combat poor air quality and its health impacts is to identify the issue

• Each indoor biome varies so need to have an individual assessment of air quality. 

Several factors make children more susceptible to illness caused by air pollution than adults: 

• Physical activity and breathing rates are higher.

• Smaller bodies and higher lung surface to body weight ratios.

• Respiratory and immune systems are immature.

Source: https://rmi.org/insight/gas-stoves-pollution-health

Checklist: Is indoor air quality a concern in your home?#

You may be wondering what you are breathing in at home. If you spend a lot of time indoors, and research indicates people spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, an indoor air quality monitor can help you learn more about the air you breathe. Consider the following checklist and whether you can take steps to eliminate some of your indoor air quality problems at the source. 

❐ Do you have any health symptoms such as poor sleep, headaches, sneezing or allergies?

❐ Are there very young children, older adults, people with cardiovascular or respiratory disease who spend most of their time indoors?

❐ Are there any indoor smokers?

❐ Are cleaning supplies, paints, insecticides, and other commonly used products stored indoors?

❐ Does it smell musty? Is there visible mold or mildew?

❐ Is indoor humidity 50 percent or higher?

❐ Are your fuel-burning appliances (stove, water heater, furnace) properly vented and regularly serviced?

❐ Have you recently installed new carpeting, remodeled, bought new furniture, or painted?

❐ Are there any outdoor sources of concern such as: radon [link], pesticides [link?], other sources of air pollution?

❐ Is your indoor air quality impacted by severe weather events? Extreme temperatures, droughts, wildfires, severe storms, and flooding can all contribute to poor indoor air quality. Storms and flooding, for example, can increase humidity and mold growth.

How We Chose#

To help you identify air quality issues and discover how to have cleaner air for breathing at home, we chose the following products based on high ratings, pricing and room size. While indoor air quality monitors don't filter the air, they help you decide what sources of indoor air pollution you can eliminate at the source and what air purifiers can do to help improve some indoor air quality issues.

Highly Rated Budget Selection (under $100):

• Temtop M10

Highly Rated Mid-range Price Selections ($101-250)

• AirThings 2930 Wave Plus

Best for Larger Spaces ($251+)

• AirThings 2960 View Plus

• AirThings 4200 House Kit

Pricing Guide#

• $ under $100
• $$ under $101-250
• $$$ over $251+

The 4 Highly Rated Home Air Monitors#

Highly Rated Budget Selection#

Temtop M10#

• Price: $

• Measures: PM2.5, AQI, TVOC and HCHO (formaldehyde)

• Results: 3 Color-coded  LED Indicators, or detailed LCD display on unit

• Rated top-performing by: New York Times, bobvilla

Highly Rated Mid-range Price Selections#

AirThings 2930 Wave Plus#

• Price: $$

• Measures: radon, CO2, humidity, temp, airborne chemicals (VOCs) and pressure

• Results: 3 Color-coded LED Indicators, or detailed reports via app

• Rated top-performing by: the spruce, tech hive, safewise, leafscore, bobvilla

Best for Larger Spaces #

AirThings 2960 View Plus#

• Price: $$$

• Measures: pm2.5, radon, CO2, humidity, temp, airborne chemicals (VOCs) and pressure

• Works as a hub with other AirThings monitors

• Results: 3 Color-coded LED Indicators, digital display, or detailed reports via app or online dashboard

• Rated top-performing by: the spruce, tech hive, safewise, leafscore, bobvilla

AirThings 4200 House Kit#

• Price: $$$

• Measures: pm2.5, radon, CO2, humidity, temp, airborne chemicals (VOCs) and pressure

• Multi-room coverage includes 3 measurement instruments

• Results: 3 Color-coded LED Indicators, digital display, or detailed reports via app or online dashboard

• Rated top-performing by: the spruce, tech hive, safewise, leafscore, bobvilla

Disclaimer:  These products are not endorsed by AreaHub, and AreaHub will not be liable for your use of the product if you purchase it.  If you buy something through any of these links, AreaHub will be compensated by the seller or the product platform.

What else can you learn or do about air pollution?#

You can check AreaHub reports to learn about air quality in your area and Wildfires by AreaHub to check the latest EPA Air Quality Index (AQI) so that you can monitor current levels. Also, you can read more about air quality, including about the harmful effects of air pollution on your health and what you can do about it. The AQI index is composed of five major air pollutants:

• Ground-level Ozone
• Particle Pollution (including PM2.5 and PM10)
• Carbon Monoxide
• Sulfur Dioxide
• Nitrogen Dioxide

Highly Rated Air Purifiers#

These highly-rated air purifiers and monitors may help measure and improve your indoor air quality:

These products are not endorsed by AreaHub and AreaHub will not be liable for your use of the product if you purchase it. If you buy something through these links, AreaHub will be compensated and/or receive a commission.

Sources#

• Indoor Environment - Berkeley Lab

• The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS): a resource for assessing exposure to environmental pollutants

• Rocky Mountain Institute Report “Gas Stoves: Health and Air Quality Impacts and Solutions”

• Compilation of Published PM2.5 Emission Rates for Cooking, Candles and Incense for Use in Modeling of Exposures in Residences

• AirAdvice State of Our Indoor Air Report 2007

• Population Attributable Fraction of Gas Stoves and Childhood Asthma in the United States