Best Air Quality Monitor

Last Updated: May 18, 2023 @ 1:46 pm.

Best Handheld: Air Quality Pollution Monitor

Air quality monitors are helpful in pointing out problems with your indoor air quality—and testing whether your air purifier is working correctly.

To find the best bets, we first spoke with two air quality experts, with a combined 22 years of experience in the field. We asked about what indoor air pollutants folks should be most worried about and how to judge the best air quality monitors.

Then we asked our parent readers for their real-world experiences. We took these suggestions and did some testing of our own, comparing monitors on ease of use and accuracy.

Air quality monitors come in a few different flavors: handheld and desktop as well as those that have smartphones apps and can connect to home automation apps (Alexa, for example, or IFTTT). 

Sometimes simpler is better: in our testing, this handheld monitor did well for accuracy and ease of use: EG’s Air Quality Detector. No, there isn’t WiFi or smartphone app connectivity, but it measures VOC’s and particulate matter (especially PMI 2.5) accurately. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Easy to use. We liked the laser sensor that measured dust particles, for example.

• Accurate.

• Good battery life.

• Easy to read.

• Easy to transport in case you need to take it on the road.

What Needs Work

• Difficult to export data for more analysis.

• Learning curve to understand some of the more technical features.

• No WiFI app or smart home compatibility. In case that is important, consider our next recommendation.

Best Tried & True Brand: Awair Element Indoor Air Quality Monitor

Awair is probably the best known brand in this category—when we asked our readers for their real world experiences with air quality monitors, the Awair AQM8002A was mentioned in a positive light by several folks who thought it worked well.

We spent some time with this unit and agree it is easy to use—it also has a minimalist aesthetic that blends into home decor without screaming Mad Scientist. 

What We Liked

• Easy to set up.

• Simple display shows air quality rating and graph.

• Tracks CO2, VOC’s and PM 2.5—these are the key elements to good indoor air quality.

• Sensitive unit has good accuracy.

• Works with Alexa and other smart home apps.

• Smartphone app is easy to use.

What Needs Work

• Doesn’t specifically measure formaldehyde, just VO’s.

• WiFi connection can be wonky.

Best Budget-Friendly: Temtop M10 Air Quality Monitor

Yes, air quality monitors can be pricey. What if you just want simple that looks nice but is still accurate?

After trying out several models, we think the Temtop M10 is the best bet for most folks.

No, there is no smart home cross compatibility here and the companion app isn’t very helpful—but many folks don’t need that anyway.

What We Liked

• Easy to operate.

• Cycles through various categories of air quality: PM2.5, AQI, TVOC and HCHO.

• Table top unit looks like a nice alarm clock.

• Can be easily moved from room to room. 

What Needs Work

• No WiFi. The maker does have a version of this monitor that connects to your WiFi (the M10i), but this model (the M10) doesn’t have that feature. That means no smart home functionality.

• No humidity or temperature readings. 

Best Smart Home Compatible: Kaiterra Laser Egg+ Chemical: Indoor Air Quality Monitor

Most air quality monitors can warn you when the air inside your home is bad—but most can’t do anything about it. This model, the Kaiterra Laser Egg, works with IFTTT and other smart phone apps. That means it can turn on your air purifier if it detects a decline in air quality. 

While this unit is not perfect (false high readings are a common complaint), we liked its ease of use and sleek design.

What We Liked

• Very sensitive. Example: when we started to cook, we could see the air quality change in our home.

• Fits into most home decor with sleek aesthetic.

• Easy to use.

• Accurate.

• Smart home connectivity to IFTTT, other apps.

• Smartphone app is easy to use.

• Connects to your home WiFi.

• Battery lasts about 7 hours in our real world test or can be plugged in for continuous use.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

• Not very portable.

• False high readings.

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability. When we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!