Until I wrote about my quest for good air in my Brooklyn apartment, I had no idea that air quality monitors existed. Now I can’t live without him. To find out the indoor air quality index you have to go into the invisible area to be something you can’t see. We humans evolved to respond to changes in temperature, precipitation, and wind. Bad air is silent and often odorless, but long-term exposure to vapors, particulates, and high levels of CO2 can impair cognition and make us susceptible to certain cancers, as well as heart and respiratory diseases. Reading the daily temperature and looking at the weather forecast prepares us for what’s to come, but checking your air quality can be the biggest step to improving your health. an old Brooklyn apartment with a gas stove in a building under construction, and a cabin in the woods of Maine that uses an electric stove. There were two cats, a dog, and two people during the entire test period. I have multiple air purifiers running. None of the locations have central air or HVAC with MERV filters, nor do they have stove exhaust fans to remove fumes to the outside. In both locations, it is cooking on the stovetop that produces the worst air. This monitor is used on days with excellent outdoor air and days when the air quality is in the moderate zone, above 50 on the US Air Quality Index. For more ways to maintain your air quality, see our guide to the Best Air Purifiers and Best Robot Vacuums. Updated January 2025: We’ve added PurpleAir’s Zen Air, Govee Air Quality Monitor, and Ikea Vindstyrka; added spec table; and update links and prices.Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get the best-in-class reports that matter so much to your attention for only $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive subscriber-only content. Subscribe Today.
