Awair Element - Smart Indoor Air Quality Monitor - Track Temperature, Humidity, C02, Chemicals (VOCs) and Particulate Matter (PM2.5)

After receiving recommendations for other IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) monitors, I started to look into these type of products. I work from home full-time, and have done for much of the last 12 years - and decided it was about time I started to take a more serious look at my work environment. I suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure) and there is a little evidence that high CO2 levels can contribute to raised BP.Rather than jump straight in I decided to do some research and see which IAQ monitor was worth investing in. I bought the Awair Element after it came top in a number of reviews against other similar products, mainly those costing less but also against those costing much more. As a software developer, there were a few features I was particularly looking for:* A simple display* Temp, Humidity, CO2 at minimum* History / data logging* Access to logged dataLooking at each of these:A simple display - my work desk is in a corner of our bedroom, and I have the Element perched on top of a chest of drawers close to me. The display can be set to one of several modes, but I prefer the score setting which shows an index value for each of the monitored values, and an overall score. The display can be clearly seen across the bedroom, where my wife can see it from the bed which means that she has also taken an interest in seeing what affects the scores.Temp Humidity, CO2 at min - and add to this VOC and PM2.5 levels. These two have been a revelation in themselves. Particularly the VOC levels - we have found it surprising how much of the VOC levels are affected by cooking, despite the kitchen being downstairs. The VOC levels can remain raised for quite some time after cooking has finished. And even more surprising is the level of VOCs given off from shower gels, shampoo etc. These can be as high or higher than those from cooking.History / data logging - the included app is brilliant, it gives me the current values (even when not at home as it accesses the data that the Element sends to Awairs own servers) and allows me to see the historic values. I don't know what the retention policy is with Awair just yet. For the majority of users this is more than enough, but as a developer, I'm always interested in going one step further which leads me onto...Access to logged data - for me personally this is one of the main reasons for getting the Element. The device itself has a built-in API endpoint which can be interrogated on the local network. The Element also sends regular data to Awairs own servers, and there is also a fully documented secure API to access all your data from there. The possibilities are therefore endless if you have the skillset. I'm planning on a personal site where the data from the Element is coupled with weather data and a barometric sensor, so that a more all encompassing view can be provided over what causes humidity / CO2 rises.To summarize:The Element will provide you with a wealth of data and allow you to you make much more informed decisions about your environment. Prior to getting it and given the recent colder weather - my room would have had the door closed all day, windows fully closed and the heating on - which would have put CO2 levels high, and thus would have impacted my productivity. Now the windows are on vent, the door is ajar more and the CO2 levels are much much lower than before. And more importantly - I can notice the difference it makes.

Really great piece of kit. Having read a lot of negative press recently about wood burners, we were concerned and wanted to get some clarity on the quality of air in our house where we use a wood burner daily for heating. Ratings are detailed and have given us peace of mind - using kiln-dried hardwood definitely means that wood burners do not reduce the quality of air in the home, and this has confirmed our suspicions that all the negative press about wood burners really only relates to those where people are using unseasoned / damp wood or other fuel sources that do not burn as cleanly as kiln-dried hardwood. Highly recommend

The unit is compact and good looking and the app has proven to be easy to setup and reliable in connection.The real benefit of the device is in the speed of response and clear presentation of data.I purchased as I was concerned about CO2 buildup in my home office. The Awair quickly helped me to establish that CO2 was getting much too high (over 5000!) but also that humidity and temperature were also all over the place. The solution to setting the heating was not obvious to me (hotter but for less time) and resulted in significant reductions in overall energy use. I was also able to identify the best ventilation option for my office making the air much clearer. The difference is truly remarkable compared to before.So a great device that enables me to establish issues, find optimal solutions and now continue to monitor the space even when it is not in use.

Great little device. I've got two now and it's interesting to see how pollutants move around the flat.For me the ability to monitor fine particles, VOCs and Carbon Dioxide all in one device was key.It registers VOCs when we spray perfume/aftershave and CO2 when we use the ovenLiving in central London I was quite surprised how "clean" it thought the air was, with fine particles being a rare occurrence, but I suspect it will change its mind once lockdown is over and traffic is back to normal!

Did a lot of research online before purchasing and chose the Awair Element based on different product reviews. Very easy to set up and looks good.Display of stats very clear on device and/or on my smartphone.It highlighted unhealthy levels of pollutants in my lounge from my logburner. Lots of stats on phone and also simply displayed on the device itself. Tracks levels like temperature, humidity, CO2, chemicals and particulate matter (PM 2.5). Gives an Air Quality Score based on device readings for easy reference.Now ordering another for my health-conscious son who lives in his own place.

Enjoying getting to understand the device and seeing how the air quality changes during the day and certain conditions. We wanted to make sure that there were no harmful levels of chemicals and this seems to be helping to show the levels.I like the app for the phone as it breaks down the air quality info categories and you can see daily and weekly trends to see how you are improving the air quality.So far so good sms not as expensive as others on the market.

It's a really nice air monitor that is let down by its inability to hold a network connection. Took ages to get it on my network then it drops it every day. No other device behaves so badly in my house. Given up with the app because there are so many gaps from a dropped connection. Just use the display to recognise bad air quality. Shame given the price.

CO2 an VOC measurements are an eye opener. Former especially is a huge challenge to keep in check in modern, well insulated (as in draft proof) properties.I deduct one star because I wish this all worked without a need for an account and for the fact device emits a little bit of like fan noise which made me move it out of the bedroom since it was too audible for me at night.