🧵In-Depth CO2 Monitor Reviews.

To keep everything in one place, I wanted to create a thread that aggregates all of my CO2 monitor threads here on X.

I will be keeping this up to date when I create new threads in the future. If you want to be able to find everything in one place, please bookmark this. Aranet4 Home Review.

https://twitter.com/safe_breathe/status/1709608749747605511

The best carbon dioxide monitors that AREN’T the Aranet4.🧵

The Aranet4 is the most popular CO2 monitor by a long shot, and it’s deserving of this popularity. However, there are also many other CO2 monitors out there that are worth your consideration.

Whether you’re looking for a cheaper alternative or the Aranet4 just doesn’t quite fit your needs, these are some other carbon dioxide monitors that you should check out.

Let’s get started with… 1/ Some cheaper alternatives.

If you’re on a strict budget, you have one main option: the Vitalight Mini CO2 Detector. This device comes in at < $50, and, in my own testing, I’ve found it to be very accurate even compared to the vastly more expensive Aranet4 Home (check the attached image). Unfortunately, it also comes with a few significant downsides:

- It has a relatively short battery life (around 8 hours of usage, but it can be turned off to conserve battery).

- It has durability issues. Mine has lasted almost 18 months, but many have mentioned that theirs broke after a few months of usage.

- It auto-calibrates, which can make it inaccurate if not managed correctly. Check my full review in the final Tweet to learn how to manage this.

- It has no connectivity and functionality outside of showing the CO2 concentration at any given time and alerting the user when certain thresholds are reached.

This might make it sound like a relatively useless device. However, if you want to monitor CO2 on a budget, it’s a fantastic device, and it’s made CO2 monitoring far more accessible. An alternative is the INKBIRD Portable CO2 Detector, but I haven’t tried it myself, so I can't recommend it.

The Vitalight Mini CO2 Detector can be purchased from Amazon or @DonateMask if you're in Canada.

If you can spare a little more money, I highly recommend saving up for the following monitor… 2/

🫁As a clean air advocate, I'm thrilled to see IKEA making air quality monitors more wallet-friendly and widely available. Just seeing air quality monitors on the shelves of a big retailer like IKEA will improve awareness as people get interested in a product they potentially haven’t seen or even considered before. Even better, they’re at prices that make them accessible to almost everyone.

But I wanted to try these monitors for myself before getting too excited. Join me as I dive into the details of the IKEA Vindriktning & Vindstyrka air quality monitors and discuss whether you should consider them! 🧵1/

Firstly, let’s look at the cheaper ($15) Vindriktning. This monitor has a minimalist design and a traffic-light LED system that conveys the current air quality to the user. While the design is aesthetically pleasing, especially for this price, the LED system is very flawed, and the thresholds for the three colours were seemingly chosen by someone without knowledge of indoor air quality. Why? Well, here are the thresholds of PM2.5 (in μg/m³) for each LED colour:

- Green: 0-35
- Amber: 36-85
- Red: 86+

The issue? 5μg/m³ is the annual ‘safe’ level of PM2.5 as set by the WHO, and 15μg/m³ is the 24-hour 'safe' level. Since the green light, which indicates ‘good’ indoor quality, allows for up to 35μg/m³, we can quickly see a big issue with this monitor. 2/

💲The best budget-friendly CO2 monitor!

The SmartAir (Qingping) CO2 Monitor stands out for its portability, connectivity, and price. Pros include its great accuracy and rechargeable battery, making it a practical tool for those keen on tracking their carbon dioxide levels. However, while it has Bluetooth and WiFi, its biggest flaw is that it won't upload data while you're out and about. This CO2 monitor is a solid choice for anyone who wants 90% of the feature set of a more expensive CO2 monitor, such as the Aranet4 Home, but doesn't want to spend as much. Read on to learn more! 🔍The accuracy of the SmartAir CO2 Monitor is a highlight. It's equipped with an NDIR sensor that, from my own findings, provides reliable readings of CO2 levels, crucial for maintaining healthy indoor air. In the graphs below, I compared the readings from two Aranet4 Homes (considered the gold standard for CO2 monitoring) to the much cheaper SmartAir/Qingping device. While there were some differences in readings, the measurements were very similar between the devices!

🧵The Best CO2 Monitors for every price range🧵

After reviewing many of the carbon dioxide monitors on the market, these are my top choices, depending on your budget and needs.

Let's get started! The best overall carbon dioxide monitor.

Probably to the surprise of no one, the @AranetIoT
Aranet4 Home remains the best carbon dioxide monitor I've tried. Besides its price (which has dropped significantly recently), the Aranet4 Home has no significant downsides. It's accurate, has manual calibration, and has a great app, which I've never had any issues with.

The INKBIRD IAM-T1 is also a good choice as it's a well-rounded monitor. That said, I recommend it over the Aranet4 Home only if the price is significantly lower. If the price is similar between the two monitors when you want to buy, the Aranet is worth it. However, if you can find the IAM-T1 cheaper, it's worth considering as it has almost all of the features of the Aranet4 (minus the on-demand readings) and is only a bit larger.

Both of these monitors do well in all settings. They can be left at home or in an office, or you can take them out daily. They both have apps which I've never had any issues with, and, of course, they're both accurate.

😷 What is your go-to mask/respirator? I would love to hear what you choose to wear daily and why!

There are so many options that it often takes a lot of work to find the right fit (both literally and not). Therefore, I'm curious about what masks everyone else out there wears.

I don a few different masks regularly, depending on the circumstances. Read on to learn what my picks are and why.

/1
My usual daily mask is one of a few different models. However, they're all from the 3M Aura series.

My go-to is the 1870+, but this is a choice I've made due to availability. If the 9205+ or 9210+ were easier to obtain in Oceania/SEA, I would opt for them instead. As it is, the 1870+ is more easily accessible and cheaper. I know many people have issues with the straps breaking, but I've never encountered this issue.

More recently, I've opted to use the 9332A+ more often. This is an FFP3 Aura that has an exhalation valve. This makes it much more bearable in the hot and humid weather I experience in Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines. The lower resistance on exhalation is a game-changer.

Occasionally, I will also use the 3M VFlex as I appreciate the better breathability over the non-valved Auras. However, I find the fit of the VFlex to not be as good, and I also get a lot more looks when I don it. While this doesn't usually bother me, I already prefer the Aura, so I typically opt for one of those instead.

2/

My recommended carbon dioxide monitors - a 🧵. To keep everything in one place, I’m going to update this in the future with my favourite devices. If you prefer a web format, please feel free to check the link below! /1

breathesafeair.com/carbon-dioxide… The first device is the @AranetIoT Aranet4. If price isn’t an issue, this device is probably the most accurate out there. It’s super portable and also works well as an at-home monitor (but I do think there is better). Connectivity is also great! /2

breathesafeair.com/aranet4-home-r…