Do air quality monitors actually work? Not 100% experts say

Here at Austin, we are often asked, ‘Why don’t home air quality monitors always show a change in air quality after running an air purifier?’ The simple answer to this is, most in home air quality monitors don’t give an accurate reading. Some are better than others. But the majority can only detect the presence of large particles, like dust and dander. They cannot detect fine particulates, the tiny particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers, that are particularly dangerous. So, if your room is full of fine particulates, such as chemicals, VOC’s and gases, there’s a good chance your air quality monitor can’t see them, so certainly can’t indicate they have been removed.

Another question that pops up regularly is, ‘Why don’t we incorporate the air quality monitor functionality into our units? Again, it’s all about the capability of the monitor, if they can’t accurately measure air quality, there is little point including them in our product.

There is currently no in home air quality monitor that can read pollution levels 100%. A few models can pick up the presence of some small particulates, but even they can’t give a totally accurate reading.

There are machines out here that are reliable. High spec, ‘lab grade’ machines, that can detect all types of pollution. But they come at a price, setting you back tens of thousands of dollars (we know this because we have them!). Far too expensive for domestic use.

However, that said, as long as you understand the limitations of the current air quality monitors available, they do have some use. According to one expert from the Lawrence Berkeley lab, they can at least be used as a ‘rough indicator’ that there is a problem with air quality.

No doubt, in time, technology will improve, and in home air quality monitors will become more accurate, more reliable. Until that happens, keep running your Austin. It’s the only air purifier clinically proven to do the job.