Know what’s in the air you breathe.
One of the things I’m very conscious of these days is air quality. I live in the midwest where air quality is very poor. There is a lot of seasonal pollen as well as pollution from coal processing plants and other manufacturing corporations in the area. The past few years I’ve been even more aware of how bad air quality is in this area since my sinuses seem to be more sensitive now than they ever have been before. Therefore, I have become quite taken with the various smart devices that monitor air quality in homes and offices. One of my new favorites has become the Awair 2nd Edition.
DETAILS
The Awair 2nd Edition has the ability to track fine dust levels as well as other air quality elements to keep homes safe and healthy. This device provides consumers with real-time insights on air quality so that they may breathe easier. This monitor also provides information that will help people reduce allergy or asthmatic symptoms.
Awair 2nd Edition monitors five key air pollutants: fine dust, chemicals, CO2, humidity, and temperature. These factors are then compiled into the “Awair Score,” which is color-coded in the mobile app so that you have a visual warning when the air quality declines. Air Quality levels are shown directly on the device’s LED display so that users can ‘see the invisible’ at a glance. The Awair 2nd Edition provides consumers with the option to customize air quality readings for a variety of profiles such as productivity, baby health, sleep, allergies, and more. It’s crafted from North American walnut and is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest, IFTTT, and other smart home technologies.
IN THE BOX: Awair 2nd Edition Air Quality Monitor, USB-C to USB-A charging cable, wall adapter, and user manual
USER IMPRESSIONS
First and foremost, this device is a thing of beauty. I think its gorgeous design is what drew me to it in the first place. I love the dark, earthy tone of the walnut paired with the LED display that is a white panel. I also love that you can not only display the air quality information, but also a clock. In reality, you can’t have them both on
A few weeks ago, I reviewed the AWAIR Glow C Monitor, which does a lot of the same things that the AWAIR 2nd Edition does as far as monitoring air quality. I was actually surprised at how similar the set-up process was. I applaud AWAIR for this type of infrastructure because some smart home devices — even if they are a part of the same family of devices — have different set-up needs. The AWAIR 2nd Edition is actually more advanced as far as air quality monitoring than the Glow C as it tracks 2 additional air particulates that contribute to air quality.
To get started, you simply plug the air monitor into power using the USB-C cable and power adapter provided and then you follow the instructions in the app. In the app (free download) you will tap the “+” in the upper right-hand corner. This will place the app into search mode and it will detect any AWAIR products that are currently in Bluetooth pairing mode. The app will automatically know what type of product is in range and will ask for permission to connect to a WiFi network. Once you give the AWAIR credentials to join your network, it will connect and then you will be asked to assign it to a room and rename the device. The next step is to ‘customize’ your interests. This step is actually simply asking you to define how you want AWAIR to monitor the air — general, allergy, sleep, productivity, or for a baby. Once you select your desired option, you will then be taken to a dashboard that displays your current air quality score. From the app, you can view trends of your air quality scores and air particulates, notifications and set-up smart home tasks through services like Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. I personally have a HomeKit driven home so I let my AWAIR devices stand alone.
You also have the option of setting up preferences for your AWAIR 2nd Edition inside the app. I have my temperature set to read out as Fahrenheit and the display set to ‘clock’. I also have notifications set to scroll across the display when they occur. I found this to be the best combination for me because it means I have a really cool looking clock on my desk and I still get the benefits of an air quality sensor.
One of the things you might notice in my screenshots is the quick jump in environmental readings on the trendline. That is due to the fact that I moved the AWAIR 2nd Edition from my home to my office. I was curious about the air quality where I work during the day and since I already have one AWAIR at home, I thought I would use this one in my office.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I really like the simplicity of the AWAIR 2nd Edition. It is a very stylish device and it serves a wonderful purpose. Since I’ve been experiencing some sinus problems lately, having the AWAIR by my side really helps me to determine if the reason I’m feeling poorly is due to my current environment or something else. The AWAIR 2nd Edition is very easy to set-up and it just looks cool. I really couldn’t be happier with it.
For more information, visit getawair.com, Facebook, or Twitter.
