until i wrote About this my search for good air In my Brooklyn apartment, I didn't know air quality monitors even existed. Now I couldn't live without them. Being aware of your Indoor Air Quality Index means entering a zone where the invisible becomes something you can never ignore.
We humans have evolved to react to changes in temperature, rainfall and wind. Bad air is cool and often odorless, but results from prolonged exposure to certain vapors, particles, and high levels of CO.2 Can affect cognition and make us susceptible to certain cancers as well as heart and respiratory diseases. Reading the daily temperature and watching the weather forecast prepares us for what's to come, but checking your air quality could be the biggest step you can take toward improving your health.
These air quality monitors were tested in two locations: a 130-plus-year-old Brooklyn apartment with a gas stove in a building under construction, and a cabin in the Maine woods that uses an electric stove. There were two cats, one dog, and two people there during the entire testing period. I had various air purifiers running all the time. Neither location had central air or HVAC with MERV filters, nor did they have over-stove exhaust fans that could expel the smoke. At both locations, cooking on stoves produced the worst air. These monitors were used on days with excellent outside wind and days when the air quality was in the moderate zone, above 50. US Air Quality Index,
For more ways Keep your air quality under controlTake a look at our guides best air purifier And best robot vacuum,
Updated January 2025: We've added PurpleAir's Zen Air, Govi's Smart Air Quality Monitor, and Ikea Windstirka; additional detail tables; And updated links and prices.
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