This Portable Air Quality Monitor Will Help Me Track Fourth of July Smoke
Switchbot's Meter Pro shows local air quality anywhere you put it and is small enough to fit in a pocket.
Tyler Lacoma/CNET
From cooking on gas stoves to monitoring air quality during Fourth of July fireworks and summer wildfires, knowing your own home air quality is more important than ever. But it's not always easy, especially without a pricey smart air purifier. But this little tech buddy is going to be my favorite monitor this summer, wherever I want it.
The tiny Meter Pro from SwitchBot tracks temps, humidity and most importantly carbon dioxide around my house or my yard, wherever I take it. It works right out of the box, lets me adjust how often it updates, and is available for around $50 with discounts. Here's everything I learned when using it.
When I reached out to SwitchBot for a comment, they summed up the Meter Pro handily along with some advice on how to use it, saying, "By tracking CO₂ levels, temperature and humidity, users can make informed decisions about ventilation and indoor temperature and humidity control, leading to better sleep, increased productivity, and overall well-being."
As I tested the Meter Pro with carbon dioxide monitoring, I found some air quality surprises in my own home, learned what the app can do and was surprised by how easy the smart meter was to use.
Read more: 9 Surprising Things We Learned Monitoring Our Air Quality in 3 Locations
A smart air quality monitor for any spot in your home
The SwitchBot Meter Pro works well alone or with other smart devices.
SwitchBot
Switchbot's Meter Pro with carbon dioxide monitoring can work indoors or outdoors (or both with the right add-on), but the carbon dioxide feature makes it a much better indoor option. You can also move it to specific spots where you're worried carbon dioxide may be higher. The monitor works by showing you parts per million, a common method to measure carbon dioxide particles in the air, and updates itself regularly.
"The SwitchBot Meter Pro CO₂ Monitor employs Non-Dispersive Infrared (NDIR) technology, utilizing Swiss-made sensors for high-precision CO₂ detection," SwitchBot told me. "It measures CO₂ levels ranging from 400 to 9,000 ppm with an accuracy of ±50 ppm. In addition to CO₂, it monitors temperature and humidity, providing a comprehensive overview of indoor air quality."
Those sensor proved accurate, too. And if you're using the standalone device, it's effortless to set up. I unboxed the meter, pulled out the battery tab to activate the battery, and it immediately started displaying nearby air quality.
You'll note in my photos that by default the temperature appears in Celsius, but that's no problem. A small button on the top of the meter let me switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit instantly. The hardest part was deciding where to put it.
Making sense of air quality numbers
SwitchBot's Meter Pro gives you all the details about your room's air quality.
Tyler Lacoma/CNET
During testing I moved the SwitchBot Meter Pro frequently, positioning it on various counters and tables to see how it changed. I quickly learned the carbon dioxide levels in my home were close to the maximum acceptable level -- anything above 1,000 ppm and it's time to consider making changes like more ventilation or air purification. That's where our lab-tested recommendations can shine.
The high numbers weren't entirely surprising. When I tested, we were in the tail end of smoke season here on the West Coast and the air outside was still relatively smoky, something that has a major impact on carbon dioxide levels, even indoors. Also, my home uses natural gas for both fireplace heating and cooking, another factor that bumps up carbon dioxide numbers.
As regional fires died down, air quality in my home notably improved, with PPM declining to 600 to 700 ppm. It was even better in some other homes where I brought it for a quick test, indicating there may still be work for me to do to improve air quality.
In addition to temperature and carbon dioxide levels, the meter monitors humidity (my ranges in the high desert were pleasantly comfortable during the wetter fall season) and shows you the current weather. That makes it a nice hub for a quick view of what's going into your lungs.
Add a mini hub for more control and better battery life
SwitchBot's app provides a plethora of information.
Tyler Lacoma/CNET
Connecting the app via Bluetooth opened a world of possibilities -- well, once I created an account and applied numerous firmware updates, anyway.
Using the app, I could adjust how often the meter updates to save on battery life. The battery is rated for around 12 months of use and recharges via USB-C, so it's not a major issue. But I found increasing the frequency of updates let me test air quality more easily with no noticeable drawbacks.
You can use the Meter Pro as is, but it gets a sizable functionality boost with the SwitchBot Hub Mini ($40). My model came with one, so I was able to set it up and connect the SwitchBot app. That enabled some of the more advanced features like notifications and remote monitoring, so it's a quality-of-life improvement if you want to spend a bit more.
With the hub, the app also lets you set alerts, either via notifications or with sound alarms, based on triggers like when the temperature, humidity or parts per million reaches certain levels. That also lets you do things like get low temperature alerts in rooms (or garages) that are distant from your thermostat so you know when they may need extra heating.
Diving into air quality stats, customization and more
SwitchBot's preferences allow for lots of readout customization.
Tyler Lacoma/CNET
The SwitchBot app isn't quite finished yet. As I discovered, you can view the local dew point and vapor-pressure deficit, as well as get weather forecasts if you're willing to provide the app with your address. The app also includes a history chart so you can see patterns over time.
Deeper into settings, even more options emerge. You can recalibrate the temperature and humidity settings if they seem a bit off for your climate, then manually adjust your idea of a "comfort" level to control when the monitor warns of a problem.
The Hub Mini also provides compatibility with common voice assistants, such as Amazon Alexa. That allows you to set up automations with other Alexa-compatible devices, like a smart thermostat or even a humidifier.
While the app does mention the ability to store your long-term air quality data in the cloud for a fee, there's absolutely no need to do this if you are using only the Meter Pro, so subscriptions aren't a concern for this monitor.
An air quality monitor for any home
SwitchBot's Meter Pro with carbon dioxide monitoring is compact, highly portable and accurately measures air conditions in any part of your home with its Swiss-made sensor. Add the current low cost of $50 to $60 and it's an ideal monitoring solution for anyone who isn't sure what the air is like in their home and wants to keep an eye on air quality this winter.
One last note: If you're interested in purchasing this air quality monitor, make sure you're choosing the option with carbon dioxide monitoring. SwitchBot has a similar Meter Pro that does everything but monitor carbon dioxide levels. The new version with carbon dioxide monitoring is a much better package, even with the higher price.
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