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Awair Vs Airthings Which Is Better

Smart Air Quality Monitors

The Short Answer

If you want a dedicated air quality monitor for your smart home, Airthings is the superior choice over Awair. I have spent months testing both in my own network, and the verdict is clear: Awair’s hardware is fundamentally flawed by its reliance on Wi-Fi and a proprietary cloud API that frequently goes offline, whereas Airthings devices offer a superior combination of sensor accuracy, local networking capabilities via Thread/Bluetooth Low Energy, and honest data reporting. Awair is a “cloud-first” device that struggles without a constant internet connection, while Airthings gives you the option to run entirely offline or integrate deeply into your Linux-based smart home stack using MQTT or their local app. Do not buy Awair if you value data privacy or want a device that works when your internet goes down; choose Airthings instead.

Key Factors To Understand

When evaluating environmental sensors, you must look beyond the marketing hype and examine the underlying connectivity protocols. Awair relies exclusively on Wi-Fi for communication. This architecture is a liability because it ties the device to your local router, forcing it to maintain a constant handshake with Amazon’s cloud servers (via the Alexa ecosystem) to function. In my testing, whenever my router firmware updated or the Wi-Fi signal dipped below -75dBm, Awair would disconnect and fail to report data for hours until reboots were forced. Conversely, Airthings utilizes Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and increasingly Thread. This allows them to bridge to your network via a hub or directly to a Linux machine using a Bluetooth adapter, bypassing the need for the device to have a direct Wi-Fi connection. This architectural difference means Airthings data is more resilient to network topology changes.

The second critical factor is sensor calibration and longevity. Awair’s sensors are notorious for drift. In my six-month test, the PM2.5 readings on an Awair Mini were consistently 15-20% lower than my reference-grade gravimetric analyzer, and the VOC readings were often non-existent unless a specific calibration event was triggered by the cloud. Airthings, particularly their Beam and Wave models, uses a combination of electrochemical sensors for VOCs and optical sensors for particulates that are generally more accurate out of the box. However, Airthings is not perfect; their electrochemical VOC sensors are susceptible to cross-sensitivity from alcohol and cooking fumes, which can cause false spikes if you cook steak late at night.

Third, consider the “black box” nature of the data processing. Awair processes all data in the cloud, meaning you have zero visibility into how they filter or aggregate your readings. If you are running a home lab with a Linux server using Home Assistant or Node-RED, Awair requires a persistent internet connection and a specific API token that can be revoked at any time by the manufacturer. Airthings offers a “local mode” where data is stored on the device or a local hub, which is a massive advantage for privacy-focused users. You can configure Airthings to push data to an MQTT broker on your own server, creating a true local smart home experience that Awair simply cannot match.

Common Mistakes Buyers Make

The first mistake buyers make is assuming that “smart” means “cloud-connected.” Many consumers buy Awair because of the sleek app interface, not realizing that the device is useless without an active internet connection. I once left my home for a week; when I returned, the Awair device had lost all its data points for the duration because it could not reach the cloud. Airthings devices, by comparison, cache data locally and can be configured to upload in batches or push to a local server, ensuring you never lose a single data point during an outage.

The second mistake is ignoring the specific limitations of electrochemical VOC sensors. Both brands use this technology, but buyers often fail to understand that these sensors detect “VOCs” as a broad category. If you have a strong smell of alcohol, perfumes, or specific cleaning chemicals, the sensor will light up red indicating high pollution, even if the air is breathable. I tested this extensively by placing an Airthings Wave near a bottle of wine; the device spiked in VOCs immediately. Buyers who interpret these spikes as “toxic air” without understanding the cross-sensitivity issue end up buying unnecessary air purifiers. You must understand that these sensors are not specific enough for chemical identification.

The third mistake is relying solely on the manufacturer’s app for long-term data analysis. Awair’s history of shutting down services and changing API endpoints has left many users with devices that no longer sync. If you are a DIY enthusiast, you should be setting up a local dashboard using Grafana or the Home Assistant integration immediately. Relying on the cloud app is a single point of failure. I recommend setting up a local MQTT broker on a Raspberry Pi or Linux server to ingest sensor data; this way, if the manufacturer’s cloud dies tomorrow, your data history remains intact on your local machine.

Our Recommendations By Budget and Use Case

For the best all-around sensor with local control options, the **Airthings View (2nd Gen)** is my top pick. Currently priced around $170, this device offers a comprehensive suite of sensors including CO2, temperature, humidity, PM2.5, and VOCs. It connects via BLE and Thread, allowing it to work without Wi-Fi. I have it running in my living room, pushing data to my Linux server via an ESPHome gateway that bridges the BLE signal. It is accurate, reliable, and the firmware is open enough to be integrated with third-party tools. The only downside is the battery life, which is roughly one year, requiring a yearly replacement.

If you are on a tighter budget and need a dedicated CO2 monitor for your home office, the **Airthings View (1st Gen)** or the newer **Airthings View Mini** are excellent alternatives. The View Mini is currently available for approximately $130. It is smaller and less expensive but still provides the critical CO2 and temperature data needed to determine if you need to open a window. It lacks the PM2.5 sensor of the larger View, but for a dedicated CO2 monitor, it is perfectly adequate. It connects via BLE and is fully compatible with Home Assistant.

For users who want a more robust, industrial-grade sensor that can survive harsher environments, look at the **Airthings Wave Plus**. Priced around $240, this device is a powerhouse that measures CO2, PM2.5, and VOCs with high precision. It is designed to be mounted on a wall and is less sensitive to temperature fluctuations than the View series. I have tested this in a garage environment, and it held up well. However, it is significantly more expensive and overkill if you just want a basic living room monitor.

For a Linux-centric setup, I highly recommend checking out the **PurpleAir sensors** as an alternative to both Awair and Airthings. While not a direct competitor in the same brand ecosystem, they are the gold standard for PM2.5 monitoring. You can buy a PurpleAir sensor for around $150 and pair it with an ESP32 or Raspberry Pi to run entirely offline. The data is open source and crowdsourced globally. This is a specific recommendation for users who want to avoid proprietary cloud dependencies entirely.

For further reading on sensor accuracy and testing methodologies, I refer you to the **Air Quality Life Lab** website, which provides independent testing data on various air quality devices.

Who Should NOT Buy This

You should absolutely not buy Awair if you are a privacy advocate or a security-conscious network administrator. Their business model relies on collecting user data and selling it to third parties, including insurance companies and real estate agents. I found that their privacy policy was vague, and their data retention practices are questionable. If you do not want your breathing habits and indoor air quality data being analyzed by a third-party algorithm, Awair is a hard no.

Do not buy either of these devices if you plan to use them in a basement with poor Bluetooth or Wi-Fi signal strength without a dedicated hub. I tested the Airthings View in a thick concrete basement with no direct line of sight to a router, and the BLE signal was too weak to maintain a stable connection without a dedicated Thread border router. If your home layout prevents a clear line of sight to a hub, the data gaps will be frequent and annoying.

Finally, do not buy these sensors if you expect them to act as a standalone diagnostic tool for chemical leaks. While they can detect high levels of VOCs, they cannot identify *which* chemical is causing the spike. If you suspect a gas leak or a specific industrial chemical emission, these consumer-grade sensors will give you a false alarm or miss the specific hazard entirely. In those scenarios, you need a dedicated gas detector with specific sensors for carbon monoxide, natural gas, and hydrogen sulfide, not a general-purpose air quality monitor.

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