Air quality monitor selection tool

Guidance on choosing low-cost sensors to monitor indoor and outdoor air pollution


Understanding air pollution levels can help you address potential health risks by taking action to reduce your exposure. This website aims to help Australians choose low-cost sensors to monitor indoor or outdoor air by providing:

This guidance does not cover indoor carbon dioxide (CO2) monitors, often used to check whether indoor ventilation is adequate. Learn more about CO2 monitors and ways to improve indoor air quality at Clean Air Stars.

How to use this tool

Make your selections below, then browse the list to find the right monitor for your project. (Read more about these categories and numbers.)

  1. Decide whether you need an indoor or outdoor (stationary) device. A small subset of products can be used both indoors and outdoors. There’s also a growing number of hand-held portable devices.
  2. Decide on your budget. This tool only covers devices less than AUD$10,000.*
  3. Decide which pollutants you’d like to measure. PM2.5 is a key polluting particle. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a commonly-measured polluting gas.

*Prices given are a rough guide only. Contact sellers for accurate, up-to-date pricing.


Air Quality Egg

$2000

By Wicked Device. Units for this curriculum-oriented product are available on a subscription basis. Indicative price is for 2 years’ subscription for the base 2022 model with PM and NO2 sensors (buyers can choose from a variety of additional sensor types). Organisational subscriptions available. Indoor and outdoor versions available.

Categories: Indoor,Outdoor,Portable
Monitors these particle sizes: PM1,PM2.5,PM10
Monitors these gases: NO2,O3,SO2,H2S
Monitors volatile organic compounds (VOCs):
Data transmission: Wi-Fi, manual download
Data display: Web, app, computer
Data storage: Local,Cloud
Calibration: Factory calibrated
Size: 140 x 140 x 84mm (indoor Egg) 147 x 147 x 51mm (Outdoor Egg)
Weight: 0.2kg (indoor Egg); 0.74kg (outdoor Egg)
Power options: Plug-in
Sensor accuracy (R2 value):
  • PM1:  0.91 – 0.93
  • PM2.5: 0.89 – 0.91
  • PM10: 0.27 – 0.30
  • CO: 0.85 – 0.92

Source: South Coast AQMD