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Aerial view of industrial smokestacks in Toledo, Ohio.

Why?

That heavy feeling when you walk back into your bedroom in the morning? Or the corner meeting room that always gives you a headache? That smell of smog outside during the rush hour?

We all know what bad air feels like.

Air quality has a profound impact on our focus, rest, and long-term health. But the moment you try to improve it, you run into a problem: you can't see air, which makes it hard to understand what’s wrong—or how to make meaningful changes.

That's why we created Airgeek: to make the invisible visible. This article will help you understand how our air quality monitors and our app help you breathe better at home and at work.

What Airgeek Measures & Why

Photo of a smokestack emitting smoke and steam into the blue sky.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

When we breathe, we exhale carbon dioxide, and the room fills with CO2 quickly. This makes CO2 an important marker gas: Its concentration tells us if the air is fresh or stale, and whether we ventilate enough.[1]

CO2 negatively affects our mental performance[4] and interferes with sleep[5]. Insufficient ventilation increases the risk of spread of airborne diseases[2], such as the flu. CO2 may also directly assist in the spread of certain viruses.[3]

Aim to keep your CO2 concentration under 800 ppm.

Photo of the sun streaming through dust particles in a bedroom

Particulate Matter (PMx)

Common sources of indoor PMX include burning of candles, woodworking, fireplaces, wood and gas stoves and tobacco smoke. Vehicle emissions, wood burning and industrial emissions are common sources of PMX infiltration.[8]

PMX exposure has both acute and long-term health effects, ranging from mild respiratory symptoms to premature mortality. Infants, children and older adults with preexisting heart or lung diseases are at greatest risk.[6][7]

Keep your long-term exposure to PMX as low as possible. Use range hood at the highest setting while cooking. Extinguish candles with a lid. Open windows only if/when outdoor PMX concentration is below indoor concentration. Consider buying an air purifier.

Photo of a car exhaust pipe giving off smoke in the winter.

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

Nitrogen Dioxide irritates the eyes, nose, throat and the entire respiratory tract.[9] Long-term exposure to ambient NO2 was associated with adverse respiratory effects, especially in children, including reduced measures of lung function and reduced lung function growth.[10]

Gas stoves, tobacco smoke, and engine exhaust and common sources of NO2 pollution, plus various industrial sources.[9] NO2 is also moderately correlated with the presence of other pollutants, such as certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs).[10]

Maintain the annual average NO2 concentration below 30 ppb.[11]

Photo of a window with visible water condensation.

Relative Humidity

High relative humidity promotes the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria. Dust mites thrive in humid environments and trigger allergies.[12]

On the other hand, low relative humidity dries out the mucous membranes, increasing the risk of infections like cold and flu. It may also worsen allergies and asthma.[13]

Low relative humidity also contributes to PMX pollution.[14]

Maintain between 30 % and 50 % relative humidity indoors on average.[15]

Photo of a woman warming her hands above a radiator.

Ambient Temperature

Temperature under 18 °C exacerbates respiratory conditions such as asthma and increases the risk of respiratory infections.[16] It may also contribute to depression and anxiety.[17]

Temperature above 26 °C has similar effects[18], but may also cause heat exhaustion and metabolic issues. It can also disrupt sleep.[19]

Excessive heating or cooling of outside air can further cause wild swings in relative humidity. It also increases your heating and AC bills.

Keep indoor air temperature between 18 and 26 °C.

A man's hand putting a log into a lit fireplace.

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless toxic gas[20] with both acute and chronic health effects.

In high concentrations, carbon monoxide is acutely toxic and causes impairment and death.[20]

Chronic exposure to low concentrations of carbon monoxide causes fatigue, nausea, headaches and flu-like symptoms.[21] Malfunctioning or improperly vented fuel-burning appliances—such as boilers, gas stoves and ovens and fireplaces—often cause carbon monoxide exposure.[20]

Keep your exposure to carbon monoxide (CO) as low as possible. Airgeek is not a CO alarm. A dedicated CO alarm is necessary to prevent CO poisoning. Please read this FAQ.

How the Airgeek App Fits In

Airgeek comes with a completely and forever free app for Android and iOS. The app requires no subscription to run and it doesn't collect your data. It uses NFC to communicate with your device.

Photograph of the Airgeek app downloading data from an Airgeek device

Collect Data

Airgeek measures all of the aforementioned air quality parameters in regular intervals. It stores data in memory and produces long-term statistics.

Analyze

The Airgeek app downloads and analyzes the data via NFC. If any parameter falls outside of the healthy range, it suggests how to keep it in line.

Make Changes

Follow the app's advice. Often, a small change is all that's needed to make a big improvement.

See the Difference

The results should be clearly visible in a week or two. Check your device every now and then to understand how the quality of your air changes with time and to keep it in check.

Ready to See the Air?

Find the perfect air quality monitor for your space today.

How Airgeek Helps At Home

Photo of a little girl sneezing.

Reduce Asthma Triggers and Allergies

Airgeek monitors many indicators which are associated with worsening of asthma and allergies, such as particulate matter pollution, or relative humidity that is too low or too high.

If you're asthmatic or suffer allergies, you might want to prioritize work on these parameters. Our app shows the daily trends and suggests what can be done to make your air better long-term.

Please talk to your doctor first to understand how Airgeek can help you manage your condition. Airgeek is not a medical device and cannot substitute medical attention.

Photo of three kids playing together.

Protect Your Kids

Infants and kids are more vulnerable to indoor air pollution than adults. Studies have shown that NO2 exposure slows down lung development in kids and increases the risk of developing asthma.[25][26]

That's why the rooms where kids play and sleep should be the first place in your home where air quality is measured and actively managed. Our app is ready to help with that.

Photo of a man sleeping.

Improve Sleep Quality

Studies show that sleep quality decreases with increasing CO2 concentration in the sleeping area.[22] As little as 1 000 ppm CO2 has significant impact on both objective and subjective sleep quality measures.[23]

Airgeek tracks CO2 concentration accurately, while our app suggests changes that lead to better overall air quality. For example, we have found that intense airing of an average-sized bedroom as part of your sleep routine halves the CO2 concentration reading in the morning.

Automate Your Home

In addition to NFC, Airgeek also supports Matter over Thread, and Zigbee, the two most popular[24] protocols for smart home integration. Airgeek works with Google Home, Apple Home, and Home Assistant. (The device isn't yet certified.)

Airgeek can thus be used to control Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning in smart homes and smart buildings, making it easier to sustain a healthy indoor climate without wasting energy.

Keep Humidity In Check

Airgeek includes a very precise humidity sensor, and continuously monitors relative humidity throughout your home, helping you maintain the ideal 30–50% range that prevents mold growth, while avoiding dry air that can irritate skin and respiratory systems.

Humidity control is especially important in modern air-tight passive homes, where excessive humidity can cause damage to the building itself.

How Airgeek Helps At Work

A time-lapse photo of people walking through an office corridor.

Workplace Comfort

If you've ever been crammed in a small meeting room full of people, you know how incredibly challenging it can be to remain focused for hours, while at the same time trying to solve complex problems.

Not only is it incredibly unpleasant to be stuck in a meeting room with insufficient ventilation. Studies have also shown that CO2 has an objective negative impact on our cognitive skills.

Airgeek gives you the data you need to convince others that properly ventilated meeting rooms are a must.

Photo of a man cutting a chipboard with a circular saw.

Safer Work Environment

Airgeek detects harmful workplace pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide or carbon monoxide that are associated with asthma, cancer, and chronic respiratory conditions.

In high-risk environments such as woodshops (where airborne dust is a known carcinogen) and urban offices with poor ventilation, Airgeek and the accompanying app can be used to track the background pollutant levels and keep them in check.

If you believe your work environment may pose risks to your health, please talk to an expert to see how our device fits the bigger picture, as your specific conditions may require specialized equipment.

Photo of modern HVAC ductwork running under the ceiling.

Smart Building Control

Airgeek can be used to control not just smart homes, but also smart buildings. It supports Zigbee and Matter over Thread to control Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment.

While our primary focus at the moment is in the smart home segment, we plan to focus on the smart building market, especially office buildings, going forward. From our own experience, there is a lot of room for improvement there, and lots of low-hanging fruit.

Questions?

Our team is happy to answer any questions about the suitability of Airgeek for your specific use case.

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References & Further Reading

  1. Residential indoor air quality guidelines: Carbon dioxide, Health Canada, 2021.
  2. About Ventilation and Respiratory Viruses, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2024.
  3. Ambient carbon dioxide concentration correlates with SARS-CoV-2 aerostability and infection risk, Nature Communications, 2024.
  4. Is CO2 an indoor pollutant? Direct effects of low-to-moderate CO2 concentrations on human decision-making performance, Environmental Health Perspectives, 2012.
  5. Experimental study on sleep quality affected by carbon dioxide concentration, Indoor Air, 2020.
  6. Guidance for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in residential indoor air, Health Canada, 2012.
  7. Inhalable Particulate Matter and Health (PM2.5 and PM10), California Air Resources Board.
  8. Infographic: What is fine particulate matter (PM2.5)?, Health Canada, 2019.
  9. Nitrogen Dioxide's Impact on Indoor Air Quality, United States Environmental Protection Agency, updated May 2025.
  10. Human Health Risk Assessment for Ambient Nitrogen Dioxide, Health Canada, 2016.
  11. Nitrogen Dioxide & Health, California Air Resources Board.
  12. Indirect health effects of relative humidity in indoor environments., Environmental Health Perspecives, 1986.
  13. Relative Humidity and Its Impact on the Immune System and Infections, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2023.
  14. The effect of temperature and humidity of air on the concentration of particulate matter - PM2.5 and PM10, Atmospheric Research, 2024.
  15. Indoor humidity and your family's health, National Asthma Council Australia, 2016.
  16. Low indoor temperatures and insulation, WHO Housing and Health Guidelines, 2016.
  17. Cold homes and mental health harm: Evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, Social Science & Medicine, 2022.
  18. Indoor temperature and health: a global systematic review, Public Health, 2020.
  19. High indoor temperatures, WHO Housing and Health Guidelines, 2016.
  20. Infographic: Carbon monoxide, Health Canada, 2017.
  21. Carbon monoxide poisoning, Harvard Health Publishing, 2023.
  22. Experimental study on sleep quality affected by carbon dioxide concentration, Indoor Air, 2020.
  23. Ventilation causing an average CO2 concentration of 1,000 ppm negatively affects sleep: A field-lab study on healthy young people, Building and Environment, 2014.
  24. Based on the results of a survey we did among the participants of embedded world 25 (n = 81). The connectivity preferences were: Matter over Thread (25 %), Zigbee (23 %), NFC (21 %), data display only (12 %), other (19 %).
  25. Guidance for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in residential indoor air, Health Canada, 2012.
  26. Inhalable Particulate Matter and Health (PM2.5 and PM10), California Air Resources Board.