Tag: #AIRTHINGS

Tech Review – Airthings Mini Wave air quality monitor

Most people have plenty of tech in their homes like smart speakers,bulbs and so on and these are great but what protection do these give you in the home? ZERO protection to be frank about it and whilst there is tech out there and we will be touching on a few products that do so and the first up is the Airthings Mini Wave air quality monitor which is a simple easy to use and set-up product that can be placed anywhere in the house.

This is a simple small puck shaped device in which you simply download an app set up then just leave it sat in the best placed position you might find it in your own home this can be put anywhere and you will see this in the app set-up as you go through the process, you can also have more than one of these in your home too, you can also get pollen levels thrown in for good mix in the app, the app is simple to use too which is great and that is all there is to it.

In the app you will see in the video below is what you will be given and what the app does for you, on the top you will see 4 icons then further down you can get a daily breakdown and more and the activity feed will be across the bottom. The product measures air quality VOC, temp and mold risk which is really important.

You can simply wave across the front of the device too if you like to get a quick idea of what the air quality is like and you get a light on the bottom of the unit this indicates the current status there and then, the app has a dashboard which is easy to understand and here is where you can get all the stats in one place.

Notifications on your smartphone for Airthings.

About the product

Airthings Wave Mini is your indoor air quality companion, allowing you to visualize the health and comfort levels of the indoor air quality in every room. Monitor mould risk, temperature, humidity and airborne chemicals (VOCs) to help with asthma, allergies, sleep and overall health.

When a room’s environment becomes less than optimal, Wave Mini will provide insights into the VOCS, chemical’s and odor levels in your air. The Wave Mini is the perfect, cost-effective first step into understanding your indoor air quality. Air quality and temperature vary drastically from room to room and the only way to reach optimal comfort and health is to measure in every room, luckily this lightweight device is wireless and portable so you can move it freely around your home getting the most from your wave mini.

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Humidity in the home and the impact on health. #Health #Coronavirus.

With our world shrinking and the majority of people now working from home, indoor air quality experts, Airthings, wanted to share some information on an issue that is easily fixed but often forgotten: humidity. Issues with humidity are a problem for everyone. It can cause mould growth, exacerbate eczema, bring on dust mite allergies, and has even been linked to asthma and respiratory illnesses. As if that wasn’t enough, the link between low humidity and infection has recently been investigated, and the results aren’t good. Since Airthings specialise in indoor air quality, they have generated a quick summary to demonstrate how healthy humidity levels impact everyone’s new temporary place of work; their homes.

The issue:

Researchers for the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention found that when humidity levels were at 23%, 70 to 77% of flu virus particles were still able to cause an infection an hour after coughing. Raising humidity levels to 43% reduced the percentage of infectious particles to just 14%.

New research:

Yale University recently unveiled ground-breaking research that discovered the link between low humidity and the increased risk of contracting the flu virus. The lead researcher found that the body’s natural defence mechanisms were hindered in fighting the flu virus in environments of low humidity.

Why should I care?

The CDC research shows that the flu virus survived for longer in low humidity. The Yale researcher found that low humidity also made it more difficult for the body to remove inhaled particles and therefore reduced the test subject’s natural defences and increased the chances of contracting flu.

The risk:

The tricky thing about humidity levels is that they fluctuate and vary depending on the home, daily activities, the seasons and much more. Excess humidity levels can result in mould growth on window panes and in the home whereas very low humidity levels can help the spread of the flu virus as shown in the research.

 

Correct humidity levels:

Healthy indoor humidity levels are between 30-50% according to Environmental Protection Agency recommendations. By keeping the home in between these recommended levels, it can reduce the risk that comes with poor indoor humidity.

How to maintain healthy humidity levels:

Humans find it hard to detect when humidity levels are changing, that is why we are so good at adapting to different environments. The problem is, we only notice when humidity levels are really bad, where we start scratching our skin or notice mould growth. The best solution is to monitor humidity, that way you can be alerted to when levels get too high or low. Airthings Wave Mini helps to monitor humidity, or by upgrading to Airthings Wave Plus, the device offers complete indoor air insights including humidity and radon gas.

In addition, Airthings have compiled their  top tips to fix humidity in your home. The important thing to remember is that as long as humidity is monitored, it will show when is the right time to make these small changes to fix the issue before it becomes a bigger problem. With regards to the Coronavirus, the World Health Organisation warns that everyone can be at risk including those living in hot, humid conditions. For information and support on the Coronavirus, read what the WHO says here.

Want to find out more? Airthings take a further look into the research and the importance of healthy air when working from home, here.