Air Lab
Hardware
air quality monitor
SHOW HN2025
497points
186comments
#74of 3,837 in 2025
Top 2%of 2025 by points
How HN took it
MixedNo clear lean
16 positive, 32 neutral or asking, 3 mixed, 27 critical, out of 78 comments about the project. Thread score -0.14.
Design: 7 for, 7 againstPricing: 2 for, 10 againstIdea: 3 for, 4 againstPerformance: 1 for, 4 againstExecution: 0 for, 2 against
The thread, comment by comment
Each row is a top-level comment and its replies, in HN's order. Select a cell to open that comment on HN.
positive neutral or mixed critical about another commenter or something else the maker
What HN said
What people liked
Honest, non-gimmicky product page with interactive simulator
From 2 comments
If only 1% of products were as honest in their presentation. Your page has the actual device, and users can "use" it just the way it works. No bikini models, no pretentious fancy…
hereme888 on HNI just wanted to draw attention to this detail in one of the comments [1] from the author. This post [2] details the process they went though to port their device firmware to…
tomhow on HN
Open source and hackable
From 2 comments
I really appreciate having an open source solution. I hope the production costs can come down over time. I currently have an Airthings Wave and a Plus - which are roughtly in the…
mozvalentin on HNI find the specs a bit expensive for what it is, but the software looks really good. Specs: - Microcontroller: ESP32-S3 - Air sensors: SCD41, SGP41 & LPS22 - Display: 296×128…
net01 on HN
Good industrial design and form factor
From 2 comments
General feedback: - I want something like this - I have built crude air quality monitors (sensors + micro-controller) but would prefer something I can buy - I love the openness -…
raudette on HNI find the specs a bit expensive for what it is, but the software looks really good. Specs: - Microcontroller: ESP32-S3 - Air sensors: SCD41, SGP41 & LPS22 - Display: 296×128…
net01 on HN
Objections
Too expensive compared to alternatives
From 4 comments
JFYI: a (hopefully much) cheaper stripped down version of the device would be useful. Air quality is the worst in poorer regions of the world, and as someone who suffers from…
homebrewer on HNThe ikea vindstyrka sensor is 50$, how is this 4x the price?
Isn0gud on HNGood idea, but not cheap compared to Aranet4 ~200USD. Not sure ESP32 is a good choice for power consumption.
red523 on HNI'm always lost when it comes to air quality meters. There are so many specifications, and in general, they're quite expensive—especially for people in third-world countries.…
neves on HN
Display too playful and hard to read at a glance
From 3 comments
I use Aranet devices myself - https://www.aranet.com/en/home/products/aranet4-home What you could take from them is how prominent the current measurement is on the screen. I can…
silversmith on HNVery cool project, we need more competition in this space - other option is like Air Gradient One, also open source. Famous HN "but": I find it baffling that by default we are…
poisonborz on HNNice device, but too playful for my needs. I'm still looking for a good sensor like Aranet but without the display and the vendor lock-in. Maybe if display is removed from this…
bflesch on HN
No PM2.5 sensor built in
From 2 comments
No pm2.5?
savrajsingh on HNI love it and I want to buy one for every on of my family and friends. Just curious though does it cover finer particles and if not just curious why? Same question I guess for a…
pkdpic on HN
ESP32 power consumption is high
From 1 comment
Good idea, but not cheap compared to Aranet4 ~200USD. Not sure ESP32 is a good choice for power consumption.
red523 on HN
Requests
Cheaper stripped-down version
From 2 comments
JFYI: a (hopefully much) cheaper stripped down version of the device would be useful. Air quality is the worst in poorer regions of the world, and as someone who suffers from…
homebrewer on HNCan someone please tell me why it's so expensive to measure the quality of air? Literally all of these devices (ones that actually give accurate measurements) cost a fortune.…
deanc on HN
Home Assistant, Zigbee or Matter integration
From 2 comments
I wish it would have support for Zigbee so I can pair it with other open data aggregation systems like Home Assistant. AirGradient, another cool air quality monitor, for example,…
xvfLJfx9 on HNWe'll definitely look into supporting Matter in the future, as it would allow integration with the most common home automation platforms/apps out there.
256dpi on HN
PM2.5 sensing
From 2 comments
General feedback: - I want something like this - I have built crude air quality monitors (sensors + micro-controller) but would prefer something I can buy - I love the openness -…
raudette on HNNo pm2.5?
savrajsingh on HN
Power over Ethernet
From 1 comment
Any plans for power over Ethernet?
Siecje on HN
Display-less version
From 1 comment
Nice device, but too playful for my needs. I'm still looking for a good sensor like Aranet but without the display and the vendor lock-in. Maybe if display is removed from this…
bflesch on HN
Questions
Accuracy compared to lab equipment and CO2 sensor drift
From 2 comments
Cool product! I come from a measurement/calibration background, so I'm curious about the accuracy of your system. Have you tested this against lab equipment, or do you have plans…
Eextra953 on HNI really like this. Did you investigate the options regarding CO2 sensors? I'm interested to know if you compared SCD30 to SCD41? The dual-channel design of SCD30 is supposed to…
SeasonalEnnui on HN
Whether CO2 readings are pressure compensated
From 1 comment
Hi, I developed indoorco2map.com which is a an app-supported crowd-data-science project where users can submit CO2-Data they measure when going shopping or to restaurants or…
aurelwu on HN
Whether there is BLE documentation for data access
From 1 comment
Hi, I developed indoorco2map.com which is a an app-supported crowd-data-science project where users can submit CO2-Data they measure when going shopping or to restaurants or…
aurelwu on HN
Alternatives named
Aranet4
From 2 comments
I use Aranet devices myself - https://www.aranet.com/en/home/products/aranet4-home What you could take from them is how prominent the current measurement is on the screen. I can…
silversmith on HNGood idea, but not cheap compared to Aranet4 ~200USD. Not sure ESP32 is a good choice for power consumption.
red523 on HN
AirGradient
From 2 comments
You can get the same measurements and even more from AirGradient. Those are a bit cheaper and much more solid devices. Not so focused on design, but rather on accuracy:…
voxlax on HNVery cool project, we need more competition in this space - other option is like Air Gradient One, also open source. Famous HN "but": I find it baffling that by default we are…
poisonborz on HN
IKEA Vindstyrka
From 1 comment
The ikea vindstyrka sensor is 50$, how is this 4x the price?
Isn0gud on HN
Airthings Wave
From 1 comment
I really appreciate having an open source solution. I hope the production costs can come down over time. I currently have an Airthings Wave and a Plus - which are roughtly in the…
mozvalentin on HN