IQAir AirVisual | Air Quality Reviews

by Galia Stauffer

I live in South Korea and have for a total of 5 years, spread out over the last decade in a 3 year stay and now 2 years into a 5 year stay, in that time the air quality here has gotten much much worse. I was recently diagnosed with asthma (something that is apparently becoming more common for people in Seoul) and have to check the air quality regularly. If it's above 100 aqi I have to wear a special filter mask to leave the house. I got IQAirAirVisualAirQuality to make it easier to check the AQI regularly, one of the big draws for IQAirAirVisualAirQuality is it notifies me if the AQI goes above 100, or it's supposed to. Yesterday it never dropped below 100 and I never got a notification (thankfully I'd had the thought to check online before leaving the house) and upon checking IQAirAirVisualAirQuality it said an AQI of 63 when it was really 163. If you're relying on IQAirAirVisualAirQuality for all your AQI information and live in a city with poor air quality such as Seoul you may be putting your health at risk by relying on IQAirAirVisualAirQuality.

by C0rlette

While current local condition air quality seemed accurate, the forecast data, even just a few hours ahead, was completely wrong. I live in Oregon and we had horrible air quality last summer, in the unhealthy range repeatedly, even crossing into hazardous at times. With many wildfires burning across our region, we are all jumpy in fear of a repeat. For some reason, despite consistently good air this year, the app predicts unhealthy air 4 hours in the future every single day. During the first week I cancelled a number of recreational and outdoor activity plans based on these predictions. I am especially peeved about one of these cancellations, something that I really wanted to do and lost some reservation money. I followed the site for another week—same thing every day. I know air patterns and fire conditions can change rapidly but AirVisual was never correct. The forecast ability was the main draw for me so I deleted AirVisual and swapped it out for an app with a very simple design, just current AQ numbers in bubbles on a map, easy to navigate around a region.

by Flatkatcarsnicoenckfc

IQAirAirVisualAirQuality is useful because it has daily notifications and a widget. I use IQAirAirVisualAirQuality to check the air quality in Korea. But the number that IQAirAirVisualAirQuality reports is almost always higher than the Naver number, which is probably most correct in Korea. If it’s :( unhealthy on AirVisual, it’s just :/ not good on Naver. or if it’s :/ not good on AirVisual, it’s :| ok on Naver. It can be good to be cautious though!

The worst part about IQAirAirVisualAirQuality is the UI. Swiping from the left never works to go back to the previous screen so I have to move my hand and push the back button in the top left corner. So annoying! There are a lot of menus on the bottom that I never click on like a map, a world ranking, and other not-that-useful stuff. Overall, it’s not that nice to look at and a bit frustrating to navigate. So I give 3 stars.

by Wildgreensoul

I used IQAirAirVisualAirQuality for a couple of days and was pleased with the ease-of-use and the number of places I could monitor at a glance. More importantly, IQAirAirVisualAirQuality utilized different monitoring stations than the epa website, so it didn’t seem redundant. And, always a sucker for something pretty, its slick appearance appealed to me

Then one day I was at work and the smoke kept rolling in, soon obscuring the view of a nearby butte, yet IQAirAirVisualAirQuality ’s AQI number read 187, pretty much in the same range it had been for a number of hours. Finally, after I finished my work project, I checked 2 other monitoring sites and the AQI was actually over 400! Maybe it was a glitch with a particular monitoring station? Maybe this really is a great app??? In that moment I was disappointed, felt like got a false sense of security counting on IQAirAirVisualAirQuality so I deleted it.

by J McRae

I use IQAirAirVisualAirQuality to help prepare for bad air conditions, since I live in the PNW and the wildfire smoke aggravates my asthma. The statistical information and maps are really interesting and informative and IQAirAirVisualAirQuality itself is easy to use, but now I'm concerned that the information I'm getting is not accurate.

There is currently an air advisory due to smoke in my area. For some reason, IQAirAirVisualAirQuality is insisting that the AQI is "Good" despite the fact that I can actually see pollution in the air. I'm not sure if this is really IQAirAirVisualAirQuality 's fault or the fault of wherever the information is being sourced from, but regardless, I don't think I can rely on the information I'm being given to help me make informed decisions about my health anymore. It's unfortunate since I was really excited to find an app like this in the first place. If you decide to download it anyway, please be cautious and don't use it as your only source of information.

by Salsasinger

Ever since I had pneumonia, I check before I hang out outside and it’s helped a lot... IQAirAirVisualAirQuality has a location reader closer to where I live than any other app, sometimes I have found the air quality isn’t great even though it says it’s OK on IQAirAirVisualAirQuality (I have really sensitive lungs at the moment and environment really affects them) but generally it seems to be pretty accurate... and I like that there’s weather attached to it.

I do wish there was a reading a little bit closer to where I am, but the main thing I wish they would change is IQAirAirVisualAirQuality image. Especially during the pandemic, I hate seeing an icon of someone with a mask on every time I go to check the air quality, just kind of depressing... it would be great if it were changed to a more positive image!

We could all use more of that!

by Veloscente

The Good:
Air Visual lets you set a local AQ station as default, and on launch, displays current AQI reading plus 48hrs of detailed history and a week of daily averages. At the bottom of the page, there is a map that lets you scan AQ readings at stations within a ~15mile radius. To get this AQ map, or any local AQ info, on Weather Underground website requires a half dozen clicks to toggle on PM2.5 filter, and WU does not offer any AQ history data, so this functionality makes AirVisual well worth the download.
The Bad:
I had high hopes the AIrVisual AQ forecast feature would help me plan outdoor activity by predicting windows of good air during California fire season. My hopes were unfounded: it is the worst “predictive” weather tool I have ever encountered! It would appear AirVisual’s forecast tool is based on the assumption that daytime pollution will simply dissipate overnight. With most of the West Coast on fire, the question is how much new smoke prevailing winds are bringing our way, and AirVisual’s forecast feature is clearly not built to gauge this, whether by visual smoke imaging or by other means.

by Tripledr

Discovered IQAirAirVisualAirQuality a couple of months ago and find it very useful in evaluating air quality, ventilating my house, and considering how to improve air filtration in my house. With continuing fires and air pollution in N California, I have developed bronchial irritation and increased congestion (which closely tracks air quality conditions reported by air visual). I attribute the good info to lots of reporting stations in my area.
Of particular interest is knowing when to ventilate my house (during periods of good air reported by air visual). Also, IQAirAirVisualAirQuality is helping me evaluate the performance of my whole house air filter system; my house filter helps but need improvement.
As a result of IQAirAirVisualAirQuality 's functionality, I'm considering buying a larger version of IQAir's home air purifier as an adjunct to my whole house filtering.
I give a 4 star rating because there is always room for improvement.

by Grindelli

I have lived in China for 3 years and have a two-year old boy. Once he was born I became more interested in what all the AQI apps actually did and started researching them. AirVisual is by far the best one I have come across (having used 10+ different apps). Not only can you choose to use the US index (which I would highly recommend) you also can see which pollutants are contaminating the atmosphere at any given time. I also have a laser egg (also highly recommended) which is a portable particulate counter and the readings on my mobile device and the closest monitoring station on IQAirAirVisualAirQuality are always within +/-20 meaning they are not contradicting each other. On other apps there would often times be a 50 point+ difference between what my particulate counter read and the other random apps I was using. Also, do note that some apps do, like airvisual, have the different pollutants listed and their levels but airvisual is the only app I have found that combines that with the ability to choose the US AQI standard. My go-to app when it comes to air pollution.

by Weezie Watkins

You have made it possible for me to monitor air quality along the west coast during this horrific fire season. I live in Kentucky but have relatives in Washington and California as well as friends in Oregon. It may seem a small thing but it has meant a lot for me to be able to say to them “I see you are going to need to stay indoors today” or “your air quality will be better in two days so hang in there” instead of always asking “how bad is it?” I could demonstrate that I cared by knowing their situation and expressing empathy rather than pelting them with repeated questions. Compassion and empathy are so much better than questions when one is under duress!

by Jdhvgakjsf

This has been a great app to plan daily activities here in California with all of the recent fires and smoke. The large number of reporting stations reveal where the smoke clouds are drifting. I have actually been able to plan bike ride routes and outdoor activities to areas of better air quality. I also bought one of their personal air quality measurement units for my house. It is interesting to note that AQI does not always match what appears to the eye... sometimes the air appears clearer but is still unhealthful. The large number of reporting sites in their network provides a lot more information that is available on other websites.

by TangoXray

IQAirAirVisualAirQuality is so helpful as a quick reference to the air quality outside. I don’t have to guess and I know the reading is legitimate and accurate. In London, pollution is a major concern and exacerbates respiratory issues especially for children. I use AirVisual as a guide to determine when I turn on the air purifier for my infant son. The monitoring station is close to where I live so I am getting information that is up-to-date and relevant to the particular area where I live. My next step is to purchase one of the AirVisual monitors so I may see the readings in my own home as well as contribute data to the community. IQAirAirVisualAirQuality is very informative, giving you the basic or in depth information whichever you may prefer. Keep up the good work!

by Linda4bz

Air Visual app gives me AQI for my location and where I’m headed. When AQI too high I do not want to stress my car either. App gives continental view and wind directions showing what changes in wind direction. Then I can plan ahead. I wish smoke did not return or hurt others this week. Looking at Air Visual app I can adjust and make safest plan possible. Right now I can still go outside with mask and C filter. Take a short walk. Plant a few seeds in the garden. Also gives me a world perspective, where the fires are. Says a lot about climate change. In September the smoke in Brazil and near them, covered four times the land area of our west coast fires and Smokey air. Also that Canada Alaska and Europe had relief. China did not.

by LauraInCalifornia

Having IQAirAirVisualAirQuality and the indoor CO2 and a Q I am on it or has been life-changing. I never knew that I was getting so fatigued while working because the CO2 levels would get so high. I just thought I was getting tired. Now I track CO2 levels and circulate the air much more in my house and feel more focused and less fatigued. It’s also been great during fire season because, when hooked up to Wi-Fi, the monitor tells me the AQI outdoors for a sensor less than a mile away from me, and there are so many sensors throughout the city I can choose from. So I know if it’s safe to open my windows or not. IQAirAirVisualAirQuality gives me notifications for when my indoor air quality gets to pour and it’s really helped me feel fresher in my home. So grateful!

by Fuuyki

My family lives in Medical Lake, Washington. We are working very hard to be safe from COVID 19 because we have a very young child and a medically vulnerable adult among us. After the fires in the surrounding area, we became concerned about not only meetings with the public but simply walking out our door. We began monitoring the air quality through your wonderful App. It enabled us to act BEFORE the air quality changed from moderate to hazardous. We received an air quality alert through a different service at 5pm pacific time. Which was nearly around 10 hours after the air was already in health damaging levels. Today your App helped us feel the confidence we needed to open our doors and windows and take a breath of much needed FRESH air. THANK YOU for helping us to stay healthy.

by Ttu101

It is only just beginning to seep into the public domain how catastrophically harmful poor quality air can be. It can irritate you, hurt your head and your heart, kill you or cause dementia. Checking air quality before engaging in outdoor work is vital especially in summer months. This is a simple but well-designed app that will display pollution levels and warnings for whichever monitoring stations you select. It can also provide notifications of changes in air quality. I have not yet come across intrusive tracking, data collection or advertising; it's not necessary to create an account to use it. I check it before working outside just as I check the (standard) weather forecast. Perhaps if we use products like these we'll come to see how we are, without exaggeration, poisoning ourselves.
Highly recommended.

by Badboy2k

This company makes top-quality products. Even as I unpacked my new HEPA air purifier I could see at once how carefully it had been designed and built. The excellent design and performance of the purifier encouraged me to order their air-quality sensor a few days later, so I could really know what is going into my family’s lungs. I am more than impressed with the IQ Air sensor/monitor as well.
It is these sensors, when they are installed outdoors, that provide the world-wide data (minus China) for the IQ air app. I am considering purchasing a second unit to install outdoors, so I too can provide air-quality data to help us all. But there happens to be one about a block away from where I live, so I am already receiving extremely local data from a device that I trust.

Easy to give 5 stars here.

by IRe-view

IQAirAirVisualAirQuality has actually been super helpful during this horrendous California wildfire season. We have found ourselves checking IQAirAirVisualAirQuality several times a day and the information/numbers seem generally pretty accurate compared with our firsthand experience of air quality/smoke conditions.

The information is presented in a clear and helpful format and everything usually works well.

Two of the most helpful features have been the air quality projections for the coming hours and days, and the live smoke and wind-currents radar map.

While we know the projected air quality numbers are not always accurate due to constantly changing wind and weather conditions, they can be very helpful in giving you some idea of how things are likely to be trending. They also seem to update frequently with the changing conditions, making the short term predictions generally pretty accurate, even if the longer term ones are not.

In the air quality map section, be sure to tap on the small dark rectangle that says “Air Visual Earth” which brings up another map of the world that you can pinch-and-zoom-in to see a real time smoke and wind radar map.

IQAirAirVisualAirQuality is much better than the other highly rated air quality app I tried. All in all, IQAirAirVisualAirQuality is excellent and very helpful.

by Ms. Whose-it-to-ya

IQAirAirVisualAirQuality continues to be very helpful for knowing the current AIR QUALITY in your location. Easy to use and read, great color coordinated layout to compare different areas air quality. It was very helpful for my family and I both during the 2017 Thomas Fire in California and today (September 2020) during this extremely difficult fire season across the West Coast. IQAirAirVisualAirQuality is able to consistently be updated and can show you hourly, daily, and weekly forecast and more. You can add many locations on the same page to compare. If you scroll down, it also shows you the PM level of pollutant in your area (worth learning about) and has guideline suggestions for your safety depending on the pollutant level in your area. I’m checking daily for forecast updates. Much appreciated and highly recommended. Thankful for this updated information.

by Kido@PDX

This free app can help you with information and forecasting of the air quality in your area. Since the 1970’s I’ve been personally interested in my home environment mainly because 3 of my family members, my husband & 2 children have hay fever in the Spring. We installed an electronic air filter in our furnace and air conditioning system which seemed to help immensely.

Fat forward another 30+ years when we discovered the AirVisual app & their small device that could monitor our indoor air quality. Yes, using an AirVisual device is an easy way to monitor and improve your own air quality in your home. I discovered that NOT opening the windows to bring in a little fresh air was bad for us. Our carbon dioxide CO2 levels were getting in a higher range and causing headaches and lethargic behaviors. Being retired and at home most of the time, this became even more important to monitor our indoor AQI. Thank you AirVisual for providing the tools and information for a healthier lifestyle. 🥰

by MusicalFreedom

If you have an air iq, which I just bought. IQAirAirVisualAirQuality is pretty terrible. It has HUGE gaps in the reporting. For example I have my device on all day. And the graph for “daily” report only shows info for 10am-2pm then a huge gap of no data, and then more reporting from 5pm-11pm, then a huge gap again between 11pm-2am. It’s completely random each day with times it will decide not to record info. The decide itself shows what happened over the last 24 hours fine. But IQAirAirVisualAirQuality shows these huge gaps which makes it useless since you can’t look back at history on the device itself beyond a day. So this problem with IQAirAirVisualAirQuality makes in unusable and also severely damaged the usability of the device too since you can’t access historical data beyond a day. This makes testing in a bad air home almost impossible to see if you are making any progress or not. For a $300 device, IQAirAirVisualAirQuality should work flawlessly with it.

by Markbyrn

Although I live in a major metro area next to a large International airport, the nearest monitor is a good 10 miles way. I essentially have to guesstimate based on the distant monitors that surround me. The UI is perplexing; it apparently selects the closest monitor with a name that doesn't mean anything even though there's another monitor thats slightly closer. Clicking on the monitor name doesn't show the map (or option for it); you have to bring up the separate map section and figure out where your monitor is and add other nearby monitors to your favorites. Once figured out, it's quite useful for it's purpose but the UI needs to be simplified and hopefully a monitor from the airport will be added although I'm guessing that's out of the developers control.

by Bets88

I’ve found a number of sources to test my air quality. AirNow doesn’t have as many local sensors, so it’s best for a general idea and for ozone levels, which some don’t display. My favorite for local particle readings now is PurpleAir, which has local sensors and you can add your own, similar to Weather Underground, and you can even integrate with their site. AirNow has the unique feature of displaying overall air quality from your device home page as if it’s the number of notifications you’ve missed. Took me a minute. Now I have my general idea of air quality at a glance. Good for those of us opening and closing windows, turning on and off air filters, or wearing masks to exercise outdoors. Thanks for a stable app. Build those sensor numbers.

by Don_iPad

I spend a couple of months every year in northeast rural Thailand visiting my wonderful Thai in-laws. AirVisual's coverage of Thailand is excellent and helps guide me in taking antihistamines and using an inhaler when the sugar cane farmers are burning their crops. They do this prior to harvesting the sugar cane before they sell their sugar cane to the processing plants. Although the Thai government is actively encouraging the farmers to adopt different methods to improve air quality, the burn method quickly and efficiently prepares the sugar cane for harvesting. Consequently, change is slow. Beyond Thailand, I appreciate AirVisual's accurate air quality measurements and the ability to make a list of cities to monitor air quality.

by Betsy182

I live in Northern CA where we call Autumn “fire season” and not because the leaves look like fire. This year was better where I live than past years but you can’t always tell right away when the air is bad or if it has become more dangerous. IQAirAirVisualAirQuality warns you (if you let it) when the air quality has changed, good or bad, and uses a lot of different data from many sensors around the area including privately owned and EPA etc. that give a much better reading in the micro climate air. It’s very easy to use as well.
I highly recommend getting IQAirAirVisualAirQuality to keep track of the air quality where ever you go.

by I Am Sorry Very Much😭

Thay mặt người dân Việt Nam xin lỗi người tạo ra app vì 1 số thành phần quá ngu đã report và đe doạ các bạn,thay mặt những con người Việt Nam chính thống xin lỗi người sáng lập ra app,Cộng Sản Việt Nam là lũ ngu chỉ biết ngồi ăn hối lộ và ăn cắp tiền thuế của dân nên khi các bạn đưa những thông tin này lên chúng sợ bị lộ chuyện ăn hối lộ nên đã cố tình report và de doạ các bạn,chân thành xin lỗi người sáng tạo

On behalf of the Vietnamese people apologize to the people who created IQAirAirVisualAirQuality because some stupid members have reported and threatened you, on behalf of the Vietnamese people who apologize for IQAirAirVisualAirQuality 's founder, the Vietnamese Communist is a flood stupid only know how to sit down to bribe and steal people's taxes so when you put this information on them they were afraid of being exposed to bribery, so they deliberately reported and threatened you, sincerely apologizing to the creator

by WWinCA

I started using AirVisual during the November 2018 California fires. Now that the smoke has (mostly) cleared, I will keep using it. AirVisual not only tells you what the Air Quality Index (AQI) in your area is but also provides detailed information on what an AQI is and how it’s measured. IQAirAirVisualAirQuality provides both local and global (via a 3D globe) views of how our air is doing. It provides a ranked list of major cities based on air quality (thankfully San Francisco is now down to 68 ... during the intense smoke from the fires it was up near the top 10 of worst places to breathe), news articles on air quality and resources. And there is more! Highly recommended.