Airthings 2960 View Plus review

Overview

How accurate is Airthings 2960 View Plus? Using a number of sensors, the wireless Airthings View Plus ($299) monitors levels of radon, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter, among other things. Colorful charts are available for you to view measurements, and you can get notifications when they cross specific thresholds. More in Airthings 2960 View Plus review.

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Key indicator

The ViewPlus can measure seven things:

Radon (which most monitors can’t measure)
Particulate matter (PM) 2.5
Carbon dioxide
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Humidity
Temperature
Air pressure.

Airthings 2960 View Plus YouTube video review

A radioactive gas found in rocks, soil, and groundwater is RADON. It develops organically over time as radioactive metals decay. Although it can be found in almost every house, it is more common in those with basements or in places where there are significant granite deposits.

In the box

Airthings View Plus air quality monitor
Six batteries that can be recharged
Command mounting strips made by 3M
USB-C cord
Manual

Pros & Cons

Pros

Seven indicators of air quality
charts from the past
Hub and sensors integrated
App or online interface
Outstanding alerts and notifications
Compatibility for Google Assistant, IFTTT, and Alexa
Simple to set up
Easily positioned on a desk or shelf, or placed on a wall

Cons

Not able to customize thresholds
Issues integrating with voice assistants

Airthings 2960 View Plus Specs

Sensors: Radon, particulate matter (PM_2.5), Carbon dioxide (CO₂), temperature, humidity, airborne chemicals (VOC), air pressure
Display: 2.9” 296128 pixels ePaper
Visual indicator: Red/yellow/green glow indicator
Long battery life: Up to 2 years (depends on sensor interval and WiFi router)
Optional operation on USB-C (runs from batteries if removed)
Supports wall mounting or placement on table
Wireless connection: WiFi or Airthings SmartLink (with Hub)
Bluetooth for on boarding and daily use configuration
Hub functionality: Enabled when connected with WiFi and USB-C cable is plugged into device (not compatible with Wave Radon 1^st Gen SN: 2900xxxx)
Radon sampling: Passive diffusion chamber
Detection method: Alpha spectrometry
Measurement range: 0 – 500 pCi/L / 0 – 20,000 Bq/m³
Accuracy/precision at 5.4 pCi/L / 200 Bq/m³: After 7 days ~ 10 % After 2 months ~ 5 %
Sensor sampling interval:
5 minutes
Sensor Resolution:
Temperature ∓ 0.1°C / F
Humidity ∓1%
Pressure ∓0.15hPa
Initial calibration time:
VOC ~7 days
CO2 ~7 days
CO₂ details:
NDIR Sensor (Non-Dispersive Infra-Red):
Measurement range 400–5000 ppm
Optimum Accuracy ±50ppm ±3% within 10 – 35°C / 50 – 95°F and 0 – 80%RH after initial calibration time
Particulate Matter (PM_2.5) details:
Laser scattering based optical particle counter
Particle size detection range: 300 nm to 10 μm
Range: 0~200 μg/m³
Measurement error (PM2.5): 0 ~100μg/m³, ±10μg/m³,100 ~200 μg/m³, ±10%. Calibrated with a GRIMM using cigarette smoke source

Source: Airthings

Airthings 2960 View Plus Price

The feature-rich View Plus, at $300, is a bit pricey compared to the competing Aqara TVOC Air Quality Monitor, which costs only $45. However, the TVOC device can’t serve as a hub for the addition of additional air quality parameters because it only has sensors for three of them.

Design

The ViewPlus was well-protected when it arrived in a sturdy cardboard package. The View Plus is an oval, matte-white monitor that weighs 12.7 ounces (with batteries) and has dimensions of 3.5 by 6.6 by 1.2 inches (HWD). It can be put on a desktop or hung from a wall.

Connectors

When linked to WiFi, the Airthings ViewPlus can also gather information on the quality of the outdoor air. This includes informing you of the pollen count in your area. In order to use the monitor as a monitoring hub for other monitors in your house or another location, you can also plug it into a USB-C port.

Display

The device’s front is covered by a tiny 2.9-inch black-and-white LCD that can only show two readings at once; the app allows you to select which readings to see.

Sensor & indicator

Two sensors and an LED indicator are located above the display panel, and more sensors and grilles are positioned on either side of the enclosure. Hold your hand in front of the monitor to quickly view the overall quality of the air. When the air quality is good, the LED glows green; when it is fair, it glows yellow; and when it is poor, it glows red. Additionally, a good, fair, or poor status is shown on the screen.

Radeon

Carbon dioxide, particulate matter (PM2.5), radon gas, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are all measured by the View Plus’s sensors. The monitor also measures your home’s air pressure, humidity, and temperature and connects to the internet (via a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio) to report current outdoor conditions in your area.

Charging

The Airthings 2960 View Plus runs on six AA batteries (included); according to Airthings, these batteries can power the device for up to two years. It can also be powered by the USB-C cable that comes with it, but you will need to bring the adapter. The View Plus can act as a hub for other Airthings devices if the USB power option is selected.

Smart features & apps

You are prompted to set up a password and register using your email address in the app. The next step is to pair your smartphone and account with your new device after you’ve logged into the app. For me, this was a very quick and easy process.

To access the View Plus settings, tap the gear icon in the upper right corner. From here, you can turn on notifications for when a certain amount of reading is exceeded. A list of thresholds for each sensor reading is viewable, but you are unable to modify them to meet your own requirements. I would like the ability to edit the thresholds for temperature and humidity, even though it’s probably not a good idea to change the radon or PM2.5 levels. You can adjust Wi-Fi settings, move the device, and select which two readings show on the monitor’s display using additional settings.

Airthings 2960 View Plus Battery life

The monitor will send sample reports every 2.5 minutes when connected via USB-C. Every ten minutes, the monitor automatically sends reports using only its battery power. You can adjust the settings to limit the monitor’s report-sending frequency to every 60 minutes in order to save battery life. This setting may allow the batteries in your monitor to last up to two years, according to Airthings!

How accurate is the Airthings air quality monitor?

In our tests, the View Plus provided precise readings. Its outdoor reports were accurate, and its indoor temperature and humidity readings matched those of a Nest Thermostat in the same room. I lit an incense stick and positioned the monitor in the same room as a Prosenic A9 and a Smartmi Air Purifier P1.

The PM2.5 level on the A9, P1, and View Plus purifiers was 135 in five minutes. After putting out the incense, I gave the purifiers ten minutes to function. Both purifiers showed a PM2.5 reading of 31 at that point. The View Plus likewise displayed a reading of 30 a minute later.

Airthings 2960 View Plus consumer review

Fast delivery of the detector ordered (View Plus), which is also in solid packaging. The product is easy to configure and implement. The data is reliable and makes it possible to fully understand the presence of environmental pollutants. The notifications of the application clearly underline the need to ventilate the rooms at certain times of the day (and to close them well at others, in particular because of chimney fires in the vicinity). Very useful and relevant detector for anyone who wants to improve the quality of their indoor air. I highly recommend.
Review author: Frederic

Airthings 2960 View Plus review – how accurate is air quality?