# Awair Element vs Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor: specs and price compared

A sourced, side-by-side comparison of the Awair Element (Awair) and Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor (Amazon) among air quality monitors. Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor is the cheaper of the two at $69.99.

## Side by side

| Spec | Awair Element | Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| US price | $299 | $69.99 |
| Brand | Awair | Amazon |
| Released | 2019 | 2021 |
| Pm25 sensor | Yes | Yes |
| CO₂ sensor | Yes | No |
| Voc sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Radon sensor | No | No |
| Display screen | LED dot-matrix display (5-dot AQI score + numeric readout) | No screen - LED color indicator only |
| App connectivity | Yes | Yes |
| Power | AC plug-in (100-240 V, 5 V/2 A adapter) | Micro USB plug-in (5 W) |

## Key differences

- CO₂ sensor: Awair Element Yes vs Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor No
- Display screen: Awair Element LED dot-matrix display (5-dot AQI score + numeric readout) vs Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor No screen - LED color indicator only
- Power: Awair Element AC plug-in (100-240 V, 5 V/2 A adapter) vs Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor Micro USB plug-in (5 W)

## What reviewers say

**Awair Element** — Two whitelisted hands-on testers cover the exact Awair Element: TechHive (2020) and Reviewed/USA Today (2024). Both recommend it as an accurate, user-friendly value pick with strong smart-home integration and helpful in-app tips. Both flag the weak on-device readout; Reviewed additionally notes it needs constant power (no battery) and lacks radon detection. Neither published measured accuracy numbers, so 'accurate' rests on qualitative comparison to reference instruments only. All six draft quotes verified as literal substrings; both sources survived intact. (2 sourced reviews.)

**Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor** — Three whitelisted hands-on testers—Tom's Guide, Reviewed, and TechHive—agree Amazon's ~$70 monitor is an inexpensive, easy-to-set-up tracker with no screen that lives entirely inside the cluttered Alexa app. None ran reference-grade accuracy benchmarks; all judgments are observational. TechHive panned its unfinished software in 2022; Reviewed and Tom's Guide warmed up once Alexa Routines matured. (3 sourced reviews.)

## Sources

- Awair Element: https://www.getawair.com/products/element (getawair.com, verified 2026-06-20)
- Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor: https://www.amazon.com/Introducing-Amazon-Smart-Quality-Monitor/dp/B08W8KS8D3 (amazon.com, verified 2026-06-20)

Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/air-quality-monitors/awair-element-vs-amazon-smart-air-quality-monitor/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, Awair Element ($299) vs Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor ($69.99) — sourced spec-by-spec comparison at https://frontdeskreview.com/gear/air-quality-monitors/awair-element-vs-amazon-smart-air-quality-monitor/
License: CC BY 4.0.
