PurpleAir
PurpleAir Touch
$209
Released 2023
Best Air Quality Monitors · head-to-head
PurpleAir Touch vs Aranet4 Home
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Aranet4 Home is cheaper at $189. Every spec and price links to its source.
Aranet
Aranet4 Home
$189Cheaper
Released 2019
Which is better: the PurpleAir Touch or Aranet4 Home?
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Aranet4 Home is the cheaper at $189.
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | PurpleAir Touch | Aranet4 Home |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $209 | $189 |
| Brand | PurpleAir | Aranet |
| Released | 2023 | 2019 |
| Pm25 sensor | Yes | No |
| CO₂ sensor | No | Yes |
| Voc sensor | Yes | No |
| Radon sensor | No | No |
| Display screen | No screen - full-color LED ring (AQI color scale) | E-ink display (numeric CO2 ppm readout) |
| App connectivity | Yes | Yes |
| Power | USB Micro plug-in, 5 V (adapter not included) | 2 AA batteries (up to 4-7 yr depending on battery type) |
| Release year | 2023 | 2019 |
Sources — PurpleAir Touch: www2.purpleair.com (verified 2026-06-20). Aranet4 Home: aranet.com (verified 2026-06-20).
What's the difference between the PurpleAir Touch and Aranet4 Home?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (5 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.
- Pm25 sensor: PurpleAir Touch true vs Aranet4 Home false
- CO₂ sensor: PurpleAir Touch false vs Aranet4 Home true
- Voc sensor: PurpleAir Touch true vs Aranet4 Home false
- Display screen: PurpleAir Touch No screen - full-color LED ring (AQI color scale) vs Aranet4 Home E-ink display (numeric CO2 ppm readout)
- Power: PurpleAir Touch USB Micro plug-in, 5 V (adapter not included) vs Aranet4 Home 2 AA batteries (up to 4-7 yr depending on battery type)
What reviewers say
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
PurpleAir Touch
No sourced tester review yet.
Aranet4 Home
Only one whitelisted tester covers the Aranet4: NYT Wirecutter, which reports hands-on use over years and praises its accuracy and reliability, but flags that it only tracks CO2. In its October 2025 update Wirecutter places the Aranet4 in the 'competition' section rather than as a pick, favoring the multi-pollutant AirGradient One (which uses the same NDIR CO2 sensor plus more). No lab-measured Aranet4 figures were published; the surviving quotes come from Wirecutter's competition write-up. (1 sourced review.)
Praised: Accurate, reliable CO2 readings confirmed over years of hands-on use.
Flagged: Measures only CO2, unlike multi-pollutant rivals.