PurpleAir
PurpleAir Touch
$209Cheaper
Released 2023
Best Air Quality Monitors · head-to-head
PurpleAir Touch vs uHoo Smart Air Monitor
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. PurpleAir Touch is cheaper at $209. Every spec and price links to its source.
uHoo
uHoo Smart Air Monitor
$299
Released 2017
Which is better: the PurpleAir Touch or uHoo Smart Air Monitor?
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The PurpleAir Touch is the cheaper at $209.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices verified at capture; live price may differ.
Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | PurpleAir Touch | uHoo Smart Air Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $209 | $299 |
| Brand | PurpleAir | uHoo |
| Released | 2023 | 2017 |
| Pm25 sensor | Yes | Yes |
| CO₂ sensor | No | Yes |
| Voc sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Radon sensor | No | No |
| Display screen | No screen - full-color LED ring (AQI color scale) | No screen - single RGB LED indicator |
| App connectivity | Yes | Yes |
| Power | USB Micro plug-in, 5 V (adapter not included) | 5 V/2 A USB plug-in (Micro-USB) |
| Release year | 2023 | 2017 |
Sources — PurpleAir Touch: www2.purpleair.com (verified 2026-06-20). uHoo Smart Air Monitor: getuhoo.com (verified 2026-06-20).
What's the difference between the PurpleAir Touch and uHoo Smart Air Monitor?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (3 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.
- CO₂ sensor: PurpleAir Touch false vs uHoo Smart Air Monitor true
- Display screen: PurpleAir Touch No screen - full-color LED ring (AQI color scale) vs uHoo Smart Air Monitor No screen - single RGB LED indicator
- Power: PurpleAir Touch USB Micro plug-in, 5 V (adapter not included) vs uHoo Smart Air Monitor 5 V/2 A USB plug-in (Micro-USB)
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.
uHoo Smart Air Monitor
Only one whitelisted tester, TechHive, published a hands-on uHoo Smart Air Monitor review; no PCMag, Tom's Guide, or Wirecutter coverage exists, and non-whitelist sources (Consumer Reports, Modern Castle, Gearbrain) were excluded. TechHive rates the nine-pollutant sensor among the best it has tested but faults a dated app, broken smart-home support, and a $399 price it calls overpriced. (1 sourced review, 1 lab-tested.)
Praised: Accurate, sensitive sensor suite that adds ozone and NO2, rare among rivals; Temperature and humidity readings matched the tester's reference weather sensors; Actionable, plain-English notifications on how to improve air quality.
Flagged: Dated, uninspired, not-user-friendly app; Broken smart-home support (advertised Alexa skill missing); Overpriced at $399.