Improve your indoor air quality with Sensibo Elements

By Greg Gazin
March 05, 2023
Update: As of March 8, 2023, all data is now open to anyone using the app. Weekly and monthly statistics no longer require a premium subscription.

Being couped up indoors during the pandemic for many has really brought the subject of air quality to the forefront. And as the mercury plummets, we once again find ourselves spending a significant time in enclosed spaces, often wondering, “Am I actually breathing in clean air?”

Some of the things you experience, such as headaches, chest congestion, coughs and fatigue, amongst other symptoms, could be signs of bad air, which could potentially negatively impact our long-term health.

To “see” what’s floating in the air, climate-tech company Sensibo launched a new product – Sensibo Elements – smart indoor air quality monitor. It’s a small and sleek gadget partnered with a companion app designed to monitor select harmful contaminants and alert you so you can take action.

Monitor pollutants

It monitors pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO2), total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), a pool of various pollutants, PM2.5 – tiny particles that can get into our lungs, and ethanol. It can also track temperature and humidity, and then calculates a total overall air-quality score in real-time using its own algorithms.

There are no instructions in the box, but it’s simple to set up. Download the iOS or Android app or use the web. Select add a new device. You will be guided to plug in the device with the included USB-C cable and charger, then scan the QR code on the back of the device, or key in the number; then follow the instructions. If you have multiple devices, you can use the same app to set up different locations.

Sensibo Elements is cleverly designed to sit vertically. It comes with a small removable lightweight plastic frame that doubles as a stand, so you can keep it on your desk or remove it and mount it on a wall. The vertical orientation, along with a tilt adjustment, allows for the sensors to better sample the air for a more accurate reading. There’s a colour light at the front that will glow green, orange or red to indicate the air quality. This light can also be turned off.

Keep informed

Triggering a high-level alert will cause the app to send an alert to your phone and offer a tip. For example, a high TVOC reading will appear as a text message on your phone, with a suggestion to open a window to circulate some air. I guess that’s fine, as long as it’s not winter here in Canada.

You can keep tabs on your air quality through the app dashboard. It gives you individual readings for each element it’s monitoring and a total air quality score. You can also view detailed pollution graphs of each element by hour and by day to see changes over time. Weekly and monthly stats require a Sensibo Plus premium subscription.

Sensibo Elements gives additional automation capabilities if you’ve already invested in the Sensibo ecosystem by way of an air purification system or AC controller. When Elements triggers an air quality alert, utilizing the Sensibo’s patented PureBoost technology, you can have your air purifier turn on its fan, or signal your Sensibo AC controller to turn on your AC fan so you can automatically circulate more air.

Toxic air is a real thing in our homes and not just something we see coming out of smokestacks. We’re exposed to it on a regular basis – particularly from dust and pollen or building materials, cleaning products and even some of the air fresheners we spray and candles we burn. So, beyond the obvious, when we can actually smell something, having a device such as Sensibo Elements to help us know when we’re at risk from bad air, is just sensible.

Overall, Elements is a neat little device capable of sensing some of the more common pollutants and immediately alerting you to take action. The detection of ethanol (which I seem to have at home) is an added bonus, which I have yet to see on other air quality monitors.

It has a nice form factor measuring 115 mm long by 115 mm wide by 29 mm high (147 by 130 by 65 mm with stand). It does not require a hub, but as it’s not designed to be battery operated, it does require you to be in proximity to an AC electrical plug.

The app is helpful in that it not only helps you monitor the various elements via the dashboard, it also generates graphs so you can keep an eye on the trends.

While I can appreciate the need for an additional revenue stream, given the full retail cost of the unit and the fact that not everyone looks at their devices every single day, charging a premium for all data beyond a day is a bit of a stretch. Charging for beyond a month might be more in line.

Premium subscriptions are reasonable: $6.49 per month or $3.33 per month billed annually. As an added bonus, yearly subscribers also get a two-year extended warranty.

Sensibo Elements comes with a desktop stand and power adapter. It retails for $435. It’s currently offered directly from Sensibo at an introductory price of $235, which the company says is reduced for the foreseeable future.

About Greg Gazin

Greg Gazin is a syndicated tech columnist, blogger and podcaster, and has been a contributor to Active Life Magazine since 2016. He also contributes to canoe.com and Troy Media. gadgetguy.ca

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