Review on AcuRite Quality Monitor Temperature Humidity by John Pound

I've been using Acurite monitors for a long time. I bought several of their battery powered temperature and humidity meters to monitor indoor relative humidity before it was caused by numerous old faulty windows. We've since replaced the windows so we currently use meters to monitor the overall relative humidity in the room as well as the humidity levels in the basement and reptile room. The gauges have proven to be accurate compared to other gauges and this indoor AQ meter is no exception. Unlike our other Acurite meters, this meter runs on AC power, so it's designed for stationary use and not for frequent moving from room to room. Also, unlike others, it has a bright and vivid color LCD instead of a monochrome LCD. Despite the looks and the power supply, the biggest difference is the inclusion of indoor air quality monitoring and time display in this meter. Air quality is only measured with PM 2.5. It does not measure PM 10 or VOC. I have installed other air quality meters, both standalone and in high end air purifiers, and the AQ 2.5 readings on this unit are consistent with those units, including a $700+ high end meter in the same room. Temperature and Relative Humidity readings are also consistently the same or within +/- 2 between this gauge and other neighboring gauges. This is an accurate meter that can be useful, but if AQ is sufficient for monitoring then PM 10 and VOCs should also be monitored. Both are also unhealthy and can affect those who have underlying conditions or are perfectly healthy. I do not buy or use AQ meters on a whim. I use them for major health issues. Every room in our house has a high-quality air purifier with at least 3-stage replacement filters. Of course, we take air quality very seriously and do our best to keep it as clean as possible. This is a good gauge but not reliable enough for general AQ monitoring unless specifically targeting PM 2.5 only due to existing high levels or other specific requirements. As a PM 2.5 meter, I rate it 5 stars if nothing else happens. As a general AQ meter I would give it three stars due to the lack of monitoring in other key areas. Four stars seems like a solid compromise. Reliable gauges that measure multiple ranges of AQ tend to be quite expensive and can cost several hundred dollars for a good gauge. Although it's more expensive than most Acurite weather, relative humidity, and temperature meters, it's accurate and worth measuring PM2.5.