air

Foobot vs Awair (updated)

Sotirios Papathanasiou12 Comments

awair vs foobot

Both devices are equipped with the basic home-environment sensors.

  • Temperature sensor
  • Humidity sensor
  • VOCs sensor
  • CO2 sensor
  • Particular Matter sensor.

Carbon Dioxide:

Foobot features all the above sensors except the CO2 sensor, it calcualtes the CO2 through an algorithm and the VOCs sensor which doesn’t make it very accurate. Awair has a dedicated sensor for the CO2 which makes it a winner in this category. Both devices display the CO2 in parts per million (ppm) values.

Volatile Compounds:

Foobot can measure and display the VOCs in parts per billion (ppb) values which make it perfect if you want to have precision into your measurements. Awair from the other hand can display the VOCs in Index values from 0 best to 5 worst. Foobot wins here (Awair could fix that with a simple app upgrade).

Particular Matter:

Foobot measures PM10 and PM2.5 and Awair measures PM10 PM2.5 too. Both measure them in μg/m³. They use  exactly the same Sharp dust sensor, but the readings I get are different!

Temperature/ Humidity:

I had the devices side by side for a week and they always had different indications for temp, humidity and CO2. As you can see on the pictures below.


 Both companies claim that they have tested the devices into a chamber.

Connectivity:

Foobot so far works fine via WiFi network WPA2. Awair has had some trouble staying connected, it looses the connection time to time. Awair features Bluetooth but it is only useful during initial connection with your phone (they told me that they are working to fix the wifi issue).

UI/UX:

Both devices have a unique interface. Foobot history browser is far more advanced and it can remember measurements for a long time although they need to design it a little more intuitive. Awair can’t display the history far from 24h but the main screen is friendlier and easier for the simple user to understand.

Conclusion:

Some of the features can be enchaned during time because they are software based. As a result, for the moment the scores are:

  • Awair 5/6
  • Foobot 5/6

Discover more from See The Air

Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.

12 thoughts on “Foobot vs Awair (updated)”

  1. Hi, there. My name is Simon, a software engineer at Bitfinder, makers of Awair. Where did you get the information regarding Awair’s PM2.5 measurement? Awair measures both PM2.5 and PM10. We would like to request for a change in your blog post mentioning that Awair only measures PM10. As matter of fact, Awair uses exactly the same Sharp dust sensor as Foobot. If you would like, we can discuss a bit more in detail via hello@getawair.com. Thanks and looking forward to your response.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Hi, Simon. I am glad you wrote me. Of course I will change that information, to be honest I have asked your company about detailed informations for Awair and they always answer me with the same copy paste message. Then I assumed that is only a PM10 sensor because of the Dust word. Also Why do I get different readings with Foobot and Awair regarding PMs? Always I read and search infos on the website of the manufacturer. Awair is an awesome product and I am so happy I have it in my collection. I would love to talk some more.

      Like

      Reply

  2. Hi, Sotirios. Thanks for getting back to me! We would like to compile some useful information for you (some you’ve been asking about via our support and some new information). As soon as we have it, we would like to send it to you first before releasing publicly. Talk to you soon.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. I have a foobot since almost a year now. I cant compare indication values, but variations seems in line with my behaviour (burning candles, opening windows, etc…). The major issue of foobot though is Wi-Fi performances. They are really poor. I always have Wi-Fi dropouts, many times per day. I had 2 foobot units and they perform as poorly. I have many Wi-Fi devices at home, and no issue so far. I even have some devices right to the foobot and they work like a charm with Wi-Fi. So there is definitely something wrong about Wi-Fi with foobot…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Interesting fact Xeryus. Honestly I haven’t had wifi issue with foobot. I have connected it in two different routers so far and no problems. Have you tried changing the channel of the router?

      Like

      Reply

  5. I’m an artist working on a project that centers on seeing dangerous invisible elements in indoor air. I am hoping to collect data on VOCs levels in the many rooms throughout the large building I work in, and perhaps other spaces inhabit. Do you have any recommendations on which device/software would work best, and be most reliable, for evaluating many different spaces like this (over separate 24 periods)? I believe most rooms would have a WIFI connection. Your blog has been very helpful for my research, and it would be great to be in touch further.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. Hi, Jan. Thank you for the good words about my blog. I saw your work and each piece is unique and express the complexity of the materials.
    About your question: Most “domestic” VOC devices that are available right now measure relative concentration which doesn’t make them very accurate. Industrial grade VOC sensors can be very expensive but again i don’t know your price range. In my experience wifi depended devices can create problems, Awair and Foobot depend on internet. Koto Air from the other hand can function without an internet connection for two weeks although it isn’t available yet.

    Here are some device that worth looking.

    Expensive
    http://www.nuwavesensors.com/#!qa15/t6w3e
    http://www.gas-sensing.com/aeroqual-products/aeroqual-series-200.html

    Cheap
    https://store.altitude.tech/index.php/product/sensly-the-smart-air-pollution-sensor/
    http://foobot.io
    https://koto.io

    Feel free to contact me at any time, we can even talk privately through Twitter PMs.

    Like

    Reply

    • Hi Jamy, thanks for the link, I disagree with the final conclusion of the writer. The new version of Awair 2nd Edition is much better and the old version of Awair had the same sensors like the Foobot, plus the Awair had a seperate sensor for CO2 readings. When readers ask me what to buy I never tell them buy this or that, I give them the facts and specs and I always let them decide what to buy themselves. Thanks

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment