Updated October 2026
Data from the official AirGradient and Airthings sites.
2026 verdict
The Airthings Wave Mini is the better pick of these two air quality monitors for an indoor room, on price, warranty and everyday smart home support.
The Airthings wins with a 5-year warranty against 1 year, a battery that needs no cable, temperature, humidity and mold-risk tracking, and Google Home, Alexa and Home Assistant support plus all four alert types. The AirGradient Open Air answers with the sensors the Airthings lacks: particulates, CO2 and NOx, in a weather-resistant body meant for outdoors. Choose the Airthings Wave Mini for indoor VOC and dampness monitoring, and the AirGradient Open Air if you need outdoor air data or particulate and CO2 readings and run Home Assistant.
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| Feature | AirGradient Open Air | Airthings Wave Mini | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $190.00 | $89.99 | Airthings Wave Mini |
| Warranty | 1 year | 5 years | Airthings Wave Mini |
| Weather Resistance | YES (Outdoor) | NO | AirGradient Open Air |
| Integrations | Home Assistant | Google Home, Alexa, Home Assistant | Airthings Wave Mini |
| Sensors | TVOC, PM0.3, PM1, PM2.5, PM10, CO2, NOx, Temperature, Humidity | TVOC, Temperature, Humidity | AirGradient Open Air |
| Alerts | Temperature Alerts, Humidity Alerts, Air Quality Alerts | Temperature Alerts, Humidity Alerts, Air Quality Alerts, Low Battery Alerts | Airthings Wave Mini |
| Connectivity | 2.4 GHz WiFi, Bluetooth | Bluetooth, Other | Tie |
| Screen | NO | NO | Tie |
What the differences mean
Indoor versus outdoor
The AirGradient Open Air is weather resistant and built to be mounted outside on USB-C power. The Airthings Wave Mini is an indoor monitor with no weather rating and no cable, so it sits on a shelf in a room.
Sensors
The AirGradient Open Air tracks particulates from PM0.3 to PM10, plus CO2, TVOC, NOx, temperature and humidity, the set that matters for smoke, traffic and wildfire pollution. The Airthings Wave Mini tracks TVOC, temperature, humidity and a mold-risk indicator, with no particulate, CO2 or NOx sensing.
Warranty
Airthings backs the Wave Mini for 5 years against 1 year on the AirGradient Open Air, a rare difference at this price and a strong reason to favour the Airthings for a long-lived indoor sensor.
Smart home support
The Airthings Wave Mini works with Google Home, Alexa and Home Assistant and sends temperature, humidity, air quality and low-battery alerts. The AirGradient Open Air works with Home Assistant only, with no Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home, SmartThings or Matter.
Power
The Airthings Wave Mini runs about 2 years on three AA batteries, so it goes anywhere indoors. The AirGradient Open Air is USB-C powered with no battery option, which limits it to a spot within reach of a cable and a weather-safe power source.
Which one to buy if
- you want to know how bad the air is outside
The AirGradient Open Air is weather resistant and built for outdoor mounting, while the Airthings Wave Mini is an indoor-only monitor.
- you need particulate, CO2 or NOx readings
The AirGradient Open Air measures PM0.3 to PM10, CO2 and NOx, none of which the Airthings Wave Mini tracks.
- you want an indoor VOC and dampness check on a budget
The Airthings Wave Mini tracks VOCs, temperature, humidity and mold risk and is the cheaper of the two.
- you want the longest warranty and battery operation
The Airthings Wave Mini carries a 5-year warranty and runs about 2 years on AA batteries, where the AirGradient Open Air has 1 year and needs a USB-C cable.
- you run Google Home or Alexa in the room
The Airthings Wave Mini supports Google Home and Alexa, while the AirGradient Open Air is Home Assistant only.
$190.00
- + Weather Resistance: YES (Outdoor)
- + Sensors: TVOC, PM0.3, PM1, PM2.5, PM10, CO2, NOx, Temperature, Humidity
- - Price: $190.00 vs $89.99
- - Warranty: 1 year vs 5 years
Winner
$89.99
- + Price: $89.99
- + Warranty: 5 years
- + Integrations: Google Home, Alexa, Home Assistant
- - Weather Resistance: NO vs YES (Outdoor)
- - Sensors: TVOC, Temperature, Humidity vs TVOC, PM0.3, PM1, PM2.5, PM10, CO2, NOx, Temperature, Humidity
What owners say
Airthings Wave Mini owners value it as the cheapest way into the Airthings system, and they find it accurate and revealing about indoor chemistry. They watch VOCs jump when they blow out candles, cook or simply occupy a room, see readings line up with their purifier going red, and lean on the mold-risk and humidity tracking in basements and damp rooms. Battery life earns praise, with one owner reporting it near full after six months, and several single out responsive customer support. Their complaints are the app and connectivity: it is Bluetooth only, so without a hub or a View Plus it records nothing continuously, the app is called slow and clunky with frequent disconnects, and the graphs average spikes away beyond 48 hours with no zoom, which makes it poor for chasing a problem in real time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better overall: AirGradient Open Air or Airthings Wave Mini?
They answer different questions. The Airthings Wave Mini is the better indoor monitor for value, with a 5-year warranty, battery power, VOC, humidity and mold-risk tracking and Google Home, Alexa and Home Assistant support. The AirGradient Open Air is the one to buy if you want outdoor air data or particulate, CO2 and NOx readings inside a Home Assistant setup.
What is the biggest difference between the AirGradient Open Air and the Airthings Wave Mini?
The sensor set and where it lives. The AirGradient Open Air is an outdoor, USB-C powered monitor that measures particulates, CO2, TVOC and NOx, while the Airthings Wave Mini is a battery-powered indoor monitor limited to TVOC, temperature, humidity and mold risk. Neither covers the other's ground.
Does the Airthings Wave Mini measure particulates or CO2?
No. The Airthings Wave Mini tracks VOCs, temperature, humidity and a mold-risk indicator, but not particulates, CO2, NOx or radon. The AirGradient Open Air covers particulates from PM0.3 to PM10 plus CO2 and NOx, which makes it the one to pick for smoke or traffic pollution.
Do the AirGradient Open Air and Airthings Wave Mini need a hub?
The AirGradient Open Air does not, since it reports over Wi-Fi into Home Assistant. The Airthings Wave Mini is Bluetooth only, so on its own it updates only when you open the app nearby; continuous recording and remote access need an Airthings hub or a View Plus acting as one.
Who should buy the AirGradient Open Air?
Home Assistant users who want an outdoor, weather-resistant monitor for particulates, CO2 and NOx, especially near traffic, agriculture or wildfire risk, and who can run a USB-C cable to the mounting spot.
Who should buy the Airthings Wave Mini?
Budget buyers who want an indoor VOC and mold-risk sensor for extra rooms, already own or plan to own an Airthings hub, and value a long warranty and battery operation over particulate and CO2 data.
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