Last updated on February 7, 2026
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has officially moved from a ‘nice-to-have’ luxury to a cornerstone of a healthy, modern smart home. In 2026, tracking and acting on pollutant levels is easier than ever, thanks to Home Assistant. Whether you’re pulling in cloud data for a general overview or using local sensors for pinpoint accuracy, this is your definitive guide to mastering Home Assistant air quality monitoring.
Method 1: The Easy Way with the AirVisual Cloud Integration
To start monitoring air quality without buying any new hardware, the AirVisual integration is the perfect jumping-off point. This method pulls data from public monitoring stations near your location to give you a solid estimate of the outdoor air quality. This is incredibly useful for deciding if it’s a good time to open the windows and air out the house.
Setting Up AirVisual in Home Assistant
The integration process is straightforward and can be done directly from the Home Assistant UI in just a couple of minutes.
- Get Your API Key: First, you’ll need to sign up on the IQAir (AirVisual) website to grab a free community API key. This key gets you up to 10,000 calls per month, which is more than enough for any home setup.
- Add the Integration: With your key in hand, just click the button below. Home Assistant will walk you through the setup. It will ask for your API key and your location, which you can set by city or, for better accuracy, by geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude).
Once configured, AirVisual will create several new entities in your system:
- Air Quality Index (AQI): A simple numerical score that summarizes the air quality. A value from 0 to 50 is considered good.
- Pollution Level: A user-friendly label like ‘Good’, ‘Moderate’, or ‘Hazardous’.
- Main Pollutant: Identifies the most problematic particle at the moment (e.g., PM2.5, Ozone).
For a slicker look, I’ve found that the Air Visual Card available in HACS is still one of the best ways to display this data on your dashboards.
Method 2: Pinpoint Indoor Accuracy with a Physical Air Quality Sensor
While AirVisual is great for the big picture, to know the *actual* air quality inside your home, you need a local air quality sensor. These devices measure pollutants like fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) right in the room they’re placed in.
Integrating these sensors is a breeze these days, especially models that use the Zigbee protocol. You can connect them through platforms like Zigbee2MQTT or Home Assistant’s native ZHA integration, giving you fast, local data without any cloud dependency.
Air Quality Sensor Showdown (My 2026 Recommendations)
I’ve tested a ton of these over the years. Here’s a breakdown of my current top picks, covering various needs and budgets.
| Model | Pollutants Measured | Connectivity | Estimated Price Range | Best For… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aqara Air Quality Monitor TVOC S1 | PM2.5, TVOC, Temp, Humidity | Zigbee 3.0 | $50 – $70 | Users who want a simple, reliable integration within the Aqara/Zigbee ecosystem. |
| IKEA VINDRIKTNING (DIY Mod) | PM2.5 | WiFi (with ESPHome) | $15 – $35 (sensor + board) | DIY enthusiasts looking for a cheap, highly customizable solution. |
| AirGradient ONE | PM2.5, CO₂, Temp, Humidity | WiFi (ESPHome pre-installed) | $85 – $120 | Those needing CO₂ data for ventilation management and who value open-source hardware. |
| Tuya Smart Air Box (Various models) | PM2.5, CO₂, TVOC, Formaldehyde | WiFi / Zigbee | $55 – $100 | Users already in the Tuya ecosystem looking for an all-in-one device. |
From Data to Action: Powerful Home Assistant Air Quality Automations
The real magic of tracking Home Assistant air quality is creating automations that actively improve your environment. Here are a few game-changing examples I run in my own smart home:
- Automatic Air Purifier Control: This is the most common and effective automation. If the PM2.5 level from my Aqara sensor goes above a certain threshold (e.g., 20 µg/m³), my smart air purifier automatically kicks on. When the levels drop back to a safe zone, it shuts off to save power.
- Intelligent Ventilation Alerts: If the AirGradient’s CO₂ sensor climbs past 1000 ppm (a key indicator of stale air), I get a notification on my phone: “CO₂ levels are high. Consider opening a window.” Better yet, if the AirVisual sensor shows that the outdoor air quality is good, the notification confirms it, giving me the green light to ventilate.
- Outdoor Pollution Lockdown: If the outdoor AQI from AirVisual suddenly spikes and I have any windows open (which I track with simple contact sensors), an automation immediately alerts me to close them and keep the pollution from getting inside.
With these steps, you’ll have more than just data; you’ll have a proactive system that looks out for your family’s health. Combining the big-picture view from AirVisual with the pinpoint accuracy of a local sensor gives you the ultimate solution for ensuring clean, healthy air in your 2026 smart home.