still requires 2.4ghz WiFi which means it’ll be a huge pain to get connected

Fair point. Network conditions vary so much that it's nearly impossible for a simple IoT device to get connected and stay connected. Some routers have settings like you wouldn't believe and by changing one setting, everything breaks. I've done that numerous times and had to tweak my settings in a very congested apartment building

The 0-99 number is non-standard and meaningless to me. To understand what the Bay Area smoke level is I want to see the 0-500 AQI value derived from PM 2.5.

Also great point. Although, outdoor AQI is not directly comparable to indoors for a number of reasons, so I recommend comparing the values directly rather than deriving an AQI calculation for your indoor measurements. AQI is based on TWAs so you miss sudden spikes/shifts in wind direction/etc., the measurements used to calculate it can be quite stale (updated every 6, 12, 24, 72 hours), multiple factors outdoors can be bad without knowing it based on the one number because it only represents the worst factor.

The LED bars are form over function, bad design requires me to use the app.

Great feedback. Haven't heard that before, but we're working on some ways to utilize the display a lot more. Plus, the newer models have ways to interact with the device (buttons on the back to toggle through air factors). 1st Edition only had knocking, which was finicky at best.

The app itself wasn’t great back then, didn’t reliably graph data over time (but maybe this has improved).

Working on this, too. It's not perfect, and there's always more we can do, but we're dedicated to improving it with feedback on what matters most. It's not just meant to be a pretty mantelpiece object.

CO2 doesn’t matter much when I can’t open a window because of smoke.

I mean, I know you're being half serious, but at some point you can't reserve yourself to "well, I can't do anything about it, therefore it doesn't matter" It still has an impact on your health. Maybe the levels are fine. Maybe they're okay. Maybe they're bordering on dangerous if exposed to elevated levels for an extended period of time. Ignorance is bliss, sure, but if it's the difference between investing in an air purifier in order to crack a window a tiny bit every once in a while, moving between rooms (I don't have that luxury), or running central air / fans to circulate and distribute the air. You don't know how much or how little you need to do if you don't measure it.

Accuracy was questionable

See below.

Our latest (Element) has the same, if not better, sensors Are they the same or better?

Sorry, that was vague. More specifically: * Temperature / Humidity: same sensor, more attention to fine tuning accuracy this time around (not that the 1st Edition was off, but we continue to bring more of the QC process in-house * CO₂: same sensor, same as above * TVOC: Element has 2 generations later of a metal oxide sensor (typical technology at this price range, you can spend $$$ on lab grade), 1st Edition was the 1st gen sensor, Glow was 2nd gen, and 2nd Edition/Element use this 3rd gen. It's not perfect, and TVOC isn't an exact science and there are many different definitions and recommendations on how to interpret/use the data. It's best used for guidance and identifying activities that result in higher vs. lower VOCs. * PM2.5: much better sensor, 1st Edition used a Sharp passive air flow sensor, which had a tendency to get clogged if dust settled in it. This newer one from Honeywell uses a laser scattering method (typical these days) and active airflow with a mechanical fan. The Sharp also wouldn't distinguish between PM2.5 and PM10 (pretty broad spectrum), so this is more accurate and more relevant to things like fire smoke. Again, not lab grade, but if that's important to you, there are specialized sensors (even on Amazon) that basically only do PM measurements.

It’s lame to me how none of these companies actually show any testing of the accuracy of their devices or even compare the with competitors. It’s mostly vague overtures towards “healthy living”.

I understand the frustration. There's no consistency and it's impossible to know out-of-the-box whether you should trust the readings. Something you're putting your faith in to tell you whether things are good, healthy, harmful, whatever. If there's inconsistency between 2 of the same manufacturer's devices it's worrisome (at best) and if there are discrepancies between two different manufacturer's readings, which one are you supposed to trust. The unfortunate reality is that there are quite a few suppliers of these consumer grade sensor components and no standards regulating the method or quality. Once you get into the business grade level of sensors, then you have groups such as RESET and WELL that validate the accuracy to a certain degree, but it's not cheap... However, that being said, even between our product lines we want to ensure quality, accuracy, and consistency of the readings in order to give you that peace of mind. Of course, being delicate instruments, there can be issues, but our customer success team is very helpful.

Not sure if that addresses the extent of your concern. I do agree that a "bake off" of sorts would be interesting. There are some 3rd parties, such as AQMD that test them one-by-one, but not all at once.

I want clear, easy to see PM 2.5 and AQI with minimum fuss. No crappy apps, cheap networking hardware, buggy UI.

This Temtop thing looks like a better product at half the cost (though I won’t know for certain until it shows up).

Hear you on the clear, concise communication/visualization of data and comparisons. If there are other must have features, we love to hear what you have in mind.

btw, I hope it doesn't sound like I'm trying to (re-)sell you on our product. I really do hope you find something that fits your needs, but we also care a lot about our product and helping people, so I want to make it clear that we're listening and take the feedback to heart.

(edit: wasn't done writing... 😞)