In 2020, I did what most people had to: figure out a space in their home where they can work in peace. While I renovated part of my basement for this exact purpose, there was one key thing I forgot to check for: Radon. Thankfully, my Airthings Wave caught wind of the problem and alerted me, and now you can get your own for $15 off on Prime Day.
I've been using Airthings Wave for some years now, but it wasn't until recently that my basement office became a magnet for Radon gas. Part of the problem is that it just won't stop raining this year where I live, and that extra water and evaporation have been pulling the Radon gas in through the cracks in my amateur-built basement office.
As a result of having the Airthings Wave in my basement office, I've realized the Radon problem exists and have been able to get it under control.
Keep your home safe
According to the EPA, Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., estimating that about 21,000 people die each year from radon-related lung cancer The only thing that causes lung cancer in more people is cigarette smoking. Considering you can't see, smell, or naturally detect Radon with your own body, that's pretty darn scary.
If you live in the mountains as I do — or any area with rocky soil — testing regularly for Radon is important. It seeps up from rocks in the ground and is a naturally-occurring gas, but that doesn't make it any less dangerous to human life.
Airthings Wave is dead simple to set up and install. Drop in two AA batteries and either set it on a table or other surface or use the included magnetic mount to mount it to a wall. That makes changing batteries a cinch — something you'll rarely ever have to do anyway thanks to the energy-efficient nature of the unit — and checking air quality is as easy as tapping on the Airthings logo in the center.
That tap will illuminate an LED ring that'll light up a status color: green for good, yellow for questionable, red for dangerous. Pairing it with the free Airthings app will give you a bit more info like humidity and air temperature, and it'll also provide you with historical data of your readings for free.
While there are other smart air quality monitors on the market, few can detect Radon, and even fewer offer this kind of data service without a subscription. $185 isn't the cheapest thing in the world but, if you've got a dwelling in one of the high-risk areas, that money could save your very life. You can't put a price on that.
Putting together your shopping list for Prime Day? Take a look at our guides to the best Prime Day phone deals and best Prime Day smartwatch deals so you know you've found all the best deals on the last day of Prime Day.
