Leave a Review Plume Labs
Slick app but suspect data
Have been trying out the app during the latest apocalyptic fire situation in the SF Bay for about a week and have found that, overall, the app is pretty nice to use. The UI is beautiful and usability is in the top tier. However, the data does not always jive with the other sources. Today, for example, it is saying an aqi of 94 which might invite one to take at least a walk. But then you look and see all the other sources saying closer to 200 and going outside and smelling confirms that. Keep that in mind while using this.Show lessJason Gurtz-Catyla
Plume AQI is totally out of sync with Airnow and purple air sensor s
Where exactly is plume getting its data from??!
We are experiencing some serious forest for smoke in my corner of the world, and plume lab keeps projecting AQI scores that seem to have nothing to do with reality. The nearest EPA and purple air sensors say our pm2.5 levels are high and ozone even higher, but plume has pm10 as the highest pollution, with pm2.5 and ozone as moderate. Maybe plume has it’s own AQI absolute scores, but it’s concerning that the pollution trumped aren’t ranked relative to one another the same way that nearby sensors rank them.
I used to trust plume to make decisions about when my children were safe to play out side and when I could ride a bike to work, but now that I see that plume’s projections do not correlate to any of the sensors around me, I do not trust plume. I also notice that when plume gets it wrong, they revise their AQI history retroactively.
I will just have to rely on purple air and the EPA Air Now sites to guess the present pollution levels.
I did direct questions to plume’s customer service before leaving this feedback, but they did not clarify anything with their responseShow lessT Fersomau
Misleading and confusing
I was shown this app during the CA Lightening Complex Wildfires of August 2020. It seemed like a great resource but quickly became a confusing hassle. I do not recommend anyone use it until they are more transparent about their data and index. As I was checking other reputable air quality sites, their data was WAY off. Turns out they don't use a standard index but rather their own made up index. This should be much more clear when downloading and using. I think it would also be prudent to show the numbers from local gov agencies as a comparison and help users understand how your index related to current indexes. Like 150 on plume equals 50 for the US.Show lessNighttime zombie police
No longer any reason to keep
I used to be a happy Plume app user and now all that is gone. Don’t be mislead by the high rating, which this app is riding on the basis of the old version before its redesign for the worse. It always had wildly inaccurate information, but at least the ‘North Africa-through-Asia-black-belt’ on the full World Pollution Map it displayed gave you a conversation starter at parties. Now, the UI/aesthetic look has been refreshed whereas overall UX has tanked into this being just a sales platform for their indicators without which Plume can never get to data accuracy. I worry for Plume because it’s in a “no man’s land” and so succeeding in neither direction. It needs to squarely decide: is it a data company or a hardware company? Are we its customers OR its data providers? If the latter, for such an ambitious project as distributed world pollution tracking, it needs to figure out how to get the AQ sensors into people’s hands for free: either gift them with VC or grant money, or work towards a handset standard so people’s phones include these sensors built in. If the former, it needs to rethink its hardware focus from tracking to aggregating 3rd party AQ data which remains more accurate, and maybe deliver more value like gamify things like Niantic did with indoor mapping and Pokemon Go.Show lessDextyrio
I still can't zoom into street view correctly
I like the light mode, but I can't zoom into new York in the map, but I can zoom into Philadelphia for some reason. Whenever I try to zoom into new York, the air quality on the streets disappear after I release my fingers
Why did someone lie in a review about the app sending them advertisements? I don't know if it's because I used this app for years but I don't know if he's talking about the daily overview notificationShow lessgizmo9879
Developer Response
Hi, Thank you very much for your comment and the 4-star rating. Please feel free to contact us at airreport@plumelabs.com if you would like to share with us a more detailed feedback. All the best, Antoine Simon, Product ManagerAmazing Air💨App
Last night I forwarded the Plume AQI Alert Warning to T&M (my family in Ft Thomas, KY).
Here's their reply this morning:
We’ve been sneezing 🤧
I've been using Plume over two years & elated when it displayed Moderate AQI at the time I was experiencing breathing problems outdoors (I do have asthma), but not really bothered until then. I thought it was my imagination or something else but delighted when Plume validated my poor breathing. I've been using it ever since, including determining best time to garden, walk, etc. I am extremely pleased with Plume & have highly recommend it to family & friends, especially with asthma & allergies.
Sadly my asthma Speciliast wasn't aware or interested in Plume when I tried describing how helpful it has been last couple of years. I'm taking him Report printouts & info on my next visit as I believe they should be telling their patients about it, instead of others way around. I treasure this app. I do have one request please. I can no longer bring up world view, (moving the map around), viewing varying degrees of AQI,especially in Middle East which had very poor AQI. Behold sat Israel with abundance of fresh air! Can you please bring back World View? Thank you for this amazing air app.Show lesskeokecandy
Not very accurate ?
I’m giving rating only to the app because I do not own the device. The app is great idea and it looks great but I’m questioning the accuracy of the data. Let’s say at 8am it shows 27aqi but in 2 hours it will be showing that at 8am was in fact 48aqi. Why does the data change retrospectively? It just doesn’t seem very reliable.Show lessL3852
Doesn’t find my location
For all the “we can tell you about pollution down to street level” the fact is that so far this app has not been able to find the village never mind the street. This morning it is giving me reading for Caldas da Raina which is 5/6 miles from here.DemeterK
Great add!
Love it! Good information and helpful. Can you add an Apple Watch widget please? That would be extra helpful! :) Thanks. Lovely appThe Bean Dip
Almost always reports having bad air quality
I have been using this app for a month for checking the air quality. However when I go to check the air quality where I live, I usually get a high amount of pollution reading. I compared the readings from the my local news channel and they report good to moderate air quality. Not sure why the reading is so off, but as it stands now I cannot recommend using this app.Show lessstorms002
