Top 5 Air Quality and Ammonia Monitoring Sensors in Canada (2025) — Expert-Reviewed Options to Improve Barn Ventilation, Safety, and Odor Control

The Dräger Polytron 8100 EC is presented as the industrial market leader for ammonia detection thanks to its dedicated electrochemical sensor, explosion-rated housing and industry-grade integration (4–20 mA/HART) that prioritize long-term stability and compliance. Compared with consumer loggers and portable units in this list, the Polytron commands a higher upfront price but typically delivers lower total cost of ownership through reduced maintenance, certified performance for safety-critical sites and seamless integration into building or process control systems.

The Onset HOBO MX1104 Multi-Sensor Logger is a cost-effective, wireless data-logging platform tailored for distributed air-quality monitoring campaigns and long-term environmental studies. Its financial advantage is a low per-node price and easy BLE/cloud connectivity, making it ideal for scaling monitoring networks, but it is less of a plug-and-play solution for ammonia-specific compliance than dedicated electrochemical detectors and typically requires external, calibrated gas sensors for trace ammonia work.

The Sensaphone Sentinel PRO is a facility-focused remote monitoring and alarm system that excels at centralized notification, multi-sensor integration and automated response across large sites. Financially and operationally it reduces staffing and downtime risk by consolidating alarms from gas detectors, temperature and other sensors into one platform; however, it relies on connected ammonia-specific detectors (like the Dräger or Aeroqual heads) for accurate gas measurement, so its strength is systems-level management rather than standalone gas sensing.

The Aeroqual Series 500 Portable Monitor is a modular, professional-grade portable instrument with interchangeable sensor heads (including electrochemical ammonia modules) that delivers high accuracy for on-site surveys and troubleshooting. It sits between fixed industrial detectors and consumer meters in cost and capability: more expensive than handheld consumer units but offering traceable calibration and sensor interchangeability that make it a better choice for field verifications and short-term deployments where flexibility and data quality matter.