Of all the hazards that travellers face around the world, carbon monoxide (CO) might be one of the least talked about, one of the least understood and, still, one of the most dangerous.
This gas claims thousands of lives around the world every year and, being tasteless, odourless and invisible, is completely undetectable by humans until symptoms of poisoning begin to show.
We had been on the lookout for a CO detector to use both at home and while travelling when we discovered the Itehil Carbon Monoxide Detector.
In this post we’ll share some essential info on what carbon monoxide is and how it is formed, as well as our overall thoughts on this portable safety device, how we tested it and our pros and cons, to help you determine if it’s worth getting one for your own travels.
Let’s get started!
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What is carbon monoxide?
Carbon monoxide is a odourless, tasteless and invisible gas produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels.
While it’s a common by-product of most fires, it can also be emitted by any faulty fuel-burning appliance, for example stoves, heaters and water boilers.
While generally less of a concern in well ventilated outdoor spaces, carbon monoxide can be deadly if it builds up to a sufficient concentration indoors. The reason it’s so dangerous is that it acts primarily by binding to the haemoglobin in your blood and preventing it from carrying oxygen, ultimately suffocating your body. The initial symptoms of CO poisoning, which include headache, dizziness, vomiting, chest pain and confusion, can be difficult to recognise because of how generic they are, and are often confused with jet-lag, the flu or even food poisoning.
Since appliances that can accidentally produce carbon monoxide are common in most homes and stays across the world, there is no telling if you are at risk of being exposed or not, especially since gas can form in other parts of the building and move through the air ducts or through cracks in the walls.
Laws regarding the need of detectors are also not uniform, and can vary depending on the country or even on the local regulations. For this reason, a portable CO detector is a key tool to protect yourself from this invisible threat.
Let’s take a closer look at the Itehil 3 in 1 Portable Carbon Monoxide Detector.
The Itehil 3 in 1 Portable Carbon Monoxide Detector
Design
The Itehil Carbon Monoxide Detector is a compact and lightweight device that measures 3 x 2.8 x 1.2 inches (8 x 7.2 x 3.2 cm).
This allows it to easily be packed inside a suitcase or a backpack without adding significant weight or occupying a lot of space. It’s also self-standing and comes with a handy paracord laniard and a carabineer, so that you can easily set it up in your room or even in a camping car.
The detector is equipped with a surprisingly bright LCD display that shows the various readings from the sensors, as well as a danger scale and a battery indicator. The screen will self dim after a while to save power, but reactivates either at the push of the ON button or if it detects gas.
When it comes to durability, the plastic casing doesn’t feel very rugged, and there is a lot of circuitry visible from the back vents. While we understand that this is not a device made to be thrown around, we still would have liked to see something of a rubberised cover to protect it from potential falls and impacts.
Features
This is a 3 in 1 detector, and will measure carbon monoxide concentrations in the air in ppm (parts per million) along with the ambient temperature (in both Celsius and Fahrenheit) and the percentage of humidity.
If it detects a concentration of CO of over 50 ppm (the minimum danger threshold) it will give a loud alert; the sound is not ear-piercing, but still loud and persistent enough that it will attract your attention, especially if you keep it next to you while sleeping. The maximum CO concentration that the Itehil detector can measure is 999 ppm, already far within the lethal range.
We really liked the fact that the device uses a rechargeable battery instead of single-use ones. The detector has approximately 140 hours (almost six days) of autonomy, and can easily be charged with the included usb-c cable. Since the remaining battery is displayed on screen, it’s easy to keep track of and ensure it’s always charged and ready to use.
Testing the detector
While we were already impressed with the quality of the display and the compact design, we were keen to see how well the device would actually detect carbon monoxide.
Since CO is caused by incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuel, any fire that produces a lot of smoke should technically set off the detector. That includes cigarettes, car exhausts and wood fires.
Disclaimer: It should go without saying that you should perform any fire-based testing at your own risk.
We decided set a rolled piece of newspaper on fire in the kitchen sink. We let the smoke gather around the device, and it did indeed detect an increase in CO concentration, around 20 to 25 ppm. We figured that the paper was burning too well to produce a large amount of carbon monoxide, so we sprayed it with a very small amount of water that partially killed the flame and caused an actual incomplete combustion. The resulting fumes caused the reading to skyrocket, and in less than a minute the display showed a concentration of 999 ppm.
We repeated the test a few more times to make sure it wasn’t a mistake, and ended up getting consistent results with readings the same range.
Pros and cons
Let’s recap our pros and cons of the Itehil 3 in 1 Portable CO Detector:
Pros
Cons
Should you get this CO detector?
The Itehil Carbon Monoxide Detector really surprised us.
The lightweight and compact build makes it easy to carry around since it really doesn’t take up a lot of space, and the large LCD display makes it easily readable in the dark and at night. We also really like the battery having a long duration and being rechargeable with a simple usb-c cable. Our only con is that the plastic casing doesn’t feel very sturdy, so we recommend handling the device with some care and avoid dropping it.
Overall, this is an essential item that we absolutely recommend, and that we’ll be sure to pack on all future trips.
Let’s just cross our fingers and hope we never hear it make a sound!
