Digestive health has become something of a hot topic of late, with more people than ever now recognising the role the gut plays in everything from mood to metabolism. For those dealing with persistent issues like bloating, acid reflux or food sensitivities, the idea of having a pocket-sized diagnostic companion that can help you see where you might be going wrong sounds dreamy, right? Well, that’s exactly what FoodMarble aims to do.
The brand’s been on the scene for a few years now, but its most recent release comes in the form of the Aire 2, a little breathalyser-style gadget that claims to give real-time insights into how your body is reacting to food. FoodMarble says it can do this by measuring the hydrogen and methane gases in your breath. And while it’s not meant to replace clinical SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) or IBS tests, it is instead designed to help you spot patterns and trends in your digestion, and potentially identify foods that trigger your symptoms.
The concept sounds promising to say the least, and on first impressions the hardware looks pretty slick, with a surprisingly in-depth app. But can this little device actually help you uncover any real digestive insights? As someone who suffers from digestive issues regularly, I’ve been using it daily for roughly the last month and a half to find out how useful FoodMarble really is.
FoodMarble Aire 2 review: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
The FoodMarble Aire 2 is available to buy now directly from FoodMarble’s webstore or selected online retailers for £249 / $320 / AU$ 510. That gets you the device and app access, but not the optional Food Intolerance Kit, which includes test sachets for common FODMAPs (fructose, lactose, sorbitol and inulin). That kit costs an extra £39 / $50 / AU$80, but it's a key part of the Discovery Plan that FoodMarble recommends, so it’s probably worth forking out the extra dosh for it.
Regardless, FoodMarble isn’t cheap – you’re looking at a price that edges into smartwatch territory. But if it can save you from months of elimination diets or expensive clinical tests, it might be worth it. That said, its value depends on how reliable and actionable the data proves to be – which is always going to be questionable since we are never going to know for sure how accurate the device is. It’s a tricky one.
When it comes to rivals, there’s not really anything else on the market quite like FoodMarble. Not in the consumer space anyway. Lumen is perhaps the closest comparison as it also uses breath analysis, but focuses on metabolic tracking and fat versus carb burning, rather than gut fermentation. So while it shares some DNA, it’s aimed at a different part of the health puzzle.
FoodMarble Aire 2
(Image credit: Lee Bell)
FoodMarble Aire 2 review: design and build
The FoodMarble Aire 2 is probably smaller than you’d expect. It’s made predominantly of plastic, so it feels a little cheap when you first pick it up. It does sport a modern, mostly minimal design though with a soft-touch matte finish, and is quite sleek in the way it looks, all of which felt right when carrying it around with me daily. The device’s ergonomic, curved body is compact and lightweight, making it easy to pop into a bag or even your pocket if you want to take it out with you for readings on the go.
The Aire 2 is certainly an unassuming device for the most part. The front of it features a single large button that controls the power and triggers breath tests, and surrounding that is a subtle LED ring that lights up to show you the device is warming up or in use, with colour changes giving immediate feedback. One really thoughtful touch is the added haptic feedback – a gentle vibration to let you know when to start and stop breathing into the device. This is especially useful while you're getting the hang of the three-second exhalation technique it requires (although I did find it could be a little oversensitive to touch).
The included case deserves a mention, too. It’s not just protective, but well-ventilated to allow airflow, which is important because the device is sensitive to condensation. It also includes USB-C charging (thankfully) along with the necessary charging cable.
All in all, the design of the FoodMarble Aire 2 gave the right kind of first impression. Whether or not the data it collects is reliable (more on that later), the form factor and user experience are top-notch, and it’s genuinely pleasant to use day-to-day.
FoodMarble Aire 2
(Image credit: Lee Bell)
FoodMarble Aire 2 review: set up
When it came to setting it the Aire 2 alongside the FoodMarble app, I found it pretty straightforward. The app walks you through everything: from pairing the device via Bluetooth to calibrating your first breath test. I had the device up and running in less than 10 minutes. What really stood out was how user-friendly the app interface is. Each screen clearly explains what you need to do, whether that’s taking a baseline reading or preparing for a FODMAP challenge.
As someone who tests a lot of health tech, I was also impressed by how consistent the connection was between the Aire 2 and the app. I never had to re-pair the device or troubleshoot dodgy signals – it just worked, which was shocking – especially for a brand that’s not all that well known in the wearable space yet. This felt reassuring and matched the intuitive experience of the breath test walkthrough, which I found to be detailed without being overwhelming. If you happen to blow too fast or too short, the app and device let you know immediately so you can try again. In short, you’re guided through everything to get the device up and running, and it’s all pretty easy to follow.
FoodMarble Aire 2
(Image credit: Lee Bell)
FoodMarble Aire 2 review: performance and app
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, I have to warn you that using the Aire 2 is a proper commitment. If you’re following the full six-week Discovery Plan that FoodMarble recommends, you’ll be logging every meal, tracking symptoms and stress levels, logging your sleep, and doing breath tests multiple times a day. It’s definitely not a passive experience – you’ve got to be willing to do the work to see results.
That said, the app does a decent job of walking you through the process in a manageable way. The interface is clean and logical, with guided walkthroughs and clear tracking options. It even encourages you to record additional health info like bowel movements and menstruation phases, which for some will offer a more rounded picture of what’s really going on.
Once you’ve logged enough data, the app starts to build a personalised FODMAP profile. That’s where things get genuinely helpful – it breaks down your responses to different foods into clear, colour-coded categories. It then filters the app’s food database and recipe section accordingly, so you can better plan meals based on your results. The thumbs-up/down rating system for foods is another useful layer, especially when used alongside the ability to scan barcodes or upload food photos.
FoodMarble Aire 2
(Image credit: Lee Bell)
Where things get frustrating, though, is in the core feature: the breath tests themselves. In theory, the Aire 2 measures hydrogen and methane gas in your breath to help detect fermentation activity in your gut – activity that can suggest poor absorption or bacterial overgrowth. But I found the data it gives back doesn’t always make sense.
For me, readings could often be inconsistent. Foods that triggered no reaction one day might show a spike the next, despite being eaten under nearly identical conditions, which is a bit of a red flag when you're taking action on data that doesn’t line up.
These unreliable results might be forgivable if this were a fitness tracker, but when you’re making decisions about diet and digestion, the stakes are a bit higher. Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. As a trend-spotting companion, the Aire 2 can still be really useful. I noticed a few general patterns emerging – certain FODMAP-heavy meals did seem to correlate with higher hydrogen levels. But it wasn’t consistent enough for me to make confident dietary changes based on those results alone.
At best, the FoodMarble Aire 2 is a good tool for curiosity and cautious exploration – but maybe not a substitute for proper testing or clinical advice.
FoodMarble Aire 2
(Image credit: Lee Bell)
FoodMarble Aire 2 review: verdict
The FoodMarble Aire 2 is a well-designed health gadget with the potential to give people more control and insight into their digestive health through accessible, daily breath testing. And with features like FODMAP tracking, haptic feedback and a maturing app experience, it certainly can help there, and so there’s a lot to like.
But at nearly £250, this is not an impulse buy – and right now, the inconsistent data makes it hard to fully recommend. If you’re someone already deep into the world of food sensitivities and SIBO, it might offer extra insight or at least a layer of trend tracking. Just be wary of over-interpreting the results, and perhaps balance them with how your body actually feels.
With further refinement, the Aire 2 or its successor could well be a game-changer in personalised health. But for now, it’s more of an interesting companion than a reliable diagnostic tool, I’d say.