How carbon monoxide makes you sick

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can seep from any fuel-burning appliance. If undetected, it can also be a silent killer–which is why most experts consider it crucial to have a CO detector in your home. Yet, many hotels, motels, and vacation houses aren’t required to have CO detectors.

While the risk of CO poisoning on a trip is low compared to something like a car crash, it can still happen. In this episode, we talk with Wirecutter travel writer Maria Adelmann about why you may want to consider traveling with a portable CO detector. Maria explains what to look for in a detector and how it can help mitigate your risk. 

This episode covers:

• The risk of CO poisoning while traveling: Even though carbon monoxide poisoning is a leading cause of poison-related deaths in the US, only 14 US states have statues mandating CO detectors in temporary lodging, and these laws are not always comprehensive.
• A simple solution for avoiding CO poisoning: A portable, battery-operated carbon monoxide detector is a small, inexpensive, and easy way to get peace of mind and protect yourself and your family.
• Why you may mistake the symptoms of CO poisoning for other illnesses: CO poisoning can cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea and many people may think they have the flu, food poisoning, or even a hangover. Sick individuals may opt to recover by shutting themselves in their room–which would be the worst thing to do in the case of CO poisoning. Instead, they should get to fresh air as quickly as possible.
• Where to place a portable CO detector: Experts recommend placing CO detectors in sleeping areas, because that's where you'll be most affected. For an entire house, the EPA recommends  putting one on every floor.

Products we recommend:

• A travel-size CO detector: First Alert CO710 Carbon Monoxide Detector

Additional reading:

• This Portable Travel CO Detector Could Save Your Life
• Worried About Your Gas Stove? Here’s What to Do. 
• The 3 Best Basic Smoke Alarms of 2025

Correction: In the version of this episode that was originally published, we stated that when a carbon monoxide detector starts to beep at the end of its life, it’s because the battery is about to die. That is incorrect. The end-of-life alert we refer to, typically a series of chirps, indicates that the sensor is dying, not the battery.

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The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel.Engineering support from Maddy Masiello and Nick Pitman. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Efim Shapiro, Rowan Niemisto, Sophia Lanman, and Sonia Herrero. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.

Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast