The hydrogen sulfide response of two commercial gas sensors and a thick‐film sensor containing 10 weight percent (w/o) of was studied in a concentration range of 0.1–50 ppm in synthetic air. The experiments were carried out at a temperature of 150°C both by allowing the sensors to stabilize at this temperature, and by quick cooling from an initial temperature of 400°C. Some continuous temperature cycling experiments were also performed in order to study the reproducibility of the readings and any drift with time. The primary aim was to study the feasibility of using temperature cycling to increase the performance of sensors for . A major increase in the sensitivity of the sensors to was achieved by means of the cooling process. The response times to exposure in synthetic air were also shorter after cooling to 150°C than at the same temperature without any cooling process. Continuous temperature cycling also improved both the response and recovery times. Mixing of porous sensors with powder may allow the selectivity of sensors to to be increased if the cooling process is used for detection (as mixing increases sensitivity to but drastically reduces that to , for instance). Water vapor increased the sensitivity of the sensors to and reduced the response and recovery times.