In this study, optical calorimetry is introduced for the investigation of activation procedures and catalyst composition on the catalytic carbon monoxide (CO) oxidation at ambient conditions. In addition, temperature-dependent measurements are presented using a novel temperature-controlled InfraSORP technology. Temperature-dependent measurements as well as the influence of different activation conditions were carried out using a commercially available copper manganese oxide catalyst (CARULITE 300). The influence of the catalyst composition was investigated on copper manganese mixed oxides synthesized by a flame spray pyrolysis process. By comparing the results of optical calorimetry to in situ catalytic measurements, a good linear correlation of the optical signal and the CO conversion is demonstrated. In contrast to standard catalysis, the optical calorimetry allows a rapid screening (only 5-10 min per sample) with even a minimal amount of catalyst sample prior to testing any final candidates for respiratory filter materials in real applications.