Mila Air Purifier – Stylish and Smart (but Expensive)
Most people who look for air purifiers need them for one of two reasons: the first is people who are concerned about recurring threats to air quality due to pollution or wildfires. The second are people who use air purifiers as an ongoing preventative measure against pollen or viruses like COVID. The kind of user you are will determine which cleaner you end up buying: some cleaners are better at checking for viruses, and some are easier to hide for occasional use. Mila , part of the new generation of smart purifiers, is trying to hedge its bets by offering a solution for everyone with different filters, while losing the clinical look that most purifiers have in favor of a modern design. There are many things I liked about Mila, including the size of the area covered (up to 950 square feet depending on which filter you choose) and the reports available in the Mila app. However, it’s expensive compared to similarly sized purifiers (prices start at $399 and go up depending on which filters you choose). While the Mila has worked well since many traditional purifier companies have added Wi-Fi capability to their existing purifier lines, I think the Mila is best suited for those who truly value design and are willing to pay extra for it.
New design
Most household air purifiers are small white towers that can be expanded in size to cover a larger area. The Levoit, Medify and BlueAir models will look right at home in any medical office. New players in the consumer cleanser space have tried to move away from this clinical design, and sometimes it doesn’t work, as was the case with the Dreo model I recently reviewed. But Mila chose a modern, squat design that combines wood with the perforated white plastic you’re used to, with nice curves to make the purifier look more natural in your home. Having lost the “tower”, Mila takes up a larger area than other purifiers: 12 inches square and 15 inches high; it could pass for a footstool. There is an interface at the top of the purifier, and the advantage of Mila is that it can be controlled without even installing the Mila app. It could be taken out of the box, unfolded, plugged in and turned on. But it would be tedious to think that you’ll pay more for a smart purifier and not want to use this feature. Luckily, the Mila app works well. The purifier connected quickly and without problems and remained connected the entire time I was testing Mila.
Auto mode
A feature of the Mila app that I really liked was that by answering basic questions about your home and its occupants, it revealed features of the purifier that you may not have bothered to find out about. This is the first way Mila really allows you to customize your experience—through “modes.” Essentially, you can manually set the cleaning power level or let Mila independently determine the power level needed to clear the room of contaminants. You, like me, may wonder why you chose the former and not the latter, and it comes down to what I originally stated: it depends on what kind of user you are. At higher settings, like all purifiers, Mila can be loud. It never rose to a level where you couldn’t make a phone call – it was just background white noise. However, I could see how people might be annoyed by using this level of power only when necessary due to air quality issues. But if you’re a new parent or someone who uses a purifier to avoid COVID or allergens, the confidence of having a setting that adjusts to always keep the room clean is a clutch unique to Mila.
Seven different filters
While most purifiers have a filter that you replace every six months, Mila offers seven different types of filters, all depending on what kind of user you are. A few examples include one for parents, pet owners, allergy sufferers, or anyone looking for the highest level of air purification possible. I chose the last option, called “Super Reactor”. Each filter has different levels of HEPA or supplemental filters, but they also affect how much area the purifier actually covers, and that’s a big variable. The Expectant Mom filter covers only 540 square feet, while the Big Sneeze filter covers 950 square feet. Replacement filters were also expensive—as much as $115 for a super reactor.
Reasonable benefits
There are several benefits to a smart purifier that are worth considering. First, most purifiers recommend replacing filters every six months, but this is general advice. If you have had a period of poor air quality, you may need to replace it sooner; if you only take it out occasionally, it may last a little longer, and replacing it early is a waste of money. Smart purifiers will tell you exactly when to replace the filter based on real-time usage data. Considering the cost of these filters, this seems important. The second advantage is that you can turn on the filter remotely or use it in automation systems using air quality as a trigger. If you’re a new parent, you don’t need the purifier running while you’re giving birth in the hospital, but you do need to turn it on about an hour before you go home, for example.
Mostly works as promised
In terms of actual performance, I used the Mila in my bedroom, a space significantly smaller than the 720 square feet that the Overreactor occupied. I used two air quality sensors to measure pollutants in the room and kept the purifier on Bubble Boy mode the entire time to see how much mileage I could get from the filters and whether Mila could live up to its promise of keeping the air clean. the room is 99.97% free of pollutants. During the month that I had Mila, my shedding dog was constantly indoors. I once had a lightweight structure made in my closet and we survived two days of poor air quality; within a few days the pollen levels were off the charts. The AQI (air quality index) indoors dropped to 96% twice, but only for an hour: once after construction and once on a bad pollen day. Otherwise it remained at 99%.
Bottom line: Mila works, but it’s still expensive.
I like the Mila, especially the automatic mode that does only what is needed to keep the room clean, and I really liked knowing when I would need to change the filters and being able to turn it all on and off remotely. However, if you want to cleanse yourself of viruses, other filters check for smaller particles. Mila screens down to 0.03 microns, while Medify and others screen down to 0.01 microns. Additionally, the cost of the filters and the purifier itself is a concern, especially if you choose a filter that is limited to 540 square feet. Other filters cover the same area and cost half as much, even smart ones like Levoit . However, if you’re looking for a highly personalized and stylized experience, I have no complaints about Mila. If the price of it dropped dramatically, it would be a rave.