It has four small bamboo feet, a white mesh on all four sides and a fan grid at the top, with a small LCD screen that displays the current settings – and cute messages, of course. The design is somewhere between an old tower Mac Pro and a footstool and, like the Dyson fans, is something you’d want to display rather than hide away. It helps that the Mila air purifier looks super stylish, so the space is very forgivable. Some reviewers are ambivalent about its footprint, and at 11.8 inches by 15.5 inches, it’s on the larger side. The makers are active on the Mila feedback groups available through Facebook and the app, however, so these issues may well be addressed in a future update. If you want to control it remotely, you’ll need a smart plug. It also requires a button press on the device itself to turn it on or off, rather than in the app. In short, it’s like having a mini scientist in your home, encased in a minimalist vibe white cube with cute wooden feet.įor a smart device, it’s unusual in that it doesn’t feature a voice activation assistant. The other focus for Mila air purifier was to design the unit to be a fully smart device to give you more control, more personalization options and also to offer education on what the readings actually mean – all at your fingertips via the Mila smartphone app. This does significantly increase the cost of ownership, but many air purifiers use replaceable filters, so it’s not unique that that sense. There is a subscription option that provides the first filter for free with your Mila unit, and also helps you not have to remember to reorder. One thing to note is that these filters are proprietary and should be replaced every six months, rather than cleaned and reused, which is an extra expense.

It also uses granular active carbon on some of its filter options that can help filter out household odors, harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds – smells, basically) from paints, carpets and pressed woods. Reimagining the air purifier rather than reinventing it, the focus of the Mila air purifier was on using certified HEPA filters – the only proven technology guaranteed to remove 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 micrometers (µm) in diameter, such as smoke, allergens, house dust, dust mites, pet dander, mold spores, viruses, bacteria, fungi… you get the idea.

(Image credit: Mila) Mila Air Purifier review: design

The wirecutter air purifier