I Tried the Mila Air Purifier for 4 Weeks—Here’s My Honest Review

What Is Mila?

Mila is a smart air purifier company founded by three Shanghai-based dads who observed how their families were impacted by air pollution daily. There are two sizes available, the original Mila Air and newly launched Air Mini, of which I tested the former. Many of its HEPA filters include heavy-duty granular-activated carbon (this aids in removing VOCs, odors and pollutants), packaged in Mila’s patent-pending Dual-Flow filter for maximum filtration.

How I Tested the Mila Air

Over the course of about a month, I’ve had the air purifier set up in my bedroom. I’ve tested both its manual and automatic modes and downloaded its app. Then, I evaluated it on the PureWow100 review scale, grading on five attributes: ease of use (was setup seamless? Does the app actually work?), efficacy (did I stop sniffling, sneezing and going to sleep with a stuffy nose?), value (performance versus the price), aesthetic (did it look nice in my space?) and noise (nice and demure or Darth Vader vibes?), for a total of 100 points.

First, the unboxing and setup. Really, it was 20/20, no notes. The air purifier arrived minimally packaged—there was actually no additional packaging; it showed up to my door in its box. (Don’t worry, though! It was well protected.) Inside, Mila was nestled in its own dustbag, with the manual front and center. As someone who always reads the manual before diving into a new product, I appreciated that it was clear but thorough.

To set up the air purifier, you need to remove the filter from its plastic wrap before re-inserting it into the machine. After that, you plug it in, flip the switch and download the app.

I’m often wary of products that have accompanying apps because the experience is usually sub-par, but Mila’s is surprisingly easy and pleasant to navigate—much more so than the coaster-sized control panel. The pairing process is easy, and after you answer some diagnostic questions, you’re pretty much good to go. In the app, you can toggle between manual and automatic mode—manual simply gives control over the fan speed, which then adjusts the AQI (air quality index) target.

The Mila app provides daily updates and stats, ranging from the percent of air the purifier has filtered to electricity consumption, humidity and air quality alerts. In the control center, you can see a graph for the AQI, plus stats for the following:

• PM1 (produced by vehicles, power plants, industrial facilities)
• PM2.5 (produced by vehicle exhaust, burning wood, heating oil, coal, forest fires, cooking fumes, burning candles/oil, kerosene heaters)
• PM10 (“coarse” particulate matter from fossil fuels, burning wood, slash-and-burn agriculture, etc.)
• Humidity
• Temperature
• VOCs (volatile organic compounds, which can, according to the EPA, cause symptoms like eye/nose/throat irritation, headaches, nausea and damage to liver/kidney/central nervous system)
• Carbon dioxide
• Carbon monoxide

Additionally, there are nine optional modes:

• Bedtime Schedule: Set your bedtime hours so the fan doesn’t roar in the middle of the night
• Bubble Boy Mode: A deep clean—but may be loud
• Child Lock Mode: Disables the on-unit controls
• Energy Save Mode: Turns off fans and screens, puts Mila in standby mode if it senses sustained AQI zero readings
• Housekeeping Service: Deep cleans when your space is empty
• Quiet Mode: Reduces fan speed when you’re in the room
• Sleep Mode: Turns off control lights, reduces fan speed and controls fan fluctuations. You can set your sleep preferences, from “light sleeper” to “practically dead”
• Turndown Service: Deep clean your space an hour before bedtime to reduce allergies
• White Noise Mode: Provides gentle fan undulations for sleep

If you have multiple Mila air purifiers, they can all be controlled through the app in one account, and you can enable alerts for air quality and device insights. You can also mute the “beeps and bloops,” which could be useful if you keep your air purifier in a child’s room.

Truthfully, I found the amount of data to be overwhelming—however, they say the proof’s in the pudding, and it definitely proved that Mila was doing its job. I would have been satisfied with a lot less information—all I really need to know is how close the AQI is to zero, not eight separate graphs—but for those who want a deep dive into their space, the app is comprehensive and easy to use.

In terms of aesthetics, Mila definitely wins in this department compared to most other air purifiers, with their Brutalist and usually downright-industrial appearances. It’s sleek with a textured white exterior.

When it comes to noise, you can control the fan speed in manual mode and keep it to a minimum, but when it detects a rising AQI, it can get aggressive. Depending on the size of your space, it won’t last long, though, and I think the longest it’s ever blown full speed was for about 20 minutes, on the first day I set it up and the air purifier was acclimating to my room.

Mila is pretty seamless to use—but now let’s dive into some details and numbers. I’ll start with the filter, which is the backbone of any air purifier. There are seven from which you can choose, and the brand recommends replacing them every six months. They range from $59 to $99, with the first replacement being free if you subscribe to auto-refill.

Mila Filters

• The Basic Breather ($59): H12 HEPA filter for pollution, dust, smoke. Best for larger rooms, no carbon filter
• The Big Sneeze ($69): H13 HEPA filter for pollen, dander and dust allergies. Works best in smaller living rooms/larger bedrooms. No carbon filter
• The Rookie Parent ($69): H12 HEPA filter for dust, pollution, smoke. Best for bedrooms, nurseries and smaller living rooms. 0.7-pound carbon filter captures VOCs, odors and gasses
• The Critter Cuddler ($79): H13 HEPA filter for pollen, dander, dust allergens. Best in smaller living rooms and larger bedrooms. 0.84-pound carbon filter for ammonia removal. Includes Mila Sock to trap particles and fur
• The Home Wrecker ($79): H12 HEPA filter for dust, pollution, smoke. Best for standard living rooms and bedrooms. 1.96-pound carbon filter targets formaldehyde and odors from out-gassing flooring/furniture/paint
• The Mama-to-Be ($79): H14 HEPA filter protects against ultrafine particulate matter and pollution. Best for bedrooms. 0.7-pound carbon filter targeting odor elimination and VOCs
• The Overreactor ($99): H14 HEPA filter for ultrafine particles. Best for bedrooms. 1.25-pound carbon filter targets formaldehyde.

Now let’s talk about all these acronyms. Specifically, when using Mila, you’ll run into two: HEPA and CADR. According to PureWow home editors Candace Davison and Sydney Meister, there are four things you should take into account when shopping for an air purifier: CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) Rating, AHAM (Association of Home Appliances Manufactures) Verified Mark, true HEPA certification and size guidelines.

Per the EPA, “HEPA is a type of pleated mechanical air filter,” and is designated by its ability to filter out, theoretically, at least 99.97 percent of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and other airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns. The filters receive Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values (MERVs), which measure their ability to trap particles between 0.3 and 10 microns. The scale ranges from 1 (traps less than 20 percent) to 16 (traps 95 percent or more). Mila’s available filters range from 12 to 14, so at minimum it’ll filter 90 percent of particles.

As for CADR, the guidelines set by AHAM state that an air purifier’s CADR should “be equal to at least two-thirds of the room’s area. For wildfire smoke, AHAM recommends a smoke CADR equal to the size of the room in square feet.” The Mila Air has a CADR rating of 447, which means it’ll make quick work of any space up to 670 square feet.

Overall, I’m a fan (ha!). I tried The Big Sneeze filter ($69) and I have found that over the past four weeks I’ve been breathing easier, despite having intense allergies. My nose is no longer stuffy (huge win for someone who is frequently breathing out of one nostril at a time), the itchiness in my eyes has pretty much abated and I’m sneezing a lot less—even though I’m a little behind on dusting. It’s aesthetically pleasing, not terribly loud and provides a pleasant app experience that gives you plenty of data.

At $199, it retails for about $100 less than the original, and falls in line with other mid-priced air purifiers. I’d say this is great for those who want a streamlined smart home experience and care about good design, in addition to better air. For me? Personally, having better breathing has been priceless.