My Honest Review of the Mila Air Purifier After 365 Days of Testing

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 Air Mini, of which I tested the former. Five of its seven 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

I’ve had the air purifier set up in my bedroom for about a year. 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.

The Unboxing & Setup Process is Breezy

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 dust bag, with the manual front and center. As someone who always reads the manual before diving into a new product, I appreciated that it was simple 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.

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 $69 to $109, with the first replacement being free if you subscribe to auto-refill.

Mila Filters

• The Basic Breather ($69): H12 HEPA filter for pollution, dust, smoke. Best for larger rooms, no carbon filter
• The Big Sneeze ($79): H13 HEPA filter for pollen, dander and dust allergies. Works best in smaller living rooms/larger bedrooms. No carbon filter
• The Rookie Parent ($79): 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 ($89): 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 ($89): 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 ($89): 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 ($109): 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 ($79) and I have found that over the past year 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.

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.