Xiaomi Air Purifier 6 Review: A Quiet, Capable Upgrade for Everyday Homes

Aside from their smartphones, Xiaomi is a brand that has permeated almost every corner of the smart home ecosystem. You are likely already familiar with their previous air purifiers, which have become staples in many households due to their balance of performance and affordability.

The Xiaomi Air Purifier 6 serves as the latest upgrade to the popular Air Purifier 4, bringing updated sensing technology and filtration capabilities to the table.

What Is It?

The Xiaomi Air Purifier 6 retails at RM899 and features a comprehensive five-sensor system designed to detect PM1, PM2.5, dust, temperature, and humidity. It pairs this detection with a five-layer composite purification system. The primary filter traps larger particles like dust, pet dander, and pollen, while the second layer handles 99.98% of 0.3μm fine particle pollutants, including PM2.5 and second-hand smoke.

This is followed by a layer of highly porous activated carbon that adsorbs and neutralises formaldehyde and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), effectively eliminating pet and everyday household odours.

To keep the internals sanitary, a UV light array eliminates bacteria and viruses to keep the filter clean. The process finishes with an ioniser that periodically releases negative ions to further remove airborne pollutants.

According to the spec sheet, the unit removes 98.11% of allergens like pollen and dust mites, along with 99.99% of H1N1 and E. coli. With a coverage area of 29–50m², the purifier claims to clean the air in a room in as little as 3.5 minutes.

Design and Experience

The unit of the Air Purifier 6 is tall, yet remains slim and discreet enough to tuck into a corner of the room without calling too much attention to itself. This unobtrusive design language is something I appreciate, as appliances shouldn’t necessarily be the focal point of a living space.

Noise levels are often a dealbreaker for devices like this, but the Air Purifier 6 performs admirably here. When set to Auto, the fan often runs on the lowest setting for me and is practically inaudible. It might sound like a cliché, but I honestly often forgot it was even in the room due to how quiet it was.

Even when pushing the fan speed higher, the resulting sound is a low hum rather than a distracting whine. It certainly wouldn’t be a problem if used in a bedroom while sleeping.

The Smart Features

The Mi Home App allows you to monitor the PM2.5 and dust conditions, set fan speeds, toggle sleep mode, and manage the UV light and ioniser functions. It also provides a check on the filter condition. While it is good for monitoring air quality, the app experience feels a bit limited beyond that.

You don’t really know how good or bad the conditions shown are unless you dive deeper into the charts and click the info button. Even then, the app doesn’t effectively teach you what to do or what not to do to alter the readings and improve the air condition. It gives you the data, but not necessarily the context, so to speak.

Performance

Since I am not qualified to properly measure and put the effectiveness of the Xiaomi Air Purifier 6 under a microscope, I will speak to the differences I felt before and after having the purifier present in the room. This likely reflects the experience of the general consumer, as most people won’t have the capability to scientifically measure air quality either.

The air in the room did feel ‘fresher’, and odours were eliminated relatively quickly. Despite that, you mostly have to take Xiaomi’s word for it when it comes to the specific pollutants detected. We have to trust that the air purifier is doing its job, although to what exact extent, we can never really know without proper lab testing.

On paper, the filter of the Air Purifier 6 lasts 6 to 12 months, with replacements costing around RM169 each. After about two weeks of use during this review, my filter condition showed 97% remaining. Doing the math, that projects to roughly 15 months of use, though this will obviously depend on the air condition in your specific environment.

It is worth noting that the filter for the Air Purifier 6 is compatible with the Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4. Compared to earlier standard versions, these cylindrical filters share the same height but are wider, meaning they cannot be installed in older legacy models.

A common concern with Xiaomi air purifiers is whether rapid model updates will render filters obsolete. In the case of the Air Purifier 4 and 6, the cross-compatibility suggests that won’t be a concern, in the near future at least.

Is It Worth It?

At a retail price of RM899 (and a sale price that often drops to around RM699 or less), the Xiaomi Air Purifier 6 is a relatively affordable addition to your smart home. It provides clean, fresh air that you can noticeably feel, for the most part.

Options around the same price from say, Philips might give you more coverage, but they often come with less comprehensive particle filtration. Sharp’s offerings have the advantage of the brand’s Plasmacluster ion technology, but they generally cost a little more. On the higher end, Coway’s options start at RM3,190 if bought outright, while Cuckoo is a little more affordable but suffers from a confusing product range.

All in all, the Xiaomi Air Purifier 6 is a solid, fuss-free option for those looking to improve their home environment without breaking the bank.