The Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro and Mi Air Purifier MAX models compared

With the smaller Xiaomi Mi Air Purifiers covered in a previous article, it's time we took a look at their larger siblings, namely the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro, the Mi Air Purifier Pro H, and Mi Air Purifier MAX. Luckily for me, and you, this list won't be quite as complex as the previous one, simply because there aren't quite as many models and there is very little overlap between them.

The Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro models are what you would expect: Larger, heavier, and much more powerful. The MAX models, which are often sold under the Mijia branding, are larger yet and, unsurprisingly, have the best coverage.

There is also the Mijia Air Purifier F1, which is very much comparable to the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro but with a design similar to the MAX. For that reason, it will also be included in this comparison as a sidenote.

What all the following models have in common is their intended use. Whereas Xiaomi designed the Mi Air Purifiers to be used in small to medium-sized bedrooms and home offices, the Pro models are intended for large spaces such open living rooms, large bedrooms, or even home offices. Being larger doesn't only mean that these models can move more air. Just as with fans in a computer case, while moving the same amount of air as one of the smaller models, they will be producing less noise.

Another positive about the models featured in this article is that they are easily distinguished. You wouldn't believe me how complicated writing the previous comparison was due to all the similarities. With the Pro and its siblings, You can be certain of the model you are buying, as there are clear and obvious ways of telling which is which.

Is it a Xiaomi Mi or Mijia Air Purifier?

I have never fully understood Xiaomi's naming of products. And I'm not the only one. According to Xiaomi's Chinese website (translated using Google Translate), all of their air purifiers are sold under the Mijia sub-brand. On the global site, we can clearly see that the devices available are sold as Mi Air Purifiers.

From what I gather, Mijia is Xiaomi's smart home brand and, according to reports, it should encompass all the major smart home products that come under the Mi branding. It could be that this is only the case in China. For example, in Portuguese the word mijia could be considered quite unsuitable for a brand and in the Swiss Xiaomi store you won't find any smart home products with the Mijia branding.

For simplicity's sake, I will be calling all models featured in this article Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier. Whether that is 100% correct, I do not know. One thing I have discovered however is that the Air Purifier MAX and Air Purifier F1 both bare the Mijia logo whereas the others don't and in some, if not all, cases use the Mi logo. The Mijia branded air purifiers have different designs and differently shaped filters.

Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro: Modest beginnings

The first of Xiaomi's large Air Purifiers to hit the scene was the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro. This model could supply an area of 42 – 72 m². As with the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier 2S, the Mi Air Purifier Pro has an OLED screen but doesn't have any “touch” controls. Instead, it is controlled using a single push button next to the exhaust, on the upper surface of the device.

You access the filter using a door on the back and, just as is the case on other models, the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro sucks in air through the front and side panels of the bottom chamber. It then exhausts the clean air out of the top. The neat thing about this system is that air will be taken in from all around the purifier. This model uses the same filters as the smaller Xiaomi Mi Air Purifiers. Although Xiaomi does suggest that it has the same lifetime as in the less powerful models, my guess is that you will be changing it more frequent due to the higher airflow.

The Mi Air Purifier Pro is the smallest of the bunch and is, in fact, the same size as the original Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier. When looking at images of both models, it does appear that the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro is the same model with an added screen. It takes up 676 cm² (26 cm * 26 cm) of floor space, which is only slightly more than the non-Pro models (576 cm²). However, standing at 73 cm, it is 20 cm taller.

Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro H: Reaching maturity

The follow-up to the first generation Mi Air Purifier Pro is the Mi Air Purifier Pro H. As mentioned in my previous article, I do not understand how Xiaomi names their products. Previously, an H solely signified that the air purifier came with a HEPA filter preinstalled. The Pro H is however, an entirely different product when compared to the Pro non-H.

The Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro H is a significantly bigger device than its predecessor, taking up 961 cm² (31 cm * 31 cm) of floorspace. At 73.8 cm, its height remains roughly the same. Design wise, the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier is closer to the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier 3 as there are no gaps or lines in the four panels.

For controls, it has what Xiaomi calls a touch panel, but is in reality a screen with two embedded capacitive touch buttons. You can't swipe between screens or adjust any settings besides the brightness and operation mode. A coloured line at the bottom of the screen indicates the air quality and the current temperature, humidity, Wi-Fi signal strength and mode are also displayed.

With the Mi Air Purifier Pro H, Xiaomi has made the wise decision of using a newly designed and much larger filter. After all, this is a Pro model. It keeps the 360° and can last up to 14 months. For comparison, the standard Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier filter lasts an estimated 3–6 months.

Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier MAX: A beast of a machine for offices

The Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier MAX is, as the name suggests, an absolute beast of a machine. It can cover anywhere from 48 m² — 100 m² and weighs a whopping 19.5 kg. Judging by the pictures on the official product page, the Xiaomi Air Purifier MAX is intended for larger, open spaces or offices with multiple employees.

The Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier MAX seems not only to be a beast of a machine, but also a rare beast to find in the wild. None of the stores I searched had the Enhanced Edition (more information further on) and I could only find one listing for the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier MAX on AliExpress. Due to its size, weight, and performance, my guess is that Xiaomi is targetting businesses with this model and not individuals. Additionally, the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier MAX is the only model to only run off 220 V and thus isn't suitable for the US market.

Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier MAX sports a new design and filter

At first glance, the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier MAX sports a similar design to the Pro models, however, closer inspection does reveal some differences. As already mentioned, the MAX features the Mijia logo on the front panel, whereas other models have the Mi logo on the fan grill. Speaking of the front panel, it isn't perforated but flat. The same goes for the back of the air purifier.

Because the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier MAX doesn't have a perforated front, the filter doesn't need to be round, but instead there are two flat filters. Both filters are accessed using doors on either side. Due to this change, a direct-driven centrifugal fan, where the motor is placed inside the fan itself, is used.

Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Enhanced Edition: Quieter and less powerful

As a follow-up to 2017's Mi Air Purifier MAX, the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier MAX Enhanced Edition was released in 2019. This model can operate at a noise level of only 33.5 dB but is, perhaps ironically regarding the name, less powerful. The Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier MAX Enhanced Edition can only cover an area of 84 m².

Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier F1: Mini MAX

What the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro is to the Pro H, the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier F1 is to the MAX. What I mean by that is that the Mi Air Purifier F1 has comparable specifications to the Pro, but its design imitates the MAX. I once again do not understand why this model gets the name F1, but at this point I've given up on trying to understand Xiaomi's weird naming.

Compared to the Mi Air Purifier Pro, the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier F1 is half a centimetre narrower and 8 cm shorter. It features the same solid front panel but other than the Mi Air Purifier Max it doesn't have a solid back side but is instead perforated. I'm guessing that is purely due to the smaller surface area offered by only the side panels. As a consequence, it doesn't use two flat filters, but unfortunately, it isn't the same filter found in the Mi Air Purifier Pro and smaller models.

The Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro and MAX models compared

CADR: The Clean Air Delivery Rate tells you how efficient the air purifier is at removing certain contaminants from the indoors. The three pollutants that are measured are pollen, smoke, and dust. While still broadly used, the CADR rating system has many weaknesses. Higher is better.

Room area: The area in which the air purifier can deliver clean airflow. Higher is better.

Noise level: The minimum noise level represents how quiet the device is in its sleep mode. The maximum noise level represents how loud the device is at full power.

Power: The power consumption of the device from sleep mode to full power. In sleep mode we can assume that no more than ~2 W are used on all Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier models.