For someone who has travelled the whole world and stayed in some of the fanciest hotels, nothing compares to coming back home—my “safe place”, my happy place, where I grew up, was raised, and where I have such a deep emotional attachment. It is a feeling only I know, one that no one else can truly understand.
As I get older, I am also becoming more of a homebody. I find myself wanting to spend more time at home and less time outdoors. Maybe you are too? Being an introvert with a creative personality, I love being at home. Perhaps that is also why I’m constantly thinking about How To make my home feel more personal. Over the years, this has developed into a growing interest in interiors and architecture (more on that some other day).
It has also made me pay more attention to the smart gadgets I use at home. It is a segment I feel I really picked up after the pandemic, when we started caring more about our homes and paying closer attention to how we feel at home. Automating everyday chores, using home devices that can be controlled through an app on your phone, and simply delegating tasks to machines and letting them do things on their own have all piqued my interest – not just as a homebody, but also as a working professional who wants to make everyday life a little easier and less stressful.
Over the past few weeks, I have been using three smart gadgets at home that I have found genuinely useful. The first is Urban Company’s Native M3 Pro water purifier, the second is Kärcher’s SC 2 EasyFix steam cleaner, and the third is Xiaomi’s Mijia Smart Air Purifier 6. I have lived with all three for several weeks, and here’s my experience with each.
At home, I had been using the same water purifier for years, and Every year, maintenance added to the cost. More concerning, the purified water quality was not satisfactory, and I had been experiencing stomach issues for the past few months.
It was time for a change, so I switched to the Native M3 Pro, a new RO water purifier from Urban Company. Going from the water purifier I had been using for years to the Native M3 Pro felt exactly like switching from an iPhone 6s to an iPhone 17 Pro, and I am not even exaggerating.
The Native M3 Pro is designed like a modern smart-home appliance, inside and out, and you can easily control it with a phone app. This is definitely not your typical, cheap-looking RO purifier. I would call it a smart water purifier with a distinctive design and thoughtful features. It even has a dot-matrix display, similar to what Nothing uses on some of its phones, which provides Live Updates on the device’s status.
Using the M3 Pro is simple, with virtually no learning curve so that anyone can operate it with ease. I found the app particularly interesting. I could track the water quality, monitor different purification stages such as purification, UV sterilisation, and self-cleaning, check the filter health, monitor water usage, receive service reminders, and even book service appointments, all from my phone.
Perhaps the biggest difference I found is the technology behind the RO purification system that Native uses. This matters because the company’s claims hinge on the underlying technology. That’s also reflected in how the brand has engineered the purifier’s filters to last for three years without replacement.
In terms of performance, the RO water purifier uses something called a new DualFlow Mineralisation process. Simply put, it is designed to prevent dissolved metals, chemicals, and almost everything else except water from passing through. Because the RO has larger filters, it can capture more dirt and impurities. Before the water reaches the RO membrane, the technology releases phosphorus to help prevent metals and chemicals from reaching and potentially damaging the membrane. As a result, it produces virtually pure water. Honestly, I was impressed that the RO adds minerals back into the water, and the result is clean, fresh-tasting water that is delicious to drink.
The 5-litre stainless-steel tank holds plenty of drinking water and refills continuously. When you select a preset mode for a glass, bottle, or free-flow, it dispenses water quickly. The whole system is also quite quiet, although the purifier does take up more space. If you have a small kitchen, the Native M3 Pro can feel a bit large.
After using the Native M3 Pro for the past few days, I would say the entire experience, right from day one, has been five-star. From the setup and installation to the well-regarded customer service and the simple app that monitors water quality and sends maintenance reminders, everything feels thoughtfully designed around the user. That’s what genuinely intrigued me about the M3 Pro. It’s not going to be cheap, though. The M3 Pro costs Rs 25,999, which puts it on the higher side. But if peace of mind and better water quality are your priorities, investing in a good reverse osmosis system may be worth considering.
On a side note, I tested the Native M3 Pro based on its filtration technology, everyday usability, filter replacement frequency, and price.
Every day, I clean my floor myself before I begin work. I don’t rely on a helper to clean my room, bathroom, or the small garden I have created on my terrace. It takes more than an hour to clean everything by hand, and I do it regularly without fail. The problem comes when I have to leave early for an event or attend a briefing. That is when I get irritated, and frankly, nobody likes to start their day feeling that way.
When someone told me about steam cleaners, I was immediately interested. The name Kärcher, a German brand known for its steam cleaners, naturally came up. I checked their website, explored their range of steam cleaners, and zeroed in on the Kärcher SC 2 EasyFix. It is an entry-level model designed to clean everyday household messes without chemicals.
