Moving to Noida came with its fair share of adjustments, but nothing was as jarring as the water quality. The water in Delhi NCR is notoriously hard, and during peak summer, when water demand skyrockets, society and municipal supply TDS levels spike to a staggering 1000–1200 ppm. In those hot months, even the most repute RO purifiers struggle to keep up.
Having previously used an Aquasure by Aquaguard, I was deeply unsatisfied. While it technically brought the TDS down, the water tasted downright awful. I ended up using the old RO strictly for cooking, while burning a hole in my pocket buying packed mineral water bottles for actual drinking.
Given how well Urban Company’s previous lineup was received, I agreed to test out their new Native M3 RO. Priced at ₹22,999, it offers 10-stage purification along with added magnesium and copper, as well as pH balancing. Having used it since the first week of September—right in the thick of the NCR heat—here is my hands-on, real-world review on whether this high-end purifier can actually deliver on taste.
The Good
Design & Daily Usability
The Native M3 doesn't look like an appliance you'd want to hide away in a corner. Its clean design gives the kitchen a more polished look, while the glass panel on top adds to its premium feel. The only catch is that fingerprints and smudges show up easily on the surface, so you'll probably find yourself wiping it down quite often.
The front panel features three backlit touch controls for Glass, Bottle, and Normal dispensing—and you can actually customize the preset volume outputs for the glass and bottle buttons directly through the app. The nozzle guide light is a small but useful addition, especially when you're filling a bottle during a late-night trip to the kitchen. It also blinks while the unit is refilling, giving you a quick visual cue that the process is underway.
Filtration & The Taste Test
The 10-layer filtration setup is standard for purifiers in this price bracket, but where the M3 genuinely sets itself apart is the post-purification mineral enrichment. Adding copper and magnesium while actively balancing the pH level completely transforms the flavor profile.
The purifier really won me over when guests started visiting. Several of them independently remarked on how good the water tasted, something I rarely heard with my previous purifier, whose water most people would rather avoid.
The unit fills its top-mounted stainless steel tank with strong flow rates. Crucially, Urban Company included an inbuilt battery backup to drive the pump during power cuts, ensuring you can still dispense water even when the lights go out.
Smart Features & App Integration
You can control the unit through Urban Company's regular app, which is also used to book services such as AC repairs and home spa appointments. A dedicated "Native" section pops up at the bottom, offering full control and diagnostic access:
Real-time Metrics: Tracks live input vs. output TDS history, overall filter health, current tank water levels, and usage logs.
Customization: Allows tweaking preset dispense volumes for glass and bottle settings.
Self-Maintenance & Diagnostics: Features an auto-clean function to prevent saltwater clogging and extend membrane life.
Troubleshooting: The app's health diagnostics proved useful when the purifier unexpectedly stopped working while I was organising the inlet and outlet pipes underneath it. I ran the diagnostic check, which reported a “low input water pressure” error. On inspecting the setup, I realised I'd accidentally bent the intake pipe, restricting the water flow.
Urban Company backs all this up with a 3-year unconditional warranty covering all filters and electrical components.
The Catch (and Customer Service)
While the feature set leaves little to be desired, my initial installation phase wasn't entirely smooth.
During the initial setup, the unit produced an unusually loud noise while running its filtration cycle. When I pointed this out to the first installation technician, he dismissed it as “normal sound” without properly addressing the issue. To make matters worse, he accidentally disconnected the nozzle guide light while working on the unit.
I escalated the issue directly through Urban Company customer care, and to their credit, they took it seriously. Over four separate technician visits, they thoroughly troubleshot the unit until the technician finally replaced the solenoid valve. That fix slashed the filtration noise by about 90%. While it remains slightly louder than my old, basic purifier during filtration, the sound is completely manageable now, and the prompt service recovery was reassuring.
Verdict
You can easily find budget water purifiers under ₹10,000 that come with stainless steel tanks and six or seven stages of purification. However, if you are stuck in an area like Delhi NCR where high TDS ruins drinking water, the Urban Company Native M3 justifies its ₹22,999 price tag on one decisive factor: taste.
Because Native is still a focused, curated catalog for Urban Company, they seem genuinely invested in maintaining product performance and post-sales support.