As a group, we were all of similar strength and speed, so range rarely became an issue when skiing. Whenever someone falls behind the group, stops for a couple of minutes, or turns a particularly big, rocky corner, we get a “Jeremy is out of range” alert. The Milos works best with direct line of sight, and our resort riding needs are more than capable. He didn’t always work from the resort bar, which meant drinks orders were missed, but we don’t blame Milo for that. Not much, anyway.
We’re also impressed with the Milo’s proximity mute, which turns down microphones when you’re close enough for a normal volume conversation. It worked well, with those not close enough to still be able to communicate through the speakers to the assembled crowd.
Recent software updates have also added some voice commands to Milo, with more expected soon. We weren’t able to test these, but they include one-on-one side chats that let you talk to people in a group with a simple “OK Milo, talk to Chris” prompt.
Milo founder and CEO Peter Selinsky told WIRED that he’s launching a long-range messaging mode that will let you use voice commands to record and send messages to specific people in your group. You get a confirmation when your message is received, and recipients can play the messages at their leisure, including multiple times. This is a handy addition and another reason to keep your phone safe in your pocket.
Hard button to button
Milo is intuitive and, once you appreciate its limitations, extremely useful. But it is not without problems. Aside from the massive main mute/unmute button, the rubber controls are difficult to use while wearing gloves, especially since skiing is cited by the company as a prime activity for the Milos (along with kayaking, surfing, hiking and surfing).
Using the main button requires precision—we estimated a 70 percent first-time hit rate, though this improved with practice. It’s very annoying, every milo’s volume resets to low when power down.
Interestingly, Milo doesn’t offer a specific battery life, but, for the most part, our devices lasted a long time on the slopes, although everyone needs to last their units during lunch. lifting
A maximum of six Milos can be linked in a group, which seems a bit limiting, but given the high cost of buying multiple units, it can be a blessing. At $249 a pop, can you convince your mates to invest? Milo offers group deals with four units plus an armband and action clips priced at $925 instead of $1,120—great for families.
We haven’t tested the Milo on bikes or in the water, but we quickly learned how useful they are in the mountains. Chatting while you ski, sharing tips and generally being excited about being in the mountains is fun—and keeping tabs on the group and helping out as needed is a real bonus. And, remember, there is no free substitute for phone communication while surfing.
If you have the money to spend, we’re happy to recommend Milo, especially as the brand rolls out more voice and AI-based features. If the price were a little lower, the battery life a little longer, and the fiddly volume buttons a little larger, the Milo’s modern take on walkie-talkies would be a clear winner.