The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) is the thermal response of a magnetic material subjected to a changing magnetic field. Magnetic refrigeration (MR) harvests the MCE by transferring heat from a low-temperature heat source to a high-temperature heat sink through magneticwork in the active magnetic regenerator (AMR) cycle. Some advantages of MR in comparison with other cooling technologies are (i) the reversibility of the MCE in some materials, (ii) the recovery of magnetization work with the use of permanent magnets and (iii) the absence of harmful substances (e.g., global-warming or flammable gases). Recent results on the design, commissioning and testing of two TRL-6 magnetic cooling prototypes, namely a 30-bottle wine cooler and a 9000-BTU/h magnetic air conditioner, are discussed, focusing on: (i) Developing high-fidelity, firstprinciples modeling approaches and artificial intelligence-based methods to design and optimize magnetic circuit-AMR assemblies; (ii) Designing, optimizing and integrating ancillary sub-systems, such as heat exchangers, insulated cabinets and hydraulic management systems (flow-magnetic field synchronization and control); (iii) Proposing thermodynamic performance evaluation criteria (1st and 2nd-law based) and test procedures for magnetic refrigerators based on standards and test methods for conventional systems; and (iv) Outlining the major challenges involved in commercializing magnetic cooling technologies and new areas in need of further research.