The Best Furnace Filters To Buy

Safeguard your family's health and protect your furnace by choosing the right furnace filter. You'll breathe easier, and so will your furnace.

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taking out furnace filterSucharas wongpeth/Getty images

A furnace filter is all that stands between the furnace burner and the dusty surroundings, and it also protects people from breathing contaminated air recirculated by the blower. It’s a rectangular piece of fibrous filtering material, typically mounted in a frame. There’s usually one installed in a channel behind the air intake cover on the furnace itself, and there may be others installed in return vents. The most common sizes are 16-in. x 20-in., 20-in. x 25-in. and 16-in. x 25-in., but there are other sizes available.

What to Consider When Choosing a Furnace Filter

It’s important to choose your filter wisely because a furnace with the wrong filter won’t work efficiently. A filter that removes the smallest particulate matter provides the cleanest air, but it might not provide enough airflow for the furnace.

On the other hand, furnace performance can be adjusted when clean air is the number one priority. That’s why a consultation with an HVAC technician is a must before shopping for a more efficient filter than the one you have now.

Types of Furnace Filters

Filters can be disposable or washable, pleated or non-pleated. Some are electrostatically charged to better attract pollutants. The fibers may be natural, such as cotton or cellulose; a light metal like aluminum; or a synthetic material like polyester or fiberglass.

“There is a lot of debate when it comes to furnace filters,” says Lou Manfredini, Ace Hardware’s home expert. “This is my opinion that I have been giving for 30 years: pleated filters offer better air filtration for your home in a forced air system than spun fiberglass filters. That said, I would only choose pleated filters for your forced air furnace and A/C.”

Over the years, filter efficiency has improved to provide cleaner indoor air. The Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating, ranging from 1 to 20, identifies a filter’s ability to remove particulate matter. The higher the MERV, the better the filter.

Typical MERV ratings for residential furnace filters are between six and 12. If you’re concerned about indoor air quality, the Environmental Working Group recommends a MERV 10 or higher.

Furnace Filter Features

When shopping for a furnace filter, check MERV rating first. Other important factors include:

  • Disposable/Washable: Homeowners tend to prefer throwaway filters, which means keeping extras on hand. A washable filter, on the other hand, can last for years, but washing can be time-consuming. If you use disposable filters, “they should be changed every one to two months,” says Manfredini. “If you use one-inch filters in your home, then change them every month when running your system. The thicker media filters can be changed every two to three months.”
  • Pleated/Non-Pleated: Non-pleated filters with fiberglass or polyester fibers are inexpensive and provide good airflow for the furnace. But to keep the air in your house clean, you’ll need the extra filtration area of a pleated filter.
  • Thickness: Most filters are one inch thick, but some can be two to five inches. Thicker filters provide better filtration, but they don’t fit every system.
  • Electrostatic: Most small particles in the air carry an electric charge. Electrostatic filter media attract and remove these more easily than uncharged media.
  • MPR: This is the Microparticle Performance Rating established by 3M. It ranges from 600 to 2,800 — the higher the number, the better the filtration. Most residential filters range from 1,200 to 1,900.
  • Aqua Flo Cut To Fit Ac Furnace Premium Washable Filter
    Best Filter for a Healthy Furnace
    Aqua-Flow Premium Washable Filter
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  • Best Anti Allergen Filter
    Best Anti-Allergen Filter
    Filtrete 1900 Premium Allergen, Bacteria and Virus Air Filter
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  • Best Odor Removing Filter
    Best Odor-Removing Filter
    Filtrete MPR 1200 Allergen Defense Odor Reduction Filter
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  • Best Washable Filter
    Best Washable Filter
    Trophy Air Washable Filter
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  • Best Hepa Filter
    Best HEPA Filter
    Aerostar Pleated Air Filter
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  • Best Filter For High Humidity
    Best Filter for High Humidity
    FilterBuy MERV 8 Pleated Furnace Filter
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  • Best Filter If You Have Pets
    Best Filter if You Have Pets
    Aerostar MERV 11 Pleated Air Filter
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  • Best Smart Filter
    Best Smart Filter
    Filtrete Smart 1500 MPR, MERV 12
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  • Best Filter For Dust Control
    Best Filter for Dust Control
    Filtrete 1,000D Micro Allergen Dust Plus Filter
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  • Best Furnace Filter Value
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Aqua Flo Cut To Fit Ac Furnace Premium Washable Filter via amazon.com

Best Filter for a Healthy Furnace

Aqua-Flow Premium Washable Filter

It isn’t always all about air quality. Protecting the furnace is a filter’s primary task, and a non-pleated filter that provides plenty of airflow may be all you need. The Aqua-Flow frameless filter comes in pre-cut sizes or in a roll, and you can cut it to fit. It’s MERV 6, better than many non-pleated filters.

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Best Anti Allergen Filter via lowes.com

Best Anti-Allergen Filter

Filtrete 1900 Premium Allergen, Bacteria and Virus Air Filter

To control airborne pathogens, including bacteria and mold spores, you need a high-efficiency filter. The disposable Filtrete 1900 Premium Allergen, Bacteria and Virus Air Filter features a pleated design as well as electrostatically charged fibers. Its MERV rating of 13 betters that of most other residential filters. It can catch aerosol from sneezes as well as smoke, pollen and other debris.

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Best Odor Removing Filter via amazon.com

Best Odor-Removing Filter

Filtrete MPR 1200 Allergen Defense Odor Reduction Filter

Got a problem with smelly pets, smokers in the house or persistent odors from the kitchen? The Filtrete MPR 1200 Allergen Defense Odor Reduction Filter includes an active carbon layer to neutralize odors.

This disposable MERV 11 filter removes microparticles and allergens. It’s mid-range in price, so you can keep several on hand without breaking the bank.

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Best Washable Filter via amazon.com

Best Washable Filter

Trophy Air Washable Filter

Washable filters cost about three times as much as disposable ones. But considering they can last for years, while disposable ones need changing every two to three months, they’re a good investment.

The MERV 8 Trophy Air Washable Filter, made from easy-to-clean aluminum, is electrostatically charged to remove dust particles, pollen, mold spores and even smoke. Buy two so when one needs cleaning, you can replace it and take your time with washing and drying.

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Best Hepa Filter via amazon.com

Best HEPA Filter

Aerostar Pleated Air Filter

People who are particularly sensitive to allergens and need the extra protection of a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter should consider the Aerostar Pleated Air Filter.

Its MERV 13 rating puts it squarely in HEPA territory. It’s capable of filtering out particles as small as 0.3 microns, but the furnace filter needs to be changed every 90 days to work as advertised. Fortunately, it’s not that expensive.

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Best Filter For High Humidity via walmart.com

Best Filter for High Humidity

FilterBuy MERV 8 Pleated Furnace Filter

When the air is humid, particles cling more easily to filter media. That makes it more likely for high efficiency filters to clog and reduce furnace performance.

The FilterBuy MERV 8 Pleated Furnace Filter offers enough stopping power for pollen, allergens and mold spores while providing plenty of air circulation for the furnace. The synthetic fiber filter media prevents mold colonies from growing, a concern in humid environments.

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Best Filter If You Have Pets via amazon.com

Best Filter if You Have Pets

Aerostar MERV 11 Pleated Air Filter

Pets bring joy to the household, but they also bring pet hair, dander and odors. The Aerostar MERV 11 Pleated Air Filter can filter out particles as small as one micron. Because it does this with an electrostatic charge, it also provides plenty of airflow for the furnace.

On the mid to low end of the price scale, this filter needs replacing every 60 to 90 days — more frequently during periods of peak usage.

8 / 10
Best Smart Filter via amazon.com

Best Smart Filter

Filtrete Smart 1500 MPR, MERV 12

Yes, bluetooth-enabled furnace filters are a thing. The Filtrete Smart 1500 MPR, MERV 12 filter boasts an electrostatic media that catches particles as small as 0.3 microns, effectively removing dust, mold spores, pollen and smog. It lasts from six to 12 months, longer than many filters.

If you install the app on your iPhone or Android device, it will warn you when it needs changing. If you sign up with Dash Replenishment, it will even automatically order its replacement.

9 / 10
Best Filter For Dust Control via amazon.com

Best Filter for Dust Control

Filtrete 1,000D Micro Allergen Dust Plus Filter

Home inspector Arie Van Tuijl recommends a minimum MERV rating of 11 for dust control, but filters tend to clog at that efficiency in a dusty environment.

The MERV 11 Filtrete 1,000D Micro Allergen Dust Plus Filter can hold twice the number of dust particles as most comparable filters, or the equivalent of 50 dust wipes. The filter media is electrostatically charged for efficient dust removal while minimally impacting airflow.

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Best Furnace Filter Value via amazon.com

Best Furnace Filter Value

Filtrete MPR 300 Clean Living Basic Dust Filter

Homeowners without air quality issues who are most concerned with protecting the furnace don’t need a high-efficiency filter. The Filtrete MPR 300 Clean Living Basic Dust Filter works for them. The MPR corresponds to MERV 5, on the low end. But this electrostatic filter is one of the least expensive on the market, and it outperforms comparable non-electrostatic filters.

Chris Deziel
Chris Deziel has been building and designing homes, and writing about the process, for over four decades. He developed his construction and landscaping skills in the 1980s while helping build a small city in the Oregon desert from the ground up. He's worked as a flooring installer, landscape builder and residential remodeler. Since turning his focus to writing, he has published or consulted on more than 10,000 articles and served as online building consultant for ProReferral.com as well as an expert reviewer for Hunker.com. Though his specialties are carpentry, cabinetry and furniture refinishing, Chris is known by his Family Handyman editors as a DIY writer with a seemingly endless well of hands-on experience.