Clean indoor air is essential to our health, just as sleep, hydration, a healthy diet, and exercise. That is why investing in a high-quality air filter is one of the best things you can do to optimize your health in the long term. Filtrete by 3M is the air filter marketplace leader and the most trusted brand in the industry. But which Filtrete air filter is best? 1
Ideally, the Healthy Living Filter series with an MPR 1500 – 2800 are the best for capturing allergens, dust, bacteria, and viruses. The Filtrete Healthy Living MPR 2800 can filter ultrafine particles, bacteria, viruses, and airborne allergens.
When changing your air filter and looking for a budget-friendly alternative, consider the Filtrete Allergen Defense series, including the Filtrete Odor Reduction MPR 1200 is a great middle-ground option.
For detailed reviews of these products, helpful insights into what makes Filtrete a leader in the air filter industry, and answers on some of the most frequently asked questions concerning air filters, keep reading.
Best Overall Filtrete Air Filter
Filtrete Healthy Living MPR 2800
The Filtrete Healthy Living MPR 2800 Air Filter has the highest Microparticle Performance Rating (MPR) and Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) among Filtrete’s entire product range.
That means that Healthy Living MPR 2800 is successful at filtering everything from lint, household dust, dust mite debris, and pet dander to mold spores, pollen, smoke, smog, and candle soot.
What’s more, unlike many other filters on the market, Filtrete Filters remove small airborne particles like cough and sneeze particles, bacteria, and viruses from the air. This feature is becoming increasingly important in the post-coronavirus world we live in.
Finally, Filtrete Healthy Living MPR 2800 Air Filter is the only Filtrete air filter that is effective against air pollution, exhaust particles, and ultrafine particles. So, if you are looking for a product that can give you all-around protection from airborne pathogens, this one is your top choice.
Pros
- Provides all-round protection from harmful airborne particles of all sizes
- Highest MPR (2800) and MERV (14) ratings among Filtrete’s entire product range
- Effective against cough and sneeze particles, bacteria, and viruses
- The only Filtrete air filter that can eliminate air pollution, exhaust particles, and ultrafine particles
Best Mid-Grade Filtrete Air Filter
Filtrete Odor Reduction MPR 1200
The Filtrete Odor Reduction MPR 1200 Air Filter is equipped with Filtrete’s exclusive 3-in-1 technology.
This product is also great at filtering lint, household dust, dust mite debris, mold spores, pollen, pet dander, smoke, and smog.
What makes this product truly special, however, is its powerful odor-reducing action. Thanks to its high organic vapor capacity, Filtrete Odor Reduction MPR 1200 Air Filter is 25 times more effective at eliminating smells than the average home air filter. That makes it an excellent add-on for your air conditioner, furnace, or HVAC system if you are looking to reduce unpleasant odors from smoke, cooking, mildew, pets, or various cleaning and household chemicals.
Pros
- MPR 1200 and MERV 11
- Equipped with Filtrete’s patented 3-in-1 technology
- Powerful odor-reducing action
- 25 times better at reducing odors than the industry average
Best Budget-Friendly Filtrete Air Filter
Filtrete Clean Living MPR 600
The Filtrete Clean Living MPR 600 Air Filter is Filtrete’s best budget-friendly air filter.
Like all Filtrete products, it features the brand’s signature 3-in-1 technology that brings you more pleats, lower fiber density, and higher MPR than the industry average. Together with the filter’s electrostatic charge, all that makes it possible to attract and capture microscopic particles that pass unhindered through conventional fiberglass, washable, and non-electrostatic filters.
Furthermore, Clean Living MPR 600 can maintain a strong airflow for up to three months before you notice a drop in the pressure.
Overall, this product is highly effective at capturing lint and household dust and allergens such as pollen, dust mite debris, and mold spores.
So, what’s the verdict? Filtrete Clean Living MPR 600 Air Filter is your best choice if you are looking for a cost-effective solution against larger airborne particles and the most common allergens.
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- MPR 600 and MERV 7
- Features Filtrete’s 3-in-1 electrostatic charge technology
- Outperforms fiberglass, washable, and non-electrostatic filters
- Excellent at removing most common airborne allergens and larger particles
The Best Filtrete Air Filters at a Glance
For a quick and simple comparison between the three products reviewed above, check out this table:
| Filtrete Healthy Living MPR 2800 | Filtrete Clean Living MPR 600 | Filtrete Odor Reduction MPR 1200 | |
| Lint | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Household Dust | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dust Mite Debris | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mold Spores | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pollen | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pet Dander | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Smoke | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Smog | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Cough and Sneeze Particles | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Bacteria | ✓ | ||
| Viruses | ✓ | ||
| Candle Soot | ✓ | ||
| PM 2.5 Air Pollution | ✓ | ||
| Exhaust Particles | ✓ | ||
| Ultrafine Particles | ✓ | ||
| Odor Reduction | ✓ |
Filtrete Air Filters: FAQ
Is Filtrete Air Filters Worth It?
Filtrete Healthy Living Filters are built with 3M filtration technology to help capture the small airborne particles that fiberglass filters can’t.
Filtrete Filters are worth it, particularly if indoor air cleaning is essential to you and your family’s health. For those sensitive to airborne allergens, Filtrete by 3M is a premier filter brand. For more than 25 years, Filtrete has been the innovator in filter technology.
Filtrete uses a special filter media that allows for optimum airflow. Unlike fiberglass filters, Filtrete Filters help protect your heating and cooling system and improve your indoor air quality by cleaning the air as it passes through the filter.
What Is the Difference Between MPR and MERV Ratings?
MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. MERV is the industry standard rating that measures the ability of filters to capture airborne particles. MERV scores range from 1 (least efficient) to 16 (very efficient).
Most homes use filters with a MERV rating somewhere between 1 and 4. The problem is that these only capture larger particles such as lint, dust, and pollen but cannot filter out microparticles. Unfortunately, microparticles are the most harmful: the smaller the particle, the longer it stays in both the air and our lungs.
That is why Filtrete created its rating: MPR or Microparticle Performance Rating. It is superior to MERV, as it measures an air filter’s ability to capture the smallest of particles that range from 0.3 and 1 micron (µm) in size. In contrast, the MERV scale does not even measure microparticles until it reaches MERV 11.
For this reason, you must know your air filter’s MPR as well as the MERV rating.
What Is So Special About Filtrete’s 3-in-1 technology?
Filtrete’s 3-in-1 technology features:
- More pleats than the industry average. That results in a larger surface area to capture harmful particles and also helps lower airflow resistance.
- Higher-quality materials. Filtrete’s filter media contains less than 15 percent fiber. The other 85 percent? It’s just air! That makes for a very low fiber density, which means that air can pass through with as little obstruction as possible.
- Higher filtration levels. Filtrete’s high MPR scores mean that its filters are highly effective at improving home air quality.
Why Is It Important That Filtrete Air Filters Are Electrostatically Charged?
Filtrete air filters with MPR 300 and above are specially treated to give them an electrostatic charge. That improves the filters’ ability to capture microparticles without restricting the airflow in the room.
How Are Filtrete Air Filters Better Than Fiberglass Filters?
Fiberglass filters were exclusively created to protect furnaces and air conditioning systems and improve their functionality. They were never intended to enhance indoor air quality.
In contrast, Filtrete filters protect furnaces and air conditioning systems and improve indoor air by attracting and capturing microparticles.
In our article, Pleated Filters or Fiberglass Filters: Which is Better, we take an in-depth look at fiberglass and pleated air filters.
Conclusion
So, to recap: the best overall Filtrete air filter is Healthy Living MPR 2800. It has the highest MPR and MERV ratings and provides an unparalleled air-filtering capacity to capture larger and ultrafine particles.
Odor Reduction MPR 1200 is a great mid-priced option. This product filters large, as well as some smaller airborne pathogens such as cough and sneeze particles. It is also great at reducing unwanted odors.
Finally, Clean Living MPR 600 is Filtrete’s best budget alternative. It offers a solid performance when it comes to capturing larger particles and the most common allergens.
