Air Filter

Standard Fiberglass Filter: Inexpensive. Filters out large particles. Change filter 1- 3 month intervals. Merv 3 rating typical.

Pleated Filter: Somewhat inexpensive. Better than fiberglass. Change filter 1-3 months. Merv 7 rating typical.

Pleated high efficiency filter 1or 2 inch thick Expensive. Excessive air restriction. Change filter 1-3 months. Merv 11-13 rating typical. May cause low air flow issues.

Honeywell High Efficiency. Expensive. Need cabinet installed. Excellent filtration. Good for allergies. Change filter 6-24 months. Merv 10-13 available. Filters are 4-3/8"  thick.

Air Bear High Efficiency. Moderate cost. Need cabinet installed. Good filtration. Change filter 6-24 months. Filters are 4-7/8" thick. Will not fit Honeywell cabinet. Typically Merv 8.

Aprilaire High Efficiency. Expensive. Need cabinet installed. Excellent filtration. Change filter 12-24 months. In my opinion, the best on the market. Time consuming to change media. Typically Merv 10. More filtering area than other filters means air travels slower through filter which increases filtering ability.

If you have a high efficiency cabinet I recommend staying with the correct brand and style filter for the cabinet. All cabinets are not the same size and a typical aftermarket filter is manufactured to use in any cabinet. It will usually not be a proper fit and will allow air to bypass. If the merv rating is higher the filter media is typically more dense which increases resistance to air flow. Decreased air flow decreases system efficiency.