Customer Reviews

3M Filtrete 1000 MPR, Micro Allergen Reduction Filter

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

These are great- just be careful that too much filtration can OVERHEAT your heat and air units

I was using the Filtrete dark blue 1500 rated filters and thought they were great. But eventually I found the air flow was less and less and then it almost stopped altogether. I had to call my Heat/ AC guys and they told me that if I used the higher rated filter (1500 or so, different for each system), the one that 'stopped' more allergens/ dust/ etc, that these high rated ones fill up quickly with all the gunk the catch, and that they can slow down the air flow so much that it may cause your heat/ AC machinery to overheat and damage itself.

He switched me to the red Filtretes- they are rated 1000 and not 1500. If you truly need higher levels of filtration, make sure your heat/ ac system can handle it, and maybe you have to change the filters more often (the really highly rated filters grab EVERYTHING so all the dust etc builds up much more quickly and could block the air flow entirely in less time than say the red 1000 ones. So stay as low as you can on the ratings, but if you have to block extra things like dust or mites or allergens, ask your heat/ AC guy to tell you which filter to use, knowing it will capture this much dust/mites/ allergens, and how often you have to change it. Hope that helped, and good luck

ps I myself am going to ask them if i can use the higher rated filters- say the 1500s- if i switch them out much more often. we'll see.

My house uses forced air for heating. The disadvantage of such a system is that it distributes the dust in the air everywhere in the house. However, it is supposed to be possible to filter out the dust. Over the years, I have steadily increased the quality of the filter that I use for my forced air heating system. However, until now I have not noticed any obvious difference in my allergic reactions that seem to start with the heating season.

There are two cats in my house. I have read that cat dander, tiny flakes of cat skin shed by the cats, is five times smaller than household dust particles. It stays in the air much longer than ordinary dust before it settles. Because of its small size it requires a more efficient filter to get it out of the air.

Until this year, I have used of variety of filters with mixed results. However, this year, I started using the 3M Advanced Allergen Filters, the ones in the blue wrapper. These have a 3M Microparticle Performance Rating of 1500, but do not have a MERV rating listed. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value and is a number from 1 to 12, produced from a test designed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). A higher MERV rating indicates better filter performance. 3M uses particle data between 0.3 and 1.0 micron size to calculate a Microparticle Performance Rating or MPR. The higher the MPR, the better the filter. However, higher rated filters cost more.

Here are some of the Filtrete filters offered by 3M:
Dust & Pollen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 600,
MERV rating of 8
Micro Allergen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 1000,
MERV rating of 11
Ultra Allergen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 1250,
MERV rating of 11
Advanced Allegen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 1500,
MERV rating not available

The difference made by the Advanced filter was immediately obvious. My running nose stopped running. I assume that the new Advanced filters must be taking out more of the dust in the air including the cat dander. I have not noticed a change in the speed of the circulated air. The additional cost of the Advanced filter is worth it if you have allergies or pets. However, if you are happy with a lower-rated and lower-cost filter, then you can continue using that one. I suggest that you check Amazon and vendors on the web to get the best price.

This 6-pack is a very economical (cheap) way of buying filters. Especially because Lowes & Home Depot did not have my size (14x30) in stock. I got the medium-quality filtrete micro allergen because I wanted good filtration, but not the most expensive. They are perfectly suitable, with an indication of which side should face the intake, and how often they should be replaced (3 months). I'm happy :)

I've used these Filtrete air filters for several years in different houses and I am very pleased with them. Yes, they are pricey but if you're prone to sneezing fits (as I am), they're worth every penny. Supposedly, the filter media is fine enough to capture even wee tiny particulate matter, including smoke and smog.

In addition to breathing easier and filtering out nasty smells from your house (which are huge benefits), I've noticed that using these filters also helps keep the house and tabletops cleaner, and there's less need for that dreaded chore of periodic dusting.

Another significant benefit is the benefit to your heating and cooling equipment. With a central air system costing thousands and thousands of dollars, this is not a small benefit! These high efficiency filters do a fine job of keeping dirt and dust out of the blower housing in your HVAC system. The traditional fiberglass filters (those cheap blue filters) keep small animals and yard waste from entering into your HVAC, but little else. Ever look at a 20-year-old blower housing? Usually they're caked with lots and lots of fine dust. In addition to being gross, that can't be good for an electrical appliance.

I highly recommend these Filtrete filters and I change mine more often than the manufacturer's 90-day recommended interval. And I think they're worth every penny of their hefty price tag.

This review is not about the product (which I'm happy with), but the number of filters. Some of the other reviewers complained that they expected to receive 6 times as many filters as they ordered.

I just bought a package of 6 Filtrete filters from Amazon for $60.61. This is a good price, because I've seen these filters sold individually in hardware stores for at least $13. It appears that some of the reviews here may refer to purchases from other sellers associated with Amazon. In any case, I thought that I was purchasing 6 filters, and that's what I got. These filters are a lot more expensive than the cheapest furnace filters, so you should expect to pay somewhere in the range of $10 to $13 per filter.

Are they worth the high premium relative to cheaper furnace filters? I think that they catch more lint than cheaper filters, and that indicates that they are doing their job, but I haven't done any really objective comparisons of expensive and cheap furnace filters.

I have been using these filters for many years, and think they are well worth the premium over a basic filter -- especially for allergy sufferers. My only concern was that they may be restricting air flow. However, when I had a new A/C installed a few months ago, the Trane installer said he uses these same filters in his home. I've considered getting the higher MPR filters, but think this one provides the best balance between filtration and air flow. The outer packaging (Amazon's) was a bit flimsy, but the 3M packaging was sturdy and the filters arrived undamaged. I did have to wait until Amazon put these on sale, as their regular price is higher than those at my home improvement store. Highly recommended!

My house uses forced air for heating. The disadvantage of such a system is that it distributes the dust in the air everywhere in the house. However, it is supposed to be possible to filter out the dust. Over the years, I have steadily increased the quality of the filter that I use for my forced air heating system. However, until now I have not noticed any obvious difference in my allergic reactions that seem to start with the heating season.

There are two cats in my house. I have read that cat dander, tiny flakes of cat skin shed by the cats, is five times smaller than household dust particles. It stays in the air much longer than ordinary dust before it settles. Because of its small size it requires a more efficient filter to get it out of the air.

Until this year, I have used of variety of filters with mixed results. However, this year, I started using the 3M Advanced Allergen Filters, the ones in the blue wrapper. These have a 3M Microparticle Performance Rating of 1500, but do not have a MERV rating listed. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value and is a number from 1 to 12, produced from a test designed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). A higher MERV rating indicates better filter performance. 3M uses particle data between 0.3 and 1.0 micron size to calculate a Microparticle Performance Rating or MPR. The higher the MPR, the better the filter. However, higher rated filters cost more.

Here are some of the Filtrete filters offered by 3M:
Dust & Pollen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 600,
MERV rating of 8
Micro Allergen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 1000,
MERV rating of 11
Ultra Allergen Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 1250,
MERV rating of 11
3M Advanced Allergen Reduction Filter, Microparticle Performance Rating 1500,
MERV rating not available

The difference made by the Advanced filter was immediately obvious. My running nose stopped running. I assume that the new Advanced filters must be taking out more of the dust in the air including the cat dander. I have not noticed a change in the speed of the circulated air. The additional cost of the Advanced filter is worth it if you have allergies or pets. However, if you are happy with a lower-rated and lower-cost filter, then you can continue using that one. I suggest that you check Amazon and vendors on the web to get the best price.

I was ready to buy this 6-pack again but decided to go visit the local hardware store with my calculator just to be sure I was saving money. The 1000 MPR Filtrete 6-pack price makes the filters $12.60 each. At Home Depot they are $10.70 and with our TN 9.25% sales tax that makes the filter $11.69 - so not a bargain through Amazon. I priced the 600 MPR and the 1500 MPR also and they aren't cheaper buying through Amazon either. Maybe for around $5.50 difference for the 1000 MP 6-pack it's worth having them delivered to your door. I may have just talked myself into buying these through Amazon again...!

I used the more heavy 3M filters prior to these, but still had to change them every couple of months though they recommend every three months. But what got me to consider the red 3M filter is that the furnace seemed to struggle with the heavier filter. My furnace is at least 10 years old.
Red filter provided good relief from alergens but needs changing every month. Good purchase in any case

We use quite a few of these each year at the office where I work. They're a pretty nice filter that puts out cleaner air that the cheap-o bargain basement filters that cost about half as much. To me, air quality is worth spending additional money on, since you can't grow new lungs. These are indeed 6-packs, so buy accordingly. Amazon sells them cheaper than the big box stores and ships them free, so you can't go wrong here. Recommended.