The Best Furnace Filters
Cleaner air for those you love
There are many filters and filter manufacturers, depending on the type of furnace and / or filter system that you may already have. One of the most common types of furnace filters is a cartridge-style replaceable filter with pleated "media" filters. There are many budget filters available for these types of furnace enclosure systems - often they are made of a cardboard and blue or yellow foam / fiber that can be somewhat transparent due to the holes throughout. These are typically in the price range of $1 per filter and can be purchased at dollar stores or even Home Depot and other such do-it-yourself home improvement establishments.
The basic cardboard and foam filters can be counted on fairly reliably to trap particles larger than a few microns in size (e.g. dust particles and larger), but this is of limited value since the human body can filter down to around 10 microns by itself. Basically, these filters are a good choice if your home is not very airtight at all, there are no smokers and no allergy sufferers in your home and your main concern is household dust. If this is not the case, you may want to look into a more advanced (and more expensive) filter system.
One of the most popular of these filters is the Filtrete Electrostatic filter manufactured by 3M. Filters like these are far more expensive than the "budget" pleated filters that cost you $1 per month, but if you have children or allergy sufferers in the home, they may be a very worthwhile investment. You may find these filters for $25 to $35 each (good for 3 months).
If you're looking at a permanent and less compromising option to be hard-mounted with your furnace, the IQAir HealthPro is probably your best bet. In consumer reviews, it has been given extremely high ratings for air purification, but it is somewhat noisy and expensive. Coming in at around $700, it represents a serious commitment to indoor air quality in your home.
