When it comes to furnace filters, there are several options. Some are useful and some are mere showpieces. To help you find the best washable furnace filter we have compiled the best seven after a lot of research and testing. Our favorite is Trophy Air Pleated Electrostatic Air Filter because of the high-quality construction and budget-friendly price tag.
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Best Washable Furnace Filter
1. Trophy – Best For HVAC System
We find the Trophy Air Furnace filter the most suitable washable furnace filter for your HVAC system. This six-stage filter contains four layers of aluminum mesh and two layers of electrostatic media that filter harmful allergens and small dust particles. This powerful filter can be customized for 15 different sizes. It is also budget-friendly and will help you save a lot of money as opposed to disposable filters. The simple home installation is an added bonus.
In cold winters, it is recommended to clean the filter indoors to prevent frost formation while drying out. We reused the washable furnace filters 16x25x1 multiple times without any issue. This is a perfect reusable furnace filter that is highly effective. It comes in multiple sizes, but you need to measure previous filters to make sure you purchase the correct one for you. Each furnace filter has a dimension of 16 x 20 x 1 inches and it weighs 1.57 pounds. The overall package weight is 1.65 pounds. All the installation and cleaning guide is given in the package.
- Enhanced HVAC Effectiveness.
- Offers Cleaner and Healthier Air.
- Easy installation.
- Premium Craftsmanship.
- Made in America.
- No specific MERV rating (may not stop the smallest dust).
Bottom Line
We will highly recommend you to go for this Trophy Washable Furnace filter for its durability, effectiveness, ease of installation. It saves cost, is compatible with most HVAC systems, and a wonderful product at an unbeatable price. Moreover, the design help improves the ventilation capacity of your home. And by looking at the design we can say that its durable and robust.
2. K&N 20x20x1 – Most Durable Unit
This is another awesome washable furnace filter at a low price range. The efficient and reusable furnace filter comes with 11 MERV rating – so it can stop even the tiny particles. The washable air filter is designed to help improve the efficiency of the ventilation in your home. Proper air circulation helps reduce the resistance to air circulation and thereby reduce the pressure of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. It is made of durable metal frame and aluminum corrugated board. Also it is made in the USA, can be used for a long time, and has a long service life and high quality.
The filter has a great aluminum frame with anodized gold along with a superb stainless steel mesh support. There is an antimicrobial material that can resist mold growth on this filter. This is a wonderful filter choice for your HVAC system. The dimension of each furnace filter is 20.4 x 20.1 x 1.2 inches. The weight of the whole package is 2.75 pounds. They are made of good quality material. All necessary instruction to install them is provided with the package.
- Merv 11-Washable Filter.
- Easy to clean.
- Easy Installation.
- It helps capture small particles.
- Excellent airflow.
- Needs cleaner spray from K&N.
Bottom Line
This furnace filter is highly recommended as they are easy to replace, clean, and offer a high level of performance. You will have great air-flow, dust-free air, and also remain protected from allergens and dust. The installation is smooth and no worries changing of HVAC filters frequently.
3. WEB Eco FilterPlus – Most Eco-Friendly Unit
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WEB Eco Filter may be used for different systems like furnace or A/C system. It is removable, washable and adjustable. Also, it is a MERV 8 filter that captures pollen particles as well along with pet dander and dust. Buy this reusing filter, which reduces costs and waste in landfills. You can say it is eco-friendly. WEB Eco Filter components are made from recycled plastic and come with a limited lifetime money-back guarantee.
We used it extensively on both the furnace and air conditioning systems. It worked great on both occasions. In addition to being washable and reusable, the filter is also adjustable, which is a new feature for such a filter. We found that it means you can cut the excess material to get the required filter size. For this, you will have to use the old filter as a reference. Just place the black plastic grid over the old filter and you will know exactly the amount to cut. We think it is a nice and long-lasting filter choice. The furnace filter dimension is 1 x 30 x 25 inches and the overall package has a weight of 1.4 pounds. The washable filter comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
- Washable and reusable.
- Adjustable.
- Easy Installation.
- High efficiency.
- Limited lifetime warranty.
- Plastic frame built.
Bottom Line
The WEB Eco FilterPlus Furnace filter is an excellent product for furnace and HVAC systems. You will have fresh, dust-free air in your home thanks to this filter. Easy installation, cleaning, the adjustable feature, and limited lifetime warranty makes it even more attractive. If you are looking for a budget filter that works great, go for this filter.
4. CARTER 20x25x1 – Best Against Allergies And Asthma
This CARTER Furnace filter is an exceptional product. They fit perfectly on the HVAC. And offer clean allergen and dust-free air inside the home. You will have an easy and fun installation. They have a lifetime warranty and ASHRAE tested. This MERV 8 filter is a game-changer for the HVAC system. It is one of the best washable furnace filter for allergies.
Additionally, we liked the lifetime warranty and good customer support offered by the manufacturer. Although it is not an inexpensive option, still it offers a high-quality air filter solution for your HVAC. The furnace filter has a dimension of 20 x 25 x 1 inches with a total package weight of 3.2 pounds. The material used offers durability while keeping the weight down. The filter has a lifetime warranty and a detailed installation instruction.
- MERV 8 filters.
- 94% Dust Arrest.
- 300 FPM Flow.
- Anti-microbial material.
- Lifetime Warranty.
- A bit expensive.
Bottom Line
This HVAC air filter from Carter is a superb purchase for your home. It is not a budget-friendly furnace filter, but a product of the highest quality. It offers high airflow, 94% dust absorbance, and antibacterial coating. You will love the super-fast installation and washable feature of this air filter.
5. Filtrete MPR – Best For Homes With Pets
This furnace filter package is perfect for your home AC and HVAC. The Filtrete filter offers easy home installation, durable construction, and full dust-free air. This electrostatic, washable filter is long-lasting and designed to trap small particles as well. This electrostatic self-charging furnace AC filter does not require any additional energy to capture 95% of airborne pollutants present in ordinary homes. Have your rooms free of even the microscopic particles.
The filter needs to be replaced after 3 months. Overall, we are highly satisfied with its performance and the bigger filters can last for 12 months as well. This is a good quality filter option for home AC and HVAC systems. The furnace air filter dimension is 23.8 x 0.8 x 23.8 inches with a total weight of 1.35 pounds. The package includes a manual for installation and cleaning. The filter can be easily fit on the machines. You may ask the manufacturer regarding warranty information.
- Perfect Design.
- Outperforms fiberglass.
- Easy Installation.
- Captures microscopic particles.
- Long-lasting.
- May restrict airflow.
Bottom Line
This furnace filter package is highly recommended by our team after thorough testing. This furnace filter has a nice sleek design and fits perfectly on Ac and HVAC systems. It is light yet durable filter material, electrostatic, washable, and has a robust frame. The easy home installation and 3 to 12 months service period makes this an ideal to buy.
6. Air Care ULTIMATE – Best Reusable Unit
This awesome furnace filter is of unbeatable quality and performance. This will absorb over 95% of air particles, making your rooms fresh like nature. It is a permanent solution for your HVAC or AC system as it is washable and can be reused multiple times. This self-charging electrostatic filter does not require any additional energy to capture 95% of airborne pollutants. The appropriate MERV rating for this filter is 8, which means that it is more efficient than most of the other filters.
Electrostatic cleaning filters contain an EPA approved antibacterial finish that slows the growth of bacteria and mold on its surface. This furnace filter is meant for long uses. With a limited lifetime warranty and a 100% cash back guarantee, it’s a great choice. The furnace filter comes with a dimension of 16 x 25 x 1 inches and it is lightweight. The filter also has an extended lifetime limited warranty from the manufacturer. A user-friendly installation manual is placed in the package.
- Traps 95% particles.
- Permanent & Washable.
- Easy Installation.
- Made in the USA.
- Electrostatic Self-charging media.
- May experience airflow issues.
Bottom Line
The Air Care Ultimate furnace filter for common homes is what you need to reduce costs and breathe fresh air every day. Moreover, it is made of eco-friendly materials and does not consume extra energy. It can be installed by just replacing the old one and the lifetime limited warranty is awesome. The USA made tag confirms the high built quality.
7. Permafoam Permanent – Best Low Maintenance Unit
This is a great furnace filter package for your home. The washable air filter is designed to help improve the efficiency of the ventilation in your home. Proper air circulation helps reduce the resistance to air circulation and thereby help control the pressure of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. It is made of a durable metal frame and aluminum corrugated board. The made in USA tag will please you. You can easily replace electrostatic furnace filter with disposable but this is the long time solution for clean air.
The combination of polyurethane and a four-layer aluminum frame may be sufficient to filter most airborne household particles. Cleaning the filter requires mild detergents and high-pressure water. A hole in the bottom of the filter makes good drainage and the filter will dry out fast. The measurement of the air filter is 19.5 x 19.5 x 0.9 inches with a total weight of 1.59 pounds. This light, durable, and USA made air filter comes with an installation guide and long-lasting guarantee.
- Enhance HVAC Effectiveness.
- Perfect sizing (updated for modern systems).
- Premium Craftsmanship.
- American Made.
- Easy and Quick Installation.
- Order confusion for the right size.
Bottom Line
For its admirable quality, easy installation, and high performance, we will certainly recommend this furnace filter to you. This furnace filter will give your home quality air with minimum to no allergens. The installation and cleaning are also very simple. So, a perfect choice for home HVACs and ACs.
Buyer’s Guide – What To Consider?
The washable furnace filters are highly essential to keep the surrounding air free from the pollutants and antigens. The furnace filters help in trapping and neutralizing the airborne particles for improving the quality of air. Thus the furnace filters prevent the furnace as well as the HVAC systems from malfunctioning due to the particles that block air circulation. Thus it is recommended to choose the right washable furnace filters to be safe from the surrounding air pollutants. Therefore before buying this product, certain features and functionalities should be noticed that would define its quality.
1. Filter Size
The washable furnace filters can work with the filters of specific sizes along with the filter thickness that dictates how well the air filter works by preventing the accumulation of dust along with debris on the heat exchanger. There are two common thicknesses of the filter size, which are 1 inch and 4 inches. If the filter does not fit, then the unfiltered air can bypass the filter while polluting the surrounding air. To indicate the size of the filter, one should look at the labels of the furnace filters. If it is not marked, then one can search for the model of the furnace or HVAC. This is because different models from the same brand might require different sizes of the filter.
2. Rating Scale
While choosing the best washable furnace filter, one should notice at the ratings of the filter. For the furnace filters, the MERV rating, which is Minimum Efficiency Rating Value, is crucial to notice. It is a standard testing system introduced by the American National Standards Institute. For an effective filter, the MERV ratings range from 1 to 16. A higher MERV rating indicates much finer filtration along with greater effectiveness against the airborne particles. In the furnace, the highest MERV ratings cause enhanced air resistance. But the overworking of the system often decreases the efficiency of the filters. Therefore it is best to choose a furnace filter with the MERV rating range of 8 to 12 for striking a balance between the protection of the system and the improvement of the air quality.
Along with the MERV rating, there is another rating scale named MPR rating, which Microparticle Performance Rating. It is a crucial rating scale of the furnace filters by 3M that measures the efficiency and effectiveness of filters for removing particles that are smaller than 1 micron. The superior performance of the furnace filters depends on the ratings of the filter from MPR 300 to MPR 2800. A high MPR Rating lowers the efficiency of a system. For a good balance of the effective filtering performance, the rating of MPR should range between 1000 to 1900.
3. Materials of Construction
The majority of the furnace filters are made up of fiberglass material. They are flat and thin surfaces that are capable of removing 25% of the air pollutants that ranges between 3 to 10 micron. The fiberglass material is inefficient in capturing small particles that form a significant part of the harmful contaminants that hampers the improvement of air quality. As per the design of the mid-range models, they are made up of cotton or polyester. The pleated design of the filter consists of a large surface for the filtration of air along with the entrapment of more airborne particles. According to EPA, the pleated filters are more efficient in capturing the respirable particles. For the quick building up of debris, the increased capacity is required. Among all the filters, K&N 20x20x1 AC is the most durable.
4. Disposable
The furnace filters can be both disposable and reusable. The disposable furnace filters need to be changed once a month. The MERV rating for the disposable filters can be up to 16, and it means that they collect the fine particles very well. Therefore for filter being disposable is an essential feature of the furnace filters.
5. Electrostatic Nature
The washable furnace filters that are electrostatic in nature work with a smart trick of electromagnetism. This feature helps the filters to attract the floating particles in the air like a magnet such as bacteria and dust, thus pulling them to the metal in the air filters. Instead of staying in the air, the particles, therefore, stick to the metal. For the need of washing, the electrostatic filter should be checked every week.
6. Washable Feature
The furnace filters are much more comfortable and convenient to wash. Similar to the process of recycling and washing of the air conditioner filters, the furnace filters can also be washed in the same way. These filters are eco-friendly models, along with being convenient and economical. Thus it needs the effort to remove, clean, and then re-install. The permanent feature of the furnace filters allows one to reuse the filters conveniently.
7. Ultraviolet
The washable furnace filters utilize the ultraviolet light by killing the mold in line-of-sight. Therefore UV filters are another excellent option for people with respiratory problems. Thus within the air-handling units in the filters, the UV lights help in reducing the fungal contamination.
8. Filtering Technique
In the washable furnace filters, the filtering technique is standardized as per the HEPA standards. It is regarded to be the gold standard since it can remove the small 0.3 micron particles, which is at an accuracy rate of 99.97%. Therefore standardized filtering technique is adopted by most of the filters due to their efficiency and protection from a broad range of the surrounding airborne contaminants. These are effective for people who are prone to allergies. Even the presence of the activated filters along with the HEPA filters helps in trapping the allergens and impurities. They highly absorb the smoke, odor, chemicals, and other gaseous pollutants.
9. Pricing
The price of the washable furnace filters is not that high. It is good to purchase a quality product at an affordable price. And this product is made up after considering the affordability of all buyers. This can be a fruitful decision for you if you are trying to purchase it for air purification. With the reasonable price, it provides various beneficial features, and so it is an effective choice to purchase. Whenever you are going to buy the product, consider the pricing factor because there are some variants of the product that might cost higher for its better features and functionalities.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are washable furnace filters any good?
Many people do ask “are washable air filters worth it?” but they do make a huge difference. If you install a good quality furnace filter it helps prevent dirt, allergens, and many more. Many of them have seen significant improvement in the quality of the air inside their home after installing filters.
2. What is the best washable air filter?
There is no one right answer. It all depends on your needs and every user has different needs.
3. Can you wash furnace filters?
Yes, there are many washable furnace filters out there in the market.
4. What happens if the furnace filter is backward?
If the furnace filter is installed backward it blocks the airflow. This puts pressure on your HVAC system and thus have higher utility bills.
5. Why is my furnace filter getting dirty so fast?
It doesn’t have to with the type of furnace filter. The filter may be located in a place that receives too much dirt.
Final Thought
The function of washable furnace filters is to prevent the entry of any harmful dirt into your home. hence, the design of most of the filters looks the same. But there are minor differences and if you don’t know about them you may end up buying the most useless filter. It would be a good idea to go through the information that we have compiled in this post and then decide which filter to purchase.
Trophy Air Pleated Electrostatic Air Filter- Editor's Choice
Summary
We will highly recommend you to go for this Trophy Washable Furnace filter for its durability, effectiveness, ease of installation. It saves cost, is compatible with most HVAC systems, and a wonderful product at an unbeatable price. Moreover, the design help improves the ventilation capacity of your home. And by looking at the design we can say that its durable and robust.
As with all of the other benefits, when you change your air filters regularly, your HVAC system works more efficiently while producing the right amount of heated or cooled air. When your air filters are clean and the air passes through with ease, your unit can better maintain the internal temperature of your home.