Filtrete MPR 1500 vs Aerostar MERV 13
Bottom line
In our scoring the Aerostar MERV 13 takes it at 5.9/10 against the Filtrete MPR 1500's 4.6/10. It captures a step more, states its rating on the standard scale instead of a proprietary one, and costs roughly $39 a year less to keep in the furnace. The Filtrete's genuine edge is airflow: at MERV 12 it is the gentler of the two in a 1-inch slot, and we score it 4.0/10 on airflow fit against the Aerostar's 0.0/10. So if your system already struggles for air, the lower-rated filter is the safer pick. We mark the Filtrete down for leading with the MPR number, not for what it captures.
If these two are sitting next to each other on the shelf, the numbers on the boxes are not measuring the same thing. MERV is the one standardized filter rating (ANSI/ASHRAE 52.2, the scale any manufacturer can be held to). 'MPR 1500' is 3M's own scale, and on the standardized one that filter is a MERV 12. The Aerostar prints MERV 13 directly, a step higher, and costs about $35 a year against the Filtrete's $74 - both are 1-inch panels replaced four times a year. One tradeoff worth knowing before you reach for the higher number: MERV 13 in a thin 1-inch panel restricts airflow more than MERV 12 does, so the better-filtering option is also the harder one for your blower to pull through.
| MERV 12 (sold as MPR 1500) | True MERV (ANSI/ASHRAE 52.2) | MERV 13 |
| 5.0 | Verified Filtration30% | 7.0 |
| 5.0 | Total Cost of Ownership25% | 8.0 |
| 5.0 | Rating Honesty20% | 8.0 |
| 4.0 | Airflow Fit15% | 0.0 |
| 2.0 | Practical Fit10% | 2.0 |
FAQ
- Is the 3M Filtrete MPR 1500 (Allergen) better than the Aerostar MERV 13 (1-inch)?
- In our scoring the Aerostar MERV 13 (1-inch) rates 5.9/10 and the 3M Filtrete MPR 1500 (Allergen) 4.6/10. In our scoring the Aerostar MERV 13 takes it at 5.9/10 against the Filtrete MPR 1500's 4.6/10. It captures a step more, states its rating on the standard scale instead of a proprietary one, and costs roughly $39 a year less to keep in the furnace. The Filtrete's genuine edge is airflow: at MERV 12 it is the gentler of the two in a 1-inch slot, and we score it 4.0/10 on airflow fit against the Aerostar's 0.0/10. So if your system already struggles for air, the lower-rated filter is the safer pick. We mark the Filtrete down for leading with the MPR number, not for what it captures.
- Is MPR 1500 the same as MERV 13?
- No. MPR 1500 corresponds to MERV 12 on the standardized ANSI/ASHRAE 52.2 scale, one step below the Aerostar's MERV 13. MPR is 3M's own number, so the only way to compare filters across brands is to find the MERV each one actually holds.
- Which costs less per year?
- The Aerostar, by a wide margin. Both get replaced about four times a year, but the Aerostar is $8.67 a filter and roughly $35 a year, against $18.49 a filter and about $74 a year for the Filtrete MPR 1500. The annual figure is what we score, not the price of one filter.
- Is a higher MERV always better?
- Not in a 1-inch slot. A MERV 13 panel captures finer particles than a MERV 12, but it restricts airflow more, and a blower that cannot pull enough air through the filter is its own problem. We score that tradeoff, which is why the Aerostar loses airflow points the Filtrete keeps. If you want MERV 13 without the restriction, that is what 4-inch deep media is for.