Maintaining high air quality throughout the home is of peak importance when you or someone in your household suffers from environmental allergies—most commonly as a result of mold spores or pollen. However, by installing the right HVAC filter, you can ensure those allergens and irritants wind up amid the fibers of the filter rather than in anyone’s nose. Here are some of the best air filters for people with allergies and what you should look for as you shop.
What To Know
When it comes to selecting an air filter for a household where people struggle with allergies, a filter’s MERV rating is your most important consideration. The Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value gives you a rough idea of how small a particle a filter can stop from passing through. For instance, a filter with a MERV 6 rating can intercept larger particles such as pollen, carpet fibers, and dust mites, but it will allow smaller particles to pass through. At MERV 15—typically available only to high-performance HVAC systems in medical and industrial settings—a filter can stop even bacteria. A household HVAC system for people with allergies should use a MERV filter between 8 and 12.
Activated Carbon
Anyone who has ever sneezed or coughed near a charcoal grill would find it hard to believe that carbon can be an effective means of filtration for allergen-sensitive people. The porous nature of activated carbon makes it an apt adversary for lingering odors, particularly those of volatile organic compounds, which are vapors that commonly irritate people’s respiratory systems. Be forewarned, however, that an activated carbon filter is not effective at capturing dust and other particles, and you must partner it with a traditional fabric or fiberglass filter.
HEPA Filters
High-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA, filters are best associated with the freestanding air purifiers that supplement your central air system in high-traffic parts of the house, such as living rooms or family rooms. However, HEPA cartridge air filters can also be part of your home’s HVAC system, sometimes boasting ultraviolet lights to kill and neutralize microorganisms such as dust mites. However, not all systems are compatible with HEPA cartridges, and these devices can often represent significant expenditures.
Pleated Filters
Pleated khakis may have gone out of style, but a pleated filter is a timeless way to improve the air quality of your home. Unlike a traditional fiberglass model, a pleated filter uses corrugated cotton or polyester paper. This material makes it harder for small particles to pass through, while corrugation effectively doubles the surface area of the filter. Flanders NaturalAire filters are among the best air filters for people with allergies and excellent choices among pleated filters, with MERV 10 ratings guaranteeing effective interception of mold spores, pollen, dust mites and their waste, and other particles as small as grains of milled flour. Remember the Filter carries a full line of pleated filters to keep indoor air clean and allergy friendly.
