Customer Ratings & Reviews

This filter is worth the money for sure. I love the app and it’s really helpful knowing how much life it has left and the air quality ! Easy to setup.

The 3M Filtrete 1500 Smart Air Filter is a Bluetooth enabled home ventilation filter. It pairs with the Filtrete Smart App (iOS and Android), which is used to enable the filter’s Bluetooth module and track its useful life. The 1500 Smart Filter uses a standard Filtrete 1500 filter for its base. Mine is the 16x20x1 size, but this applies to all dimensions of the filter. This is the same filter you can pick up at most stores, and it’s a high performing filter. The 1500 is a MERV 12 rated filter – looking at the MERV chart that means its rated for 1.0-3.0 µm particles. Therefore it should have no issue with dust particles/pollen/dander (3.0-10µm+), will offer pretty good filtration for smoke/smog (1.0-3.0µm), and some protection against airborne virus/bacteria (0.3-1.0µm). The 3 smart enabled filters – 1500, 1900, and 2200 all carry the same MERV 12 rating from what I can tell. However, 3M claims its additional MPR (Microparticulate Performance Rating) differentiates between the range. The MPR number is what classifies each filter – the 1500 is an MPR 1500 filter for example. I don’t fully grasp the MPR number other than maybe it’s a little marketing speak, but they claim better performance with microparticles (0.3-1.0µm) as you go up the range – even if the MERV rating is unchanged. The only difference here is the Bluetooth module. You might wonder why does the filter need this, or that it is adding drastically to the cost. I definitely did. Having bought the 1500 filters in the past, I know that the BT module only adds about $5 to the cost, so its not drastically more expensive. As for the why – the app reminds you what the useful life is on the filter, when you installed it, the size of the filter you have, etc. This is actually really good information to track, and I know I have fallen victim to not knowing my filter size when going to buy a new one. These filters are recommended to be replaced every 3 months – for average use. If your house has poorer air quality the filter life will degrade more rapidly. You get some peace of mind if your filter reaches that lifecycle end prematurely. I’m fairly good at remembering to change my filter every few months, but I know that I forget time to time. Sometimes I swap it too soon as well, which costs me money. I know I could just write the install date on the filter every time, but that isn’t even 100% effective. The function of the Bluetooth sensor is to measure the airflow through the filter. When filters get clogged up they start to become a barrier to airflow as the clogs increase the static pressure on the filter. The Bluetooth sensor relays the airflow data to the app to determine filter life. I have to figure that your day 1 airflow numbers are you set point, and your filter life is determined by how much airflow drop the filter sees over the course of time. Installation orientation is important to the sensor. The sensor must live on the “clean” side of the filter so that the air passes through the back side of the sensor body. This is spelled out in the instructions located on the back of the packaging. To monitor the filter life you just open the app, and it’s a pretty basic % of life number represented. I did have connectivity issues with the app not picking up the module, but that was cleared up in some location settings I had turned off. Not a big deal, for me anyways, to allow the app to use this info. If you are more privacy conscious and don’t want to share your location data, you could pair the filter with a tablet that lives at home. Either way if you have these concerns you might be more likely to by the sensor free version of the filter. Overall the filter and app work well. I have kids in the home with allergies so switching out to higher performing filters has helped there. The Bluetooth app has worked seamlessly with the module, and it helps me keep track of my filter life. So far I’m trending on the average line for filter life, so the added cost of the Bluetooth module is only an extra $20/yr for me over a standard filter. That’s a cost I could certainly live with. I will have to see what sort of alerts/reminders I get when I get closer to the EOL for the filter.

I usually like to get a good filter as we are prone to allergies. I never really knew too much until now about SMART filters. But now its going to be very hard not to continue using them. First off its a filter, it is rated very high and I am using it for my condominium. I love the fact that it has so many things it protects against, plus we have two cats that like to shed so having a good one is important. My favorite thing about this filter is the simple app, you pull a blue tab that is on the filter and then your app will find the filter. It gives you %, installation date, MPR, size and also the ability to buy the replacement from the app or at least to know who sells it., It also gives you the outside air quality (you initially add the city you live in), temperature and humidity outside. It is a lifesaver again for someone with allergies that wants to take a quick glance at what is going on outside... Give it a try, I didn't think I would like it but I love it.

I'll start by stating most people just look at the size, height x width x thickness of a filter when making their filter purchase. That's a good start. But when comparing the choices they need to think about what the filter does. So, what is a MERV and what is a MPR? MPR, or micro-particle performance rating, is a rating system developed by 3M. It rates the manufacturer’s filters and their ability to capture airborne particles smaller than 1 micron. MERV is what I am use to looking for and try to at least get an 11 or better yet a 13 MERV filter. Especially during flue and pollen seasons. The higher the MERV or the MPR the better the filter does at capturing those small irritants from the air. The Filtrete filter comes with a unique Bluetooth device built in the filter. It was easy to pair with my iPad. Set up the app on the iPad, created an account (FREE!) and began the pairing process. All before installing the filter in the furnace. I pulled the plastic tab on the smart device to power up and connect the battery , followed the simple steps on the app screen and was ready to install my new filter in my furnace. The app shows the pollution and pollen level outside via our areas weather station. The Filtrete app also show the length of time the filter has been in the furnace as well as it's usable life in percentages. So its easy to plan when to order the new filter. You pay a little more for the filter and here is my take on it. People spend a lot of time especially now at home, The air quality should be healthy and having a filter that does a superb job at keeping viruses, bacteria, pollen and dust downs is highly desirable, to me. Isn't it great to be able to see the fitter is doing its job without having to actually pull it out of the furnace, be it in the basement or the attic or wherever? Side note: hospitals use MERV13 to protect their staff and patients. That's comparable to a MPR 1500-1900 fitter rating. Hope this is of some help. Stay healthy.

So I received my Filtrete 16x20x1 Allergen Bacteria and Virus Smart Filter a week ago and having been testing it out in my new house that I just purchased. Who would have thought that Bluetooth technology would come to an air filter; not me. Anyways, installing the filter was very simple, simply download the Filtrete app from the App Store on iOS or the Google Play Store for Android and create an account (which was super easy), pull the paper tab from Bluetooth module on the front of the filter and connect it via the Bluetooth settings on your mobile device. Place your filter in the vent slot (not sure of the correct name) and let it do its job. Setting up and using the app was very easy. Just basic info, and location info and that's about it. I can't say that I've noticed a difference or anything in regards to air quality just yet, however, it is nice knowing that it is working to ensure that the air quality in my new home is a pure and clean as possible. The app does allow you to track the air inside and outside your home on a daily basis.

About the Filtrete Allergen, Bacteria, & Virus Smart Air Filter The Filtrete Smart Air Filter is an air filter to be installed in your home air unit. It boasts features such as capturing allergens, bacteria, and viruses. It is equipped with a battery powered sensor that connects through an app to your smart phone. Features First and foremost, this is an air filter. It lists a Microparticle Performance Rating of 1500. A MERV rating was not listed on the packaging. Packaging shows that it is best at capturing lint, household dust, dust mite debris, mold spores, pollen and pet dander. The better category shows smoke, smog particles, and cough/sneeze debris. It is good at capturing bacteria and viruses. There was no rating for candle soot, PM2.5, exhaust particles, or ultrafine particles. Secondly, this filter is listed as a smart device. There is an app to download called the Filtrete Smart App that is available for Apple and Android. It connects to your phone through Bluetooth. The Set-up Setting it up wasn’t very hard. I downloaded the app from Google Play, set up a Filtrete account, removed the plastic insert to activate the battery, and installed the filter in the air unit. It showed the filter listed as a Bluetooth device on my phone. The App The app’s user interface is good, however it doesn’t offer a whole lot of information. In fact, I couldn’t tell if I was getting actual information about my specific filter or if it was generalizing the data based on location and time. The app asks you where you are using it. It will show data for the outdoor air quality in your area. My guess is that this is connecting to a central data center somewhere and just linking it to the app. The other category shows your air filter(s). It shows a condition (eg. New) and a percentage used on the air filter. How it determines this is a guess as well. My thought was that it was probably just using a length of time to tell you when you need to replace the filter. If this is the case, you could just set a calendar reminder as save some space on your phone. The filter section did offer a way to check on multiple filters and be able to name them so you know which one is which. The Reality Unfortunately, the filter disconnected from my Bluetooth connection in less than a week and I couldn’t get it to work again (even when pulling out the filter with my phone next to it). Bluetooth worked fine on everything else, so the sensor must have stopped working. At this point, it was just a regular filter. The app really didn’t give me a wealth of information, so it was disappointing. One of the 5 tabs is just an advertisement for Filtrete products. The filter seems to work fine as an air filter. It did catch particles. No one was sick in my house during the short time that it was used. I’m giving the Filtrete Smart Air Filter 2 stars. It seems to be fine as an air filter, but the Smart App technology didn’t work. I’d skip the Smart feature and save the money to buy more air filters.

As a filter, it's perfect. As a Bluetooth device, it's useless. I installed this filter one month ago on 9/5/2020 and clearly from the state of my old filter it was way past due. Setup was fairly straightforward, just install the app, pull the battery tab on the Bluetooth module, and pair it with your phone. It immediately reported the current status, so everything looked great. After a week or two, I received a notification on my phone. Something similar to "the filter has not been seen for some time". I was somewhat expecting this, as my furnace is old, covered in steel panels, and likely original to my early 1970's house. Steel, as you might have guessed, is really good at blocking radio signals like those used by Bluetooth. It's entirely likely that newer furnaces use plastic or at least aluminum that would transmit the signal much easier. Since I had no electronic way of checking the status of the filter, I pulled it today (after one month of light usage). It's clearly working perfectly as a filter, since the input side was dirty and the output side still totally clean. So, as filters go, it 100% does its job. My advice is buy a normal, non-Bluetooth filter. In all, I would not recommend. And Filtrete, you need to find a better way to Bluetooth.

Now that I have this filter I feel as though I can never go back to the old standard. Connecting the filet to the Filtrete app is simple and seamless. The best part is as soon as you get home it reconnects behind the scenes and you never have to reconnect manually (unless you disconnect or turn your Bluetooth off). I feel like I am protecting my family with this filter as it blocks bacteria, dust, viruses, and much more. I haven’t received an alert yet that I have anything wrong with my air inside my home but I know that if there is my hvac filter will alert me and protect. The app is simple and tells you what you need. It also uses your location or zip code to give you the current status of the outside air with pollen. If you want to protect yourself and your family from harmful things in your homes air this filter will protect you and alert you.

When first installing the filter and turning the air on, the air quality changed in the house. No longer smelled the dust and ash coming from the fires in our area. The Air Filter requires a download of the Filtrete app to your device. The app can run slow and flickers when switching between to the profile screen. The App tests air quality outdoors and indoors. Due to the recent fires experienced in our area, the air quality outside reads between 15 to 17 percent. This is graded at the air quality rating of Fair. When running the air conditioner the indoor air quality read Good. However, the app does not provide any other information except the percentage of the air filter life The air quality life is currently at 88 percent. At this rate, it would appear that the filter would last at about 2 months. Filter duration seems to go down 10 percent weekly. PROS: Improves Air Quality Easy to install in the heater duct. Provides weather, temperature, and humidity. CONS: The App needs work. Would I recommend this to someone? I am conflicted due to the unreliability of the app, as it is not user friendly. This is my reason for the reduction of two stars.

Following the directions provided, I first downloaded the Filtrete Smart app to my android smart phone, and had no problems doing so. With the app downloaded I was ready to connect the sensor to my phone so I pulled the tab and followed the directions within the app. My phone searched for the sensor for about 5 minutes (at least) before showing the error, “Filter Not Found.” I tried to connect it a few more times and still no luck so I decided to give it a try on my work phone, which is an iPhone. I had no problems downloading the app on my iphone, and once downloaded, I attempted to connect to the sensor. This time it seemed to work and I started to progress through the app; entering the information it prompted for. Then, on one of the prompted questions I answered, I wanted to go back to change my answer and attempted to do so. I couldn’t seem to go back to said question and ended back at the home screen of the app. This apparently kicked me out of the setup process and I had to start over in connecting the sensor to the phone. This time when I attempted to connect to the sensor I received the error, “Locked Sensor Found” and it gave me the options to, “call support, try again, or exit.” I selected, “Try Again”, and then received the, “Filter Not Found” error. At this point I thought maybe I should uninstall and re-download the app. I did this and when I tried to connect to the sensor, I received the, “Filter Not Found” error again. I then tried to connect multiple more times, and the next time I received the, “Locked Sensor Found” error, I selected the option to call support. Unfortunately all this did was close out the app, and then nothing. At this point, after messing with this for well over an hour, I had no interest in calling the support number on the packaging and threw up my hands in defeat. Changing a furnace filter should not be this long of a process. As for the Filter itself, it seems like a good filter. I do prefer this brand when I buy Furnace filters. The filter sensor sits on top of the filter and has a low enough profile that it should fit in nearly all furnaces. I can understand the benefits of this sensor and app in tracking the condition of your furnace filter, especially in households where people have severe allergies. In addition, some households might find themselves saving money by only changing their furnace filter when necessary, rather than time based. In the end, it is possible that I got a bad sensor with my filter, but even if everything worked as it should, I’m not sure I would want to deal with hassle of setting up a new sensor every time I change my furnace filter. I think if the app functionality is improved, then this could be a nice add-on to your normal filter, but at this time I’m not sure it’s worth the hassle.

Great air fliter with app … easy to install and control with app and you can see when the fliter is going bad and when its ready to replace

[Employee of bestbuy] Love the app updates when to order a new one. Filter works great. Always like Filtrete brand.

I like the App for the product to track if it needs replacement. I do wish it provided more data metrics on the quality of my specific air duct.

Filter was easy to install and set up via bluetooth. Wife like it that we can monitor the staus of the filter

I only use filtrete air filters, because i get comfort knowing that the quality of my purchase has my family covered

Works as expected and easy setup to monitor filter life.

I love these smart air filters, they are the only ones I use

This is the first time I have tried these and I have to say I am never going back to regular ones that don't have the smart option. App is easy to use and the app also tell my the quality of the air and when to replace.

So far so good. I put these in a few days ago. Both of them were easy to connect to the app. I checked yesterday and it picked up the main unit. I will have to see how the next month goes. Easy to connect!

Works just like advertised! Noticeably a quality filter and the app works great with the phone. Will buy again.