Understanding your Merv Rating is Crucial to your home. 

What is Merv? Merv is the filtration level of your Air Filter. Higher the # (number), the more filtration. This comes with the byproduct of more resistance. Too much resistance is not good for your blower motor. This is why understanding your Merv rating is an important first step in getting quality air. 

What Merv do I get?

Merv 8 - Basic Filtration, most commonly used. Least amount of resistance whilst still filtrating dust, mold, pet hair, etc.

Merv 11 - The next step up, filtration is better for pet hair, and little micro products that otherwise wouldn't be cached by the Merv 8. Merv 11 is in the middle, one of the safer options for premium filtration whilst still ensuring you're resistance isn't killing your Fan Motor.

Merv 13 - One of the Higher Filtration options, more resistance as usual. Best for Micro Containments. Best for people with high running systems, in extreme areas that need durable filtration. 

What do I recommend?

If you're system is old, you're healthy, you don't smoke in the house, go with a Merv 8.

If you have one or two pets, have slight allergies, and your system can handle a higher resistance, go with Merv 11. 

If you smoke in the house, have multiple pets, and have bad allergies, if you're system is relatively new, go with a Merv 13.