You can’t always see it, but it’s in the air you breathe every day. We’re talking about PM2.5, a sinister sounding name for a very real threat to your health. These aren’t just dust bunnies floating in a sunbeam; they are microscopic particles, 30 times smaller than the width of a strand of human hair. Because of their minuscule size, they can easily bypass your body’s natural defenses, traveling deep into your respiratory tract and even entering your bloodstream.
So, what exactly is this invisible invader? PM2.5, or particulate matter 2.5, is a complex mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air. These tiny pollutants come from a variety of sources, both indoors and out, including vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, wildfires, and even everyday activities like cooking or burning candles.
The effects of breathing in PM2.5 are far from invisible. Short-term exposure can causes immediate symptoms like eye, nose, throat, lung irritation, coughing, and shortness of breath. But the long-term consequences are far more severe. Scientific studies have linked prolonged exposure to PM2.5 with a range of serious health problems, including aggravated asthma, chronic bronchitis, reduced lung function, non-fatal heart attacks, irregular heartbeat, and an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and even lung cancer. People with pre-existing heart or lung conditions, children, and older adults are particularly vulnerable.
The good news is that you don’t have to be a victim of this invisible threat. While we can’t control outdoor air quality, we can take powerful steps to protect the air inside our homes where we spend most of our time. Your home should be your safe haven from these harmful pollutants.
The most effective way to combat PM2.5 in your home is to filter it directly out of the air. Your HVAC system, which circulates air throughout your entire home, is the perfect vehicle for this. By upgrading your system with a high-quality filter box, you can turn your home’s ductwork into a powerful, whole-home air purification system.
HVACQuick offers a comprehensive line of filter boxes, purpose-built to hold high-efficiency MERV and HEPA filters that are specifically designed to trap the microscopic particles that make up PM2.5. Let’s take a look at them!
Statistics taken at 0.5 WC static pressure, the ideal static pressure for an HVAC system
Inline Filter Boxes
6″ Duct Size
MERV 13 Filter – 315 CFM, PM2.5 Protection – High, $131.00
A reliable inline filter box designed to be a straightforward solution for improving your indoor air quality. Made from durable aluminum, this filter box installs directly into your ductwork and comes with a high-efficiency MERV 13 filter.
8″ Duct Size
2 MERV 13 Filters – 349 CFM, PM2.5 Protection – High, $169.00
A “V-bank” design that increases the filter surface area. The clever design allows it to provide high PM2.5 filtration with a lower pressure drop, helping your HVAC system maintain crucial airflow while also extending the lifespan of your filters.
Insulated Filter Boxes
10″ Duct Size
2 MERV 13 Filter – 691, PM2.5 Protection – High, $425.00
2 MERV 15 Filter – 515 CFM, PM2.5 Protection – Excellent, $463.8
Uses a “V-bank” design to increase the total filter surface area. This reduces the static pressure, allowing higher airflow. Comes with 2 MERV 13 filters, providing high PM2.5 filtration while having a MERV 15 upgrade available, providing excellent PM2.5 filtration, while maintaining a high airflow.
10″ Duct Size
4 MERV 13 Filters – 851 CFM, PM2.5 Protection – High, $866.25
4 MERV 15 Filters – 809 CFM, PM2.5 Protection – Excellent, $978.29
The “W-bank” design elevates the “V-bank” by adding 2 additional filters. This significantly increases the filter surface area which dramatically reduces the pressure drop. This allows for superior airflow while providing high PM2.5 filtration with the 4 included MERV 13 filters. The MERV 15 upgrade has minimal airflow change while significantly enhancing the PM2.5 filtration.
12″ Duct Size
H13 HEPA Filter – 581 CFM, PM2.5 Protection – Superior, $949.00
The IFHB houses a professional-grade H13 HEPA filter, designed to handle high airflow and is compatible with larger duct sizes. This brings hospital-grade air filtration to your entire home, providing superior PM2.5 filtration, without being a detriment to airflow.
Conical Filter Boxes
6″ Duct Size
MERV 13 Filter – 302 CFM, PM2.5 Protection – High, $144.00
MERV 15 Filter – 269 CFM, PM2.5 Protection – Excellent, $179.00
HVACquick’s hallmark filter box, designed to be a durable and versatile solution for your ducted air filtration needs. Constructed from lightweight, corrosion-resistant aluminum, it easily installs into your ductwork and features a simple access panel for quick filter changes. Comes with a MERV 13 filter providing high PM2.5 filtration while having a MERV 15 filter upgrade available, providing excellent PM2.5 filtration.
6″ Duct Size
MERV 15 Filter – 347 CFM, PM2.5 Protection – Excellent, $319.00
The oversized CFB unit. While connecting to a 6-inch duct, it houses a much larger 24×24 MERV 15 filter. The larger filter surface area reduces pressure drop, helping to maintain strong airflow while providing excellent PM2.5 filtration.
6″ Duct Size
H13 HEPA Filter – 108 CFM, PM2.5 Protection – Superior, $279.00
The HEPA CFB unit. Designed for the absolute best filtration in a space-saving, 6-inch duct footprint. This inline filter box comes with a certified H13 HEPA filter and a MERV 11 pre-filter, providing superior PM2.5 filtration.
6″ Duct Size
H13 HEPA Filter – 205 CFM, PM2.5 Protection – Superior, $319.00
Elevating HEPA filtration with the “Long Life” design, the CFB-HP-LL offers the same superior PM2.5 filtration while using a deeper filter. The increased filter area provides two major advantages, it creates a much lower pressure drop which increases the airflow, and it dramatically extends the filter’s service life, capable of lasting up to double the life of the CFB-HP.
Standalone Air Filtration
20″ Box Fan – High Speed
5 MERV 13 Filters – 454 CFM, PM2.5 Protection – High, $125.00
The CRFB Filter Cube is designed to bring powerful, localized PM2.5 filtration to any room. Inspired by the Corsi-Rosenthal Filter Box, the Filter Cube uses a standard 20-inch box fan and 5 MERV 13 filters to create a highly effective, portable air cleaner that is capable of remarkably high CFM for its cost.
We know that navigating filtration options can seem complex, so we’ve broken down the data to help you quickly find the perfect PM2.5 solution for your home.
Overall PM2.5 Effectiveness
This ranking highlights the filter boxes that deliver the highest combination of filtration quality (MERV/HEPA rating) and airflow (CFM). If your priority is maximum air cleaning capability for your whole home, this is where you’ll find the top performers, like our powerful HEPA and high-CFM MERV 15 solutions.
Best Value for PM2.5 Effectiveness
This list focuses on getting the most clean air for your investment, showing how much effective CFM you get for your dollar. Here, you’ll see options that offer excellent PM2.5 capture at a highly competitive price point, ensuring you make an efficient choice without compromising on air quality benefits. Keep an eye out for our standout MERV 13 options that provide exceptional value.
| Rank | Adjusted CFM | Cost Per Adjusted CFM |
| 1. CRFB | 317.8 | $0.39 |
| 2. SFB-A | 220.5 | $0.59 |
| 3. CFB MERV 13 | 211.4 | $0.68 |
| 4. SFB-V | 244.3 | $0.69 |
| 5. CFB MERV 15 | 228.65 | $0.78 |
| 6. IFVB MERV 13 | 483.7 | $0.88 |
| 7. IFVB MERV 15 | 437.75 | $1.06 |
| 8. CFB-6-OS | 294.95 | $1.08 |
| 9. IFWB MERV 15 | 687.65 | $1.42 |
| 10. IFWB MERV 13 | 595.7 | $1.45 |
| 11. CFB-HP-LL | 202.95 | $1.57 |
| 12. IFHB | 575.19 | $1.65 |
| 13. CFB-HP | 106.92 | $2.61 |
Adjusted CFM values determined by CFM multiplied by the PM2.5 Filtration rate.
MERV 13 – 70% (0.7)
MERV 15 – 85% (0.85)
HEPA – 99% (0.99)
Best Adjusted CFM
This ranking provides a practical measure of a filter box’s true cleaning power, by adjusting the CFM based on its filtration efficiency (MERV/HEPA rating). A higher “Adjusted CFM” means the unit is delivering more effectively cleaned air. This helps you compare apples-to-apples performance across different filter types, indicating which units are moving the largest volume of truly clean air.
| Rank | Adjusted CFM |
| 1. IFWB MERV 15 | 687.65 |
| 2. IFWB MERV 13 | 595.7 |
| 3. IFHB | 575.19 |
| 4. IFVB MERV 13 | 483.7 |
| 5. IFVB MERV 15 | 437.75 |
| 6. CRFB | 317.8 |
| 7. CFB-6-OS | 294.95 |
| 8. SFB-V | 244.3 |
| 9. CFB MERV 15 | 228.65 |
| 10. SFB-A | 220.5 |
| 11. CFB MERV 13 | 211.4 |
| 12. CFB-HP-LL | 202.95 |
| 13. CFB-HP | 106.92 |
Adjusted CFM values determined by CFM multiplied by the PM2.5 filtration rate.
MERV 13 – 70% (0.7)
MERV 15 – 85% (0.85)
HEPA – 99% (0.99)
No matter your home’s size or your specific air quality concerns, HVACquick has a tailored solution to effectively combat PM2.5 and help your family breathe easier against this invisible threat.
