Go for the white frame Filtrete
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2024 | Rating: 5/5 | Best Sellers in Tools & Home Improvement
i purchased this white 6 pack and the brown 6 pack in hopes of understanding the 4 to 6 dollar difference between the white filtrete merv 5 while i believe the filter media are very similar i was interested in increasing filtering quality while moving up from fiberglass style merv 3 ish i could never find a fiberglass style in my price point with a more sturdy frame the frame of the brown one is very similar to the fiberglass usually designed to be nested within one another and takes up less space for storage the nested cardboard frame seams to lend its self to be less robust more wiggle or floppy my fear would be collapse into the air handlerthe fiberglass style would have to have years of blockage to even consider getting stucked in the merv 5 and up would be more sensitive to sooner blockage just because the filter media is of tighter construction hence  more particular capture regardless i go no more than 2 months  per filter even fiberglass the fiberglass will have the highest flow throughout the life because its media is inherently less restrictivenow to the white filtrete this frame is much more robust and doesnt doesnt lend its self to nesting even though it has the exact same design the cardboard is similar to soft drink 12 24 and 36 pack can containers this cardboard has a glossy finish probably on top of the brown cardboard makeing it a more stiff and moisture resistant i hope they dont change the paper formulation for the white framethe fit installation and function of either the brown or white will be just as easy and filtering quality will be very similarnow for the price difference i returned the brown and request the white to me the white is a better quality with the filtration qualities i need the extra 4 to 6 dollars is well spent for peace of mind check out the pictures for more detail i hope this helps you choice