FilterBySize Furnace and AC filter sizes, actual dimensions, MERV

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12x20x1 air filter: actual size, MERV, and price

Printed size 12x20x1 — actual about 11.75 × 19.75 × 0.75 (varies by brand). Pick a pack below.

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Our pickHoneywell 12x20x1 Standard EfficiencyMERV 8 · Pack of 12$70.95$5.91 per filterLowest verified price per filter (MERV 8–11): $5.91 each, checked 17 OctBuy at Honeywell Store

Match & price

Looking for MERV 13 only? See the 12x20x1 MERV 13 hub (Nordic Pure + Honeywell Ultra Efficiency, prices checked 13 Oct).

Full answer

A 12x20x1 is a narrower one-inch-class furnace or AC filter. Buy the printed size 12x20x1. The panel is smaller than 12 by 20 inches — commonly 11.75 × 19.75 × 0.75, with Filtrete closer to 11.81 × 19.81 × 0.81 or 11.68 × 19.68 × 0.81 and Nordic Pure about 11.5 × 19.5 × 0.75.

Full answer

Same panel, swapped axes: 20x12x1. We treat 12x20x1 as the canonical label. Order 12x20x1. Do not substitute 12x24x1 or 16x20x1 — those are different printed sizes.

Actual dimensions by brand

Actual size by brand

These numbers are copied from manufacturer or merchant product copy, not from a competitor size chart. Thickness is part of the fit: 1-inch racks take ~¾ inch media.

Brand Nominal Published actual (in.) Source
Honeywell 1-inch Standard/High/Ultra Efficiency (MERV 8, 11, and 13) 12x20x1 11.75 × 19.75 × 0.75 Honeywell Store product specs (4-pack and 12-pack)
Filtrete 12x20x1 MPR 1000 / MERV 11 12x20x1 11.81 × 19.81 × 0.81 Amazon B07CS6Z1PC title “Actual Size 11.81 x 19.81 x 0.81 in” and product-dimensions field 19.81 × 0.81 × 11.81; Amazon Filtrete store 2-pack, 4-pack, and 6-pack titles match 11.81
Filtrete 12x20x1 MPR 1000 / MERV 11 (some listings) 12x20x1 11.68 × 19.68 × 0.81 Amazon B005GZ98DE 4-pack and B07FP5X3KD 6-pack titles “Actual Size 11.68 x 19.68 x 0.81 in”; B005GZ98DE product-dimensions field lists 19.81 × 0.81 × 11.81; B07FP5X3KD product-dimensions field lists 19.78 × 11.81 × 0.81
Filtrete 12x20x1 MPR 1500 / MERV 12 12x20x1 11.81 × 19.81 × 0.78 Amazon B07CQGJKBL title “Actual Size 11.81 x 19.81 x 0.78 in”; product-dimensions field lists 19.81 × 0.78 × 11.81
Nordic Pure 12x20x1 pleated 12x20x1 Approximately 11.5 × 19.5 × 0.75 (11½ × 19½ × ¾) JB Tools listing for Nordic Pure 12x20x1M8-12 and 12x20x1M13-12

If you currently run Nordic Pure (~11.5 × 19.5) and switch to Honeywell (11.75 × 19.75), expect a snugger slide-in. Honeywell 11.75 vs Filtrete 11.81 or 11.68 can matter in a tight slot. Filtrete’s published actuals also disagree with each other by SKU and by field. Measure the old filter if the slot is tight. Full method: how to measure.

MERV 8 vs 11 vs 13 (EPA facts)

MERV 8 vs 11 vs 13 (facts only)

MERV is ASHRAE 52.2, as summarized by EPA. Higher MERV captures a larger share of smaller particles. It also adds resistance. EPA says to pick at least MERV 13 or as high a rating as your system fan and filter slot can accommodate, and to ask an HVAC technician if you are unsure. A 1-inch MERV 13 is not HEPA. We do not claim health outcomes.

MERV EPA average capture efficiency (particle size) Typical 12x20x1 use
8 ≥20% of 1.0–3.0 µm; ≥70% of 3.0–10.0 µm Common pleated replacement when the manual does not call for higher
11 ≥20% of 0.30–1.0 µm; ≥65% of 1.0–3.0 µm; ≥85% of 3.0–10.0 µm Mid-grade 1-inch pleat (Filtrete MPR 1000 is commonly labeled MERV 11)
13 ≥50% of 0.30–1.0 µm; ≥85% of 1.0–3.0 µm; ≥90% of 3.0–10.0 µm Higher-efficiency 1-inch; confirm the furnace/air handler can take the extra pressure drop

Source: U.S. EPA, “What is a MERV rating?”, last updated 14 Jan 2026. Filtrete also prints an MPR number; MPR is 3M’s scale, not MERV. Compare MERV to MERV.

Where these prices came from

Pack prices checked 30 Aug 2026

The Nordic Pure card prices above are one-time purchase prices re-read on nordicpure.com on 17 Oct 2026. Other figures in this section are public shelf/cart prices we recorded on 30 Aug 2026 unless a later date is given. They are not live. Shipping, subscribe-and-save, and store-only deals will move them. Per-filter math is pack price ÷ count, rounded to the cent.

Observed range on 30 Aug 2026 for ordinary pleated 12x20x1: about $5.91–$6.74/filter at MERV 8 in multi-packs (Honeywell 12-pack $5.91; Nordic Pure 12-pack $6.60), $7.66–$8.24 at MERV 11 in Honeywell multi-packs, $8.25–$17.99 at MERV 13, with singles costing more than multi-packs. This size is less common than 16x25x1 or 16x20x1. Walmart Filtrete product pages returned a bot check or no public cart price we could record from a product URL, so those pack prices are omitted rather than guessed. Amazon Basics had no published 12x20x1 actual-size listing. Nordic Pure Buy buttons go through Awin to nordicpure.com. Factory one-time purchase prices for the listed MERV 8 and MERV 13 12-packs were re-checked 12 Oct 2026 on nordicpure.com (every card matched; MERV and pack selected) (pick MERV and pack on the factory page).

Where to buy (all stores)

Where to buy

No ranking. Stock and price change. If the slot is an odd fraction that none of these actual sizes match, measure first — that is not a 12x20x1 SKU. A 12x24x1 or 16x20x1 is not a substitute.

Sources

Sources (accessed 30 Aug 2026)

  • EPA MERV table: epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/what-merv-rating (updated 14 Jan 2026)
  • Honeywell Store 12x20x1 MERV 8/11/13 pack pages (prices and 11.75×19.75×0.75; each Buy link re-pointed to its exact MERV/pack page, prices re-checked live 28 Sep 2026)
  • Amazon Filtrete store 12x20x1 titles (actual-size fields). B07CS6Z1PC title 11.81×19.81×0.81. B005GZ98DE and B07FP5X3KD titles 11.68×19.68×0.81 with product-dimensions fields that disagree. B07CQGJKBL title 11.81×19.81×0.78. No Amazon Basics 12x20x1 actual-size listing found
  • JB Tools Nordic Pure 12x20x1M8-12 ($79.19) and 12x20x1M13-12 (11.5×19.5×0.75, $98.99)