FilterBySize Furnace and AC filter sizes, actual dimensions, MERV

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16x25x3 air filter: actual size, MERV, and price

A 16x25x3 is a three-inch-class media filter for cabinets such as Trion Air Bear Cub and Lennox BMAC-12 / X0581. Buy the printed size 16x25x3. The face of the panel is smaller than that label. Depth on the SKUs we found is a published full 3.00 inches — not the ~1.75 of a 2-inch filter, and not the ~3.63–4.38 of a 4-inch media cabinet.

Same panel, swapped axes: 25x16x3. We treat 16x25x3 as the canonical label. Order 16x25x3. One-inch, two-inch, four-inch, and five-inch are not drop-in swaps. Do not substitute a 16x25x1. Do not mix this up with a 16x25x2 (~1.75 actual thickness) or a 16x25x4 / 16x25x5 Honeywell-class cartridge.

Actual size by brand

These numbers are copied from manufacturer or merchant product copy, not from a competitor size chart. Thickness is the fit: a 3-inch Air Bear Cub rack takes a printed 3.00 inch cartridge. A 1-inch (~¾), 2-inch (~1.75), or 4-inch (~3.6–4.4) panel is a different part. Some other 3-inch labels print ~2.75 actual thickness; none of the 16x25x3 listings below printed that figure.

Brand Nominal Published actual (in.) Source
Nordic Pure 16x25x3 Air Bear Cub replacement (e.g. 16x25x3ABM8-3, 16x25x3ABM13-3) 16x25x3 15 13/16 × 24 5/16 × 3 (15.81 × 24.31 × 3) Amazon product copy (B00EII73O6, B00EII6ZEK, B07B698JCP): “Actual Size 15 13/16 x 24 5/16 x 3 (15.81 x 24.31 x 3)”; true 3" depth. JB Tools listings print “Approximately 15.81" x 24.31" x 3"”. Nordic Pure’s Lennox and Trion Air Bear brand pages print the same 15 13/16 × 24 5/16 × 3 for X0581 / X5427 / BMAC-12C and Air Bear Cub 259112-101
Filterbuy 16x25x3 pleated (Target and Amazon product pages) 16x25x3 15.63 × 24.13 × 3.00 Printed in those merchants’ own product titles and dimensions fields (e.g. Amazon B0CRWM3H6N, B0CRWLKTMP, B0CRWGL2B7; Target A-1007554156). Not taken from a Filterbuy comparison chart

Honeywell Store had no 16x25x3 SKU when we checked (1-inch 16x25x1 and 4-inch 16x25x4 only), so that brand is omitted rather than guessed. Filtrete had no 16x25x3 listing on Amazon or Target that printed a fractional actual — omitted. Amazon Basics search for 16x25x3 returned 16x25x1 packs (actual 15.75 × 24.75 × 0.75), not a 3-inch Basics SKU. Nordic Pure’s generic factory 16x25x3 page did not print a numeric actual until options were selected. Face sizes differ slightly (Nordic Pure 15.81 × 24.31 vs Filterbuy 15.63 × 24.13) even though both are sold as Air Bear Cub / Lennox X0581 replacements — measure the old filter if the slot is tight. Full method: how to measure.

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 3-inch MERV 13 is not HEPA. We do not claim health outcomes.

MERV EPA average capture efficiency (particle size) Typical 16x25x3 use
8 ≥20% of 1.0–3.0 µm; ≥70% of 3.0–10.0 µm Common pleated Air Bear Cub / Lennox X0581 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 3-inch pleat (Filterbuy 16x25x3 is sold at 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 3-inch; confirm the air cleaner can take the extra pressure drop. Still not HEPA

Source: U.S. EPA, “What is a MERV rating?”, last updated 14 Jan 2026. Nordic Pure also sells MERV 10 and MERV 12 in this size — those sit between the EPA table rows above. Nordic Pure product copy sometimes prints an MPR equivalent (e.g. MERV 8 ~ MPR 800; MERV 13 ~ MPR 2200–2400); MPR is 3M’s scale, not MERV. Compare MERV to MERV.

Pack prices checked 30 Aug 2026

These are public shelf/cart prices we recorded on 30 Aug 2026. 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. Honeywell Store had no 16x25x3 cart. Target listed Filterbuy 16x25x3 with printed actuals; those cart prices were not readable that day, so Target is omitted from the price table. Amazon Nordic Pure MERV 13 3-pack (B00EII6ZEK) did not show a buy-box price — omitted.

Listing MERV Pack Price that day Per filter Merchant
Nordic Pure 16x25x3 Air Bear Cub (actual 15.81×24.31×3) 8 3 $68.39 $22.80 JB Tools
Filterbuy 16x25x3 pleated (actual 15.63×24.13×3.00) 8 3 $74.97 $24.99 Amazon
Nordic Pure 16x25x3 Air Bear Cub (actual 15.81×24.31×3) 8 3 $80.67 $26.89 Amazon
Nordic Pure 16x25x3 Air Bear Cub (reseller) 8 1 $34.19 $34.19 JB Tools
Nordic Pure 16x25x3 Air Bear Cub (reseller) 10 3 $70.19 $23.40 JB Tools
Filterbuy 16x25x3 pleated (actual 15.63×24.13×3.00) 11 3 $74.97 $24.99 Amazon
Nordic Pure 16x25x3 Air Bear Cub (reseller) 13 3 $89.99 $30.00 JB Tools
Filterbuy 16x25x3 pleated (actual 15.63×24.13×3.00) 13 3 $116.97 $38.99 Amazon
Nordic Pure 16x25x3 Air Bear Cub (actual 15.81×24.31×3) 13 1 $42.99 $42.99 Amazon

Observed range that day, ordinary pleated 16x25x3 Air Bear Cub / Lennox replacements: about $23–$27/filter at MERV 8 in 3-packs (JB Tools at the low end; Amazon Nordic Pure at the high end; the JB Tools 1-pack was $34.19), $23.40 at Nordic Pure MERV 10 in a 3-pack, $24.99 at MERV 11 (Filterbuy 3-pack), $30–$43 at MERV 13 (JB Tools 3-pack vs Amazon Nordic Pure 1-pack). Singles cost more than 3-packs. Nordic Pure’s own site did not show a price until MERV and pack were selected; the JB Tools figures are a reseller snapshot, not Nordic Pure’s factory cart.

Where to buy

We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It does not change the price you pay.

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 16x25x3 SKU. A 16x25x1, 16x25x2, 16x25x4, or 16x25x5 is not a substitute for this rack unless the published actual (especially depth) matches the old panel.

Sources (accessed 30 Aug 2026)