This is the old apple and oranges analogy. The 3M products air “filters” and the Elevated Air Polarized Media product is an “Air Cleaner”. Remember that 98% of all particles that you breathe measure below one micron in size and “filters” don’t have small enough holes to collect particles in this range. The polarized media of the Elevated Air Polarized Media Air Cleaner magnetically attracts even the smallest of particles, removing them permanently from the air while allowing for proper airflow. High-end allergy filters bought at the store can be very restrictive to your furnace’s airflow and will create unwanted service calls and repairs due to improper airflow.