Good Aftermarket Airfilter for Model 3

[Candleflame]

There has been some discussion in the past regarding the air filters in the model 3.
There are obviously the stock ones and then the chinese HEPA/carbon filters are quite popular too though they all don't really filter smells etc out. I.e. if there is a gas car accelerating in front of you you can often get a petrol smell.

There is an Australian company (CabinAirFilters) which makes aftermarket filters for lots of cars including the Model 3:

Tesla Model 3 Cabin Air Filters – Cabin Air Filters

cabinairfilters.com.au

I thought I give this a go after the chinese HEPA filters as it is a bit different and not really readily available abroad. Have had those for around 2 months now.

I was initially not impressed - the filters looked really thin. Like almost half the thickness of the OEM/HEPA ones. But they are actually really, really good. I don't know about how the particulate performance is but you can drive around with recirculation off and you dont really get any smell inside. I think this is a great product.

They also have no clothfilter at all so they are probably quite good for people who get stinky AC.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Hey! Don't know what the shipping situation is, but TeslaBros has a holiday sale on a filter bundle:

Air Filter Replacement Kit for Model 3/Y (HEPA)

Note: Due to shipping regulations for the evaporator cleaners, these products will only be delivered to U.S. addresses via USPS Ground. Do you have a funky smell in your Tesla Model 3 or Y? Well then, it’s probably time for a filter change…and maybe cleaning out your evaporator as well. Because...

tesbros.com

 

[texas_star_TM3]

the OEM filter is high quality and made in Germany; comes with activated charcoal coated side; widely available and affordable and matches the entire system from air flow etc. I really do not see the point of installing obscure aftermarket filters which may or may not damage the AC system / blower motor longterm

 

[Candleflame]

the OEM filter is high quality and made in Germany; comes with activated charcoal coated side; widely available and affordable and matches the entire system from air flow etc. I really do not see the point of installing obscure aftermarket filters which may or may not damage the AC system / blower motor longterm

the issue is that the OEM filter is very poor at filtering i.e. smells out. Like if theres a petrol car flooring it in front of you the whole cabin fills with petrol smell. Same with the aftermarket hepa filters.

 

[Lanzer]

In the automotive world, there are a couple of air filters that are used by professionals. Wix, Purolator, Fram, Spearhead, EPAuto, and many others. We're getting a ton of unknown Chinese made filters with random brand names, but it looks like they're all from the same 2 or 3 factories in China.

I didn't do my research and started with one of those unknown brand air filters with "activated charcoal" beads on one side. Immediately after install I started smelling some suspicious plastic smell. The smell didn't go away after the second day and I realized it's time to do some research.

I found that Wix has the highest reputation for quality in air filters but they don't make cabin filters for the Model 3, so the next most respected brand is Purolator. Purolator filters are made in Germany, just like the the Tesla OEM filter, and many think that they are the supplier for Tesla's OEM filter. Purolator is known to be of quality yet more pricey than other brands. It is currently the same price as the OEM filters at $30 on Amazon. Then there's Spearhead filters that cost $20 and they claim to have heavy filters that perform close to HEPA in performance. On the low end you have EPAuto filters that cost only $10, the price is cheapest but it is still a widely used and trusted brand in the market. (Note that Spearhead and EPAuto filters are made in China)

None of the well known brands make air filters that are HEPA filters because they don't want to restrict air flow by too much. There is a reason why Tesla only use a HEPA filter on the Model S/X when the filters are way larger in size. I ended up using Spearhead filters as they seem to filter particulate a bit better than Tesla OEM filter, but that's according to some YouTube video. I have yet to test the performance myself.

Bottom line - buy a cabin filter from a company that exclusively makes cabin filters.

 

[Candleflame]

the model 3 filter is made by the company MAN in germany. its ok but it doesnt filter smells and is not as good as filtering particulate as i.e. the chinese hepa ones.

 

[Macrox]

Are there people who have made instrumental tests? Relying on personal feelings alone is harmful

 

[Candleflame]

yes there are and stop insulting me.

 

[Macrox]

yes there are and stop insulting me.

what do you mean? I do not understand