Is This The Thing That (Finally) Gets You To Change Your Air Filter?

Some things are just plain old hard to remember, especially when it comes to ongoing home maintenance. I’m not talking about doing the dishes or laundry regularly, but the stuff that only needs doing every once in awhile, like cleaning your ceiling fan blades or washing windows. Which is why I love the idea of an air filter that tells you exactly when it’s time to swap it out.

My air filter gets a workout. My home is currently under construction and there are always people, kids, cats, and materials coming in and out of our space — not to mention the neighbor dogs who regularly show up at the back door for play dates (yes it’s as adorable as it sounds). I’m talking about dust, pollen, pet dander — the works. So my own filter needs to be changed more often than that of, say, a single person with no pets who lives in a high-rise condo.

The EPA recommends changing your air filter every quarter, but I’ve also heard you should do it once a month. Either way, I’m willing to bet most of us don’t change them frequently enough, even if we really, really should. There are online services that send you replacement filters on a schedule, but what if your filter is dirty sooner? What if your home, like mine, sees more dust than others? Unless you’re weirdly obsessive and check it every week like clockwork (I do not), how do you know?

So I was excited to learn about the Filtrete Smart Air Filter which monitors both how long a filter has been in service, and its condition. When the filter is clogged and air isn’t able to pass through, it sends a message via Bluetooth to your phone notifying you that it needs to be changed. It also lets you know when your air quality is poor. As an added bonus, it tells you its own make and size, so reordering is a snap.

The Filtrete Smart Air Filter, a 3M product, will be released nationwide this spring (2018). It’s priced at $21.99-$29.99 and will be compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

Will you be first in line, or does this seem above and beyond the call of duty? Is it helpful, or a big nuisance when your home starts talking to you through your phone?