How to Choose the Best Performance Air Filter for Your Vehicle

Which Filter is Right for Me?

Your engine air filter impacts performance, airflow, and maintenance. At AFE, we offer four distinct types of filter media, each designed for specific performance and protection needs. Whether you’re looking for a high-performance filter for a track build, a low-maintenance option for daily driving, or a heavy-duty solution for off-road adventures, we have the perfect choice for your vehicle.

What Kind of Filters Does AFE Offer?

🔹 AFE Cold Air Intake Filters – Included with every AFE intake 

🔹 Drop-In OE Replacement Filters – Direct-fit for stock airboxes

🔹 Universal Racing Filters – Available in various shapes and sizes

Why Choose an Oiled Filter?

Oiled Air Filters Allow More Air Flow

Oiled filters sometimes get a bad rap, but they offer superior protection and performance. The filter oil traps finer debris while still allowing maximum airflow, making them an excellent choice for performance-driven builds.

Will Oil Mess with my MAF Sensor?

No. AFE filter oil is engine-safe and won’t interfere with your mass airflow (MAF) sensor when properly maintained.

Pro 5R – Maximum Air Flow, Maximum Performance

Oiled | 5 Layers Progressive Cotton Material

Best for: Street & track use, high horsepower builds

🔹 More Air = More Power: If your goal is to maximize airflow, Pro 5R is the go-to filter media. Designed for street and track applications, it features five layers of progressive cotton gauze, allowing the most airflow while still maintaining protection from debris.

🔹  The Standard for High-Flow Intakes: Pro 5R is our flagship filter, included as the default option in most AFE cold air intakes. The Pro 5R filter consistently delivers the highest air flow ratings, making it the top choice for maximizing airflow and supporting the horsepower and torque gains in your AFE cold air intake system.

🔹 Real-World Use: If you’re trying to squeeze every ounce of performance out of your build and want to maximize cool, clean air coming in, choose the Pro 5R Air Filter, perfect for track, drag racing, drifting, or everyday use.

🔹 Flow-Tested Performance: Tested on our airflow bench and dyno, the Pro 5R not only outflows stock filters but all other AFE filters in terms of performance.

✅ Choose Pro 5R if you want the highest airflow and performance gains.

💡 Fun Fact: If you test a Pro 5R filter in an intake versus the same intake without a filter, it will flow better with the Pro 5R filter than without a filter. 

Dry Filters

Pro DRY S – Maximum Convenience

Dry (No Oil) | 3 Layer Synthetic Media

Best for: Street and light off-road use, low-maintenance convenience

🔹 No Oil, No Hassle: If you don’t want to deal with oil, the benefit of a dry filter is its convenience. With 3 synthetic layers, this filter is designed for easy maintenance with no oiling required. It’s a great option for street and light off-road use where you need reliable filtration without the hassle of regular oiling.

🔹 Real-World Use: Perfect for daily drivers, commuters, and light off-roaders who want an efficient option without extra maintenance. The Pro DRY S media is offered as an option for most AFE Intakes. Also, if you’re looking to replace your stock paper filter in your stock airbox, a washable and reusable Pro DRY S drop-in air filter is an easy and cost-effective upgrade, and you’ll never have to buy another paper filter again.

✅ Choose Pro DRY S if you want oil-free convenience without sacrificing filtration efficiency.

Oiled vs. Dry Filters

 Pro DRY S vs. Pro 5R

Most AFE intakes and filters come in Pro DRY S (gray) and Pro 5R (blue) options—but which one is right for you? It depends on your priorities:

• For maximum airflow and performance, go with Pro 5R.
• For maximum convenience of oil-free maintenance, choose Pro DRY S—just keep in mind it sacrifices a bit of airflow compared to the Pro 5R.

Off-Road Filters

What’s the Best Filter for Off-Roading, Sand, Dust, or Dirt?

It’s a common belief that dry filters are best for off-roading, but that’s not always the case. The AFE Pro-GUARD 7 is specifically designed for driving in sandy, dusty, and extreme environments, offering maximum engine protection without sacrificing airflow.

Discover why the Pro-GUARD 7, also known as “The Baja Filter”, is the top choice for off-road enthusiasts and professional racers.

Pro GUARD 7 – The “Baja” Filter

Oiled | 5 Layers Progressive Cotton + 2 Layers Synthetic

Best for: Off-roading, off-road racing, overlanding, and high-dust environments

🔹 Built for Extreme Protection and Performance: The Pro-GUARD 7 is the only filter designed specifically to provide exceptional protection for extreme off-roading and racing in sand, dirt, or dust. Its 7-layer media combines progressive cotton and synthetic materials and offers a 99.7% filtration efficiency rating per ISO 5011 standards, giving it the highest engine protection rating of all of our filters.

🔹 The Ultimate Off-Road Filter: Available for select AFE intake kits for Jeep and off-road trucks and SUVs, the Pro-GUARD 7 ensures your vehicle stays protected while delivering optimal performance in harsh off-road environments, supporting power and protection of the whole AFE cold air intake system.

🔹 Race-Proven Protection: Renowned engine builder Joe Gibbs and Terrible Herbst Motorsports Team use the Pro-GUARD 7 Racing Filters for their winning trophy trucks. Professionals competing in the most internationally acclaimed off-road races– including Baja 500, Baja 1000, Mint 400, NORRA 1000, and the King of the Hammers– choose AFE’s Pro-GUARD 7 air filter to protect their prized engines and maintain optimum performance in even the most extreme conditions.

✅ Choose Pro-GUARD 7 if you need the best protection for off-road adventures, desert racing, or high-dust environments.

Diesel Filters

Pro 10R – Engineered for High-Torque Diesel Trucks

Oiled | 10-Layer Cotton

Best for: Diesel trucks & heavy-duty applications

🔹 Heavy-Duty Performance – Designed exclusively for AFE diesel intake kits, the Pro 10R meets the demands of high-torque, heavy-duty driving. Its 10-layer progressive cotton media and expanded metal reinforcement ensure superior airflow while preventing collapse in high-airflow applications.

🔹 Built for Extreme Conditions – Ideal for dusty, off-road, and rugged environments, the Pro 10R offers exceptional dust-holding capacity, reducing maintenance intervals while delivering maximum protection.

✅ Choose Pro 10R if you need a durable, high-performance filter for your diesel truck in extreme conditions.