A. MERV is a 16 point scale used to describe how efficiently an air filter removes particulates (dust) of varying sizes. In short, the higher the MERV; the better the performance. MERV 16 is considered to be a HEPA class filter while MERV 8 will not remove much more than common household dust.
Q. Is it better to get the highest MERV rating available?
A. Not necessarily. Your furnace/air conditioner can only overcome so much resistance to airflow and still work properly. The amount of resistance created by the air filter is measured in static pressure drop. Typically, you will find that filters with high MERV rating also create an excessive static pressure drop.
Click here to check out the Honeywell site