The Best Oil Filters (2023 Reviews)

Oil filters are simple but important parts of your car. Although oil filters are not very complicated to make, some filters perform far better than others.

The price is not always a true indication of the efficiency and performance of the filters. In this list, we have emphasized oil filters with outstanding performance and value.  

To save you from hours of researching oil filters, we have provided a list of the best oil filters on the market.

Before you decide which oil filter is right for your car, make sure you buy one that is compatible with your car model. This is best verified by checking the manufacturer’s site, as Amazon’s compatibility system is not always accurate.

Let’s take a closer look at the first product!

Purolator is a familiar name in the car oil industry. The PurolatorONE is a great and budget-friendly oil filter.

This oil filter is intended for synthetic oil use and is made to withstand 10,000 miles of driving. This is a significant number of miles, as an oil filter should generally be replaced every 5000 miles.

The staff at Purolator have made that possible by adding a silicone anti-drain back valve alongside a high-density synthetic blend media.

PurolatorONE offers great value. It is a well-proven product in the market with countless happy customers and purring engines.

It filters at least 99% of dirt, making this filter incredibly effective.

It is worth mentioning the two related filters from Purolator: the Purolator Classic and the PurolatorBoss.

The PurolatorONE sits in the middle of the other two oil filters, with the PurolatorBoss being the most expensive and effective one.

However, all things considered, PurolatorONE is preferred to PurolatorBoss, as the former is excellent for day-to-day use.

If you want the absolute best from Purolator, then PurolatorBoss is the filter for you. Keep in mind that the filter also brings a premium price.

This is another well-known brand that also makes great oil filters.

Bosch is the largest supplier of car components, and they have not missed out on making an oil filter as well.

Unsurprisingly, their Premium FILTECH oil filter is one of the best on the market, with an impressive filtration efficiency of 99.9%!

The engineers at Bosch chose not to go with fully synthetic media. Instead, the oil filter uses a media made from a blend of cellulose and glass.

Because of that, its filtration efficiency is one of the best in the business.

You can almost always trust that Bosch will create a great product, and the Bosch Premium FILTECH oil filter is no exception.

Mobil 1 is synonymous with engine oil. With many years of experience in the field, it is no surprise that the Mobil 1 Extended Performance Oil Filter finds its way onto the list.

The team was serious when they put “extended” in the product name. This oil filter has a change interval of 20,000 miles when used with advanced full synthetic motor oil from the same brand.

While these numbers are impressive, you should probably keep your oil filter change interval a bit shorter to stay on the safe side.

In any case, the longevity of this oil filter is not its most impressive characteristic. An astonishing trait of this oil filter is that it can hold up to 28 grams of contaminants.

This is something that puts other oil filters to shame. It is so dominant in this aspect that most other oil filters only achieve half of what Mobil 1 Extended Performance does.

Another aspect where this oil filter excels is its ability to withstand massively increased oil pressure. To be more precise, it can withstand up to nine times the normal system operating pressure.

In other words, this allows engines with a high flow rate to be properly filtered. This applies to performance cars as well as cars that are driven in harsh conditions.

The cleaning efficiency is also great, with a performance of 99.6% cleaning efficacy at 25 microns.

Generally, the problem with guides like these is that the product may not work on your car. Luckily, Mobil 1 offers this oil filter to almost any car, which means you can always count on Mobil 1 Extended Performance.

You should check the compatibility on the official site of Mobil 1, as Amazon and other sites do not always display it accurately.

WIX is a well-known company in the car filter industry. Whether you are looking for a filter for air, fuel, hydraulics, or coolant, WIX Filters makes them.

With so much expertise in filters, it is no surprise that their Spin-On Lube Filter is one of the best oil filters on the market.

Before we move on to the details of this filter’s great performance, it is worth knowing that this filter has a different shape compared to most other oil filters.

This means you will probably need to use a specific wrench to install the oil filter properly.

With that said, the WIX Spin-On Lube filter is quality all around. It provides excellent filtering with great efficiency.

It is primarily for cars and trucks that are used for heavy work, such as towing, transporting heavy loads, and driving many highway miles. This is thanks to the robust and high-quality design of the product.

K&N is another well-known company that has been recognized for its air filters.

The K&N Performance Wrench-Off oil filter enables high-flow oil to run through the engine. This is mostly aimed at performance vehicles, as high-flow oil is very important.

It is compatible with synthetic, conventional, and blended motor oil, but synthetic is usually the way to go for many reasons.

The “wrench-off” part of the name highlights its convenience. It can be removed using a regular wrench as there is a simple 1-inch welded nut on the canister.

This is very helpful as many oil filters must be placed in inconvenient spots.

The K&N Performance oil filter is built with high-quality materials and offers one of the highest flow rates and filtration efficiency.

Conclusion – The Best Oil Filter For Your Car

As mentioned above, the best choice of oil filters is not determined by a specific trait. Instead, it is determined by the type of car, driving habits, and price.

The best oil filter for normal day-to-day use is the PurolatorONE. It might be difficult to define what exactly normal driving is. If you travel around 1300 miles per month and drive a non-performance vehicle, this would be the best filter for you.

Purolator also offers a more premium filter, the PurolatorBoss, as well as a more budget-friendly filter called the Purolator Classic.

Both these filters are good for their intended purpose. However, the PurolatorONE definitely provides the most bang for your buck.

Driving many miles also means you will need to change the oil filter more often. If you are somebody who is on the road a lot, the Mobil 1 Extended Performance is the best oil filter for long-life oil.

This oil filter does exactly what it says. With a class-leading capacity that can hold 28 grams of contaminants and withstand immense pressure, it is an extremely durable and effective oil filter.

It is on the pricier side but you will get a high-quality filter that can keep up with almost any driving conditions for a very long time.

Mobil 1 claims this filter can be used for 20,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first. Whatever the case, 20,000 is a highly impressive number.

The main role oil filters perform, as the name suggests, is filtering the oil. The oil filter with the greatest filtering capabilities is the Bosch Premium FILTECH Oil Filter.

It has a 99.9% filtration efficiency and is generally very well-built. It is also one of the cheapest oil filters on this list yet provides amazing quality, which is no surprise as it is from a respected brand.

A performance car needs an oil flow that is on par with its performance output. With that said, not every type of oil filter can meet those demands.

One of the oil filters that are up for the job, and that does it extremely well, is the K&N Performance Wrench-Off Oil Filter. It is the best filter for performance cars, where the flow rate of the oil is particularly important.

It is very effective and also very easy to remove as it uses a standard 1-inch nut bolt at the canister. Aside from synthetic oil, it is also compatible with blended and conventional motor oils.

If you spend a lot of time in your car or truck and use it for towing and/or transporting heavy loads, the WIX Spin-On Lube Filter is the best filter for vehicles that drive the highway and/or carry a heavy load.

In other words, if you use your car as a workhorse and expect a lot of its pulling power and constant work, the WIX Spin-On Lube Filter is for you.

WIX Filters produce all kinds of filters, and the Spin-On Lube Filter definitely lives up to their standards. It is a well-built filter made using the best components, helping your car keep up with the demands.