If you’re shopping for pop filters, but aren’t quite sure what you’re looking for…
Or how to tell the difference between one and the next…you’ve come to the right place.
Because in this ultimate guide, I’m going to reveal the 7 best pop filters currently on the market to show you exactly how they compare.
So here’s what we’re about to cover:
Table of Contents:
- The World’s #1 Best Selling Pop Filter
- A Dual-Screen Pop Filter for Double the Filtering
- A Metal Filter With Unique Angled Slots
- A Metal Pop Filter with an Unusual Shovel Shape
- A Wrap-Around Filter with NO Flimsy Gooseneck
- A High-End Pop Filter with a Universal Shockmount
- The Ultimate Pop Filter With a Shocking Price Tag
The World’s #1 Best Selling Pop Filter
Of all the pop filters in the world the Nady MPF-6 is easily the best-selling, and most widely known…
Mostly because it’s so damn cheap. But that’s not the whole story.
Because among the dozens of other pop filters just as cheap, few sell nearly as well.
Most pop filters in this price range use goosenecks that don’t stay in place, and cheap materials that break within a week.
Among these inexpensive options, it seems the Nady MPF-6 is among the only ones that actually performs as promised.
Check it out:
- Nady MPF-6 – (Amazon)
Now while this pop filter offers great value for its price…as always, you get what you pay for.
So keep reading, because the other 6 options get progressively more expensive as we move down the list.
Up next…
A Dual-Screen Pop Filter for Double the Filtering
Compared to most pop filters, which use a SINGLE mesh screen to block air blasts…
This On-Stage Stands Pop Filter actually uses a double screen, with a tiny air gap in between.
Now here’s how it’s supposed to work:
The first screen blocks the initial blast, then the air gap disperses any remaining pressure so by the time it passes the second screen, the blast is easily contained.
In theory, the idea is sound. A double layer means double protection.
Many people believe however, that two-screen pop filters block too much high frequency detail, making the vocals sound a bit dull as a result.
But according to it’s wealth of stellar online reviews by satisfied users, the ASFSS6GB does not appear to suffer from this problem.
Up next…
A Metal Filter With Unique Angled Slots
Pop filter screens come in two standard designs:
- cheaper panty-hose screens
- pricier metal screens
The biggest problems with the panty-hose screens are:
- they can tear, and..
- they aren’t easy to clean.
For these reasons, pricier metal pop filters are worth the added cost for many studios.
This model, the Stedman Corporation Proscreen XL, uses a unique patented material, with slots in the filter to redirect the energy downwards, away from your microphone.
Personally, I find it to be an ideal mix of quality and affordability. For typical home studios, I’d recommend it above all other options on the list.
- Proscreen XL – (Amazon)
Up next…
A Metal Pop Filter with an Unusual Shovel Shape
Breaking away from the standard hoop design, the Avantone PS-1 features a unique shovel shape….
That wraps much closer to the microphone…where it’s not nearly as vulnerable to being bumped and snagged.
This also avoids the problem of singers constantly readjusting it, which wastes time, and puts added wear and tear on the gooseneck.
It also features a hard metal screen which is more durable and easier to clean than the panty hose types.
One of its unique claims is that it causes no noticeable loss in high-frequency detail…at all…which is verified in a number of reviews.
Up next…
A Wrap-Around Filter with NO Flimsy Gooseneck
While the gooseneck has long been the standard mounting solution for pop filters…
Anyone who has used goosenecks for any reason…can verify that they are quite frustrating to deal with.
Mainly because they never really stay in place as well you’d like them to, and they take up a lot of extra space.
A unique solution to this problem is the WindTech PopGuard 2000….which wraps tightly around your microphone by mounting to the grill itself.
As the only pop filter on the list with this design, the PopGuard 2000 holds the unique advantage of taking up almost no added space.
Once it’s mounted, you almost forget it’s even there. That’s the upside.
The downsides are:
- You can’t adjust the distance between the screen and the microphone.
- While it fits on MOST large diaphragm condenser mics, it won’t fit on all of them, and it won’t fit on most dynamic mics, such as an SM58 for example.
- Some singers use the pop filter to set their distance from the mic, which you can’t do here.
So it’s not ideal in every situation. But for some people, it might be exactly what they need.
Up next…
A High-End Pop Filter with a Universal Shockmount
With vocal microphones, you’ll usually use two standard accessories:
- A Pop Filter – to minimize popping and blasting sounds
- A Shockmount – to minimize floor noise
But wouldn’t it be cool if you could have both of these in a single piece?
Well that’s exactly what you get with the Aston Swifshield:
A high-end large metal screen with a wrap-around design, paired with a universal shockmount that supposedly works with most microphones.
If you know anything about shockmounts, you’d know that it’s extremely rare to find one that can accept multiple microphones of varying shapes and sizes.
So this one bonus alone is arguably worth more than the pop filter itself.
Check it out:
Up next…
The Ultimate Pop Filter With a Shocking Price Tag
For a simple metal screen and a mounted hoop, it’s hard to image something like a pop filter costing more than $50 or so.
Yet we’ve already seen several models on this list that do.
But still…that’s nothing compared to the sticker price of this last item: the Pauly Ton Pauly Superscreen.
The first time I discovered this pop filter, I thought the same thing you’re probably thinking now…
You want me to pay HOW MUCH?
And most of the online comments agree.
Yet of the few people who bought and reviewed this item, it seems that almost all agree that it’s totally worth it.
Apparently the level of transparency achieved by its special screen is quite impressive.
So if you want nothing but the best, and you’re willing to pay for it (or just want to see the price), here’s the link: