I'm in the HVAC and filtration industry and I was shocked at the price of our oem style pleated cabin filters.
This is the setup I have been running in mine for about 4 months. The aluminum frame fits where the pleated filter once sat. The filter pads tuck around the side and are over-sized to stop any unfiltered air from going around. That was a problem I saw on the pleated filter.
This filter material is less restrictive to airflow than the pleated filters and it does a better job of stopping dirt, dust, and micro-sized particles that cause allergies. It is treated with an anti-microbial coating, meaning that it zaps mold spores so you breathe cleaner healthier air.
So once the aluminum frame is in place, you don't have to take it back out to change filters. Honestly, the frame doesn't slide right in. You'll have to pull upwards on the top part of the black plastic cover to fit the frame into the pocket (you can see this in the 2nd picture), but you only have to do this once. When the filter is ready to be changed, pull the used filter pad out, throw away, and tuck in a fresh one.
I made 4 aluminum frames extra.
$25.10 for a Frame and 6 Filters (4.18 each), +shipping
or
$40.20 for a Frame and 12 Filters (3.35 each), +shipping
To figure the shipping cost, 6 pads will go in a 13" x 13" x 6" box that weighs 3lbs, and 12 pads will go in a 13" x 13" x 12" box that weighs 4lbs.
I'm in zip code 33584