We've never used merv 13 however our information led us to believe the quality of the air in our home will improve greatly. Our filters look good however we have not installed one yet. The filter we installed 3 weeks before we received this order has several months of use before replacement. That's when to ask for an assessment.
I bought this filter because it is a MERV 13. My originals are MERV 11. Fit perfectly and seem to be better made. Only time will tell but so far so good.