diff --git a/packages/design-system/lib/components/Select/SelectFilter.tsx b/packages/design-system/lib/components/Select/SelectFilter.tsx
index d6caeda7f..6bf693855 100644
--- a/packages/design-system/lib/components/Select/SelectFilter.tsx
+++ b/packages/design-system/lib/components/Select/SelectFilter.tsx
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+'use client'
+
 import {
   Button,
   ComboBox,
@@ -6,8 +8,16 @@ import {
   ListBox,
   Popover,
   Label,
+  ComboBoxStateContext,
 } from 'react-aria-components'
-import { useState } from 'react'
+import {
+  PropsWithChildren,
+  RefObject,
+  useContext,
+  useEffect,
+  useRef,
+  useState,
+} from 'react'
 
 import { MaterialIcon } from '../Icons/MaterialIcon'
 import { Typography } from '../Typography'
@@ -17,6 +27,60 @@ import type { SelectFilterProps } from './types'
 
 import styles from './select.module.css'
 
+/**
+ * ComboBoxInner
+ * Used to simulate a press on down arrow key to highlight the first item.
+ * We do this so that a user can type some characters and then select the first
+ * option directly with tab. Might require revisit later when assistive
+ * technologies test it out as it might be a bit verbose for the announcements
+ * because it will most likely announce the "first item" for each typed
+ * character from the user.
+ */
+function ComboBoxInner({
+  inputRef,
+  children,
+}: PropsWithChildren<{
+  inputRef: RefObject<HTMLInputElement>
+}>) {
+  // Get the state for the ComboBox from RAC
+  const comboBoxState = useContext(ComboBoxStateContext)
+
+  const { isFocused, selectedKey, inputValue } = comboBoxState ?? {}
+
+  // Act after render
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let timeout: Timer
+
+    // We only want to act on focused field which has rerendered due to
+    // changes to its input value. Selecting a value will also rerender, but
+    // that we want to ignore as that is not a change to its input value.
+    if (isFocused && selectedKey !== inputValue) {
+      // The simlulated event has to originate from the input field.
+      if (inputRef.current) {
+        // Simulate a press on down arrow key.
+        const e = new KeyboardEvent('keydown', {
+          key: 'ArrowDown',
+          bubbles: true /* important so RAC can act on it */,
+        })
+
+        // Dispatch after everything has rendered completely
+        timeout = setTimeout(() => {
+          inputRef.current?.dispatchEvent(e)
+        }, 0)
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Clean up
+    return () => {
+      if (timeout) {
+        clearTimeout(timeout)
+      }
+    }
+  }, [inputRef, inputValue, isFocused, selectedKey])
+
+  return children
+}
+
 export function SelectFilter({
   name,
   label,
@@ -35,6 +99,8 @@ export function SelectFilter({
   const [value, setValue] = useState<Key | null>(defaultSelectedKey ?? null)
   const iconColor = isDisabled ? 'Icon/Interactive/Disabled' : 'Icon/Default'
 
+  const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null)
+
   return (
     <ComboBox
       className={styles.select}
@@ -56,58 +122,64 @@ export function SelectFilter({
       defaultSelectedKey={defaultSelectedKey}
       {...props}
     >
-      <Label className={styles.inner}>
-        {icon ? (
-          <MaterialIcon
-            icon={icon}
-            size={24}
-            color={iconColor}
-            aria-hidden="true"
-          />
-        ) : null}
+      <ComboBoxInner inputRef={inputRef}>
+        <Label className={styles.inner}>
+          {icon ? (
+            <MaterialIcon
+              icon={icon}
+              size={24}
+              color={iconColor}
+              aria-hidden="true"
+            />
+          ) : null}
 
-        <span className={styles.displayText}>
-          <Typography
-            variant={
-              focus || value ? 'Label/xsRegular' : 'Body/Paragraph/mdRegular'
-            }
-          >
-            <span className={styles.label}>{label}</span>
-          </Typography>
-          <Typography variant="Body/Paragraph/mdRegular">
-            <Input className={styles.input} autoComplete={autoComplete} />
-          </Typography>
-        </span>
-        <Button className={styles.button}>
-          <MaterialIcon
-            icon="chevron_right"
-            size={24}
-            color={iconColor}
-            aria-hidden="true"
-            className={styles.chevron}
-          />
-        </Button>
-      </Label>
-
-      <Popover
-        className={styles.popover}
-        shouldFlip={false}
-        crossOffset={icon ? -40 : -8}
-        offset={22}
-      >
-        <ListBox className={styles.listBox}>
-          {items.map((item) => (
-            <SelectItem
-              key={item.value}
-              id={item.value}
-              icon={item.icon || itemIcon}
-              isDisabled={item.isDisabled}
+          <span className={styles.displayText}>
+            <Typography
+              variant={
+                focus || value ? 'Label/xsRegular' : 'Body/Paragraph/mdRegular'
+              }
             >
-              {item.label}
-            </SelectItem>
-          ))}
-        </ListBox>
-      </Popover>
+              <span className={styles.label}>{label}</span>
+            </Typography>
+            <Typography variant="Body/Paragraph/mdRegular">
+              <Input
+                ref={inputRef}
+                className={styles.input}
+                autoComplete={autoComplete}
+              />
+            </Typography>
+          </span>
+          <Button className={styles.button}>
+            <MaterialIcon
+              icon="chevron_right"
+              size={24}
+              color={iconColor}
+              aria-hidden="true"
+              className={styles.chevron}
+            />
+          </Button>
+        </Label>
+
+        <Popover
+          className={styles.popover}
+          shouldFlip={false}
+          crossOffset={icon ? -40 : -8}
+          offset={22}
+        >
+          <ListBox className={styles.listBox}>
+            {items.map((item) => (
+              <SelectItem
+                key={item.value}
+                id={item.value}
+                icon={item.icon || itemIcon}
+                isDisabled={item.isDisabled}
+              >
+                {item.label}
+              </SelectItem>
+            ))}
+          </ListBox>
+        </Popover>
+      </ComboBoxInner>
     </ComboBox>
   )
 }