All-around best heat pumps by size
Heat pumps that are good at everything, ranked against units their size: half the score is heating (how much heat they keep at 5°F, how efficient they are at 5°F and over a winter), half is cooling (seasonal and hot-day efficiency).
Covers heat pumps sold new today (R-454B and R-32 refrigerant). See older R-410A models · Updated
Showing Ductless, 2.5–3 tons (27,000–38,999 Btu/h cooling). What size is my system?
All-around best, ductless 2.5–3 tons
Balances heating (5°F output and efficiency, HSPF2) and cooling (SEER2, EER2), each rating against units their size.
1,084 of 1,141 models in this size class have all five ratings.
- 1PUZ-AK30NLHZ2***with ductless indoor unit PLA-AE30NLMitsubishi Electric2.5 tons · 30,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 93.8Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 100% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Great
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.30 (COP at 5°F)
- Top 10%
- Winter efficiency
- 11.0 (HSPF2)
- Top 10%
- Cooling efficiency
- 23.8 (SEER2)
- Great
- Hot-day cooling
- 14.0 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 2RAV-BP301AT2P-ULwith ductless indoor unit RAV-HB301UTP-ULCarrier (sold as Toshiba Carrier)2.5 tons · 30,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 85.8Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, Xcel CC, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 80% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Good
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.40 (COP at 5°F)
- Top 10%
- Winter efficiency
- 11.8 (HSPF2)
- Top 10%
- Cooling efficiency
- 24.5 (SEER2)
- Top 10%
- Hot-day cooling
- 14.1 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 3KUSXA301Awith ductless indoor unit KNSCB301ALG2.5 tons · 30,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 82.3Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 100% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Great
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.10 (COP at 5°F)
- Great
- Winter efficiency
- 10.4 (HSPF2)
- Good
- Cooling efficiency
- 25.0 (SEER2)
- Top 10%
- Hot-day cooling
- 15.2 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 4AOUH30KUAH1with ductless indoor unit AUUH30KUASFujitsu2.5 tons · 30,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 94.6Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 103% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Top 10%
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.16 (COP at 5°F)
- Top 10%
- Winter efficiency
- 11.0 (HSPF2)
- Top 10%
- Cooling efficiency
- 23.0 (SEER2)
- Great
- Hot-day cooling
- 13.7 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 5MCY-MUB0368HS2P-ULCarrier (sold as Toshiba Carrier)3 tons · 36,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 78.4Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, Xcel CC, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 71% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Below the middle
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.42 (COP at 5°F)
- Top 10%
- Winter efficiency
- 12.1 (HSPF2)
- Top 10%
- Cooling efficiency
- 29.1 (SEER2)
- Top 10%
- Hot-day cooling
- 17.2 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 6ZRUM036GSS0LG3 tons · 36,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 89.8Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 100% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Great
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.30 (COP at 5°F)
- Top 10%
- Winter efficiency
- 10.6 (HSPF2)
- Great
- Cooling efficiency
- 23.0 (SEER2)
- Great
- Hot-day cooling
- 15.5 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 7RAV-BP361AT2P-ULwith ductless indoor unit RAV-HB361UTP-ULCarrier (sold as Toshiba Carrier)3 tons · 36,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 85.0Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, Xcel CC, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 79% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Good
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.20 (COP at 5°F)
- Top 10%
- Winter efficiency
- 11.3 (HSPF2)
- Top 10%
- Cooling efficiency
- 24.8 (SEER2)
- Top 10%
- Hot-day cooling
- 13.4 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 8PUZ-AK36NLHZ2***with ductless indoor unit PLA-AE36NLMitsubishi Electric3 tons · 36,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 84.5Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 100% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Great
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.10 (COP at 5°F)
- Great
- Winter efficiency
- 10.5 (HSPF2)
- Great
- Cooling efficiency
- 23.3 (SEER2)
- Great
- Hot-day cooling
- 13.7 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 9AVW-36F3DAH2Hisense3 tons · 36,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 92.7Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 100% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Great
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.45 (COP at 5°F)
- Top 10%
- Winter efficiency
- 10.8 (HSPF2)
- Top 10%
- Cooling efficiency
- 23.0 (SEER2)
- Great
- Hot-day cooling
- 13.0 (EER2)
- Great
- 10CHV6-RS36URBMHHCooper&Hunter (sold as Cooper & Hunter)3 tons · 36,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 92.7Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 100% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Great
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.45 (COP at 5°F)
- Top 10%
- Winter efficiency
- 10.8 (HSPF2)
- Top 10%
- Cooling efficiency
- 23.0 (SEER2)
- Great
- Hot-day cooling
- 13.0 (EER2)
- Great
These are certified test ratings, not a recommendation for your home. The right size comes from a load calculation by a contractor.
Want every model’s heating and cooling sub-scores and the all-sizes board? Switch to Advanced
What good looks like: ductless, 2.5–3 tons
Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F
Heating power kept at 5°F
How much of its mild-weather heating power the unit still delivers at 5°F.
- Good
- 74%+
- Great
- 99%+
- Top 10%
- 100%+
COP at 5°F
Efficiency on a 5°F day
How much heat the unit makes from each unit of electricity when it is 5°F outside.
- Good
- 2.00+
- Great
- 2.02+
- Top 10%
- 2.10+
HSPF2
Winter-long heating efficiency
Heating efficiency over a whole winter, measured with a federal test.
- Good
- 10.0+
- Great
- 10.5+
- Top 10%
- 10.7+
SEER2
Summer-long cooling efficiency
Cooling efficiency over a whole summer, measured with a federal test.
- Good
- 21.0+
- Great
- 23.0+
- Top 10%
- 24.0+
EER2
Hot-day cooling efficiency
Cooling efficiency on a 95°F afternoon.
- Good
- 12.0+
- Great
- 12.5+
- Top 10%
- 13.1+
Next steps
The advanced view adds the all-sizes boards, each qualifier’s peer percentiles, charts of every model in each size class, and the EER2 and heat output boards.
Open the advanced view