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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

All-around best, ductless up to 1.5 tons

Balances heating (5°F output and efficiency, HSPF2) and cooling (SEER2, EER2), each rating against units their size.

3,385 of 3,569 models in this size class have all five ratings.

  1. 1AOUH09KTAP1with ductless indoor unit ASUH09KTASFujitsu1 ton · 9,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 98.5Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    142% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.48 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Winter efficiency
    14.0 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    Cooling efficiency
    33.5 (SEER2)
    Top 10%
    Hot-day cooling
    19.1 (EER2)
    Top 10%
    99.1score / 100Heating 99 · Cooling 100
  2. 2MUZ-FX06NLHZ***with ductless indoor unit MSZ-FX06NLMitsubishi ElectricAlso listed as MUZ-FX06NLHZ20.5 tons · 6,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 97.5Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    140% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.38 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Winter efficiency
    13.0 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    Cooling efficiency
    35.0 (SEER2)
    Top 10%
    Hot-day cooling
    21.5 (EER2)
    Top 10%
    98.7score / 100Heating 98 · Cooling 100
  3. 3AOUH09KZAH1with ductless indoor unit ASUH09KZASFujitsu1 ton · 9,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 95.8Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    128% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.26 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Winter efficiency
    13.3 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    Cooling efficiency
    33.1 (SEER2)
    Top 10%
    Hot-day cooling
    18.8 (EER2)
    Top 10%
    97.6score / 100Heating 96 · Cooling 99
  4. 4AOUH12KTAP1with ductless indoor unit ASUH12KTABFujitsu1 ton · 12,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 96.6Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    106% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.62 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Winter efficiency
    13.7 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    Cooling efficiency
    31.5 (SEER2)
    Top 10%
    Hot-day cooling
    16.7 (EER2)
    Top 10%
    97.3score / 100Heating 97 · Cooling 98
  5. 537MAHAQ06AA3with ductless indoor unit 45MAHAQ06XA3CarrierAlso sold as Midea 37MAHAQ06AA3, Midea D5CSHAH06AAK, MDV MOX230-06HFN10-M1X, Arcoaire D5CSHAH06AAK0.5 tons · 6,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 96.7Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    110% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.40 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Winter efficiency
    14.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    Cooling efficiency
    25.7 (SEER2)
    Top 10%
    Hot-day cooling
    18.0 (EER2)
    Top 10%
    96.5score / 100Heating 97 · Cooling 96
  6. 6AOUH15KTAP1with ductless indoor unit ASUH15KTABFujitsu1 ton · 14,500 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 96.4Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    106% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.54 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Winter efficiency
    13.0 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    Cooling efficiency
    28.7 (SEER2)
    Top 10%
    Hot-day cooling
    15.4 (EER2)
    Top 10%
    96.5score / 100Heating 96 · Cooling 97
  7. 7MUZ-FX09NLHZ***with ductless indoor unit MSZ-FX09NLMitsubishi ElectricAlso listed as MUZ-FX09NLHZ21 ton · 9,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 93.7Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    123% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.20 (COP at 5°F)
    Great
    Winter efficiency
    13.3 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    Cooling efficiency
    33.1 (SEER2)
    Top 10%
    Hot-day cooling
    18.4 (EER2)
    Top 10%
    96.5score / 100Heating 94 · Cooling 99
  8. 8BZ33-HYP06OUT2-454-G3-Pwith ductless indoor unit BZ33-HYP06WALL2-454-G3-PBreeze330.5 tons · 6,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 96.7Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    110% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.40 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Winter efficiency
    14.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    Cooling efficiency
    25.5 (SEER2)
    Top 10%
    Hot-day cooling
    18.0 (EER2)
    Top 10%
    96.2score / 100Heating 97 · Cooling 96
  9. 9MO1HS-H06B-2Awith ductless indoor unit MSEHU-H06B-2AMidea0.5 tons · 6,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 96.7Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    110% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.40 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Winter efficiency
    14.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    Cooling efficiency
    25.5 (SEER2)
    Top 10%
    Hot-day cooling
    18.0 (EER2)
    Top 10%
    96.2score / 100Heating 97 · Cooling 96
  10. 10MOS06H2BH0Awith ductless indoor unit MHW06H2BHRBInnovair0.5 tons · 6,000 Btu/h · DuctlessCold-climate pick, score 96.7Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    110% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.40 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Winter efficiency
    14.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    Cooling efficiency
    25.5 (SEER2)
    Top 10%
    Hot-day cooling
    18.0 (EER2)
    Top 10%
    96.2score / 100Heating 97 · Cooling 96

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, up to 1.5 tons

Good is better than half of this size class, great is the top quarter, top is the top 10%. The scale comes from the class’s own ratings.
  • 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
    76%+
    Great
    91%+
    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
    1.95+
    Great
    2.10+
    Top 10%
    2.25+
  • HSPF2

    Winter-long heating efficiency

    Heating efficiency over a whole winter, measured with a federal test.

    Good
    9.5+
    Great
    10.2+
    Top 10%
    11.4+
  • SEER2

    Summer-long cooling efficiency

    Cooling efficiency over a whole summer, measured with a federal test.

    Good
    21.4+
    Great
    23.5+
    Top 10%
    25.0+
  • EER2

    Hot-day cooling efficiency

    Cooling efficiency on a 95°F afternoon.

    Good
    12.3+
    Great
    13.0+
    Top 10%
    14.7+

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.

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