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 Ducted, 3.5–4.5 tons (39,000–56,999 Btu/h cooling). What size is my system?
All-around best, ducted 3.5–4.5 tons
Balances heating (5°F output and efficiency, HSPF2) and cooling (SEER2, EER2), each rating against units their size.
2,182 of 2,565 models in this size class have all five ratings.
- 1KUMXA421ALG3.5 tons · 42,000 Btu/h · DuctedCold-climate pick, score 89.3Meets 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)
- Top 10%
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.27 (COP at 5°F)
- Great
- Winter efficiency
- 10.0 (HSPF2)
- Great
- Cooling efficiency
- 19.0 (SEER2)
- Great
- Hot-day cooling
- 13.1 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 227VNA154A*030*with ducted air handler FE5BNBD60L*+UICarrierAlso sold as Bryant Heating and Cooling Systems 291VAN054**AA4.5 tons · 51,500 Btu/h · DuctedCold-climate pick, score 81.8Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, Xcel CC, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 102% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Top 10%
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.00 (COP at 5°F)
- Good
- Winter efficiency
- 10.5 (HSPF2)
- Top 10%
- Cooling efficiency
- 21.0 (SEER2)
- Top 10%
- Hot-day cooling
- 13.0 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 3KUMXA481ALG4 tons · 48,000 Btu/h · DuctedCold-climate pick, score 90.4Meets 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)
- Top 10%
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.33 (COP at 5°F)
- Great
- Winter efficiency
- 10.0 (HSPF2)
- Great
- Cooling efficiency
- 18.5 (SEER2)
- Great
- Hot-day cooling
- 12.6 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 45TWV0X48A1with indoor coil D(A,C,E)60B4J+TDR and furnace L8V1C100U5VSB+LRPTrane3.5 tons · 42,500 Btu/h · DuctedCold-climate pick, score 92.9Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 107% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Top 10%
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.74 (COP at 5°F)
- Top 10%
- Winter efficiency
- 9.5 (HSPF2)
- Great
- Cooling efficiency
- 20.4 (SEER2)
- Top 10%
- Hot-day cooling
- 11.7 (EER2)
- Good
- 5ASUM42HPMULOAUX3.5 tons · 42,000 Btu/h · DuctedCold-climate pick, score 76.8Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, Xcel CC, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 83% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Good
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.10 (COP at 5°F)
- Good
- Winter efficiency
- 10.0 (HSPF2)
- Great
- Cooling efficiency
- 22.0 (SEER2)
- Top 10%
- Hot-day cooling
- 12.3 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 6SL22KLV-048-230A**with indoor coil CK40[C,U]T-60C-**+TDR and furnace SL280UH080NV60CLennox4 tons · 46,000 Btu/h · DuctedCold-climate pick, score 84.9Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, Xcel CC, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 98% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Great
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.02 (COP at 5°F)
- Good
- Winter efficiency
- 9.4 (HSPF2)
- Great
- Cooling efficiency
- 20.5 (SEER2)
- Top 10%
- Hot-day cooling
- 12.4 (EER2)
- Top 10%
- 7RD18AY48AJVCwith ducted air handler L(E,G)M60IJRheem3.5 tons · 39,000 Btu/h · DuctedCold-climate pick, score 95.2Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 104% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Top 10%
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.80 (COP at 5°F)
- Top 10%
- Winter efficiency
- 9.0 (HSPF2)
- Good
- Cooling efficiency
- 18.0 (SEER2)
- Great
- Hot-day cooling
- 12.0 (EER2)
- Great
- 8BOVA-60MTB-M19Ewith ducted air handler (V,R)60H210P19*+TXV+AEFE5Bosch4 tons · 48,500 Btu/h · DuctedCold-climate pick, score 90.9Meets 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
- 2.10 (COP at 5°F)
- Good
- Winter efficiency
- 10.0 (HSPF2)
- Great
- Cooling efficiency
- 19.0 (SEER2)
- Great
- Hot-day cooling
- 12.0 (EER2)
- Great
- 95A6V0X48A1with indoor coil DH60T4J and furnace S8V2D120M5PCBTrane (sold as American Standard)3.5 tons · 44,500 Btu/h · DuctedCold-climate pick, score 79.8Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, Xcel CC, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 90% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Great
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.10 (COP at 5°F)
- Good
- Winter efficiency
- 10.0 (HSPF2)
- Great
- Cooling efficiency
- 20.4 (SEER2)
- Top 10%
- Hot-day cooling
- 12.0 (EER2)
- Great
- 10HH860E2S11with ducted air handler D(A,C,E)60B3K+JMC20D2SN1+TDRYork (sold as Coleman)3.5 tons · 43,000 Btu/h · DuctedCold-climate pick, score 90.3Meets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
- Heat kept at 5°F
- 81% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
- Good
- Efficiency at 5°F
- 2.80 (COP at 5°F)
- Top 10%
- Winter efficiency
- 9.5 (HSPF2)
- Great
- Cooling efficiency
- 19.0 (SEER2)
- Great
- Hot-day cooling
- 12.0 (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: ducted, 3.5–4.5 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
- 71%+
- Great
- 84%+
- Top 10%
- 98%+
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
- 2.10+
- Top 10%
- 2.36+
HSPF2
Winter-long heating efficiency
Heating efficiency over a whole winter, measured with a federal test.
- Good
- 8.1+
- Great
- 9.0+
- Top 10%
- 10.4+
SEER2
Summer-long cooling efficiency
Cooling efficiency over a whole summer, measured with a federal test.
- Good
- 15.9+
- Great
- 18.0+
- Top 10%
- 19.8+
EER2
Hot-day cooling efficiency
Cooling efficiency on a 95°F afternoon.
- Good
- 11.1+
- Great
- 11.7+
- Top 10%
- 12.0+
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