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Top cold-climate picks by size

Heat pumps that keep most of their heat when it is 5°F outside, ranked on three ratings at once against units their size: how much heat they keep, how efficient they are at 5°F, and how efficient they are over a whole winter (HSPF2).

Covers heat pumps sold new today (R-454B and R-32 refrigerant). See older R-410A models · Updated

Showing Ducted, Up to 1.5 tons (under 21,000 Btu/h cooling). What size is my system?

Top cold-climate picks, ducted up to 1.5 tons

Only units that keep at least 70% of their heat at 5°F, ranked on heat kept, efficiency at 5°F and seasonal efficiency (HSPF2), against units their size.

1,420 of 1,824 models in this size class qualify. 361 keep less than 70% of their heat at 5°F and 42 have no 5°F heat output rating, so they cannot show it.

  1. 137MAHAQ06AA3with ducted air handler 45MBDAQ06XA3CarrierAlso sold as Midea 37MAHAQ06AA3, Midea D5CSHAH06AAK, MDV MOX230-06HFN10-M1X, Arcoaire D5CSHAH06AAK0.5 tons · 6,500 Btu/h · DuctedKeeps 98% of its heat at 5°FMeets 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
    2.41 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    13.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    93.5score / 100
  2. 2DRA1H06S2Awith ducted air handler DRADL0612F2ADurastar0.5 tons · 6,500 Btu/h · DuctedKeeps 98% of its heat at 5°FMeets 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
    2.41 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    13.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    93.5score / 100
  3. 3MO1HS-H06B-2Awith ducted air handler MDLHU-H06B-2AMidea0.5 tons · 6,500 Btu/h · DuctedKeeps 98% of its heat at 5°FMeets 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
    2.41 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    13.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    93.5score / 100
  4. 4BMS626HHYCwith ducted air handler BMC6LCDBlueRidge0.5 tons · 6,500 Btu/h · DuctedKeeps 98% of its heat at 5°FMeets 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
    2.41 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    13.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    93.5score / 100
  5. 5CH-RHP06F9-230VOwith ducted air handler CH-RS06MDT-MSCooper&Hunter0.5 tons · 6,500 Btu/h · DuctedKeeps 98% of its heat at 5°FMeets 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
    2.41 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    13.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    93.5score / 100
  6. 6ML06HP230NEXH-Owith ducted air handler ML06HP230LSDUC-IRheem (sold as Mainline)0.5 tons · 6,500 Btu/h · DuctedKeeps 98% of its heat at 5°FMeets 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
    2.41 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    13.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    93.5score / 100
  7. 737MUHAQ18AA3with indoor coil DM36A3J+TDR and furnace 8(0,1)*SB36070M17Carrier (sold as Bryant Heating and Cooling Systems)1.5 tons · 16,800 Btu/h · DuctedKeeps 95% of its heat at 5°FMeets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    95% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Great
    Efficiency at 5°F
    3.00 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    10.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    92.9score / 100
  8. 85TWV0X24A1with indoor coil D(A,C,E)36C3J+TDR and furnace S8V2B060M4PCBTrane1.5 tons · 19,800 Btu/h · DuctedKeeps 122% of its heat at 5°FMeets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    122% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.99 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    10.0 (HSPF2)
    Great
    92.5score / 100
  9. 9RD18AY24AJVCwith indoor coil D(A,C,E)36A3J+TDR and furnace R951V0403A17UHRheem1.5 tons · 20,200 Btu/h · DuctedKeeps 116% of its heat at 5°FMeets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    116% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.60 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    10.0 (HSPF2)
    Great
    91.6score / 100
  10. 105A6V0X24A1with indoor coil D(A,C,E)24B4J+TDR and furnace L8V1A060U3VSB+LRPTrane (sold as American Standard)1.5 tons · 19,500 Btu/h · DuctedKeeps 98% of its heat at 5°FMeets 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
    2.93 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    10.0 (HSPF2)
    Great
    89.2score / 100

These are certified test ratings, not a recommendation for your home. The right size comes from a load calculation by a contractor.

Want every qualifier’s peer percentiles and the all-sizes board? Switch to Advanced

What good looks like: ducted, 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
    74%+
    Great
    90%+
    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
    1.90+
    Great
    2.10+
    Top 10%
    2.32+

  • HSPF2

    Winter-long heating efficiency

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

    Good
    9.2+
    Great
    10.0+
    Top 10%
    10.6+

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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