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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 older R-410A heat pumps, no longer installed new. See models sold today · Updated

Top cold-climate picks, ductless 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.

1,581 of 2,704 models in this size class qualify. 826 keep less than 70% of their heat at 5°F and 285 have no 5°F heat output rating, so they cannot show it.

  1. 1NAXSPH06B112A*with ductless indoor unit NAXWPH06B112AAMitsubishi Electric (sold as American Standard / Mitsubishi Electric)0.5 tons · 6,000 Btu/h · DuctlessKeeps 121% of its heat at 5°FMeets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    121% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.46 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    11.9 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    97.3score / 100
  2. 2MUZ-FS06NA***with ductless indoor unit MSZ-FS06NAMitsubishi ElectricAlso sold as Trane / Mitsubishi Electric NTXSPH06B112A0.5 tons · 6,000 Btu/h · DuctlessKeeps 121% of its heat at 5°FMeets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    121% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.46 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    11.9 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    97.3score / 100
  3. 3AOUG12LZAS1with ductless indoor unit ASUG12LZASFujitsu1 ton · 12,000 Btu/h · DuctlessKeeps 138% of its heat at 5°FMeets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    138% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.32 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    12.9 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    96.9score / 100
  4. 4AOUG15LZAS1with ductless indoor unit ASUG15LZASFujitsu1 ton · 14,500 Btu/h · DuctlessKeeps 145% of its heat at 5°FMeets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    145% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.24 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    12.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    96.1score / 100
  5. 5AOUH09LMAS1with ductless indoor unit ASUH09LMASFujitsu1 ton · 9,000 Btu/h · DuctlessKeeps 113% of its heat at 5°FMeets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    113% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.35 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    12.6 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    96.0score / 100
  6. 6LAU090HYV3with ductless indoor unit LAN090HYV3LG1 ton · 9,000 Btu/h · DuctlessKeeps 100% of its heat at 5°FMeets 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
    3.13 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    13.5 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    95.4score / 100
  7. 7DLCPRBH18AAKwith ductless indoor unit DLFPHBH18XAKMideaAlso sold as MDV MOD30-18HFN1-MZ20W, Arcoaire DLCPRBH18AAK, Payne 38MPRBQ18AA3; also listed as 38MPRBQ18AA31.5 tons · 18,000 Btu/h · DuctlessKeeps 120% of its heat at 5°FMeets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    120% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.89 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    11.0 (HSPF2)
    Great
    95.0score / 100
  8. 8MSH183G26MCAAwith ductless indoor unit MSH183G26AXAADaikin (sold as Goodman)1.5 tons · 18,000 Btu/h · DuctlessKeeps 120% of its heat at 5°FMeets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP, ENERGY STAR CC
    Heat kept at 5°F
    120% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.89 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    11.0 (HSPF2)
    Great
    95.0score / 100
  9. 9RO1HGZ15AJ1Swith ductless indoor unit UIWHGZ15AJ1SRheem (sold as RUUD)1 ton · 14,500 Btu/h · DuctlessKeeps 117% of its heat at 5°FMeets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP
    Heat kept at 5°F
    117% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.24 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    12.8 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    95.0score / 100
  10. 10RO1HGZ12AJ1Swith ductless indoor unit RIWHGZ12AJ1SRheem1 ton · 12,000 Btu/h · DuctlessKeeps 104% of its heat at 5°FMeets CEE 2025, CEE 2026, CEE Advanced, Xcel CC, DOE CCHP
    Heat kept at 5°F
    104% (Capacity at 5°F vs 47°F)
    Top 10%
    Efficiency at 5°F
    2.32 (COP at 5°F)
    Top 10%
    Seasonal efficiency
    12.9 (HSPF2)
    Top 10%
    94.5score / 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: 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
    71%+
    Great
    88%+
    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
    2.09+
    Top 10%
    2.23+
  • HSPF2

    Winter-long heating efficiency

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

    Good
    9.2+
    Great
    10.2+
    Top 10%
    11.2+

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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