The Best Performing Whole-House Heat Pumps, According To Consumer Reports

Rising energy costs are inspiring many homeowners to consider switching to efficient heat pumps, which could save them hundreds of dollars each year in heating and cooling costs. While federal tax credits for installing a heat pump ended in 2025, some state and local agencies still have incentives to lessen the cost of investing in this technology. And those incentives help out a lot, because heat pumps are not cheap. They can run from several thousand dollars to upwards of $25,000 with installation, so this isn't a purchase to make without some serious research. 

Consumer Reports (CR) recently evaluated heat pumps to help guide your shopping decisions. Along with surveying buyers of 22 types of heat pumps purchased from 2009-2025, CR lab-tested six top brands of whole-house, air-source models, which are the most common type of heat pump installed in residential homes. Based on the results of its testing for heating and cooling ability, energy efficiency, and noise, CR recommends three models. The Frigidaire 3T Heat Pump Split System boasted the highest score, followed closely behind by the Goodman 3T R32 and the Trane 3T. 

All three CR-recommended models achieved excellent ratings for heating and cooling efficiency, which means they used the least amount of energy to heat or cool a similarly-sized space to specific temperatures. The mid-priced Frigidaire model (around $4,000) was also appreciated for its easy-to-clean coil, which is an important element of any pump. Coils gather dust and debris, and dirty coils reduce efficiency. The second-place but more expensive Goodman model (around $4,300) managed to outdo the other models in terms of noise. Heat pumps can be a bit noisy from their fans and compressors, although most modern units that are installed correctly don't have significant noise issues. The least expensive of the three top tested units (around $3,800) was the Trane model — and Trane itself also had the highest owner satisfaction rating in CR surveys. 

While each of these top-rated pumps costs close to $4,000, remember that installation costs will add several thousand dollars to the price, depending on the size of your home and local area labor costs. If a whole-house, ducted heat pump system seems overkill for your needs, you can instead look into a mini-split system, which heats and cools each room individually with a wall-mounted unit. These systems are much less expensive than whole-house systems, and Consumer Reports offers recommendations for these units as well.