Ductless mini-splits
Wall or ceiling heads fed by a small outdoor unit, no ductwork required.
Buyer's guide: Ductless mini-splits: the multi-zone trade-off nobody puts on the brochureWe hold full sourced data on 9 ductless mini-splits, each with a specification traced to its source and cross-checked against owner reports.
Daikin Aurora Multi-Zone
Multi-zone cold-climate ductless system supporting up to five indoor heads from one outdoor unit.
Owners: 1 watch-out 1 report →Mitsubishi M-Series FSMSZ-FS09NA / MUZ-FS09NA-2
Mitsubishi's mainstream M-Series single-zone system at the smallest capacity point in this catalog, distinct from the flagship FX Deluxe Hyper-Heating line already in this catalog.
Fujitsu Halcyon XLTHAOU-RLXFZH
Cold-climate ductless system rated to operate at -15°F, competing directly with Mitsubishi's Hyper-Heating line.
Owners: 1 mixed 1 report →Carrier Performance 26 (37MARA)37MARAQ09AA3
Carrier-badged single-zone ductless system built on the Carrier Midea North America joint-venture platform, not an in-house Carrier design.
LG LGRED° Single ZoneLSU-HSV5
LG's cold-climate ductless line, rated for continuous heating to -13°F with no supplemental heat.
Bosch Climate 5000R-454B generation (current)
Compact single-zone ductless system sold through big-box retail as well as HVAC distributors.
Mitsubishi FX DeluxeMUZ-FX
Single-zone ductless Hyper-Heating system with the highest HSPF2 of any product in our database.
Owners: 1 good1 watch-out3 mixed 6 reports →Samsung WindFreeRXX12AMD / RNX12AMD
Single-zone ductless system with a notably warmer minimum operating temperature than every other unit in this catalog.
Gree Sapphire UltraSAP12HP230V1AO / SAP12HP230V1AH
Cold-climate single-zone ductless system rated to -22°F, priced below the Japanese-brand flagships in this catalog.
What the specifications mean
HSPF2
Heating Seasonal Performance Factor 2 -- heating output in BTU divided by watt-hours consumed across a heating season.
The headline heating efficiency number, but it is calculated for a moderate climate (DOE Region IV). If you live somewhere genuinely cold, HSPF2 flatters equipment that falls apart below freezing. Use COP at 5F instead.
SEER2
Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2 -- cooling output over a season divided by electricity used, measured under the 2023 DOE test procedure.
The headline cooling efficiency number. SEER2 replaced SEER in 2023 and uses a higher external static pressure, so SEER2 figures run roughly 4-5% lower than the old SEER for the same equipment. Never compare a SEER number to a SEER2 number.
Minimum operating temperature (°F)
The lowest outdoor temperature at which the manufacturer rates the unit to produce heat.
Below this temperature the compressor stops and backup heat takes over entirely. Compare against your area's 99% winter design temperature.
Maximum zones
Number of indoor heads a single outdoor unit can serve.
Multi-zone systems are convenient but a multi-zone outdoor unit usually posts lower efficiency and worse low-load behaviour than several single-zone units.
Durability is read from objective signals only — the weakest link in the warranty, the refrigerant's service outlook, and what trade and owner reports say about parts and service. How we research → · Comparing whole system types, not just this category? Run the recommender →