Best brand 2024 air-water heat pump: which one to choose?

The world of heat pumps is full of players. From suppliers and manufacturers to installers. In this article, we take a look at the various brands of heat pumps, mainly air-to-water, which is the most popular model.

From French brands 🇫🇷 to German brands 🇩🇪 to Japanese brands 🇯🇵 to Scandinavian brands 🇸🇪 of heat pumps, we review the brands and touch on a few models that might catch your eye.

Brands are listed by origin, but not necessarily from best to worst. At the end of the article, we'll initiate a comparison and determine the most interesting brand and model.

Things to consider when choosing a heat pump

Before moving on to the presentation of the 20 best heat pump brands, let's look back for 1 minute at the important elements to consider when choosing a heat pump.

Heating (or cooling) capacity

Your heat pump must meet your heating or cooling needs, in that it must compensate for the need for calories in winter to heat the room, and extract calories in summer to cool the room.

To achieve this, it needs to be correctly sized, ideally with 20% more power than required, for safety's sake.

If the power required is very high (over 12 or 15kW, for example) then you may need to connect two heat pumps in series to meet the demand.

COP or coefficient of performance

This is the amount of heat the heat pump can produce, for 1 kWh consumed on the electrical grid. For example, if your heat pump produces 4 kWh of heat while consuming only one kWh of electricity, it is said to have a COP of 4.

Generally speaking, the COP should be around 4 or 5 on average over the year. Knowing that it is lower in winter and higher in mid-season, it is more relevant to consider its seasonal average, often noted as SCOP in manufacturer's data.

Noise or acoustics

Your air-to-water heat pump outdoor unit must not generate too much noise to comply with standards. To this end, we recommend that you opt for a heat pump with a sound power level of no more than 53dBA in winter. This avoids unpleasant surprises.

Water outlet temperature

The temperature required depends on the application. For example, if you have underfloor heating, you need a temperature of around 35°C at the underfloor heating inlet, and therefore at the heat pump outlet. With radiators, on the other hand, you need a higher temperature, around 50 or 55°C.

If, on the other hand, you want to use the heat pump to produce domestic hot water, the heat pump will need to be able to raise the temperature to 65°C to heat this water.

Domestic hot water

If you want the heat pump to produce domestic hot water, you need to choose the right model. Its indoor unit will then be able to hold your hot water cylinder directly.

Another possibility is to produce hot water via a thermodynamic tank, to keep production independent of the heat pump and avoid running a large machine in summer to make hot water.

Swedish Heat Pump Brands 🇸🇪

Swedish heat pumps are among the most widespread in France, Switzerland and Belgium, mainly thanks to the NIBE group, a giant in the field.

Heat pump brand

This brings us to the main criterion of this article, which is the brand of the PAC. There are dozens of them, and finding one's way through this maze of consumer products is not easy.

While some brands claim to be top-of-the-range and of very high quality, others are more popular, while still ensuring the right quality to meet your needs for 15 to 20 years.

The brands listed below give you a complete overview of the landscape, so you can take a step in the right direction for your energy-efficiency renovation project. For some brands, you can go to the dedicated brand page, which contains our opinion on the flagship model installed by most of the brand's customers.

Brand 1: NIBE

THE heat pump manufacturer in Europe. Truly one of the biggest, with sales in excess of €2 billion a year regularly since 2018. Its shares trade at around €6,000 and continue to grow. Hailing from the same region that gave birth to the famous IKEA, the group is listed on the Swedish and Swiss stock exchanges and employs 18,000 people across Europe. In France, NIBE Energy Systems is based in Reyrieux, near Lyon.

Their best known model is the NIBE F2120 which comes in several sizes 8-12-16-20 kW. It is an outdoor air water heat pump monobloc charcoal gray, quite sober, efficient and quiet, with a mid-range price. For more information you can consult our full review of the NIBE F2120. Since this year, the next generation has arrived, with the S series. Called the NIBE S2125, it's an even quieter model, with a higher temperature rating. To read our full review of this new NIBE model, click here..

NIBE heat pumps also come with an internal hydraulic module, which contains the elements for distributing water to the house's heating network, as well as a domestic hot water reserve. They are called VVM.

In addition to single-package outdoor air-to-water heat pumps, NIBE offers split outdoor air-to-water models, as well as extract air heat pumps such as the NIBE F750 and NIBE F730, or geothermal heat pumps such as the NIBE S1155 or NIBE S1255 S1355.

And in general, NIBE offers a top-of-the-range "Myuplink" connected control system that enables remote connection and control, much like all manufacturers today, with a dedicated smartphone app, and numerous connected accessories, as seen in this photo.

Finally, in terms of refrigerant, while the F2120s run on R410A, the new S series is equipped with a more ecological and efficient fluid, R290 or propane.

Mark 2: CTC

CTC is a Swedish brand present all over Europe. In France they are present but mainly through representatives.

Founded in 1923, NIBE is one of Europe's leading heating brands, offering not only heat pumps but also wood and pellet boilers. Today, the company is part of the NIBE group described above. The products come from the same factories in Småland, Sweden, but have different appearances.

CTC PACs have a slightly more rounded appearance.

More active in Benelux and Switzerland, it will be rarer to come across the brand in France.

Their CTC EcoAir 600M model is similar to the NIBE F2120

Beyond that, CTC offers indoor air-water heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, or thermodynamic hot water tanks to heat your hot water independently.

Brand 3 : TECHNIBEL

Created in 1958 near Lyon, it is a French brand at the base, but then why we put it in Sweden! It is because it is ALSO a brand of the NIBE group.

You can therefore go through them to have the NIBE F2120 heat pump or any other model, as well as any other model of the NIBE group including Alpha Innotec with the Alira air water heat pump for example that you will find in our top 5 German heat pumps. Yes Alpha Innotec the German brand is ALSO part of the NIBE group. They made the razzia.

French Heat Pump Brands 🇫🇷

Just as there are many Belgians in Belgium, French heat pump brands are very present in France. Let's take a look at them, starting with the ones from Vendée.

Brand 4: ATLANTIC

Atlantic is a brand from Vendée and therefore French, a big name in heating that we have already presented in our review of their Alfa Extensa Duo. With its army of engineers, Atlantic offers :

• Split outdoor air-water heat pumps such as the Alfa Extensa Duo or the Alfa Excellia Duo
• Air-to-water monobloc heat pumps like the new Alfea Excellia M, ideal for renovation, and Alfea Extensa M, ideal for new-build.
• Gas hybrid heat pumps or oil hybrid heat pumps
• Water-to-water heat pumps
• Geothermal heat pumps

Their models Alfa Extensa Duo and Alfa Excellia Duo are very present in France and distributed by many wholesalers, installed by many installers.

The Alfea range is regularly updated. The latest additions are the two monoblocs released in summer 2023. Excellia M and Extensa M. (see below)

You'll find most Atlantic references at Aubade, EDF and other online retailers.

Brand 5: DE DIETRICH

With its German sounding name, it doesn't sound like it, but it's a French brand, with important links to the country's history, as you can see in our opinion on the Dietrich Alezio Compact S heat pumpDe Dietrich is a major name in heating, particularly the cast-iron stove so dear to Alsatians, but also a specialist in heat pumps.

They too are part of a large heating group, BDR Thermea Group, which groups together several brands, including another French brand that we'll look at below.

De Dietrich offers a wide range of products in the field of heating, and in particular outdoor air-water heat pumps. You will find their Alezio Compact S heat pump whose objective is to save space since it fits in a 60 cm wide cupboard (its indoor unit anyway, as the outdoor unit remains outside).

De Dietrich also offers an R32 split air-water heat pump model with its Strateo R32. Another reversible air-water heat pump, for heating, hot water and cooling. But this one does not normally go in the closet.

De Dietrich is the big quality. Just looking at the way the documentation is done, you can feel the precision. If there are negative comments, it is probably more due to a bad choice of installer than to De Dietrich in most cases. By the way, if you are looking for a heat pump installer in France or in Belgium, go through our partner network by filling in the form below.

Brand 6: CIAT

A great champion of the heat pump in France. They are better known in the industrial world than in the residential one, because they are able to produce heat pumps or chillers of very high power.

Based in Culoz, in the Auvergne Rhône Alpes region of France, this company was bought out a few years ago by the American CARRIER in 2018 (yes, exactly like what happened to the German Viessmann in 2023). Alongside its substantial range for industry, it offers air-to-water heat pumps for residential use with its EREBA models. There's the EREBA Split model, and also the EREBA monobloc.

From 4kW in heating power, up to 21kW, there is enough to heat quite large villas from 100m2 up to 250-300m2 depending on the insulation of the building envelope and therefore the heating needs.

This is what it looks like! to be connected to the buffer and hot water tanks in the technical room.

The heat pump is not the most aesthetic, but has the advantage of being quite silent. At 60°C the COP is bad, as for all heat pumps.

CIAT has a really old-school style, and a range that doesn't evolve much, but will have the advantage of offering inexpensive heat pumps in general.

And they are even present in Switzerland, via a company that represents them in the canton of Vaud (Kalitherm).

Brand 7: Intuis (ex. Auer)

A French brand whose motto is invention. Founded in 1892 to market the invention of Austrian chemist Carl Auer, the company established itself as a major player in 20th-century gas heating, and still is. Auer moved into heat pumps in the early 2000s, releasing a popular model around 2010, and then also invented a thermodynamic water heater or chauffe-eau pompe à chaleur, or boiler PAC in Switzerland, around 2014. In 2022, Auer became Intuis.

They have 2 main thermodynamic heat pump models, the HTi 70 Orium or Premium+ and the Intuis HRC70, which are high-temperature heat pumps capable of delivering 70°C to radiators even in the harshness of an almost Siberian winter. Without specifying the COP (you'll have to see the technical data sheets or ask for them).

The HTi 70 goes up to 14kW of hot power and will be sufficient for most houses. Otherwise, the HRC 70 is there to go up to 96kW of hot power, for very large buildings, tertiary type or apartment buildings.

Brand 8: CHAPPEE

Another French brand which is, like De Dietrich, part of the European group BDR Thermea.

The 93 company does not only focus on heating, but is also active in air conditioning and solar energy, so everything related to renewable energy.

Chappée products are therefore from the same lineage and probably from the same factory as De Dietrich products.

They offer air-to-air, air-to-water or hybrid heat pumps.

Split system heat pumps with the name Eria.

For example, their Eria-N FIT-IN is the same as the Alezio Compact S from de Dietrich

Brand 9: FRISQUET

Despite its name, you won't be cold with Frisquet boilers or heat pumps. In fact, Frisquet is one of the leading players in the world of high-end heating in France, with almost 90 years' experience, and its first gas boiler approved in 1948.

As we have seen above, many French heat pump brands are part of international groups. As for Frisquet, it runs with 100% of French capital, which can be a plus for supporters of the Franco French.

With a name slightly reminiscent of the land of the rising sun, the TEAMAO 4 heat pump is an air-to-water heat pump offering between 8 and 14 kW of heating power, depending on the size chosen.

This TEAMAO 4 from Frisquet is a split heat pump, which means that the indoor module (right) and the outdoor module (left) are connected by refrigerant pipes.

This heat pump provides up to 14 kW of heating power with a COP of 4.39 for outside air at 7°C (a little higher than average temperatures in Western Europe) and outlet water at 35°C, making it suitable for low-temperature underfloor heating.

You can find it, for example, on tereva-direct.fr at around 8500€ for the smallest size, with installation included (really cheap): probably a call price that will go up after the advisor has phoned you 😉 But don't forget, you can get help depending on your income.

Edit 2023: Frisquet launches its TEAMAO Swell heat pump with integrated 300L stainless steel storage tank, for rapid hot water production and a corrosion-free hot water tank.

German heat pump brands?

Deutsche Qualität is universal, not just in the automotive field. Let's see who the BMWs and Mercedes of the heat pump are. If you are particularly interested in German heat pump brands, you can find more details on our article about the top 5 German heat pumps.

Brand 10: WOLF

A German company that started out in the hops! Very well known today in the world of industrial ventilation for its monobloc air handling units, Wolf is also present in the world of heating with monobloc or split outdoor air water heat pumps, indoor heat pumps or thermodynamic balloons.

The performance range of the BWL outdoor split air-water heat pump is from approx. 7 to 14 kW, with a COP of almost 5 at 7°C outdoor air / 35°C water outlet.

Its most popular product is the CHA Monobloc heat pump, which runs on R290 or propane and delivers between 7 and 10 kW. Its COP varies between 4.1 and 4.5 A7/W35, depending on the size chosen.

Brand 11: BOSCH

No, it's not the nickname our grandfathers gave to German soldiers (oops, sorry for German readers), but the famous manufacturer who is very well known on the domestic market for its washing machines, all kinds of electrical appliances, control systems and so on.

Bosch is a giant,

Bosch is also developing heat pumps, including a very stylish air-to-water heat pump that looks like a washing machine. It is the Compress 7000 AW, probably in reference to the compressor which is the soul of this machine, or to say that it compresses the heating bills!

With the attractive design of the outdoor unit, Bosch is clearly trying to provide a solution to the "ugly" problem of most air-water heat pump outdoor units..

But that's not all, because this heat pump has two other advantages: it's very quiet, with a sound power level of 47dBA where many other heat pumps have 55 or 60dBA (in terms of noise, 10dBA less is half the noise perceived by the ear). It also delivers hot water temperatures of up to 62°C. On the other hand, it runs on R410A, a fluid that is slowly heading for a programmed ban.

Its latest model is the Compress 5800i AW. A design that harks back to the classics, but is also very modern. It runs on environmentally-friendly propane gas. It's Bosch's quietest heat pump, with less than 29dBA at 3m...almost inaudible. Here's what it looks like

Brand 12: DIMPLEX

This century-old Bavarian brand is now part of an Irish group, but continues production in Germany. It focuses on themodern look including a choice of color for the outdoor unit to match the garden.

One of their products suitable for residential use is the Dimplex System M compact which we detail in our top 5 German heat pumps. It provides up to 11kW A7/W35 with a COP of 4 or more.

Dimplex also offers:

• Heat pumps for power above 20kW, for buildings or offices for example.
• Heat pump boilers
• Ventilation

Mark 13: VAILLANT

A French-sounding name for a totally German brand, anchored in innovation and leader in gas heating in Europe, always present in force at the ISH trade fair in Frankfurt (Germany) to show the results of its Research and Development teams, and to exhibit its heat pumps adorned with Plexiglas so that we can see all the details inside.

Vaillant mainly offers a propane (R290) heat pump, a very ecological gas. It is the aroTHERM Plus which offers from 6 to 18kW A7/W35 with COP at 4 or almost, depending on the size.

This heat pump is modern and rather pretty, judge for yourself.

Brand 14: VIESSMANN

Viessmann is the champion of oil-fired boilers. However, the company with its innovative tradition feels the tide turning and has been producing heat pumps for years and is already marketing even more innovative systems based on fuel cells.

Their best-known heat pump model is the Vitocal :

• The Vitocal 222S: a split heat pump with a 220-liter DHW tank that provides almost 9kW A7/W35 in 230V with a COP > 4
• The Vitocal 200S: the same as the 222S but without the hot water.
• The Vitocal 100S: a split heat pump that provides up to 15kW approximately A7/W35 with COP 4.5 (its twin with ECS is the 111S)
• The Vitocal 350-A: a high-temperature heat pump for renovation that provides almost 21kW of power with a COP of 3.4

These heat pumps are quiet, and the brand features an AAD Advanced Acoustic Design label showing that they have taken special interest in the noise produced by this unit.

Brand 15: STIEBEL ELTRON

If you type "German heat pump" into Google, you will find Stiebel Eltron's website first. Are we to assume that this is the gold standard for German heat pumps, or that they have a top SEO who does search engine optimization? 🙂

This is probably because it is one of the only companies that really specializes in heat pumps. While the others do all kinds of heating and other air conditioning or ventilation, solar, etc..

Stiebel Eltron offers every type of heat pump imaginable!

One of the most sought after models is the WPL33 which provides 6kW in approximately high temperature.

Stiebel also has a more compact model with the WPL15 or HPA 13 which can be seen on the picture below

Japanese brands of heat pumps?

In the land of the rising sun, productivity is king. The inventors of the Kanban, and car manufacturers with a reputation for reliability, are also leaders in terms of heat pumps.

Brand 16: PANASONIC

The Panasonic heat pumps are among the most sought after on the web! Known for making quality with reasonable prices, this brand is multidisciplinary, from electronic components to air conditioning or automotive solar.

Its most popular model is the Panasonic Aquarea, about which you can find a detailed review by searching the site menu, heating section.

It exists in monobloc or bi-bloc, and can provide from 9 to 16kW of heating power A+7°C / W+35°C with COP around 4.5

The interior module of the reversible heat pump takes the form of a large refrigerator of 1.8m high and weighs 126kg. It integrates the domestic hot water.

Brand 17: HITACHI

Rather known for air conditioning, the Hitachi brand of Japanese origin actually belongs to an American group active in the field of building control: Johnson Controls.

They offer heat pumps mainly split reversible but they also have a monobloc model of PAC. Their heat pumps are called Yutaki and they provide a heating power of 6 to 11kW max A7/W35 on underfloor heating with theoretical COP varying between 4.5 and 5.

It is not the beauty of the heat pump itself that will catch your attention, but you may be seduced by its regulator, which has won a European design award.

To learn more about this heat pump, feel free to read our full review.

Brand 18: DAIKIN

This brand is probably the most famous of all Japanese brands, and perhaps of all brands, when it comes to heat pumps. Countless installers offer it, you hear ads on the radio, your acquaintances who have a heat pump are likely to have this one.

The star heat pump is the Daikin Altherma 3H HT. It is a reversible high temperature heat pump. The fact that it is high temperature allows you to use it in your home renovation since it can be adapted to an old radiator network. It will be able to provide the adequate temperature, without however having a COP so great, look carefully at the data sheets.

DAIKIN has paid a lot of attention to design and this is probably what makes this unit so successful, in addition to the fact that it is quiet. Daikin's research and development teams have gone so far as to play on the psychological impact of appearance on the noise perceived by the brain.

To learn more, you can read our dedicated article here: https://seize-sa.ch/daikin-altherma-3-h-16kw-notre-avis-sur-cette-pac/

You have to admit that it is rather pretty, especially the black grid on the outside group

In spring 2023, the Daikin brand has already announced the arrival in 2024 of its new Daikin Altherma 4 Standard and Silent heat pump, which should run on R454C or R290 depending on the model. 18 years after releasing its Altherma 3, we'll see if the brand strikes just as hard with this new version. To be continued.

Brand 19: MITSUBISHI

Well known in the automotive world as well as in air conditioning, the Mitsubishi brand is also active in the world of heat pumps.

It offers a range called ECODAN and within this range a technology called ZUBADAN for extreme cold.

This heat pump is very compact, at least for the indoor module, the Ecodan Hydrobox, since it measures only 800*530*360 mm and will easily fit in a kitchen like in this picture, or in a technical room. Well, to make it as tidy as this, aligned with the cupboards and everything, it is necessary to plan ahead in the architect's plans.

Brand 20: TOSHIBA

The brand that created the first portable air conditioner in 1935, and the Twin Rotary compressor technology that many heat pumps use. Toshiba is a pioneer in air conditioning, and naturally also offers heat pumps for heating.

Its best known model is the Toshiba Estia which provides heating with water up to 65°C, and domestic hot water.

Not necessarily the most beautiful, it remains sober, and offers a wifi interface for remote control. It offers from 4 to 13 kW of hot power with a SCOP of 4.6 max, and it works with R32, the refrigerant that will replace R410A in a large majority of heat pumps by 2025.

Here is an example of the integration of this Estia Toshiba heat pump with integrated DHW:

What's the best 2024 air-to-water heat pump?

Among these models of heat pump, we can retain 2 that stand out from the rest by their thermal and acoustic performances, as well as by their worked design.

The NIBE S2125 heat pump and the Daikin Altherma 3H HT are a good choice for your heat pump installation..

These two manufacturers have a experience and a expertise in terms of heating by heat pump in Europe and around the world. They also both have a strong tradition of innovation and a constant focus on improving their products based on the data their sales volumes provide each year. If you're looking for the best heat pump around, you'll probably find it with one of these two giants.

And here we are with the 20 most famous heat pump brands. If with all these models you don't have the inspiration to replace your heating system, we can't help you anymore :). Make the right choice, and for the installation, go through our network of partners, it does not commit you in anything and allows you to have quotes for your project.

Editor's tip (totally subjective 🙂 ): from experience, customers who choose Swedish-made heat pumps (NIBE, etc.) pay the price but are mostly satisfied.