The 4 Best Air Source Heat Pumps For Efficiency, Low No

We’ve reviewed dozens of units to shortlist just 4. In this detailed guide to the best air source heat pumps available in the UK, we’ll focus on units that work at high flow temperatures, are the most efficient and the quietest on the market.

This guide includes:

A quick-fire summary of this page
Our picks for the 4 best air source heat pumps
Which is the best air source heat pump overall?

In Summary: Which Are The Best Air Source Heat Pumps?

Below we’ve reviewed 4 of the best air source heat pumps in detail. If you’re short on time, bookmark this page for later and read this summary instead…

Our 4 top rated heat pumps include:

Vaillant aroTHERM Plus R290: the best heat pump with a high flow temperature (75°C)
Samsung EHS HT Quiet R32: the quietest heat pump on this list (35dB)
Ideal Logic Air R32: the most efficient unit (SCOP rating of 4.69 at 40°C)
Grant Aerona R32: the best air source heat pump for large properties (power outputs up to 17kW)

All of the heat pumps on this list are efficient, have excellent customer reviews, low noise and come with an excellent manufacturers warranty of up to 7-years.

Better still, their energy efficiency ratings mean they’ll qualify for the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme. In short? You could be eligible for up to £7,500 in funding towards your new heat pump.

Use our clickable heat pump installation tool here. It takes into account your property layout, size and more, to configure the most energy efficient heating system possible.

Our 4 Top Rated Air Source Heat Pumps

To create this shortlist of the best air source heat pumps, we’ve considered factors such as:

Efficiency (high CoP rating)
Noise levels (low dB output)
Flow temperature (as high as possible)
Warranty and after sales care
Online customer reviews
Overall value for money

More importantly, the air source heat pumps (ASHP) we’ve detailed below are all eligible for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. This government grant means you could be eligible for up to £7,500 in funding for your ASHP installation. You can get prices for the most suitable ASHP for your home by using our clickable quote tool here.

Vaillant aroTHERM Plus R290 (Best ASHP With A High Flow Temperature)

Vaillant aroTHERM Plus outside a white walled retrofit property

Vaillant is a leading brand in the heating space with their gas boilers going head-to-head with the likes of Worcester Bosch. They have over 20,000 customer reviews on Trustpilot averaging 4.4 out of 5 stars.

However, with the UK heading for a net-zero target sooner rather than later, they’ve been hard at work creating some of the best air source heat pumps that the UK has to offer.

Their flagship product is the Vaillant aroTHERM Plus R290, available in 3.5kW, 5kW, 7kW and 12kW power outputs. The range of power outputs on offer mean that the aroTHERM Plus R290 is suitable for most small-large residential properties in the UK. You can use our clickable heat pump tool here, which will take into account your property specs to suggest the correct size R290 heat pump.

Whilst there are plenty of heat pump brands producing cheaper pumps, we feel their warranty just isn’t enough. Many units on offer come inclusive of just 2-3 years, whereas the Vaillant aroTHERM Plus R290 comes with a massive 7-year warranty; one of the biggest in the industry.

Even though heat pumps tend to be slightly more reliable than gas boilers and also last longer, repair costs are still similar. Put simply, you want the longest warranty possible.

Efficiency wise? Expect the average heat pump to produce around 3kWh of heat for every 1kWh of electricity used. This would equate to a SCOP (Seasonal Coefficient of Performance) rating of 3.

The Vaillant R290 blows this average out of the water, with a SCOP rating of up to 5.03. Working at up to 503% efficiency, the R290 is one of the most efficient air source heat pumps currently available in the UK.

The aroTHERM Plus will work in temperatures down as low as -25°C, meaning you won’t have issues with your heating or hot water when it comes to the delightful British winter months.

Another important thing to consider when choosing a heat pump, is its noise level when operational. Whilst the Vaillant aroTHERM Plus isn’t as quiet as the Samsung EHS HT Quiet we mention below, it’s Quiet Mark approved, operating at a reasonably low 54dB.

Finally, we have flow temperature. A typical heat pump will operate with a flow temperature of 35°C-55°C. Whilst this helps reduce electricity consumption, it does mean radiators will feel cooler to the touch.

If you do need your radiators to heat up to a higher temperature, the aroTHERM Plus is able to work at flow temperatures up to 75°C. But remember it will use more electricity at these higher temperatures.

In summary, the Vaillant aroTHERM Plus easily earns its place on our list of the top rated heat pumps in the UK; you can get a fixed price on-screen using this tool.

Typical installation costs sit at around £10,000, with £7,500 then discounted thanks to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant.

Screenshot of a quote for a Vaillant aroTHERM 7kW heat pump for £2,880

Samsung EHS HT Quiet R32 (Quietest Air Source Heat Pump)

Whilst the Vaillant heat pump is most people’s pick when it comes to flow temperature, the Samsung EHS HT Quiet R32 is the clear winner when it comes to low noise levels.

Air source heat pumps can be noisy, and that’s been Samsung’s main focus with the EHS HT Quiet R32.

Whilst the likes of Vaillant, Ideal and Grant all sit in the range of 52dB-58dB when operating, the Samsung Quiet R32 operates at just 35dB. And that’s not to say the units from other brands are noisy, just that the Samsung air source heat pump is ridiculously quiet!

Typically, even an air source heat pump working at 60dB is unlikely to be heard from indoors (heat pumps are fitted outside). That’s assuming your pump isn’t installed under a window you regularly open in summer.

This graphic gives a good indication of what to expect when comparing noise levels of the Samsung Quiet vs the Vaillant’s R290, Ideal Logic Air and Grant R32:

Infographic showing different noise levels and what they are equivalent to for example 30 to 50dB is average room noise

Like the Vaillant above, the Samsung unit is incredibly efficient. The COP (Coefficient of performance) rating sits at 5, meaning it produces 5kWh of heat for every 1kWh of electricity that it uses.

Flow temperature here is certainly higher than average (70°C), but it still won’t beat Vaillant’s R290 (75°C). Essentially, if you’re choosing the Samsung EHS HT Quiet R32 over the Vaillant R290, you’re compromising 5°C flow temperature to get a much quieter heat pump.

Overall, the Samsung HT Quiet R32 is a great choice, although it’s only suited to mid-large properties due to it only being offered as a 8kW, 12kW or 14kW unit. Other pumps are available in sub-8kw power outputs, so would be suited to smaller properties.

With a huge 7-year warranty, high efficiency ratings and being one of the quests ASHPs on the market, the Samsung unit is one of the best air source heat pumps available in the UK.

Still confused if the Samsung HT Quiet R32 is the right heat pump for your property? Our clickable heat pump installation form takes into account property specs to suggest the most suitable unit for your property.

Ideal Logic Air R32 (Best Efficient Air Source Heat Pump)

With over 45,000 Trustpilot reviews averaging 4.8 out of 5 stars, Ideal Heating is a well known UK heating brand.

The likes of their Ideal Logic Plus gas boilers compete with big names such as Worcester Bosch and Vaillant. And with the launch of their Ideal Logic Air R32, they’re now one of the biggest players in the UK air source heat pump space.

All 4 of our top rated air source heat pumps are incredibly efficient. But, the Ideal Logic Air R32 is up there with the very best.

Whilst SCOP and CoP ratings for the average heat pump sits at around 3, it's up to 5 for the Samsung and Vaillant ASHPs mentioned above. The Ideal Logic Air heat pump? It can achieve up to 5.19; up to 5.19kWh of heat generated for every 1kWh of electricity is consumed.

With every change in outdoor temperature, indoor temperature and the flow temperature you demand from your heat pump, efficiency ratings are going to vary. So, to give a clearer picture, we’ve listed the SCOP ratings for each of the best heat pumps on this list, when operating at 40°C:

Ideal Logic Air: 4.69
Vaillant aroTHERM Plus: 4.13
Grant Aerona 3: 4.04
Samsung EHS R32: 3.98

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Put simply, the best air source heat pump for efficiency from our shortlist of 4, is the Ideal Logic Air, with a 4.69 SCOP rating. Working at 40°C, the Ideal Logic Air R32 is around 15% more efficient than the Samsung R32.

Want to get prices for one of the best air source heat pumps available in the UK, the Ideal Logic Air? Use our clickable heat pump installation page, and get a fixed price on suitable air source heat pumps within a couple of minutes.

We’ve written more on heat pump efficiency here if you’re interested in learning about efficiency ratings we’ve mentioned above.

Grant Aerona R32 (Top Rated For Large Residential Properties)

Grant Aerona R32 heat pump outside a modern home

Finishing up our list of the best air source heat pumps, we have the Grant Aerona³ R32. With units available in 6kW, 10kW, 13kW and 17kW power outputs, it’s suitable for a huge range of residential properties.

With the likes of the Vaillant aroTHERM Plus capping out their range at just at just 12kW, the Grant Aerona³ R32 is the perfect unit if you have a larger property, as it has the capacity to provide more direct hot water, and the power to supply a bigger central heating system.

Like all the air source heat pump brands in this list, you’ll get a long 7-year warranty and excellent after sales care from Grant UK.

Sound Pressure Level (SPL) measured externally from 1m is 54dB, this isn't the quietest heat pump on this list (that title belongs to the Samsung), but it’s comparable to the likes of the aroTHERM.

Efficiency wise, its SCOP rating measured at 40°C is around 10% less than the most efficient air source heat pump on this list; the Ideal Logic Air R32. Not the very best, but certainly impressive…

The Ideal Logic Air manages to achieve 4.69, whereas the Grant Aerona³ manages a rating of 4.08. And, that’s extremely efficient considering the average heat pump sits in the region of 3. They produce 3kWh of heat for every 1kWh of electricity consumed, the Grant Aerona³ R32 produces 4.08kWh.

Want a high efficiency pump that works at low-noise levels for a medium-large property? The Grant R32 is for you. You can get installation prices on this ASHP and others using our clickable form here.

Which is The Best Air Source Heat Pump Overall?

So on our list of the best air source heat pumps, we’ve included:

Vaillant aroTHERM Plus R290
Samsung EHS HT Quiet R32
Ideal Logic Air R32
Grant Aerona R32

Which one should you install? Simply put, each property is different to the next. Whilst the Samsung EHS HT Quiet R32 might be the perfect heating solution for one property, the Grant Aerona R32 could be the best for another.

Take the confusion out of your air source heat pump installation. Our clickable heat pump tool here takes into account property specs, building regulations and more to determine which is the best air source heat pump for your home.

Or, if you’re interested in further reading? Check out more air source heat pump reviews here.

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