6 Best Mini Splits for Garage (up to 4-car, 1300 sqft)

Mini splits are effective heating and cooling solutions for garages. Regardless if it is a 1-car garage or a 4-car garage, a mini split can provide adequate heating and cooling all year around. But, many people are unsure which mini split they should buy. So, I decided to provide guidance.

The heating and cooling requirement in garages is slightly different than houses. For instance, most garages are not insulated and they have greater air leakages. Furthermore, when a car just came back from outside and parked in the garage, there is a spike of heat gain in the garage.

Moreover, opening the garage door will introduce or release a huge wave of heat that a mini split must recover within an acceptable period of time.

Therefore, selecting the right size of mini split is crucial for comfort in the garage.

Since garages are not used for long hours, high-efficiency mini splits are less appealing. Instead, mini splits that have the best value are more attractive. However, the reliability of mini splits is still important so that they can last for 10 years and more.

On a side note, I’ll only compare the standard tier mini split here, excluding those lower tier mini splits where you can buy for like $600 on Amazon. Many of them are basically coming from the same manufacturer. So, there is nothing much to compare.

The mini split brands included in my research and comparison are as follow:

• Daikin
• Mitsubishi
• Fujitsu
• LG
• Panasonic

Also, take note that the prices of mini splits included in this post is as of writing. So, they might not be exactly the same for you.

With that said, here are mini splits that I find best for various garage sizes.

1. Mitsubishi MSZ-GL09NA

Best Mini Split for 1-Car Garage (~250 sqft)

Main reasons to consider:

• Good service support and spare part availability.
• Good low ambient heating performance.
• High energy efficiency.

A 9000 BTU mini split is needed for a typical 1-car garage with a physical dimension of 12×22′ with a floor area of 264 sqft. For a 1-car garage that has a floor area up to 300 sqft, a 9000 BTU mini split is adequate.

Out of many 9000 BTU mini splits on the market, I find that the Mitsubishi MSZ-GL09NA (view specification) is a pretty good one considering that Mitsubishi is a very popular mini split brand and thus, the after-sales support and spare part availability is better than other equivalent brands.

The other reason that I recommend the Mitsubishi MSZ-GL09NA for a 1-car garage with about 250 sqft is the fact that it can work down to a minimum outdoor temperature of around -4℉ (-20°C) for heating while keeping its price at a fairly competitive rate.

For example, the Daikin 17 Series FTXB09AXVJU is about $300 cheaper but its minimum operating temperature for heating stops at around 5℉ (-15°C) which is still sufficient for many people but if your place ever goes to the negative side of the Fahrenheit, it might not be a good choice.

In addition, the Mitsubishi MSZ-GL09NA has an energy efficiency of SEER 24.6 for cooling and HSPF 12.8 for heating which is considered high for mini splits given that most mini splits with similar price and quality often are about 20% less efficient.

However, if you don’t need such a low operating temperature, you can save some money by going for the Daikin 19 Series FTX12AXVJU which is about $100 cheaper though it is about 20% less efficient and thus, I don’t think it is good either from the ROI standpoint.

Therefore, I find the best mini split for a 1-car garage with about 250 sqft is the Mitsubishi MSZ-GL09NA (check availability on Amazon).

2. Daikin 19 Series FTX12AXVJU

Best Mini Split for 2-Car Garage (~350 sqft)

Main reasons to consider:

• About $180 less expensive than the Mitsubishi MSZ-GL12NA.
• About $450 less expensive than the Mitsubishi MSZ-FS12NA H2i.
• About 10% more efficient than the Daikin 17 Series FTXB12AXVJU.
• About $350 less expensive than the Fujitsu ASUG12LMAS1.

Limitation:

• Minimum operating temperature is around 5℉ (-15°C).

A 12000 BTU mini split is needed for a typical 2-car garage with a physical dimension of 18×20′ with a floor area of 360 sqft. For a 2-car garage that has a floor area up to 400 sqft, a 12000 BTU mini split is adequate.

Out of many 12000 BTU mini splits on the market, I find that the Daikin 19 Series FTX12AXVJU (view specification) is a pretty good fit for a 2-car garage with about 350 sqft. However, the preliminary requirement to choose it is if you don’t need a very low operating temperature for heating.

The Daikin 19 Series FTX12AXVJU can only work down to an outdoor temperature of around 5℉ (-15°C). So, if you live in a very cold place, this mini split is out of the question.

Instead, you can go for the Mitsubishi MSZ-GL12NA or the Mitsubishi MSZ-FS12NA H2i which has a minimum operating temperature of around -4℉ (-20°C) and -13℉ (-25°C) respectively. However, they are more expensive.

If you don’t need such a low operating temperature, the Daikin 19 Series FTX12AXVJU can save you about $180 and $450 compared to the Mitsubishi MSZ-GL12NA and the Mitsubishi MSZ-FS12NA H2i respectively.

For even more cost savings, you can go for the Daikin 17 Series FTXB12AXVJU which is about $150 cheaper. However, it is about 10% less efficient than the Daikin 19 Series FTX12AXVJU. So, I think the Daikin 19 Series FTX12AXVJU is the better choice.

Of course, you always can go for the Fujitsu ASUG12LMAS1 which is about 20% more efficient. However, as I said earlier, the ROI is going to be long when you don’t use it very often. Moreover, it is about $350 more expensive.

In the end, I find that the Daikin 19 Series FTX12AXVJU (buy on Amazon) is the best mini split for a 2-car garage with about 350 sqft.

3. Fujitsu ASUG15LZAS1

Best Mini Split for 2-Car Garage (~500 sqft)

Main reasons to consider:

• One 15000 BTU unit is cheaper than one 18000 BTU unit.
• One 15000 BTU unit is cheaper than two 9000 BTU units.
• About 20% more efficient than the Mitsubishi MSZ-GL15NA.
• About $450 less expensive than the Mitsubishi MSZ-FS12NA H2i.

A 15000 BTU mini split is needed for a large 2-car garage with a physical dimension of 22×22′ with a floor area of 484 sqft. For a large 2-car garage that has a floor area up to 500 sqft, a 15000 BTU mini split is adequate.

If your 2-car garage is somewhere around 500 sqft, a 12000 BTU mini split is going to take a very long time to cool or heat the garage. So, at least a 15000 BTU mini split is recommended.

Of course, you can always go for two 9000 BTU mini splits but it is going to be significantly more expensive.

There are not many 15000 BTU mini splits on the market. Most mini splits jump from 12000 BTU straight to 18000 BTU. So, using a 15000 BTU mini split instead of an 18000 BTU mini split is more cost-effective.

Out of the few 15000 BTU mini splits, I find that the Fujitsu ASUG15LZAS1 (view specification) is the best one regardless if you live in a very cold place or not.

The Fujitsu ASUG15LZAS1 has a minimum operating temperature of around -15℉ (-26°C) with an incomparable energy efficiency of SEER 25.3 for cooling and HSPF 13.4 for heating.

At almost the same price, the Mitsubishi MSZ-GL15NA has a minimum operating temperature of around -4℉ (-20°C) and its energy efficiency is about 20% less. Then, with similar low ambient heating performance, the Mitsubishi MSZ-FS12NA H2i is about $450 more expensive.

Hence, I concluded that the Fujitsu ASUG15LZAS1 (check availability on Amazon) is the best mini split for a large 2-car garage with about 500 sqft.

4. Mitsubishi MSZ-WR24NA

Best Mini Split for 3-Car Garage (~700 sqft)

Main reasons to consider:

• Roughly 30% cheaper than other 24000 BTU mini splits of the same class.
• Similar price as lower tier mini splits.
• About $950 less expensive than the Mitsubishi MSZ-GL24NA.
• About $1500 less expensive than the Daikin Aurora FTX24UVJU.
• About $1000 less expensive than the Fujitsu ASUH24LPAS1
• About $1000 less expensive than the Daikin 19 Series FTX24AXVJU.

Limitation:

• Minimum operating temperature is around 5℉ (-15°C).

A 24000 BTU mini split is needed for a typical 3-car garage with a physical dimension of 32×22′ with a floor area of 704 sqft. For a 3-car garage that has a floor area up to 800 sqft, a 24000 BTU mini split is adequate.

Out of many 24000 BTU mini splits, I find that the Mitsubishi MSZ-WR24NA (view specification) with SEER 16 is the best one for a 3-car garage with about 700 sqft.

Normally, a SEER 16 mini split is not considered good given that many mini splits with the same capacity are around SEER 20. However, the Mitsubishi MSZ-WR24NA is roughly 30% cheaper than other mini splits of the same class.

Considering that some of the lower tier mini splits are priced at around $1700, being able to get a Mitsubishi mini split at around $1850 is a bargain of the century.

However, the Mitsubishi MSZ-WR24NA has a minimum operating temperature of around 5℉ (-15°C) only. Beyond that, the Mitsubishi MSZ-GL24NA that works at around -4℉ (-20°C) is a great substitute but it’ll cost you about $950 more.

In addition, the Daikin Aurora FTX24UVJU which works at around -13℉ (-20°C) is another option if you need extremely low ambient heating but it is about $1500 more expensive.

For similar operating temperatures, the Fujitsu ASUH24LPAS1 and the Daikin 19 Series FTX24AXVJU are more efficient but they cost about $1000 more. Of course, you can always use two high-efficiency mini splits instead of one but the cost is usually much higher.

So, if you want a mini split for your 3-car garage with about 700 sqft, the best one is the Mitsubishi MSZ-WR24NA (check availability on Amazon).

5. Fujitsu ASUH30LPAS1

Best Mini Split for 3-Car Garage (~900 sqft)

Main reasons to consider:

• One 30000 BTU unit is cheaper than two 15000 BTU units.
• About 15% more efficient than the Mitsubishi MSZ-GS30NA.
• About $500 less expensive than the Daikin NV Series FTX30NVJU.
• About $1750 less expensive than the Fujitsu ASU30RLE.

Limitation:

• Minimum operating temperature is around 5℉ (-15°C).

A 30000 BTU mini split is needed for a large 3-car garage with a physical dimension of 30×30′ with a floor area of 900 sqft. For a large 3-car garage that has a floor area up to 1000 sqft, a 30000 BTU mini split is adequate.

A capacity beyond 24000 BTU is rare for mini splits. Most mini splits stop at 24000 BTU. Only a handful of mini splits (special models) are available at 30000 BTU.

Instead of two mini splits, you can use one 30000 BTU to heat and cool your large 3-car garage which is usually cheaper.

Out of the few 30000 BTU mini splits on the market, I find that the Fujitsu ASUH30LPAS1 (view specification) is excellent for a large 3-car garage with about 900 sqft.

At 30000 BTU capacity, mini splits generally don’t have good energy efficiency. For instance, the same-price Mitsubishi MSZ-GS30NA only has an energy efficiency of SEER 14.5 for cooling and HSPF 8.2 for heating compared to the Fujitsu ASUH30LPAS1 at SEER 16.5 and HSPF 9 respectively.

If you go for the Daikin NV Series FTX30NVJU which has an energy efficiency of SEER 17.5 for cooling and HSPF 9.5 for heating, you get about 5% more efficiency but it is about $500 more expensive.

However, the Fujitsu ASUH30LPAS1 has a minimum operating temperature of around 5℉ (-15°C) only. The same goes for the Daikin NV Series FTX30NVJU.

So if you need low ambient heating, you’ll need to use the Fujitsu ASU30RLE that can work down to around -15℉ (-26°C) but it’ll cost you a whopping $1650 more.

Therefore, unless you go for two mini splits, the Fujitsu ASUH30LPAS1 (check availability on Amazon) is the best mini split for your large 3-car garage with about 900 sqft.

6. Mitsubishi MSZ-GS36NA

Best Mini Split for 4-Car Garage (~1200 sqft)

• One 36000 BTU unit is cheaper than two 18000 BTU units.
• About $200 less expensive than the Fujitsu ASU36RLXB.
• About $650 less expensive than the Daikin NV Series FTX36NVJU.

A 36000 BTU mini split is needed for a typical 4-car garage with a physical dimension of 40×30′ with a floor area of 1200 sqft. For a 4-car garage that has a floor area up to 1200 sqft, a 36000 BTU mini split is adequate.

For such a large garage, I normally suggest two 18000 BTU mini splits instead of one for even heating and cooling as well as balanced air circulation.

However, one mini split is always cheaper than two mini splits.

So, I find that the Mitsubishi MSZ-GS36NA (view specification) is a pretty good mini split for a 4-car garage with about 1200 sqft.

In comparison, the Fujitsu ASU36RLXB is 5% less efficient than the Mitsubishi MSZ-GS36NA but it is about $200 more expensive. Also, the Daikin NV Series FTX36NVJU is about 2% less efficient but it is about $650 more expensive.

At 36000 BTU, you don’t really have many options but out of the few ones, the Mitsubishi MSZ-D36NA (check availability on Amazon) is the best choice for a 4-car garage with about 1200 sqft.

Conclusion

Different mini splits are needed for different garage sizes. Below is the summary of my recommended best mini splits for garages:

• Best Mini Split for 1-Car Garage (~250 sqft): Mitsubishi MSZ-GL09NA
• Best Mini Split for 2-Car Garage (~350 sqft): Daikin 19 Series FTX12AXVJU
• Best Mini Split for 2-Car Garage (~500 sqft): Fujitsu ASUG15LZAS1
• Best Mini Split for 3-Car Garage (~700 sqft): Mitsubishi MSZ-WR24NA
• Best Mini Split for 3-Car Garage (~900 sqft): Fujitsu ASUH30LPAS1
• Best Mini Split for 4-Car Garage (~1200 sqft): Mitsubishi MSZ-GS36NA

Lower-tier mini splits are cheaper to purchase but I doubt their performance and reliability. Hence, I always recommend people go for standard-tier mini splits. If you have the budget, you may go for a luxury-tier mini split which is much more energy efficient. However, I find it unnecessary in most cases unless there is a special need.

Lastly, consider my Mini Split (eBook) if you want to know how can you use Mini Split in your house. If you still have doubt or not feeling confident enough, feel free to consult me.

If you have anything to add (or ask) about this topic, leave a comment down below!