ROVSUN Mini-Splits

ROVSUN is the ultra-budget pick, and to its credit it clears the bar that sinks most $500-class Amazon units: it's a real inverter heat pump with published ratings — 21 SEER2, 9.5 HSPF2 (Region IV), rated operation to -4°F — and ETL/AHRI certification, sold direct for around $600 with Wi-Fi and the install kit included. Those heating numbers are surprisingly strong on paper, beating the Senville LETO 12k. The rest is the classic cheap-import gamble that r/hvacadvice and the DIY solar forums warn about: warranty terms are murky (listings cite anywhere from 1-year parts to 5-year compressor), support is email-based and slow, and once you're past the retailer return window, replacement control boards for these white-label units are effectively unobtainable — a board failure in year four totals the unit. There's no meaningful review base on major retailers to verify, so no rating is shown. For a garage, shop, or shed where a $600 unit dying in five years is acceptable, the math works; for your primary living space, spend the extra $200 on a brand with a parts pipeline.