Furnace Reviews

The best gas furnaces are the highest quality models made by Trane, Lennox, Carrier, American Standard, Bryant, Payne, Rheem and Ruud furnaces.

They aren’t always the most efficient gas furnaces, though some of them have high efficiency ratings.

They don’t always have the most “advanced” technology because those units are shown to have higher rates of mechanical failure and worse customer reviews. In short, they aren’t worth the extra cash.

No Goodman. No Heil. No York – definitely no York. That’s the bottom line, and it is fully explained on this page.

Data Analysis – Where Do We Get the Information?

The gas furnaces on this list have a proven track record as quality products. Track record?

Yes – based on statistics compiled from real homeowners and HVAC technicians that work on all brands and see with a trained eye what is a good furnace and what isn’t.

Furnaces, Not Brands

Most brands make basic entry-level (cheap) furnaces, midrange “best sellers” and high-end furnaces that are expensive and not always as reliable.

So, ignore comparisons of the “best furnace brands.” They’re meaningless. Lennox, for example, makes quality Signature Series and decent Elite Series furnaces – and they make Merit Series furnaces which don’t belong anywhere near a Best Furnaces list.

The Best Gas Furnaces

The top-rated furnaces are:

1. Carrier Infinity 98
2. Trane S9V2
3. Payne PG95ESA
4. Rheem Prestige R96V
5. Lennox Elite EL296V
6. Carrier Infinity 80 58TN
7. Rheem Prestige Series R802V
8. Trane XV80

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Compare Lennox furnaces to Carrier furnaces and Trane furnaces? OK. That’s what we do – evaluating each in key areas and pointing out where one brand is superior – or in some cases inferior – to the others.

The data gathered from technicians that work on all brands and surveys taken by homeowners that own them paints a pretty clear picture.

Carrier, Trane, and Lennox furnaces break down less than most other brands – and that is really what matters to the average homeowner in the middle of February.

Lennox vs Carrier vs Trane Overview

Trane furnaces are the top-rated brand for quality. Lennox and Carrier are slightly behind, essentially tied for second spot. But Lennox quality isn’t as good in its cheapest furnaces, as explained below.

Lennox furnaces are the most efficient furnaces, but the small differences in efficiency aren’t worth considering when making a purchasing decision – about 1% in the most efficient furnaces.

Carrier furnaces could be said to win the “all around” competition by delivering good quality and efficiency levels right up there with the others. A lot of the “quality” part has to do with Carrier’s network of highly trained Authorized Dealers who properly install them most of the time.

What about cost? It depends on where you live. Carrier usually has the highest price followed by Trane and Lennox. But in some markets, like metro Detroit and the Northeast, Trane is the most expensive brand.

More on this below – but the takeaway is that you should get estimates on all three brands because they vary regionally – and even from dealer to dealer within your area.

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Natural gas furnaces are one of the most popular heating options for US homes. According to data gathered by the US Census Bureau, gas-fired heating systems are used by 48% of American households

Natural gas has a key advantage over other fuels like propane and heating oil: it arrives by pipe as a utility service, which means you don’t have to worry about scheduled deliveries. With other heating fuels, you must plan these deliveries carefully to avoid running out during a cold winter day.

If you’re looking for the most efficient gas furnaces, the best recommendation is to look for units with the ENERGY STAR label. The US Environmental Protection Agency created the ENERGY STAR program to help homeowners and businesses looking for the most efficient appliances and equipment.

Energy consuming devices can only get the label after passing rigorous performance tests, in federally approved laboratories that are completely independent from manufacturers and vendors.

Here we will provide an overview of the most efficient gas furnaces you can find in 2022 and 2023, but first we will discuss the metric used to describe their energy performance – the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency or AFUE.

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