Vaillant aroTHERM plus vs Ideal Logic Air: Which Air Source Heat Pump Is Better? (2026)
Quick Verdict
Ideal Logic Air is the more efficient choice on its MCS-certified figures, with lower estimated running costs.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Vaillant aroTHERM plus | Ideal Logic Air |
|---|---|---|
| Installed price (before grant) | £10,000 - £16,000 | Price on quote |
| After £7,500 grant (illustrative, England and Wales) | £2,500 - £8,500 | Price on quote |
| SCOP at 35°C (MCS) | 4.88 | 5.09Higher |
| SCOP at 55°C (MCS) | 3.63 | 3.65Higher |
| Largest size | 12kWLarger homes | 10kW |
| Standard warranty | 2 years | Not published |
| Longest warranty (conditions apply) | 7 years | 7 years |
| Sound power (declared) | 55 dB(A) | 55 dB(A) |
| Annual running cost (est., 45°C flow) | ~£620/yr | ~£605/yrLower |
| Refrigerant and max flow | R290, up to 75°C flow | R32, maximum flow temperature not published |
| Country | Germany | UK |
| UK brand | No | Yes |
| Best for | Efficiency-first buyers who want a proven, widely monitored unit | Households who want a UK-built heat pump from a familiar boiler brand, installed through Ideal's installer network |
Specifications and pricing are indicative for the UK market as at June 2026. Post-grant figures illustrate the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme in England and Wales (Scotland uses the Home Energy Scotland grant and loan; Northern Ireland has no equivalent). Running costs assume ~10,000 kWh of heat a year at 26.32p/kWh (Ofgem cap average, October to December 2026; changes quarterly). Confirm current models and exact pricing with your MCS-certified installer.
Price Comparison
Vaillant aroTHERM plus starts from £10,000 installed before any support (indicative, June 2026). Ideal Logic Air does not publish an installed price and no credible third-party figure exists, so we show none. For scale, the median Boiler Upgrade Scheme install cost £12,908 before the grant (DESNZ Boiler Upgrade Scheme median, April to June 2026). So this pair cannot be ranked on price. In England and Wales the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant comes off either quote equally, with 0% VAT until 31 March 2027; your MCS-certified installer claims the grant for you. Compare written quotes on the same basis: unit size, cylinder, radiator changes and warranty.
Efficiency Comparison
SCOP (seasonal coefficient of performance) is the key efficiency measure for a heating heat pump: the kilowatt-hours of heat you get per kilowatt-hour of electricity across a whole heating season. The figures here are MCS-certified, at 35°C flow (underfloor heating or large radiators) and 55°C (hotter radiators). Vaillant aroTHERM plus is certified at 4.88 at 35°C and 3.63 at 55°C, while Ideal Logic Air is certified at 5.09 and 3.65. On our estimates at a 45°C design flow temperature, the Ideal Logic Air costs about £15 a year less to run at Ofgem cap electricity prices, or approximately £150 over ten years. Real-world efficiency depends heavily on system design and flow temperature, which is what the MCS heat loss survey is for.
Warranty Comparison
Vaillant aroTHERM plus: 2 years as standard; up to 7 years with a Vaillant cylinder through a Platinum, Renewable Partner or myREWARDS installer. Register within 30 days and service annually. Ideal Logic Air: Up to 7 years parts and labour when registered within 30 days of installation and serviced annually (terms apply). The term without registration is not stated. Ideal also sells a paid ongoing heat pump plan from £22.50 a month. Workmanship cover for the installation itself comes separately from your installer and should be in writing.
Noise Comparison
Noise matters in UK homes because the outdoor unit often sits close to a neighbour's boundary or a bedroom window. The like-for-like figure is the maker's declared sound power: the noise the unit itself emits. Vaillant aroTHERM plus: 55 dB(A). Ideal Logic Air: 55 dB(A). What a neighbour hears is much lower and falls with distance, and permitted development rules require the installation to meet the MCS noise standard at their window, so siting matters as much as the unit.
Cold-Weather and Retrofit Suitability
Two things decide how well a unit suits an older UK home: cold-weather output and flow temperature. Vaillant aroTHERM plus uses R290 refrigerant (up to 75°C flow), while Ideal Logic Air uses R32 (maximum flow temperature not published). Modern units hold useful output well below freezing. In the colder parts of the UK (Scotland and northern England in particular), frosty mornings trigger short defrost cycles that trim efficiency, so ask each installer for low-temperature output figures and take the MCS heat loss survey seriously; radiator upsizing is more commonly recommended there so the system can run at efficient flow temperatures.
Pros and Cons
Vaillant aroTHERM plus
Pros
- Natural R290 refrigerant, up to 75°C flow
- Quiet Mark certified (except the 10 kW)
- Among the best measured real-world efficiency on heatpumpmonitor.org (median 4.06)
Cons
- Standard warranty is 2 years; 7 needs a Vaillant cylinder and a partner installer
- The /6 range is being replaced by a new model launched in June 2026
- The 12kW outdoor unit is tall (1,565 mm) and heavy (194 kg)
Ideal Logic Air
Pros
- Built in Hull by a UK-headquartered heating manufacturer
- Quiet Mark certified
- Up to 7-year parts and labour warranty when registered within 30 days and serviced annually
- Designed to pair with Ideal's pre-plumbed heat pump cylinders and Halo controls
- 8 kW and 10 kW share one outdoor unit size: 1,008 x 1,095 x 518 mm, 110 kg
Cons
- Uses R32 refrigerant rather than R290 (Ideal's R290 option is the separate HP290 range)
- 55 dB(A) declared sound power, higher than the Panasonic, NIBE and LG models here (49 to 54 dB(A))
- MCS directory SCOP for the 10 kW (4.57 at 35°C) is well below Ideal's published 5.19
- Maximum flow temperature and standard warranty term are not published
- No published installed price
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Vaillant aroTHERM plus if...
- You want natural R290 refrigerant
Choose Ideal Logic Air if...
- You want the higher certified efficiency (SCOP 5.09 vs 4.88 at 35°C, MCS)
- You want lower estimated annual running costs (~£605/yr vs ~£620/yr)
- You want a UK brand with local manufacturing or headquarters behind it
The grant is the same, whichever brand you pick
Every air-to-water unit on this page qualifies for the £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant in England and Wales (£9,000 for oil and LPG heated homes until March 2027) when fitted by an MCS-certified installer, who claims it on your behalf so it comes straight off the quote. Scotland uses the Home Energy Scotland grant of up to £7,500 (£9,000 rural and island) plus an optional interest-free loan; Northern Ireland currently has no equivalent scheme. 0% VAT on residential installations applies UK-wide until 31 March 2027. Accurate as at July 2026.
Heat pump guides
- Air source heat pump installation cost in the UK
- The best air source heat pumps in the UK, compared
- The £7,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme, explained
- Air source heat pumps: costs, grants and brands
- Heat pump grants in London
- Heat pump grants in South East England
- Heat pump grants in South West England
- Heat pump grants in East of England
- Heat pump grants in East Midlands
- Heat pump grants in West Midlands
- Heat pump grants in Yorkshire and the Humber
- Heat pump grants in North West England
- Heat pump grants in North East England
- Heat pump grants in Scotland
- Heat pump grants in Wales
- Heat pump grants in Northern Ireland
Where are you?
See indicative costs and local installers for your area