Quick Answer: The best mini split for most two-car garages and workshops is the MRCOOL DIY 24,000 BTU 5th Gen — a pre-charged, no-vacuum-pump kit you install yourself, running $2,149-$2,400 at retailers like Home Depot against a $3,329 MSRP. If you’re fine hiring a technician and want to save on equipment, the Senville LETO 24k covers the same square footage for roughly $1,300-$1,600 in parts. For a single-car garage or small workshop, the MRCOOL DIY 12k runs on a standard 115V outlet and skips the 230V circuit entirely.
A garage isn’t a bedroom with a concrete floor swapped in — uninsulated walls, a big steel door, and no interior climate buffer make a garage 30-50% harder to heat and cool than an equivalent interior room, according to HVAC contractor estimates. That gap is why garage-specific sizing matters more here than almost anywhere else in the house: undersize the unit and it never catches up on a 95°F afternoon with the door open; oversize it and you’re paying for capacity the space can’t use. Here’s how the leading options compare by garage size.
Best mini splits for garages compared
| System | Best for | BTU / Voltage | Install | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRCOOL DIY 24k 5th Gen | 2-car garage / workshop, DIY | 24,000 BTU · 230V | DIY (quick-connect) | ~$2,149-$2,400 |
| Senville LETO 24k | 2-car garage, budget equipment | 24,000 BTU · 208/230V | Pro (braze + vacuum) | ~$1,300-$1,600 |
| MRCOOL DIY 12k | Single-car garage / small shop | 12,000 BTU · 115V | DIY (quick-connect) | ~$1,000-$1,200 |
1. MRCOOL DIY 24k 5th Gen — Best Overall for 2-Car Garages
MRCOOL DIY 5th Gen 24,000 BTU Single Zone
- Pre-charged quick-connect line set means no vacuum pump or EPA 608 certification — the compressor is the one part a licensed electrician handles (the new 230V circuit), everything else is DIY.
- Ships with R-454B refrigerant, the low-GWP replacement now required on new residential split systems since U.S. manufacturers stopped producing R-410A units for new equipment on January 1, 2025 under the EPA's AIM Act — a 24k unit bought today isn't at risk of running an obsolete refrigerant a few years in.
- 22 SEER2-class efficiency and enough capacity for a typical 400-500 sq ft two-car garage or workshop at average insulation levels.
Grab a surge protector for the outdoor unit while you’re ordering — garage circuits sharing a panel with power tools see more voltage spikes than a typical living-room outlet. Skip the shipping wait — try Amazon Prime free for 30 days and get your DIY mini split kit and line set delivered in days, not weeks.
2. Senville LETO 24k — Best for a Pro-Install Budget
Senville LETO Series 24,000 BTU
- 18 SEER efficiency with an 18ft install kit included; indoor and outdoor units are typically sold separately (roughly $460 indoor + $850 outdoor), still landing well under MRCOOL's equipment cost.
- Requires a licensed technician to braze the line set and pull a vacuum — add $500-$2,000 in labor depending on your market, since this isn't a quick-connect system.
- Same 208/230V dedicated-circuit requirement as any 24k unit, so factor electrical work into the total regardless of which brand you pick.
If you were already planning to hire an installer — say you don’t have the outdoor-unit mounting experience or just don’t want to deal with the electrical run yourself — the LETO’s lower equipment cost usually beats MRCOOL’s DIY premium once you’re paying labor either way.
3. MRCOOL DIY 12k — Best for a Single-Car Garage
MRCOOL DIY 4th Gen 12,000 BTU (115V)
- The 115V version (model DIY-12-HP-WM-115C25) plugs into a standard household outlet — no dedicated 230V circuit, no electrician required for the power side at all.
- Rated at 22.5 SEER2, and right-sized for a single-car garage or small workshop in the 250-350 sq ft range with typical insulation.
- Same pre-charged quick-connect line set as the 24k model, so total DIY install time runs a few hours for most single-zone setups.
A single-car garage rarely needs the 230V hassle a 24k unit demands — the 115V 12k gets real-world DIY installers (including studio-apartment conversions under $1,800 all-in per contractor cost surveys) most of the way to a finished install with just an outlet and a weekend.
Why garage sizing runs bigger than the room-size chart suggests
Standard BTU-per-square-foot charts assume an insulated, interior room — a garage rarely qualifies. Concrete floors, a large uninsulated steel door, and walls with little or no insulation make a garage roughly 30-50% harder to condition than an equivalent interior space, per HVAC contractor cost guides, and that gap gets worse with a vaulted ceiling or a hot climate. A 24,000 BTU unit that comfortably covers 1,200-1,500 sq ft in a well-insulated room can drop to effectively covering closer to 1,000 sq ft in a poorly insulated garage. If your garage runs on the drafty side, weatherstripping the door and adding basic wall insulation before you buy is usually the higher-leverage move — see our BTU sizing guide for the full room-by-room math.
The bottom line
The MRCOOL DIY 24k 5th Gen is the pick for most two-car garages and workshops if you’re comfortable with a DIY quick-connect install and just need an electrician for the 230V run. Go with the Senville LETO 24k if you’re hiring a pro either way and want to save on equipment cost, and pick the MRCOOL DIY 12k for a single-car garage where a standard 115V outlet is all you want to deal with. Still deciding between DIY and pro install generally? Check our best DIY mini split roundup, and if you need the numbers on total install cost including labor, see our mini split installation cost guide.