Best Evaporative Coolers To Cool Off Your Home

On days when the indoors give a ‘stepping into a sauna’ vibe, evaporative coolers are the best bet. Also known as ‘swamp coolers’, evaporative air coolers perfectly balance energy efficiency, environmental impact, and temperature control. And, you can save some serious cash, too.

This summer, if you’d like to give evaporative coolers a shot, then consider the names below. 

Once your indoors and outdoors are super ‘cool’, how about manicuring that unruly, messy lawn? These robotic lawn mowers will get your lawn in top shape.

• Hessaire MC18M Portable Evaporative Cooler
• Hessaire MC61M Evaporative Cooler
• Honeywell 525-790CFM Portable
• Comfy Home 3 in 1
• Portacool Jetstream Portable

[Best Budget]
Hessaire MC18M Portable Evaporative Cooler

Size and weight: 20 x 10 x 28 inches; 16 pounds | Tank Capacity: 4.8 gallons  | Coverage: 500 square feet | Power consumption: 85W | Water fill options: Manual & Continuous | Noise: 53.4 dB

Perhaps one of the best evaporative coolers on the market! For a budget-friendly price, it’s hard to beat Hessaire MC18 series coolers. For less than half the cost of some of its luxe rivals, this one cools rooms up to 500 square feet – which is perfect for a studio apartment. It gives you more flexibility in choosing where to put it and it only weighs 16 pounds, making it easy to move around. 

The operation is a breeze. Hessaire MC18M has a straightforward control dial on the front that will allow you to cycle through 5 settings – which include 2 cooling modes and 2 fan-only modes.  If you don’t like the typical Grey, there’s Teal and Green to compliment your home’s color scheme

If you don’t like the typical Grey, there’s Teal and Green to compliment your home’s color scheme.

[Best Indoor/Outdoor]
Hessaire MC61M Evaporative Cooler

Size and weight: 28 x 17 x 46 inches; 56 pounds | Tank Capacity: 14.6 gallons  | Coverage: 1600 square feet | Power consumption: 430W | Water fill options: Manual & Continuous | Noise: 63 dB

Ideal for homes that have bigger rooms and a more open floor plan, Hessaire MC61M Evaporative Cooler can blast 5,300 cubic feet of air per minute. MC61M is also best suited to cool your garage, workspace, or even campsite – thanks to its impressive 1600 square feet coverage. 

It features 3 fan speeds and oscillating louvers, which offer a nice amount of user control. The manufacturer’s maximum claimed noise level is 63 dB, so it is a bit difficult to get some shut-eye through its operation.  

Hessaire MC61M portable evaporative cooler arrives nearly totally assembled. Just install the casters and you’re all set to starting filling it up. Be sure to keep in mind that this swamp cooler does weigh 56 pounds. 

[Easiest to Control]
Honeywell 525-790CFM Portable Evaporative Air Cooler

Size and weight: 18 x 13.9 x 33.7 inches; 24.9 pounds | Tank Capacity: 7.9 gallons  | Coverage: 320 square feet | Power consumption: 288W | Water fill options: Manual

This Honeywell portable evaporative cooler has a smaller suggested cooling area of about 320 square feet, but what lacks in the coverage it makes up for in convenience, functionality, and control. A handy remote control lets you change the fan speed, humidity level, oscillation, and timer settings.

To provide that extra frosty breeze, Honeywell has added a top-loading ice compartment. Though it doesn’t produce the same results as an aircon, I’d say this thoughtful feature gets it closer. The audible low-water alarm of this unit is another thoughtful feature; the alarm lets you know when it’s time to refill. 

According to Honeywell, these indoor evaporative coolers are best for dry climates where humidity is <60%. The bummers – it is not the quietest unit; you’ll have to manually refill the tank; mixed power efficiency. 

[Best Lightweight]
Comfy Home 3-in-1 Evaporative Air Cooler

Size and weight: 11 x 10 x 22 inches; 9 pounds | Tank Capacity: 1 gallon  | Coverage: 170 square feet | Power consumption: 65W | Water fill options: Manual

Look to this 3-in-1 Evaporative Air Cooler to cool your bedroom or home office without keeping you up. It’s quieter than other evaporative air coolers on this list and at just 9 pounds, you won’t strain a muscle moving it. The included remote is a bonus – control oscillation, fan speed, mode, and time without needing to leave your bed or work. 

Tired of the messy ice cubes? Good news – Comfy Home 3-in-1 Evaporative Air Cooler has 2 reusable ice packs. Now, you can work from home while enjoying the extra cooling with cool water, ice cubes, and ice packs. It even has a 12-hour timer and smart sleep mode without the need to refill the unit. How ‘cool’ is that? 

[Best Airflow]
Portacool PACJS2401A1 Jetstream Portable Evaporative Cooler

Size and weight: 24 x 40.16 x 59.06 inches; 155 pounds | Tank Capacity: 50 gallons  | Coverage: 1125square feet | Water fill options: Manual

To cool large indoor spaces up to 1125 square feet, this extra-large unit from Portacool will do the trick. It is pricey, but it may be the only swamp cooler unit that you need to cool the main living spaces of your home. It is also ideal to cool barns, garages, or patios when the humidity levels are low and the air is overly hot. 

One of the stellar features of this cooling unit is its variable speed control, allowing you to gradually move from 29mph up to 47mph. And, Portacool PACJS2401A1 tends to be louder for the same reason (high 76dB; low 65 dB). 

Its warranty is indeed a plus, with electrical components covered for 3 years, and lifetime for manufacturing defects.