10 Best Water Coolers of 2024 (Avalon, Brio, and More)

The stereotypical image of a water cooler is a free-standing unit in the corner of a room, but this isn't the only option available.

When it comes to water coolers that use water bottles, they can be loaded from either the top or the bottom. Although countertop water coolers are only top-loading, freestanding ones can be either.

Top-loading water coolers make it easy to tell when a new water bottle is needed since you can easily see the water level. However, these water bottles can hold three to five gallons of water, making them quite heavy and awkward to change. 

A bottom-loading water cooler will take away the stress and strain of changing the bottle since it doesn’t require any heavy lifting. Water coolers that load at the bottom usually have the bottle hidden away behind a cabinet door, but they normally have an indicator light to tell you when the water bottle needs changing.

However, top-loading water coolers often have additional storage. Instead of shutting away the bottle in the cabinet, you can use this empty space in the base of the unit to store disposable cups, teabags, or instant coffee packets.

Water coolers often come with the ability to dispense water at different temperatures. Typically, they have two temperatures in separate taps: hot and ice cold. With hot water on tap, you can instantly make coffee or tea whenever you want!

Some water coolers will also give you a third option of cool water. This is closer to room temperature and is better for your digestion than cold water. However, some water coolers will only dispense truly room temperature water if the cold water is switched off.

In fact, it’s wise to buy one that allows you to turn off the temperatures when needed. If you don’t need hot or ice-cold water all of the time, then try turning them off to save energy. Look for water coolers with independent switches that turn off the temperature options without turning off the entire cooler.

We recommend looking for ones that are Energy Star approved. This is a program run by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy to highlight appliances that are energy-efficient. A water cooler that conforms with Energy Star will cost you less to run and lessen the environmental impact.

Also, if the water cooler is placed in an area accessible to children, make sure the hot tap has a safety feature or child lock. This will protect small hands from getting burned by hot water.

Some higher-end water coolers have a self-cleaning function. This will keep the water cooler sanitized during use, making it more hygienic. Many use an ozone feature, which regularly cleans the dispenser throughout the day to remove bacteria or germs. The ozone is generated by the cooler itself and will do this process automatically.

Another process uses hot water to sanitize the system. It turns off the cold water for a period and instead heats the water to just below boiling to kill any bacteria in the system. You can also find coolers that use UV-light to clean; however, make sure that these clean both the tank and tubes, as some will only clean the tank.

Another feature to look for is a removable drip tray. Drops of water will inevitably leak or be spilled as the water cooler is used, but a tray stops water from dripping onto the floor. If the tray is removable, you can easily empty and clean it as needed.

There are several other features you can look for that will make using a water cooler easier. Some water coolers with bottles have a light or digital display that will advise you if the water level is getting low and the bottle will need changing. You can find coolers with lights in the dispenser so you can more easily see how much water you're putting into your bottle or glass. 

For freestanding models, you might want to check how tall the cooler is and where the dispenser is positioned. Many have the dispensers positioned at waist-level or below, which can be awkward to use for some. The tallest units are just over 40 inches, and if this seems too short, you may want to choose a countertop version instead.

Many coolers have buttons or taps to press to dispense the water, but others have paddles that can be pressed with your glass, reducing the amount of physical contact.

Some higher-end models might have sensors to automatically dispense the water when a glass is present. If you want to keep the cooler as contact-free as possible, a sensor or paddle is a good choice.