5 Best Evaporative Coolers in 2023 [Tested and Reviewed]

The Indoor/Outdoor Evaporative Air Cooler by air conditioner maker Jmatek's Honeywell brand keeps only the vital features so it can deliver a powerful air current. Boasting three large pads, its cooling power is second to none. After running it for 30 minutes, the temperature in the room dropped to 73.9 degrees with humidity of 58.8 percent. The heat index also dropped two levels from "hot" to "warm." We could tell immediately after walking back into the room just how much cooler it had become, so you can expect this evaporative cooler to be highly effective. It also produced a strong air current so you can stand right in front of it for instant relief.

This cooler can be connected to a hose for continuous water supply, and with a large 16-gallon tank, you won't need to frequently refill it even if you aren't using a hose. And finally, you'll be glad to hear the water inlet is on the top of the unit, meaning you won't need to bend over again and again to refill the water. On the downside, this cooler doesn't come with any additional features like a timer or remote control. It's best used for spaces like your living room, garage, or patio, where you won't need to turn it on and off frequently.

The amount of energy it consumed was similar to that of an industrial fan. It's much cheaper than using an air conditioner, so we can confidently recommend it to people who want to keep their electric bill in check. The tradeoff for its powerful breeze, however, is the amount of noise it produces. The lower setting made 66.8 decibels of noise, with the highest setting getting up to 68.9 decibels. It's enough noise to make conversation difficult even on the lower setting, so it's not the best choice for people who value peace and quiet in their living room, and would definitely interrupt your sleep.

But even so, it's still highly praiseworthy for its excellent cooling power, the ease with which it can be refilled, and low energy consumption. This evaporative cooler gets our highest recommendation for surviving hot summer days in dry regions.

Pushing itself as able to maintain a cool breeze for a full four hours straight is the Portable Evap Cooler by Hessaire, a fan and air conditioner producer based in Cullman, Alabama. This cooler uses three large water pads. The temperature in the room came down to 73.7 degrees and the humidity to 48 percent after 30 minutes, with the heat index at "warm." Used in a dry climate, this cooler will certainly let you forget just how hot it is outside.

But compared to the evaporative cooler that took first place, this one has a relatively smaller water tank at just 10.3 gallons. The water inlet is near the bottom of the unit, which means you would have to bend over repeatedly if you were to refill it manually. But it is compatible with a hose for continuous water supply, so if you've got a faucet to connect it to, the size of the tank shouldn't bother you. This cooler had the largest energy consumption out of all the products we looked at, but even so, it's still significantly less than what an air conditioner uses, which people who want to save on their electric bill in the summer will appreciate.

But remember that powerful cooling ability doesn't come without noise. The stronger setting on this cooler produced 66.4 decibels of noise and the lower setting produced 62.3 decibels, both of which would interrupt normal conversation in a smaller room. But the large size of the unit means you probably wouldn't use it in your bedroom to begin with; it's best used in a spacious living room, patio, or garage.

As long as you can connect it to a water supply with a hose, this cooler is just as easy to use as our number one choice. And with its cheaper price, you'll get the same level of cooling power on a budget. Just make sure you've got the setup for continuous water supply.

Touting its compact size as its claim to fame, Hessaire's Portable Evaporative Cooler has a handle on top so you can easily carry it around from room to room. While it doesn't use as many pads as the other, larger products we looked at, they're still big enough to get the job done. After running for 30 minutes, the temperature in the room had come down to 78 degrees and the humidity was at 47.5 percent, with a heat index of "warm." The heat was noticeably more tolerable after the test, and if used in a smaller room it would be more than enough cooling power to stay comfortable.

Even though this is a compact model, it can be attached to a hose for continuous water supply, so if you've got a faucet nearby, there's no need to worry about the tank going empty. We also appreciated that it was light enough to be picked up with one hand, which makes it easy to carry if you want to use it both indoors and outdoors. This cooler used less power than an air conditioner and was comparable to that of a tower fan. But of course its advantage over a tower fan is that you can bring the temperature down in a room, so keep it in mind if you're looking for something with a clear cooling effect that won't send your energy bill through the roof.

We found it produced 60 decibels of noise when on high and 57 decibels on low. You should be able to keep it on in your living room without distraction, but it might be too much to keep it on while sleeping. Finally, it has the benefit of being slim in depth and doesn't take up much space. This cooler is perfect for keeping smaller rooms in your home, like your bedroom or office, cool and comfortable.

Skonyon touts its 3-in-1 Evaporate Air Cooler as being portable and packed with features. It was able to bring the temperature down to 84.2 degrees and the humidity to 21.1 percent after 30 minutes, which is a noticeable change but comes up short when compared to the more powerful products we looked at. The heat index came down one level from "hot" to "very warm." This isn't a significant difference from what you would get simply by opening the windows for ventilation, and we can deduce that the smaller pads didn't vaporize as much water. You can use it to aim a cool breeze on you the same way you would with a fan, but don't expect it to greatly bring down the temperature in the room.

The tank only holds up to 0.8 gallons, and it isn't compatible with a hose for continuous water supply. Considering its low cooling power, it isn't meant to be used outdoors. But it has the added convenience of a remote control and a timer which can be set up to seven and a half hours. While it can't produce a very strong breeze, this means it's relatively quiet and uses less energy, only about as much as a small fan would. On the lower setting it made 42.9 decibels of noise and 47.9 on the higher setting, which most people could sleep through. But considering that it won't make your room much cooler to begin with, you'll need to think carefully about whether it's really worth bringing into your home.

The Portable Evaporative Air Cooler Fan with LED Display and Remote Control by Skonyon is intended for indoor use and claims to disperse negative ions. Even after running it for 30 minutes on its highest setting, we still didn't feel a large dip in the temperature. We measured the room temperature at 87.1 degrees with 17 percent humidity and a heat index of "very warm". We could feel the difference compared to the other products we tested the moment we walked into the room. It's unlikely you'll be able to cool down an entire room with one of these running.

The water tank is small and can't be connected to a hose, but it did have some other features that gave it a high score for ease of use. It has a remote control, the timer can be set for up to 12 hours, and on top of that it was the only product we looked at with a detachable water tank, so you can fill it up directly at the sink. The amount of energy consumed by this cooler is more or less the same as a common fan. But be aware that its cooling power isn't significantly greater than that of a fan, either.

Although its cooling ability is low, it was able to produce a reasonably strong wind current, with 57.4 decibels of noise produced on its lower setting and 62.1 decibels on the higher setting. Despite the inclusion of a remote control, it would be too loud for most people to have on while sleeping.