For those in hot, dry climates, the best evaporative cooler for whole house cooling can provide cost-effective relief across your entire home. Unlike traditional AC units, portable evaporative coolers (or “swamp coolers”) use water evaporation to chill the air, adding refreshing humidity and using far less energy.
Below is a comparison of top-rated whole-house portable evaporative coolers with their key specifications, followed by in-depth reviews and a buying guide to help you choose the right model.
| Product | Cooling Capacity (CFM) | Tank Size | Coverage Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hessaire MC61M Portable Evaporative Cooler | 5,300 CFM | 14.6 gal | 1,600 sq ft |
| Hessaire MC37M Portable Evaporative Cooler | 3,100 CFM | 10.3 gal | 950 sq ft |
| Honeywell CO60PM Indoor/Outdoor Swamp Cooler | 2,471 CFM | 15.9 gal | 1,643 sq ft |
| Dial 3500 CFM 3-Speed Evaporative Cooler | 3,500 CFM | 13.2 gal | 1,000 sq ft |
| VAGKRI 2100 CFM Portable Air Cooler | 2,100 CFM | 8 gal | 700 sq ft |
| NewAir 1600 CFM Evaporative Cooler | 1,600 CFM | 3.2 gal | 1,076 sq ft |
| OEMTOOLS 23969 High-Performance Swamp Cooler | 5,300 CFM | 14.6 gal | 1,600 sq ft |
#1 Hessaire MC61M Portable Evaporative Cooler
The MC61M Hessaire is a powerhouse portable evaporative cooler engineered for whole-house cooling.
With a high airflow of 5,300 CFM, it’s capable of lowering temperatures in spaces up to 1,600 sq ft, making it ideal for large living areas, workshops, or even small homes.
This unit features three high-density honeycomb cooling pads (one on each side) to maximize evaporation efficiency.
Its 14.6-gallon water tank allows for several hours of continuous cooling, and a built-in float valve lets you attach a garden hose for automatic refills—great for all-day use without monitoring the water level.
The Hessaire MC61M is designed for use both indoors and outdoors.
Its housing, made out of UV-resistant polypropylene, holds up well to sun exposure and the kind of near-constant use that can really test any piece of equipment.
It has a 3-speed fan with simple rotary dials for controlling the airflow, which means you can adjust it to better suit your space (feed it low for whispering quiet, medium for sort of quiet, and high for impressive, room-filling power).
Portability is another strength of the MC61M.
At a weight of around 56 lbs, with a dry weight of 56 lbs, and on sturdy casters that make it easy to roll from room to room or out to the patio, this air cooler also has a durable construction and stays easy to handle.
The MC61M may not be the most premium of Hessaire’s air coolers, but it surely puts in a solid performance with an output that can fill even larger rooms with cool air and do it effectively enough to earn itself a mention as one of the best whole-house evaporative air coolers on some lists.
#2 Hessaire MC37M Portable Evaporative Cooler
The MC37M from Hessaire is a slightly smaller version of the MC61M, but it still offers a powerful fan that generates 3,100 CFM of airflow to cool areas up to around 950 sq ft. That makes it a great option for not just a single large room but also a garage or an easily cooled small one-story home.
Its 10.3-gallon water reservoir allows it to run with just enough water to cool for 3–4 hours. But if you connect it to a standard garden hose, it can run non-stop and nearly worry-free for several days.
This portable swamp cooler is known for its clear, no-frills operation and solid performance.
It has three fan speeds, controlled by dial; a pump switch to activate the evaporative cooling; and oh, the design includes multiple cooling pads (with intake vents on three sides) to maximize air intake and evaporation.
Measured in cubic feet per minute (or CFM, the best metric for airflow performance), this unit pushes 3,100 CFM. Despite its powerful cooling, the unit only draws about 250 watts and is very energy-efficient for whole-house use.
At approximately 40 pounds, the MC37M is easier to move than some of the larger coolers we tested and features heavy-duty caster wheels for good mobility.
Users often place it in a central location or near an open door/window to push cooled air throughout the house.
Noise levels are moderate (~59 dB on high), comparable to a big box fan; quiet enough for outdoor gatherings and acceptable indoors given the volume of air it moves.
#3 Honeywell CO60PM Indoor/Outdoor Swamp Cooler
A portable evaporative air cooler called the Honeywell CO60PM is very well-liked and provides excellent evaporative cooling both indoors and outdoors.
This device has an airflow capability of nearly 2,471 CFM, meaning it can readily satisfy the cooling needs of areas that are 850–1,643 sq ft in size (depending on ambient conditions). It is designed to cool large spaces, including large living rooms, workshops, or even patios.
Besides these indoor possibilities, the CO60PM is built to withstand the kind of conditions you might find deckside or poolside, with a weather-resistant casing and a continuous water supply option.
The Honeywell CO60PM features a three-sided honeycomb construction that permits maximum air intake and evaporation cooling to take place. This is a common construction, but the powerful fan on this machine combined with the honeycomb pads means that this unit cools spaces quickly and distributes that cool air evenly.
One of the best things about this cooler is that it doesn’t have any complicated controls—just a rotary dial for fan speed (3 speeds) and a switch for the pump.
If you set it between 4 and 8, expect some fan noise and wind sound (on par with a big blower) to reach the spaces you want to cool, and the noise level only drops if you turn the fan down or off.
The Honeywell CO60PM has some strong brand backing, a very large water reservoir, and is set up to work both indoors and outside.
For the price, it seems like one of the best whole-house and patio coolers on the market.
#4 Dial 3500 CFM 3-Speed Evaporative Cooler
The Dial 3-Speed Portable Evaporative Cooler (3500 CFM) is a fantastic balance of power and convenience, cooling whole areas of your house with ease.
Built to handle an area of up to 1,000 square feet, it pushes out a good CFM of 3,500, making it crawl (not walk) cool to large, open spaces, your workshop, or as some partial home cooling in dry climates.
This evaporative swamp cooler by Dial is made from tough, UV-stabilized plastic and has a high-efficiency 1/3 HP motor that pushes more air at less power than traditional swamp coolers.
It’s surprisingly quiet even at high speed; low speed acts like a gentle breeze, and for maximum cooling, you would use it at medium speed.
The air is distributed throughout the room because the Dial cooler has side-to-side oscillation; you can also roughly aim it up or down with the manually adjustable horizontal louver.
But most people find that in terms of direct airflow, the cooler above delivers more by just being in the room.
If you’re positioning that cooler above the doorway to a room, while also aiming it down somewhat, that should cover your bases quite well.
#5 VAGKRI 2100 CFM Portable Air Cooler
The VAGKRI 2100 CFM Evaporative Air Cooler is a high-performance option in an affordable category, designed for space up to 600–700 sq ft, which it cools pretty effectively.
That makes it a good choice for a portion of your home (like a living room and adjacent areas) or a very large garage/workshop.
Two things initially won us over with the VAGKRI: its CFM-to-money ratio is impressive; and even in a market segment with more cheapies than quality build, this unit felt sturdy and well-made.
Part of that perception is due to its usage of multiple fan speeds, which isn’t a feature you often encounter in this price range.
One of the strong suits of the VAGKRI air cooler is the convenience features it offers. It includes a full-function remote control and a digital touch panel, allowing you to change settings from across the room.
You can choose between 3 fan speeds and several mode settings (like normal, natural breeze, or sleep mode) for more customized cooling.
Additionally, the cooler has a 120° oscillation function: internal louvers will automatically swing side-to-side to spread the cool air over a wider area, which is great for whole-room coverage.
At around 20–25 pounds, it’s lighter than some heavy-duty models, and built-in caster wheels make it easy to move.
It also has a timer (up to 24 hours) so you can set it to turn off automatically—useful for nighttime use.
In terms of noise, users report that it’s fairly quiet on low and moderate on high, comparable to the sound of a large fan.
The VAGKRI 2100 CFM cooler provides a compelling combination of mobility, feature-rich controls, and solid cooling capacity for those seeking whole-house comfort on a budget.
#6 NewAir 1600 CFM Evaporative Cooler
The NewAir 1600 CFM Evaporative Cooler is a compact but powerful cooler that can handle areas of around 950 to over 1,000 sq ft, making it well-suited for large rooms, apartments, or serving as supplemental whole-house cooling.
With a 1,600 CFM fan and NewAir’s CycloneCirculation™ technology, this swamp cooler is designed to efficiently distribute air and cool spaces outdoors or indoors up to around 1,076 sq ft.
It has a smaller 3.16-gallon removable water tank that makes for quick refills and quick cleanups.
While NewAir says this unit can work continuously like a whole-house fan, in my experience, the fan isn’t quite strong enough for that, but it is a great tent fan with really good airflow.
Also, if you want to make this swamp cooler really work, make sure you have the top-loading ice compartment filled with ice and also make sure to keep the water tank full.
The NewAir cooler excels in portability and user-friendliness.
Despite its powerful functionality, it’s designed to be as lightweight as possible—especially when empty—and comes equipped with easy-roll casters, so moving it to different parts of your home or onto the patio is a breeze.
Once you’re set up, you can control the machine with the included remote, which lets you adjust the three fan speeds (with its cyclone-like airflow, the EC-160S is comparable to the low setting on a large box fan), oscillation, and a 10-hour timer from the comfort of your chair and across your patio space.
#7 OEMTOOLS 23969 High-Performance Swamp Cooler
The 23969 OEMTOOLS swamp cooler is a high-performance, portable machine capable of whole-house cooling. It is perfect for use in workshops, barns, and garages.
This unit’s obscene 5,300 CFM airflow makes it suitable for cooling spaces up to 1,600 sq ft. This is essentially right on par with the top-end Hessaire coolers when it comes to sheer power and tank size—this unit has a 14.6-gallon tank and can run for over four hours on high before you have to refill it.
A hose connection and built-in float valve allow for continuous operation. The unit itself is tough enough to work in commercial environments, though you can use it just as well on your patio or in circulation through your living space.
Convenience and performance are what really set this cooler apart. And these thoughtful features go well beyond just the basics.
For one, it has this cool little louver system that automatically oscillates left to right and back again to spread the cool air broadly. (Not all high-CFM coolers have this fancy feature.) Along with the powerful airflow, the oscillation ensures much more uniform cooling across a large area than a stationary unit could manage.
The surface on top is a utility tray that’s large enough to hold some tools or whatever else you want close at hand while working in your garage or shop.
From there, you can adjust the speed with simple ON/OFF and 3-speed control knobs or activate the evaporative cooling pump.
And what about the noise?
Well, with a unit this size and with this much power, you’re going to hear it. I’d say it’s a little less annoying than a jet coming in for landing, but you could use it to give a wide space a thorough cooling in the same way a jet could do.
And like a jet, using power like that makes it a substantial machine.
At 57 pounds empty, it could serve as part of your home’s strength workout. And though it has wheels, using it on the second floor of your house is not part of the good life.
Roll it out on the patio, into the yard, or just stay close to ground level when using this machine.
Users consistently report that the specific model of the cooler not only works great for very dry conditions but also performs up to or beyond moderately cool expectations (it will cool a space from the mid-90s down into the low 80s—or high 70s—if you use it in the right way).
Buying Guide: Key Features for Choosing a Whole-House Evaporative Cooler
When buying the ideal swamp cooler for whole-house or whole-room cooling, it’s important to understand the features and specifications that determine how well a unit will perform in your space.
Swamp coolers suitable for whole-house (or whole-room) use come in all sorts of sizes and designs. They also have various features that could make or break their performance when put to the test in your home.
Don’t miss the next factors to consider that could help you select the ideal unit for your environment. They’ll ensure you choose one that has the best chance to meet your needs.
Tank Size & Water Capacity
The size of the water tank in an evaporative cooler directly affects how long the unit can run before it needs to be recharged.
Generally, a cooler that’s designed for whole-house use has a pretty big water reservoir (anywhere from about 5 gallons to 15+ gallons). And generally, the bigger the tank, the more “run time” you have—often several hours (4 to 8) of continuous cooling—before you have to stop and refill.
So that’s the positive side.
The negative side is:
A full tank adds to the unit’s overall weight (1 gallon of water equals about 8 pounds), so if you’re planning to use a sizable swamp cooler, be prepared for at least a somewhat strenuous effort to move the thing to wherever you need it to go.
And if you’re not moving it, just remember that swamp coolers with larger tanks are kinda like having really big plant watering cans.
If you require uninterrupted whole-house cooling, a portable evaporative cooler with continuous fill capability is a feature worth looking for.
Many high-end portable coolers come with either a garden hose adapter or an auto-refill float valve (similar to the type used in a toilet tank). If you have your model set up for continuous fill, you can hook it up to your standard garden hose and have it pouring into the cooler all day long (or all summer long, if you’re using your model seasonally) without the risk of overfilling and with no need for you to do any manual refilling.
On the contrary, if you only use your cooler when it’s set to run intermittently day and night, you can get by just fine without this feature.
This is just one handy way of using these models that tend to price at the higher end of the spectrum.
In contrast, tanks holding less than 5 gallons will necessitate much more frequent fulsome refreshment.
That is a certainty with compact evaporative coolers and those models whose very selling point is room-to-room portability.
But units of this type also pose another question of convenience: how easy are they to refill? Is the unit equipped with a top-loading water/ice compartment? A removable tank? A fill inlet that is next to none?
Ease of refilling becomes important if you have to do it multiple times a day.
Airflow (CFM) & Cooling Power
Cubic Feet per Minute (CFM) is the key metric that indicates how much airflow and cooling capacity a cooler has.
It actually measures how much air the fan can blow per minute. In general, the higher the CFM, the better the cooler is at chilling any given area and doing so quickly.
This is especially important for whole-house or whole-floor applications; even a very high CFM cannot cool effectively if the airflow is not directed where it is needed most.
In this category, evaporative coolers can start around 1,500 CFM and go way up from there; some exceed 5,000 CFM.
To pick the right CFM for you, consider first how big and open the space you want to cool is.
Remember that manufacturers typically provide an approximate coverage area along with the CFM (e.g., “3,100 CFM cools up to 950 sq ft”).
These numbers are arrived at under ideal conditions (low humidity, some ventilation), in which they’re saying, in essence, the air coming out of the cooler is at a certain temperature and moving at a certain speed.
And they’re also assuming that you have, essentially, an open floor plan.
That’s not what most of us have.
And for those of us with a series of partially open to closed rooms or some sort of layout—walls and furniture impede air flow.
Bear in mind that models with higher CFM usually come with larger fans or blowers and more powerful motors, which can translate to more noise and more electricity used (though still far less than what AC units use).
Most larger swamp coolers let you adjust the fan speed to give you more or less airflow.
At maximum fan speed, or at its max CFM output, a swamp cooler is a very powerful device that can give you a lot of cooling.
But you almost never run at that setting, because it’s usually too loud, and because the swamp cooler is a much better device for giving you slightly less cooling at a very comfortable noise level (like at mid-range fan speeds).
Coverage Area
The coverage area specification (usually given in square feet) tells you the maximum space the The specification for coverage area (usually in square feet) tells you the space the company thinks the cooler can effectively chill.
For whole-house portable coolers, coverage areas seem to start around 500 sq ft and go up to 1,600+ sq ft.
When looking at this number, think about not just your house but also the way air moves in your house.
Evaporative coolers don’t work that well in homes with lots of rooms and not much airflow (doors and hallways).
To get the most out of an evaporative cooler, you need to think about fans, airflow, and, if necessary, more than one cooler.
The estimated listed coverage area is under optimal conditions, and it’s important to understand that this is just an estimate.
You can live in areas with an extremely arid environment, like the desert Southwest, where you can sometimes meet or exceed the listed coverage.
That’s because the environment here is so specialized: the combination of very high daytime temperatures and very low nighttime temperatures creates the perfect scenario for evaporative cooling.
In this part of the country, we have nearly 90 days a year where the average temperature is more than 100 °F, and a combination of days with low humidity and wind makes it feel much hotter.
It’s a perfect environment for evaporative cooling to work its magic.
Pro Tip by PickHVAC:
For optimal coverage throughout your home, place the cooler by an open window or external door located on the side of the house where you want to pull in cool air.
Then, open the windows in the rooms farthest from the cooler and on the opposite side of the house to the cooler.
This will generate a flow-through effect allowing the cool air to reach the farthest corners of your home.
Meanwhile, the hot air that was already in those rooms is now flowing out instead of just sitting stagnant and causing the intake-side of the whole-house system to work twice as hard.
Ultimately, you also need to factor in where you can even use the cooler, which breaks down into three categories: for indoor use, for outdoor use, and for both.
Quite a few whole-house portable swamp coolers are actually designed to work in both situations; they have sturdy casters and housing but, as with any cooler, need sufficient ventilation in order to work well
You might think of outdoor use as requiring a larger range because these units can be used to cool down a semi-enclosed space like a patio, but many of these units have a significantly less indoor effective range.
