How to Choose the Right Water Cooler for Your Home or Office

Choosing the right water cooler comes down to your household size, available space, and whether you want filtered water on demand. Here’s a practical guide to the main options.

Browse our full water cooler range or see our Water Coolers Guide.

The Main Types of Water Cooler

Benchtop Water Cooler

Compact units that sit on a kitchen bench. Our Awesome Benchtop Water Coolers use a BPA-free bottle with a built-in 8-stage KDF filter — fill from the tap and the filter does the rest. No plumbing required. Provides filtered hot and cold water on demand.

Best for: 1–3 person households, renters, small kitchens, home offices.

Freestanding Water Cooler

Floor-standing units with a larger water capacity. Same filtered bottle system as benchtop models but suits higher-usage households. Typically includes a child safety lock on the hot tap.

Best for: families of 3–5, shared offices, higher-usage environments.

Bottleless (Mains-Connected) Water Cooler

Plumbed directly into your water supply with an inline filter. No bottles to manage — unlimited filtered water on demand. Browse our bottleless water cooler.

Best for: offices, high-use households, anyone who wants zero bottle management.

Key Buying Considerations

• Filtration: our Awesome Water Coolers include built-in 8-stage KDF filtration — no separate filter system needed
• Hot & cold: most models offer both; check the hot water temperature (aim for 90°C+ for tea and coffee)
• Child safety lock: essential for family homes — prevents accidental burns from the hot tap
• Space: benchtop models suit smaller kitchens; freestanding models need approximately 30cm x 30cm floor space
• Capacity: a family of 4 typically uses a 15L bottle in 3–4 days
• Ongoing cost: replace filter cartridge every 6–12 months; browse our replacement cartridges

Frequently Asked Questions