Best Air Coolers in India - Reviews and Comparison 2021

Cooling pad technology has changed significantly in modern air coolers. Wood shavings and synthetic fibres were used in old air coolers which had low water retention capabilities and required higher maintenance. This includes aspen wood cooling pads as they are also quite fragile.

Honeycomb design cooling pads are used in the modern coolers. This is a durable design with higher water retention capability. This design is slightly higher in range as compared to old technology; however, their cooling efficiency justifies the price. 

Air throw, also known as air delivery, is the key feature of an air cooler. It is the quantity of air cycled in your room every minute, and it is measured in CFM (cubic feet per minute).

A cooler with less air delivery will never cool the room enough, and an air cooler that throws more than required air will shoot up your electricity bill, make more noise and cool the space than needed. Therefore, buy an air cooler with ideal air throw capacity. A simple calculation is required for it.

Suppose your room size is 400 square foot i.e. 20 ft. (length), 20 ft. (width) and 10 ft. (height), then air delivery required is (20*20*10)/2=2000CFM.

Air coolers brand provide air delivery rate in m3/hr. To convert CFM into m3/hr, multiply the value by 1.7. Therefore, for a 400 square foot room, air delivery required is 2000*1.7= 3400m3/hr.

Additionally, the value of air delivery mentioned in air cooler is when the fan is at top speed. Therefore, it is best to buy an air cooler that has twice the minimum air delivery rate mentioned.

Air coolers consume much less power than air conditioners, and therefore, they can be used using an inverter. Not all but yet most of the modern air coolers are inverter compatible. If you experience frequent power cut in your area, then it is advisable to buy an air cooler with the particular feature.

Remote control facility is although rarely available in an air cooler, however, if it is there, give preference to the cooler. It will save your time and energy from getting up and change the settings.

It is a convenient feature as it indicates the level of water in the air cooler. For optimum cooling and efficient performance, air cooler should always have the right amount of water. Most coolers need to be filled manually; however, in some coolers, the auto-fill facility is also there.

Tower shape air cooler is the best choice for those space that has limited carpet area as it saves lots of floor space.

Some air coolers work not only on water but ice as well and they are the ones that come with ice chamber or ice cube tray feature. The ice chamber aims to throw cooler air than water. You can place ice cubes in the ice tray, and the melted ice will mix in the water tank. This ice-cold water will reduce the water temperature, cooler the pads and ultimately cools down the air.

This is one of the essential features and should be considered seriously. Usually, coolers with up to 30 litres water tank capacity need to be re-filled every 4 to 6 hours. This proves to be inconvenient, mainly when the cooler is used overnight. As a result, the pump will run dry and can lead to motor malfunction. Therefore, we suggest air coolers with bigger tank size as they provide cold air for longer hours without the need for re-filling the tank often.

Air coolers are recommended for areas experiencing hot and dry weather conditions. For humid areas, it is best to buy an air cooler with humidity control feature. This feature controls the function of the water pump and ensures that humidity in the room never reaches an uncomfortable level.

Some of the primary reasons behind the breakdown of an air cooler are dry running of water motor or heating up of fan motor or overload. Therefore, it is wise to choose a cooler that comes with safety functions like dry run protection, motor overload protection or thermal overload protection.

Castor wheels, also known as multi-functional wheels, makes the air cooler portable. These are either made of plastic or rubber. Rubber wheels sustain for the long run than plastic wheels. With castor wheels, you can quickly move the air cooler from one room to another. This feature comes handy if you plan to use the same cooler in different places.

Most of the air cooler brands provide one year warranty. Besides this, you should also consider the brand's after-sale support. If the brand has a local service centre, it is cherry on the cake.

Every air cooler has its capacity to cool a specific size of the room. If you install a smaller capacity cooler in a large room, then it will not adequately cool the room. Whereas a cooler with ample capacity will make little space extra cold and not to mention, it will increase your electricity bill. Cooling area to be covered by an air cooler is labelled on a cooler. Typically, 11 litres to 30 litres water tank is fit for 300 sq. ft. room, 31 litres to 50 litres is right for 300-500 sq. ft. space and a cooler with beyond 50 litres water tank capacity will suffice for beyond 500 sq. ft. room.

Also, take air throw feature into account. Air throw quantity is directly proportional to the room area; therefore, more the area, higher should be the CFM.

Until and unless an air cooler has the dry run feature, it needs some water to run. An empty tank alarm indicates by making beep noise that the level of water has decreased to the basic level and its time to re-fill the water tank. If you let the cooler run empty, it will damage the motor.

Don't forget to check the power usage of the air cooler—the lower the watts, the lesser power consumption. Anything up to 220 W is good. Power consumption is usually mentioned on the sides of the cooler.

• Clean the dust

Mostly, air coolers die fast because of the non-cleaning of the dirt particles that have accumulated over several years. By keeping your cooler clean not only you will enhance its life but performance as well. Use a clean cloth and even soapy water for thorough fan cleaning. Put cooling pads under the running tap water to get rid of the dust.

• Store it properly

It is not enough to drain the water when you are not using the air cooler. It needs to be stored properly. Switch off the power supply, remove the chord from the plug and drain the water from the tank by running just the fan without a water pump. Now, clean the cooler from outside using cloth and soap water. After thorough cleaning is done, cover it and store it.

• Keep an eye on wiring and insulation

An air cooler might need water to run, but that nowhere means you will keep it near a puddle of water, as that can damage the appliance, and make it prone to electrical shock. Also, ensure that there are no loose wires around the air cooler, there are no water leaks, and the insulation is in healthy condition.

• Take care of the motor

Air cooler's motor condition is directly proportional to cooler's performance. A great motor makes a great cooler and ensure that your room remains cool. This is an easy task. Put 2 to 3 drops of good lubricating oil in white oil nipple given on motor's body as and when required. Make sure not to spill that oil in any other parts of the air cooler.

• Position the air cooler in front of the window. It will ensure faster evaporation in case of hotter air and fan will blow the cooler air.

• Keep the windows of the room open for proper ventilation and to keep the humidity low. Also, don't keep the window too wide as that will become an obstacle in cooling down the room temperature.

• If your air cooler has an ice chamber, use the same to lower down the temperature further.

• Clean the cooler in case there is any foul smell as that will increase cooler's life.

• Keep cooling pads and fan blades of the air cooler clean to ensure its better working.

• Check for any leakages.

Crompton Ozone 55-litres desert air cooler is the best portable air cooler. Besides the brand, its modern design and the dash of turquoise hue makes it people's favourite. With 55 litres water tank capacity, it is intended for space up to 550 square foot.

Water drain plug for easy cleaning is its USP. Also, you don't have to worry about filling the water tank, thanks to auto-fill provision. Its 4-way air deflection and 4500 m3/hr air delivery keep a room cold from corner to corner. The ice chamber feature is cherry on the cake as it ensures you get more cooling air always.

The Marvel + air cooler model of Cello comes with remote control and you can, therefore, change the speed of the fan without moving from your place. The water level indicator is missing, but 60 litres water tank promises that cooler will not run out of the water any time soon. Also, manufacturers have installed an alarm, so whenever cooler needs water, the alarm will send the indication. You can also set the timer just as you do in an air conditioner.

Additionally, all the advanced and required feature are present in it like oscillating louvres, honeycomb cooling pad, turbo cooling, to name a few. 

Havells air cooler boasts of advanced cooling features and low noise fan. Therefore, it is a complete package with an ice chamber, water level indicator and remote control. The power consumption is on the higher side- 220 W. The reliable air delivery of 3500 m3/hr along with ice chamber feature, your room gets cool air till the corners.

The three side honeycomb pads ensure no dust particle enters the room along with air and fully collapsible louvres keep dirt away from entering inside the cooler. Thanks to auto-fill feature, no need to fill the water tank manually.

Due to no humidity controller, it is best to use Havells Celia during the hot and dry climatic condition. As compared to other air coolers, its castor wheels come with brakes in front. And the cord winding station ensures electric cord is stored in a clutter-free way.

This is our 'best value' air cooler as it has all the necessary features required to cool a room of up to 150 square foot. This air cooler is the small, lightweight and least expensive. Its capacity is 36 litres and comes with air delivery of 1800 m3/hr. The latest cooling pad technology- honeycomb- has been used in it for effective cooling. It is an inverter compatible cooler and operates at 100 W power.

Its plastic body is rust free and gives the air cooler longer life. Besides, lightweight, the four castor wheeler makes it easy to move it from one space to another. It doesn't have dry run protection; however, the water level indicator feature ensures cooler's pump never runs dry. The thermal overload protector saves Bajaj Patini from burning due to overheating.

Voltas Mega 70 Desert Cooler can adequately cool a room of up to 480 square foot. by providing strong air delivery with 70-litres water tank capacity. All units of the air cooler do a perfect job of air cooling, be it honeycomb pad media, oscillating swing control or turbo air throw. It is a fan-based air cooler and has three-speed controls. It is inverter compatible and has castor wheels for easy and quick mobility. The water level indicator adds life to your cooler by ensuring it never operates without water.

One of the significant issues with water cooler remains filling them frequently, but with 70 litres capacity, you hardly face that problem. You can use it overnight without worrying about the fact that the pump is running dry. Besides, it has unmatched aesthetic and robust wheels for hassle-free mobility.

Symphony Siesta upbeats the air cooler market with dura pump and i-Pure technology. The multistage air purification is its USP via which it delivers the coolest air in the purest form. It uses the aspen wood wool cooling media and calls for extra care while installation. With 160 W power consumption and 230 V operating voltage, it runs at the cost of a fan.

If you need a cooler that will fit in your window unit, this air cooler is the best amongst its counterparts. The 50-litres Orient Electric Magic Cool CW5002B has a rust-free body and 4-way cooling system. It has vertical motorised louvre movement and manual horizontal louvre movement. Besides enough water tank capacity, it also has a water level indicator and auto-fill features ensuring water rank always have sufficient water.

Traditional wood wool cooling pads have been used for cooling purpose. Mosquito & dust protection filter and fragrance chamber ensure pure air is delivered. Inverter support gives uninterrupted cooling. Checkout reviews, features, buying guide and comparison of best air purifier in India.