11 Best Water Dispensers (Review) In 2020

Our best water cooler choice is a bottom loading model, so there is no strain on your back when you need to replace a bottle.

The Avalon A4BLWTRCLR Water Dispenser has been designed primarily with safety in mind as it comes with a child safety lock on the hot water nozzle, is UL certified, and even has a nifty nightlight. This means you can quickly get hot and cold water in the dark without causing spillages or pressing the wrong buttons.

This Brio Self Cleaning Bottom Loading Water Dispenser comes with many of the same features as our best choice Avalon model, but it is noticeably more expensive. Again, safety features highly with this product as it comes with a child safety lock, an empty bottle indicator, a nightlight, and is UL/Energy Star approved.

The additional feature on this machine is the self-cleaning function that uses ozone technology to kill any bacteria that accumulate around the water lines and dispenser. You can activate this function any time you feel like your machine needs sanitizing.

Our best countertop water dispenser also comes from Avalon. If you are tight on space, then this is a great compact model for you, especially as it can hold the smaller 3-gallon water drum if you don’t want to use the bulkier 5-gallon option.

As with the other Avalon model, A11-CTTL Top Loading Countertop Water Dispenser has an attractive stainless steel casing, but the water bottle is not enclosed in a cabinet, so it doesn’t look as smart as the bottom loading water cooler. The visible bottle does, however, mean you can easily see when it is nearly time to replace it.

Our best value choice is an Avalon A1WATERCOOLER A1 Top Loading Water Dispenser. Unlike some of the more expensive products, there is no beautiful chrome or stainless steel casing, so it doesn’t look amazing, but it is still a well-made dispenser.

This water cooler is an excellent choice for offices or homes that are short on space thanks to its slim design, and the touchless paddles are an appealing feature. These paddles mean that you, and everyone else, can operate the cold dispenser without having to touch it, thus improving sanitation. For hot water, you will still need to touch the child safety lock.

Another model from one of the leading brands of water dispensers, the Brio Bottom Loading Water Dispenser is one of the most attractively designed, and the thumbprint resistant plates help to keep it that way. It is a few inches taller than other bottom loading dispensers, but it does have a completely flat top, so if you want to place a small plant or piece of décor on the top to make it look more appealing, you can do.

It has much the same features as the Brio bottom load CLBL520C except it does not come with a self-cleaning ozone function. The drip tray is however removable and rust-resistant, making that part of the cooler very easy to clean with soap and warm water.

Avalon A5 Self Cleaning Water Cooler is a bottleless dispenser, meaning it connects directly to your water pipes and contains two stainless steel water tanks. One for hot water (1litre) and one for cold water (3.6litres). These tanks refill continuously, so you don’t have to worry about running out of filtered water. As there is also no need to replace any bottles, it’s super friendly for the environment.
To make your life even easier, this dispenser also has a self-cleaning function. With the touch of a button, you can activate the ozone cleaning, which removes bacteria and cleans the water tank in as little as 90 minutes.

Our premium pick for the best water dispenser is awash with features. As an example, the Brio Moderna Self Cleaning Bottom Load Water Dispenser has a digital display to show you the temperature of your water, when it is time to change the bottle and other alerts. It even doubles up as a clock. None are essential to the operation of the machine, but they are very nice to have!

The unique feature of this premium unit is that you can determine the exact temperature of your hot and cold water. So if you like your tea at an incredibly hot 190 degrees Fahrenheit, you can preset your hot water function to deliver just that. And if you want your cold water to be 50 degrees, instead of the standard 47 degrees, you can preset that too.

Avalon Limited Edition Self Cleaning Water Dispenser is similar to the bottom loading model, except it also now includes a self-cleaning feature to stop the build-up of any bacteria. This should also help to maintain the dispenser and extend its lifetime. As usual with Avalon products, they are neatly designed with a stainless steel finish, making it a popular choice for those that want a modern, elegant design.

Other standard features are included, such as the nightlight, child safety lock, three different temperatures, and an empty bottle indicator light. It is also UL/Energy Star approved so is a relatively energy-efficient option.

Our budget choice has all the necessary features to make it an effective water cooler dispenser. COSTWAY Top Loading Water Dispenser has only two water temperatures, but you can keep the cold water setting turned off at the back of the machine to produce a room temperature drink if you prefer. This also saves energy.

It has a child lock for hot water and an extra storage cupboard under the drip tray, ideal for disposable cups if you are using this as a dispenser for water in a public setting. It is also easy to remove the drip tray and anti-mite barrel seat so they can be cleaned with soap and water whenever you want.

Farberware FW29919 Freestanding Water Dispenser is compatible with 3 and 5-gallon drums, and while it is relatively compact, by the time you put the large water bottle on the top, it will still take up considerable space.

It produces hot water or cold water, with no room temperature option, but it is incredibly easy to use, and there is virtually no installation required. The hot water tank is quite small, so only provides 2 cups of water before you have to wait for it to be reheated. It heats at a speed of 5 liters per hour.

Brio Self Cleaning Bottleless Water Dispenser is a POU model, cutting out bottles and therefore plastic, making it a smart choice for the environment. In comparison to other POU, it is easy to set up and has four different stages of filtration.

This dispenser uses UV light to kill bacteria. This process is an alternative to ozone cleaning, which uses gas to remove the bacteria. The UV care cleaning system is also running continuously, so you don’t need to set aside time to run the sanitation.