3 Best Swamp Coolers for Garages

Garages get very hot in the summer. Let’s have a look at the best swamp coolers specifically for garages!

When I looked for garage swamp coolers online, I was actually a bit surprised by the lack of information about garage swamp coolers. I mean, when you look for garage swamp coolers, you want a sturdy, durable, and maintainable device, that will last you for many summers.

You usually don’t care about looks. You don’t want plastic screws. You want a swamp cooler that can take a hit, and which you can easily move around the garage.

This article is about my favorite swamp cooler. And if you know my other articles, you know I prefer durable, honest products over cheap crap that just looks good.

Quick answer: The best swamp cooler for most garages is the Hessaire MC37M. It’s got enough power to cool even spacey garages and it is very durable. The dark greyish material won’t stain, even if you touch it with greasy hands, which makes it perfect specifically for garages.

Additionally, Hessaire is the go-to brand when it comes to swamp coolers for me. They are quality products and will last you many summers!

Most other swamp coolers are low-quality, glossy-white, China-made plastic products. I just can’t imagine them doing a good job in a garage.

I picked 3 different-sized swamp coolers for you. By coincidence, they are all from Hessaire. As soon as I find another good-quality brand, I will add it here. (Shoot me an email if you know one).

Here are my choices:

Swamp cooler recommendations by garage size

Let’s have a look at each of those coolers in a bit more detail, starting the best garage swamp cooler for most cases:

Swamp cooler for regular-size garages (2 or 3 cars)

This Hessaire MC37M swamp cooler (click here to view it on amazon) is my recommended choice for 90% of garages.

It’s got more than enough power for most garages, while not being too big and bulky. It’s a large device, no question, but, I’d say, this one is the sweet spot.

The MC37M blows 3,100 cubic feet of air per minute. That is almost as much as a strong floor fan can blow. However, the swamp cooler forces that much air through the water-soaked sponge, while floor fans blow the air without resistance.

So, this air throughput is already quite impressive. For comparison, other swamp coolers you find online have a square foot per minute (CFM) rating of around 2,000.

Most manufacturers don’t even specify a rating (so you can expect a rating much lower than that).

The maximum power usage is 250W, which is just a fraction of the 800W – 1,000W an air conditioner would require.

According to the manufacturer, this is enough to cool garages up to 750 square feet (70 m²). That’s almost, but not quite, the size of a 4-car garage.

I never fully trust manufacturer information. From my experience, you should always get coolers that can easily cool the space you want to cool. Otherwise, you won’t really notice a cooling effect.

For example, when I picked a portable air conditioner for my living room, I got a cheap one that is barely rated at the size of my living room. As a result, it does not cool at all. Had I just spent $50 more for the right size, I would not have wasted my money.

So, for 4 car garages, I highly recommend you get the larger model (in the next section) instead. 

Continuous water refill

For large projects in the garage, it is always good to not have to refill the water. All Hessaire swamp coolers have a built-in garden hose adapter for continuous water refill.

If you don’t have a garden hose, you can use the 10.3-gallon water tank. It lasts for 3-4 hours of continuous usage. After that, you have to refill the tank.

A full day in the garage (8 hours) would need 2 or 3 refills.

So, I recommend using the hose adapter to have a continuous flow of water.

10.3-gallon water tank for 3-4 hours of use (annoying to refill for longer sessions in the garage).

Sturdy surface material for garages

What really makes the Hessair MC37M perfect for garages is, in addition to the cooling power, the surface material.

It is not a white, glossy surface (as most swamp coolers), but it’s a dark matt gray, which won’t look bad even after months of usage in the garage.

The material is not scratch resistant, because it’s still plastic. However, on the matt surface finish scratches don’t show as much as when you scratch a white, shiny, glossy indoor swamp cooler.

Additionally, dust is not a problem and you can touch the swamp cooler with oily and greasy hands.

I mean, it looks like a robust device designed for workmen. So, you can use it like one.

Most people would probably call Hessaire swamp coolers ugly. But they just fit the needs of a garage.

Most importantly, they just work.

Hessaire is one of the better swamp cooler brands, and this particular model has over 4,400 positive reviews on amazon.

In the garage, you can pick quality over looks. It doesn’t have to blend in with home decor or fit behind your couch or whatever.

Rolling wheels for portability

This garage swamp cooler has rolling wheels. There are some indoor swamp coolers that don’t have wheels.

This one has wheels. In general, this is nothing special, but in the garage, you will likely move it around more depending on where you work.

Most indoor swamp coolers (for living rooms or bedrooms) have wheels too. But some don’t, since you place them in one spot and leave them there for the summer.

Just something to consider.

Swamp cooler for large garages (3, 4, or more cars)

If you have a garage for 3 or more cars, I recommend getting the larger model, the Hessaire MC61M (click here to view it on amazon).

This one is basically the same swamp cooler system as the regular-size garage model I recommended. The only differences are in size and power.

The Hessaire MC61M is designed for large spaces and outputs 5,300 cubic feet of air per minute, which is as strong as a high-velocity fan.

And remember, the MC61M achieves this airflow even though it has to force air through wet sponge!

It consumes 430W of power, so it costs more to run than the other swamp coolers. But 430W to cool large spaces is totally fine. It’s still less than what the smallest air conditioners consume.

At an average electricity price of 23 cents per Kilowatt-hour (kWh) in the US, that amounts to close to 10 cents an hour.

According to the manufacturer’s datasheet, this swamp cooler can cool up to 1,600 sq. ft.

So, that’s more than enough for most garages.

Swamp cooler for small garages (1 or 2 cars)

For small garages, I recommend this Hessaire MC18M swamp cooler (click here to view it on amazon).

Just like the larger swamp coolers, this one comes with a built-in garden hose adapter. And if you don’t have access to water, you can run this swamp cooler off the 4.8-gallon water tank for 3-4 hours.

Bonus tip: Swamp cooler cover to keep dust and insects away

If you want your swamp cooler to last you a long time, take care of it.

I recommend getting this Hessaire cooler cover (click here to view it on amazon) along with the cooler.

It protects the swamp cooler from dust (e.g. if you do woodwork in your garage). But also, it keeps insects and other animals away. You don’t want a wasp nest in your cooler.

Summary

That’s it. You are set for cooling your garage!

My favorite is the Hessaire MC37M as it fits most common garage sizes along with the protective cover.

Hessaire swamp coolers are simply the best choice for garages. They are not “hype” products like other brands. They are simple, robust, and work.

Which is just what we need in a garage.