Choosing The Best Water Cooler For Your Office In 2025

Choosing the best water cooler for your office goes beyond just having a handy water source. You should think about the well-being of your staff, how sustainable your choice of water cooler is, and if it can deliver what you need it to. If you’re looking to add one or more water coolers to your offices in 2025 or need an upgrade to your current water cooler, now is a great time to make that change. Our guide will take you through some of the essential factors so you can make the right choice.

Why have a water cooler in your office?

Investing in a water cooler is a great way to invest in the health, well-being, and hydration of your employees. Clean drinking water is a basic necessity in any office or workplace, so these mighty hydrators comply with key areas of government health and safety legislation. These include:

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states that employers must ensure a safe and healthy working environment, including access to drinking water.
• The Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations 1992 specifies that drinking water must be “wholesome”, readily accessible, and clearly marked for health and safety.

Beyond regulatory compliance with health and safety, a high-quality water cooler is linked with improved focus, productivity, and overall health. On top of this, water coolers are a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic bottled water, helping businesses boost their green credentials.

What different types of water cooler are there?

With a range of water cooler options and models available for all office sizes, from bottled to mains-fed dispensers, it’s important to check which is the best water dispenser for your office and the needs of your team. Here’s a breakdown of the water cooler options available:

Bottled water coolers

Slimline floorstanding bottled water coolers are popular for offices, annexes, or factory workshops without access to a mains water supply. They need only a plug socket to operate and use large water bottles of naturally filtered, pure spring water, which are regularly replaced. If you’re really tight for space, there are even space-saving countertop options available.

Why choose a bottled water cooler?

• Easy to install and relocate wherever needed
• Ideal for small offices or work areas with limited plumbing
• Needs only a standard 13amp plug socket or chilled water
• Floorstanding or countertop models available

Things to think about

• Do you have storage space for bottle deliveries and empties to be collected?
• What’s the environmental impact of plastic bottles and their transportation?

Mains-fed water coolers

Mains-fed water coolers are a seamless fit for larger offices with high footfall and usage. Every mains-fed system is plumbed directly into your mains water supply to deliver fully filtered mains water with no limits. These water dispensers are also available as freestanding and countertop models, with many offering the latest in touch-sensitive operation.

Why choose a mains-fed water cooler?

• Unlimited water direct from your mains supply
• Can be installed up to 13m away from your water inlet in any direction
• Reduces the need for plastic bottles
• Floorstanding or countertop models available

Things to think about

• Do you want the permanence of a fully plumbed-in water dispenser?
• Would you need your water cooler in another position or area?

There’s no doubt both mains-fed or bottled water coolers can give your team the hydration they need through the day. But the choice of either will come down to your preferences and what will work best in your office or workplace.

What to look for in your water cooler

Whether mains-fed or bottled, when you choose a water cooler for your office, you and your team will probably have some ideas about its performance, what it can do, and what you want from it. Let’s look at some key water dispenser features that could persuade you.

Advanced filtration

If you’re considering a mains-fed water cooler, make sure it provides extra filtration to remove any bad odours, impurities, and other contaminants that may have slipped through the water treatment process. Many coolers will have advanced filtration systems that improve taste and smell and even remove microplastics.

Water temperature

Many water coolers offer a selection of water temperatures to suit everyone’s tastes and preferences. Depending on what you need, you can have a selection that includes ambient, chilled, or hot – perfect for making the office tea or coffee round or having a hot snack for lunch.

Energy efficiency

Nowadays, there’s a growing demand for sustainable and energy-efficient water coolers. Look for features that include an eco mode where the model goes into standby after any inactivity and energy-saving cooling systems, which can improve performance, save energy, and cut costs.

Hygiene protection

Since the COVID pandemic, water cooler hygiene has improved massively, and touchless technology is more popular than ever. Advanced water cooler models come with sensors or foot pedals to reduce physical contact, keeping coolers and hi-touch surfaces clean, bacteria-free, and more hygienic.

Water capacity

Depending on the size of your team, your water cooler’s capacity is something to think about. A water cooler with a 50l/h (litres per hour) capacity is ideal for delivering ambient, chilled, or hot water for large teams whenever it’s required. For smaller teams, choose a smaller capacity, but go large if you think your team will grow.

Bottled vs mains-fed water coolers: comparing costs

If you’re still unsure about which water cooler is right for your office and the benefits it can deliver, one of the key deciding factors for many people is what having a water dispenser will cost them. So, let’s compare the costs between bottled and mains-fed water coolers.

Bottled water coolers

With many using this type of cooler on an ongoing rental basis, you can drive costs down because the initial outlay of buying a unit isn't there. However, rental costs could creep up depending on how much bottled water you use, especially if you need extra deliveries and servicing.

• Upfront Costs: Low if buying as no plumbing is required.
• Ongoing Costs: Monthly rental and servicing, and bottle deliveries.
• Best choice for: Smaller offices or temporary work spaces with no plumbing.

Mains-fed water coolers

Initial costs can be high if you buy this type of cooler upfront, and you’ll also need to pay for the plumbing. However, like their bottled counterparts, mains-fed water dispensers are available to rent on a rolling, monthly basis with no water deliveries for long-term cost-effectiveness.

• Upfront costs: High if buying due to installation and plumbing.
• Ongoing costs: Monthly rental and servicing, and filter changes.
• Best choice for: Larger offices with high use demand.

Making the right water cooler choice for your office

Besides costs, choosing the best water cooler for your office in 2025 will come down to understanding your team’s needs and finding the right balance between convenience, flexibility, and ease of use. Think about the features, position, and maintenance requirements to make sure you have the right water cooler that keeps your team hydrated and happy.

Ready to upgrade your office with the best in water cooler technology? Call the Thirsty Work customer service team today on 01392 877 172 or email hello@thirstywork.com for your free quote or to start your 10-day free trial to find the ideal water cooler for your office.