The Hessaire MC18M is a compact evaporative cooler that even manages to outperform some of the larger coolers on the market and can handle up to 500 square feet of outdoor space. While it does offer great cooling power, it does sacrifice some tank volume and will need refilling after three to four hours of continuous use without attaching a hose.
It’s most suitable for outdoor use or larger indoor spaces and it has lots of portability features that make it one of the best portable swamp coolers for moving from space to space.
Hessaire MC18M portable swamp cooler: Pricing and value
The Hessaire MC18M is priced at around $170, so it sits roughly in the middle of the market. While some features come up a little short of those on pricier models, Hessaire has really focused on low energy use and packing in high-performance features to this compact model. It’s estimated to cost only $0.01 per hour to operate and the increased evaporation area means it can pack a cooling punch. Overall, it makes the Hessaire MC18M a great value option.
Hessaire MC18M portable swamp cooler: Features
Hessaire has really focused on performance and energy efficiency in this portable swamp cooler. It uses high-density XeL50 media, which provides 80% more evaporation surface than regular density evaporative material, which when combined with a three-side pad intake area really aids its cooling capacity. From a power point-of-view, the use of an axial propeller means the Hessaire MC18M can throw cool air further, while also being energy efficient. In fact, this swamp cooler offers one of the best cubic feet per minute (CFM) per $ ratio.
While this unit is largely suited to outdoor spaces, Hessaire does note that it can be used in well-ventilated indoor areas. If you do use it indoors, it’s worth noting that it is powerful enough to cool a couple of rooms, but will be a bit much if used in a small room thanks to a high airflow rating of 1,300 CFM.
This swamp cooler is made of strong but lightweight ABS resin, so along with the compact design, durable wheels, and carry-handle, it’s really easy to move from spot to spot to cool whatever space you’re in.
The water tank is smaller than in some other coolers, like the Honeywell CO610PM and Frigidaire FEC1K7GA00, but it doesn’t feel undersized considering its compact design. On a full tank, it can run continuously for about three or four hours, and for longer operation, you can attach a hose.
Controls are simple and easy-to-use. There’s no LED display and you can set the fan and pump speeds with a dial.
Hessaire provides a one-year warranty for this swamp cooler, which is pretty standard.
Hessaire MC18M portable swamp cooler: User reviews
The Hessaire MC18M receives good reviews from users, with an average rating of 4.1 out of five on Home Depot. A number of reviews noted that it was quick and easy to set up as well as powerful enough to cool a wide range of spaces.
A few users found the hose connection to be on the flimsy side, especially after regular use and one noted that it broke after a few months of use. A few customers also found the water opening to be too small and fiddly to use with anything other than a hose.
Noise was mentioned a few times and reviews are quite mixed on this point. One noted that for those looking to use a swamp cooler while they sleep, the Hessaire MC18M is probably too noisy. On reviews where this model was compared to larger units, users found the Hessaire MC18M to be comparatively quieter.
Quite a few reviewers noted that they were apprehensive about the cooling power, considering the compact size, but were pleasantly surprised. The portability was praised a lot and the compact design was really seen as a plus point.
Should you buy the Hessaire MC18M portable swamp cooler?
The Hessaire MC18M may seem small, but it’s surprisingly powerful. It’s particularly suited to garages and outdoor spaces, but can handle a variety of environments. It has some great portability features, so if you’re expecting to move your cooler from place to place, it’s a great option.
For really large spaces, or long periods of operation it is a little lacking and you would be better served upgrading to a swamp cooler like the Honeywell CO610PM. At the other end of the scale, it’s also too powerful for smaller spaces. In those spaces, the NewAir AF-310 would be a better choice and save you some money too.
