Last updated July 2026
If you're looking for an office water cooler, Aqua Chain is a name you'll come across — a supplier that's been at it since 1995 and has the classic cooler down to a fine art. Aquablu approaches the same problem differently: not a standalone cooler, but a single smart tap that pours filtered, chilled and sparkling water, with flavours and usage data on top.
Both put clean drinking water on the floor. The difference is in what you're actually installing and how you run it. This page puts the two side by side, honestly, so you can choose based on your team rather than a sales pitch.
First things first: which type of water cooler do you actually want?
"Water cooler" covers three different things, and choosing between them often matters more than choosing between brands.
A bottled water cooler runs on sealed spring-water bottles and needs nothing more than a socket. Handy where there's no water supply, but you're tied to bottle stock, storage and lugging them about. A mains-fed (plumbed-in) water cooler connects straight to the water supply and filters tap water on the spot: unlimited water, no bottles, a lower carbon footprint. And then there's the smart water dispenser — effectively a mains-fed cooler plus, with sparkling, flavours and connectivity in one unit.
Aqua Chain supplies the first two, plus tabletop models. Aquablu sits in the third category. That's where the comparison gets interesting: do you want a familiar cooler with plenty of hands-on service, or a complete hydration system that goes beyond cold water from a tap?
Managed service
Funded scale-up
When Aqua Chain is the better choice
Aqua Chain is strong at what it's done for thirty years, and that deserves a fair hearing. If you simply want a reliable bottled or mains-fed cooler at a keen rental price, they're a solid bet. The service is local and personal: their own engineers who know your site, faults sorted within a day, and a real adviser on the phone rather than a menu.
What a lot of businesses value is being billed in arrears — you pay for filters, servicing and installation after they're delivered, with no prepaid service packages. For a site with no water connection, a construction site, or a small office that just wants cold water, a bottled cooler is a sensible, economical choice. And if working with an independent supplier rather than an international holding matters to you, that's exactly what Aqua Chain is built on.
When Aquablu is the better choice
Aquablu gets interesting the moment "cold water from a cooler" isn't enough. One tap pours still, chilled and sparkling water, with functional flavours and vitamins on top — replacing not just the water cooler but often the fizzy drinks and cans in the kitchen too.
For teams with sustainability targets, the plastic impact counts: at Schiphol, the REFILL system replaced more than 1.5 million single-use bottles. And because the unit is connected, you can see usage per site instead of guessing when a filter's due.
For modern, design-led offices that treat hydration as part of wellbeing — and want one supplier for water, sparkling, flavour and data — a classic cooler simply does too little.
Ready to choose?
If you already know you want more than cold water from a bottle, book a demo of the Aquablu REFILL+ and see the unit for yourself. Still weighing up bottled, mains-fed or a smart dispenser? Request a no-obligation quote based on your team size and we'll work the usage out for you.
Real Numbers. Real Offices.
Bas Drogtrop
Country Manager & Partner, Insider
01
What's the difference between a water cooler and a smart water dispenser?
A classic water cooler gives you cold (and sometimes hot) water, from a bottle or the mains. A smart water dispenser like Aquablu does that too, but adds sparkling water, functional flavours, vitamins and usage data in a single unit.
02
Is Aquablu more expensive than an Aqua Chain water cooler?
A bare rental cooler from Aqua Chain has a lower entry price. Aquablu prices on team usage and delivers more per tap; the fair comparison isn't cooler-for-cooler, but the total cost of water, sparkling, flavour and bottle waste combined.
03
Does Aquablu run off the mains, like a plumbed-in water cooler?
Yes. Aquablu connects to the mains and filters the tap water on site, so there's no bottle logistics — much like a mains-fed water cooler, but with more ways to serve it.
04
Can I switch from Aqua Chain to Aquablu?
Yes. Plan the switch around your current notice period; book a demo or request a quote and we'll line up the rollout so your team isn't without water for a day.
05
Does Aquablu do sparkling and hot water too?
Sparkling: yes, from the tap. Hot water available on the REFILL+ Series 2
Want to know how Aquablu stacks up against other office water dispensers, water coolers, and office water taps?
Check out these comparisons:
Filtered water
with natural flavors.
Smart hydration alongside a filtered water tap.
Smart hydration
for your office
Smart hydration
for your office
Our mobile demo unit comes to your office. Try all the flavors, see how the system works, then decide.