2025’s Best Data Center Cooling Systems For Efficient IT Infrastructure

Data centers are equipped with very complex and advanced technology, one of which is their cooling systems.

In a data center, cooling systems are responsible for removing the heat produced by devices. This heat must be removed to prevent full-blown outages and to keep devices functioning properly. According to ASHRAE (American Society of Heating), data centers should maintain a temperature between 64°F and 81°F (18°C and 27°C) at all times. 

The costly consequence of cooling failures is driving a huge growth in the data center cooling market, which is expected to grow from $16.56 billion in 2025 to 34.51 billion by 2029, an increase of 108%.

This raises the question: which data center cooling systems are the best and how to choose one for your IT infrastructure?

We’ve created this article to answer that! Below, we’ve looked at the key considerations when selecting a data center cooling system and listed the best options available.

3 considerations for selecting a high-quality data center cooling system

Before purchasing a data center cooling system, you should be aware of the:

• Different data cooling systems
• The initial cost and maintenance fees
• The environmental impact

Below, we’ve explained each of these considerations in more detail.

1. Know the leading data center cooling systems

The types of data center cooling systems range from more traditional air conditioning to more advanced hybrid or evaporative cooling systems.

The main cooling systems we recommend include:

• Air-based cooling systems
• Liquid (direct-to-chip) cooling systems
• Immersion cooling systems
• Evaporative cooling systems
• Free cooling systems
• Hybrid cooling systems

The best option depends on your budget, the scale of your data centre, and any specifications you might have.

2. Estimate initial cost and cost of maintenance

When purchasing a data center cooling system, you have two types of costs to account for:

1. Capital cost: The initial purchase price
2. Operational cost: Operating costs, such as energy consumption, maintenance, and repairs.

Many experts on the topic agree that 75% of the total cost of ownership is operational costs, and only 25% goes to the purchase cost and implementation.

3. Account for the environmental impact

With upcoming environmental regulations (likely to be announced at some point), data center cooling systems must consider their environmental impact.

When choosing your cooling system, consider:

• Using green cooling technologies that minimize environmental footprint
• Using eco-friendly refrigerants (if you have a liquid system)
• Choosing options with built-in efficiency
• Having a scalable solution that enables growth without needing to replace the entire system

The 6 best (& most effective) data center cooling systems for 2025

Next, let’s look at the best cooling systems for data centers. 

After looking at customer reviews and comparing the best data center cooling system providers, we found out that the six best are:

1. Uniflair CRAC – Best air-based cooling
2. Vertiv™ CoolChip CDU – Best liquid cooling system for data centers
3. LiquidStack Two Phase Immersion – Best immersion cooling system for data centers
4. Liebert EFC Indirect Evaporative – Best evaporative cooling system for data centers
5. Stulz CyberAir 3PRO CW – Best free cooling system for data centers
6. Rittal Liquid Cooling Package – Best hybrid cooling system for data centers

We categorized them into six categories (as you can see above) so you can make the optimal choice for your IT setup.

1. Uniflair CRAC – Best air-based cooling for data centers

Air-based cooling systems, such as the Uniflair CRAC are commonly used for data center temperature regulation. It works by circulating cool air through server rooms and expelling hot air generated by IT equipment.

Air-based cooling systems can be divided into CRAC (Computer room air conditioning) and Computer room air handlers (CRAHs), and Uniflair CRAC is equipped with CRAC as the name implies. Using refrigerants, it cools and distributes the air throughout the data center to maintain optimal temperatures.

2. Vertiv™ CoolChip CDU – Best liquid cooling system for data centers

Liquid (direct-to-chip) cooling systems, such as the Vertiv CoolChip CDU, use pipes to deliver coolant directly to heat-generating components, such as CPUs and GPUs. Liquid cooling is much more efficient than air-based cooling, especially in high-density data centers with heat-generating workloads (e.g., AI, machine learning, HPC, cryptocurrency mining). 

Liquid cooling systems use less space than air-based systems, which frees up valuable floor space. The main downside of liquid cooling systems is the high initial cost. Vertiv CoolChip CDU provides accurate temperature control, intelligent flow monitoring, leak detection, and flexible deployment options.

3. LiquidStack Two Phase Immersion – Best immersion cooling system for data centers

As LiquidStack says, their Two Phase Immersion cooling tanks are some of the most efficient cooling solutions on the market, reducing space by 90% while being energy efficient. In a two-phase immersion cooled system, electronic parts are submerged in dielectric heat transfer liquid, which conducts heat better than air, water, or oil. 

Similarly to direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems, immersion cooling relies on liquid as its primary cooling medium. While direct-to-chip cooling uses a small volume of coolant (typically refrigerant or water), immersion cooling uses large quantities of dielectric fluid, which can be costly and requires careful handling.

4. Liebert EFC Indirect Evaporative – Best evaporative cooling system for data centers

Another option from Vertic, the Liebert EFC Indirect Evaporative is an evaporative (also called adiabatic) cooling system that works on the principle of water evaporation, cooling the air to a comfortable temperature. During evaporative cooling, water evaporates in a stream of air and becomes a gas. As part of this process, heat is derived from the air; consequently, the air is cooled.

According to Vertic, their Liebert EFC Indirect Evaporative is ideal for large data centers and cloud server hosting. It is equipped with industry-leading technology, including its indirect air-to-air heat exchanger.

5. Stulz CyberAir 3PRO CW – Best free cooling system for data centers

Stulz CyberAir 3PRO CW offers both air and water-based cooling. To help reduce energy costs, it uses a free cooling system that relies on cold air to dissipate heat, which makes it popular in colder regions with low temperatures throughout the year. 

According to Stulz, the CyberAir 3PRO CW’s three most important benefits are its maximum cost savings, highly efficient air conduction, and a maximum cooling capacity.

6. Rittal Liquid Cooling Package – Best hybrid cooling system for data centers

Hybrid cooling systems, such as the Rittal Liquid Cooling Package (LCP) use two or more (such as air and liquid) cooling systems. The fans’ spinning air assists the liquid cooling, which still performs most of the cooling.

The Rittal LCP Hybrid rack contains a heat pipe and an air/water heat exchanger at the rear, guaranteeing that cool air is directed to server intakes while maintaining a single cold aisle. To better understand how Rittal’s hybrid cooling system works, they have created a great explanation PDF file on it.

Best practices for cooling your data centers

In addition to all the previous tips we gave, the following best practices will help your data center run at an optimal temperature:

• Understand each hardware’s cooling needs (kilowatt draw per cabinet)
• Install servers correctly and point them in the right direction (for optimal airflow)
• Maintain clear aisles and cabinets (for optimal airflow)
• Install side panels and blanking panels (to prevent hot air from being drawn into servers)
• Set alarms correctly (to avoid missing urgent cooling issues or getting overwhelmed by constant nuisance alarms)

With these tips, you can make sure your data center operates efficiently and avoids costly overheating issues!