If you’re anything like me, you’re already struggling to cope in the heat. The stuffy morning commute has already become so unbearable that it feels like you’ve been locked inside the sun. I’ve tested more portable fans, air coolers and air conditioners over the years than I can count, all in a bid to stay cool.
While I adore handheld fans, it’s hard to find one that not only lasts beyond a single summer, but actually keeps you icy cool. That’s where Shark’s chillpill comes in. Launched in March, it’s more than just a fan – it doubles up as a cooling plate and fine mist spray.
I’ve been testing the Shark chillpill since it launched. With temperatures soaring inside my flat and on the tube, could this all-new cooling device be a summer must-have?
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Shark chillpill
Fan speeds: 10
Weight: 350g
Battery life: Up to 11 hours
Why we love it
- Misting spray is fantastic
- Love the design
- Great modular system
Take note
- Quite pricey
The chillpill has, let’s say, a rather unique design – it looks a bit like a compact pair of binoculars, with two rounded barrels sitting side by side and connected by a hinge. The smaller barrel houses the controls and charging port, while the larger one contains the motor and interchangeable attachments. There’s a dial around the LED display on the smaller barrel too, letting you crank the fan speed up from one to 10.
You can angle the fan exactly where you want it, or twist it into a right angle and sit it on a desk, using the smaller barrel as a base. Shark also sells accessories, like a crossbody strap (£9.99, Sharkclean.co.uk), so you don’t have to constantly hold it in your hand.
While it’s kind of awkward to hold at first, the tech is actually pretty neat. Unlike most handheld fans, which just blow a nice breeze in your direction, the chillpill uses a modular attachment system – yes, exactly like you’d get with a Shark vacuum.
It ships with the standard fan head attached, but you also get a misting attachment and a cooling plate in the box, so you can swap between them depending on how you want to cool down. The cooling plate is the most power-hungry of the three, lasting around an hour and a half per charge, which makes sense given it’s actively generating a cooling effect. With the fan and misting attachments, you can get up to 11 hours of battery, depending on the speed setting.
With Shark’s experience in airflow, it’s no surprise the fan is seriously powerful – far more so than the cheap handheld ones you’d buy off someone on Oxford Street in July. It does get loud at higher speeds, but that’s the trade-off for that extra punch.
I think the most interesting attachment is the misting spray. You open the lid, fill it up with cold water, then screw it onto the barrel. Turn it on and you get a fine spray of water, along with the airflow. It feels like a cold shower just for your face. Having used it in 23C heat, it’s easily the device’s best feature. The airflow and mist deliver a really refreshing cooling effect, and it makes a noticeable difference compared to a standard handheld fan. That said, while you can turn down the fan speed, it still releases the same amount of water, so it’s easy to get bathed in water if you leave it running continuously.
Thankfully, you can switch between a constant spray and an intermittent mode, which helps rein it in a bit (and saves battery too).
I was most excited about the cooling plate, which is one of the interchangeable attachments designed for direct, contact-based cooling rather than airflow. Once you screw it on, you can choose between two cooling settings, and the metal plate gets noticeably cold to the touch.
It’s great for targeted relief – press it against your neck or wrist and you get an instant cooling effect, but unlike Sony’s reon pocket pro, you have to hold it in place. That makes it less effective for longer, hands-free cooling, even if the sensation itself already feels nice.
Buy now £129.99, Amazon.co.uk
Should you buy the Shark chillpill?
At £130, is the Shark chillpill worth the price? Based on my testing, it’s the most versatile handheld cooling device I’ve ever used. The modular design gives it an edge over standard handheld fans, and the misting feature is absolutely game-changing. The cooling plate isn’t hands-free and battery life varies depending on the attachment, but those are only minor quibbles. As an all-in-one summer device, you can’t get better than the Shark chillpill.
How I tested the Shark chillpill
I’ve tested the Shark chillpill both at home and outdoors in 23C, using all three modes: standard fan, misting spray and cooling plate. I’ve put all 10 fan speeds on blast, tested both constant and intermittent misting modes and used the cooling plate for short bursts of targeted relief on areas like my neck and wrists. I also looked at the battery life and tested to see how easy it was to swap between the various attachments and how practical the design felt, both handheld and when propped up on a desk. Ultimately, I wanted to figure out if it could really keep me cool.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Alex Lee is The Independent’s senior tech critic. He’s an expert when it comes to cooling gadgets, having tried and tested everything from Sony’s wearable fan to the best portable air conditioners and air coolers. Beyond his experience in real-world testing, Alex is the perfect candidate for this test since he runs warm, making him a harsh critic.
