With spring here and summer fast approaching, I can’t wait to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. However, to stay cool and avoid overheating as the weather warms up, you'll need a stylish way to beat the sweat.
Cue Shark’s aptly named ‘ChillPill’, a portable cooling fan designed to provide cooling relief wherever you go. This ergonomic and compact device is small enough to fit in a handbag and comes with three different mini attachments, guaranteeing maximum comfort on the move.
Perhaps my favorite feature is the cooling plate, which can be placed directly on the skin, alongside the 10-speed fan and a handy misting attachment. What’s more, this promises cooling for up to 11 hours (on the lowest speed), and comes in a choice of seven vibrant colors.
While this all sounds impressive, the ChillPill does come at the eye-watering price of $150, which is probably less than what I've spent on a regular standing fan. Still, I was keen to try out this much-talked-about gadget and see if it could actually replace those disappointing handheld fans I'd been stuck with.
I decided to give the Shark ChillPill a test right after my morning yoga. Here are three things I liked — but there's one thing I wasn't crazy about.
3 things I liked about the ChillPill
1. Compact size and ease of use
At first glance, the ChillPill looks like a pair of binoculars rather than a portable cooling gadget. That's because of its unique dual-cylinder shape, and I like that you can angle it to either use it as a handheld device or set it up as a tabletop fan for hands-free use.
Tipping the scales at just 0.77 pounds, it's super lightweight and compact, which is ideal to fit nicely inside your purse or travel holdall. Plus, the included pouch is a nice bonus, making it easy to just toss into your bag.
Although it's pitched to be a wearable gadget, it's slightly disappointing that the lanyard isn't included—you have to buy that separately. Still, the ChillPill is ergonomic and straightforward to use
What’s more, this gadget is easy to use. To get started, just slide the power lock to "unlock" and then press the LCD screen. You'll see the fan speed and the battery status (it's green or red) appear. Want to change the fan speed? Simply twist the dial to adjust to your liking.
Swapping out the different attachments is a breeze too—they just screw on and off and take seconds. Even the misting pod is straightforward, you just fill the mini tank with water to the top, install the pod with a click, and rotate the cap to release the mist. Although, you might want to hold it closer to your skin/face to feel maximum benefits of this.
2. Impressive cooling power
Unlike my other handheld, rechargeable fans, which always seemed to lose their ‘cool’ after a while, the ChillPill was impressive.
Despite its miniature stature, the ChillPill gave an instantly cool, powerful blast— better than my usual rechargeable fans that fade fast, (and I soon get warm again). I was genuinely surprised by how mighty the cooling was, even with its small, bladeless design; it felt like having a mini air conditioner in my hand.
It goes up to speed 10, but honestly, settings 3-4 was sufficient for me to quickly cool down indoors. Shark claims that settings 9 and 10 are best suited to handle sweltering days outdoors, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what it can do when summer really hits!
3. The InstaChill cooling plate
Perhaps the key selling point for me is how versatile the ChillPill cooling gadget is, giving you way more options than your average handheld fan. The Insta Chill cooling plate was a personal favorite; I used it all the time as it gives you that instant, super refreshing cold hit on areas such as your wrists, neck, and forehead.
You can opt for two cooling settings. Level 1 is ideal for chilling indoors, while Level 2 is a colder setting and works great whether you're inside or out. In fact, placing the cooling plate on my neck (sides) and forehead straight after a workout brought a welcome sense of relief.
Bear in mind that you won't be able to use the fan feature whilst the cooling plate is attached. So you'll need to swap it out each time, which you might find a little inconvenient.
...and 1 thing I didn't like
1. Noisy
While the Shark ChillPill checks most of the boxes for a portable fan, it’s a shame that its noise levels at high settings let it down. Setting 1 gave a gentle hum, measuring in at 42dB on my sound meter, which gradually got louder from setting 5 (at 58dB).
By the time you get to the max setting 10, it's at an alarming 70dB—that's about as noisy as my small hairdryer, and was definitely loud enough to drown out a conversation.
Perhaps this would work well in large outdoor events, parks, or even music festivals, where you wouldn’t necessarily be put off by the fan’s noise. But you definitely wouldn’t want this in an indoor or quiet setting where you just want to relax in peace.
The bottom line
Granted, you could probably buy a decent, portable/handheld fan for a fraction of the price — but that wouldn’t necessarily offer you the versatility.
And while the Shark ChillPill might look more like a fashion accessory or a viral fad you're likely to find on a TikTok shop, this certainly packs in the power to instantly cool you down, and get the job done.
I particularly like its game-changing, cooling plate that comes in handy, and its lightweight size makes it convenient to wear, commute with, and travel around with ease.
For the hefty price, it doesn't come with any app connectivity, and it is noisy at higher settings. But if you simply want unwavering power that can keep you cool on the go (and in style), I'd say the Shark ChillPill handheld fan is a summer essential.
