Following the most well liked yr on file, we’re seeing a brand new crop of wearable gear meant to climate-control your private bubble, to cite an advert, “Cooler than an air conditioner!” We have been skeptical—of the cooling claims for these so-called neck followers and of how we’d look strolling round with plastic rings round our collars.
However we have been intrigued sufficient to spend a number of hours sorting via dozens of promising neck followers. We sought dependable producers (um), good warranties (ha), and a few believable proof they have been working for patrons within the wild. We discovered two predominant sorts: fundamental wearable, battery-operated followers for round $30, and others with just a little tech, like a thermal cooling chip, which pushed the worth up round $50. We zeroed in on a few potential standouts in every class, purchased them, and wore them to barbecues, seashores, and bike rides all through July.
Our decide: Penkou Moveable Neck Fan
This fan’s battery lasts all day, a number of unintended drops haven’t killed it, and it suits comfortably round your neck with out being heavy, loud, or excessively gusty.
The Penkou Moveable Neck Fan is an easy however efficient cooling gadget that sits comfortably round your neck, directing light wafts of wind up in the direction of your head. Whereas it’s undoubtedly not highly effective sufficient to qualify as a “private air conditioner” (or no matter different equally lofty advertising declare you may discover), it’s an efficient method to maintain a cool breeze on you in all places you go. And if that’s the form of reasonably priced reduction you’re in search of, nicely, the Penkou delivers.
With three velocity settings and a hoop of 72 air slots for the fan to exhaust via, it’s sufficient to cowl every thing above your neck with out blowing immediately into your face (which might be annoying anyway). Its plastic development is sturdy sufficient and in a position to stand up to falls from a transferring bicycle onto the pavement beneath (oops), and its discreet design shouldn’t entice rather more consideration than if you happen to have been carrying a pair of over-the-ear headphones round your neck. Actually, a number of individuals mistook the Penkou fan for a pair of Beats headphones after they noticed it.
It weighs solely about half a pound, and the graceful plastic design means you’ll barely discover it sitting in your neck and shoulder (until you’re already sweaty sufficient that it’s sticking to you). It’s straightforward to regulate, too, with one giant button on the entrance proper aspect that cycles via the fan speeds. The button is recessed simply sufficient that most individuals ought to be capable of discover it by really feel with out having to take away the neck fan and search for the precise spot to press. Relying on the fan velocity, the rechargeable battery can final for as much as 16 hours, which makes it a great companion for a full workday (particularly if you happen to work outdoor).
The noise from the Penkou fan wasn’t significantly bothersome both, regardless that it’s primarily blowing straight at your ears. For those who put on headphones with it on, like I did whereas strolling or working, it’s principally unnoticeable. That being stated, the quantity of the fan at increased speeds can intrude with conversations a bit. I have already got some auditory processing issues to start with, so generally it might take me a second to comprehend that the issue was the fan and never simply me. Preserve it operating on low, nevertheless, and you have to be high quality.
The Penkou fan prices about $30. Loads of different manufacturers promote almost equivalent (or perhaps even fully equivalent) units for across the similar value. It doesn’t have a lot of a guaranty, however our take a look at mannequin held up nicely over two weeks of almost nonstop use, together with a number of unintended drops.
Amongst a number of thousand principally constructive person opinions, the subject of battery life is blended however leaning favorable, suggesting some normal satisfaction amongst longer-term buyer experiences. The phrase “stopped working,” a crimson flag we look ahead to when contemplating any decrease price electronics objects, seems a handful of occasions, however not usually sufficient to trigger main issues about making this suggestion.
Additionally nice: Mosila Moveable Neck Fan
Thermal chips successfully enhance this fan’s cooling efficiency, however its battery lasts a fraction of the time of its extra fundamental competitor.
If the Penkou Moveable Arms Neck Fan appears like imitation Beats headphones with a three-speed fan, the Mosila is extra like Geordi La Forge’s visor from Star Trek: The Subsequent Era.
Our decide from Moslia can also be accessible underneath a variety of different model names, together with Egopp, Amailtom, and NORMIA RITA (we’ve examined them firsthand and confirmed they’re equivalent). Every has the same bladeless fan setup to the Penkou fan, however with solely about half as many air vents. These vents intention the air up at your head in addition to down in the direction of your torso, although they nonetheless can’t compete with the Penkou fan’s highly effective blasts. What it lacks in exhaust ports, it makes up for with a pair of thermoelectric semiconductor cooling chips, which the product literature claims are able to dropping their temperature by 30 levels in only one second. The thought is that, when positioned in opposition to your neck like a moist compress or an ice pack, these thermal chips will assist decrease your core physique temperature whereas the fan cools the remainder of your head. Neck followers with this expertise are usually dearer; these followers sometimes price round $50.
For some individuals, nevertheless, that markup may be value it. We discovered that the semiconductor thermal chip actually got here in helpful throughout a 12-mile round-trip bike journey on a sizzling day. I stored a Mosila clone (branded as Egopp) on my neck for your entire journey—and sure, it stayed on, at the same time as I swerved to keep away from metropolis buses. I’m a sweaty sufficient man to start with, however I used to be shocked to note how a lot much less sweaty I used to be once I arrived at my vacation spot than I anticipated to be.
Sadly, that thermal chip additionally consumes a whole lot of power. So regardless that I’d totally charged the fan earlier than I left, it nonetheless ended up dying about midway via my return journey—leaving me a lot, a lot sweatier once I obtained dwelling. It finally lasted about three hours with the thermal chip operating on full, in contrast with the 8 or so hours it might probably run with simply the fan on. In different phrases: It’s nice for a fast quiet down, however it’s not one thing you possibly can depend on for a whole day.
Just like the Penkou fan, the fan noise isn’t significantly loud, and neither is the low electrical thrum from the thermal chip (though it’s definitely there, like a mini-refrigerator wrapped round your neck). That being stated, I’ve some auditory processing points, and the whirring tone of this fan despatched me right into a stupor. It’s not essentially loud, and it didn’t appear to hassle any of the half-dozen different individuals who I let attempt the fan, however that particular frequency triggered one thing bizarre in my mind, leaving me feeling unbalanced and unfocused. It didn’t hassle me as a lot on the low setting or whereas carrying headphones. It did make my one-year-old nephew cry, nevertheless, though I’m fairly positive that was only a child factor. Your mileage might fluctuate.
As a lot as we cherished the expertise of the thermal chip, the person interface on this neck fan is totally horrible. The small buttons are awkwardly positioned all the best way on the again and are almost unattainable to seek out by really feel alone; even after a month of standard use, I solely simply began to get the grasp of it. You even have to carry the buttons right down to activate them relatively than simply faucet them as soon as to cycle via the settings. Additionally, the longer it runs, the hotter the battery will get, which isn’t an issue we seen on fan-only mode. This makes a certain quantity of sense, given the upper power consumption, however it nonetheless results in an odd blended hot-and-cold sensation on the again of your neck.
All that thought-about, with each the thermal chip and Penkou followers, I used to be constantly, pleasantly shocked at how a lot I loved the light gusts round my nape. They’re nonetheless items of plastic rubbing in opposition to your pores and skin, so even with the reduction from the fan, you get that sticky, sweaty tingle when your neck touches the plastic. As unusual as that sensation is, it nonetheless beats being sizzling and sweaty.
Improve decide: Torras Coolify 2S Neck Air Conditioner
With thermal chips that warmth in addition to cool, plus Bluetooth connectivity and a elaborate carrying case, it’s the fanciest neck fan we’ve examined. And the most costly.
The Torras Coolify 2S Neck Air Conditioner is well one of many nicest neck followers accessible, and a genuinely strong gadget total—although it’s nonetheless not well worth the hefty price ticket. It prices as a lot as our runner-up window air conditioner decide, which may really cool a whole room, as a substitute of simply your face. However if you happen to do have cash to burn—otherwise you’re simply actually, actually into neck followers—then this Torras mannequin is undoubtedly the most suitable choice on the market.
The distinction between the Torras neck fan and different choices is evident from the second you discover it resting in a padded round carrying case. Not that it issues that a lot in case your neck fan will get uncovered to the weather when it’s not in use (I sometimes simply drape mine round one of many straps on my messenger bag, which works simply as nicely). But when you’ll spend an common of $250 for a neck fan, I can definitely perceive why you may need to take higher care of it.
The fan itself appears a lot sleeker than the choices we’ve examined, with rounded edges and a shiny black end. A small LCD display screen on the precise aspect of the fan shows the present setting in addition to the proportion of battery energy remaining. It’s a pleasant contact, even if you happen to can’t really see the display screen whereas carrying the fan. The buttons are giant and straightforward to seek out, too, with one on both aspect of the neck: energy settings on the precise, mode choices on the left.
Like our also-great decide, the Torras fan comes with the choice to make use of a pleasing fan-only mode or to activate the built-in thermal cooling chips for a extra direct conductive cooling expertise. However not like these different neck followers we tried, the thermal chips on the Torras neck fan may also be used for heating, giving this fan extra year-round usefulness. We plan on persevering with to check it via the winter to see if it really holds up, however our preliminary expertise was nice sufficient on a cold August night. It even served as a little bit of a muscle relaxant after carrying a toddler round on my shoulders for some time (although I’m unsure that was the supposed function).
The Torras neck fan additionally presents Bluetooth connectivity, which lets you management the fan with a smartphone app. We initially felt like this was a completely pointless luxurious—why would I take my telephone out once I can simply faucet a button on my neck? However it might be useful for some of us, corresponding to these with mobility points. The app additionally presents a timer possibility, which may very well be helpful for some conditions.
Earlier than testing the Torras neck fan, we assumed there was no attainable method it may very well be well worth the $250 price ticket. Frankly, we nonetheless really feel that method. But it surely is a pleasant gadget, with loads of considerate options that basically made it stand out above the opposite neck followers that we tried. It’s not a magical resolution to private local weather management, however it may deliver you some consolation on a sizzling—or chilly—evening.
What to stay up for
Torras has launched a brand new model of our improve decide referred to as the Torras Coolify Cyber, which boasts higher life and much more thermal chip protection. We additionally plan on testing the corporate’s Coolify Zone Wearable Waist Fan, to see how the waist-level breeze compares to a pleasant cool nape.
This text was edited by Harry Sawyers.