Following the most popular 12 months on report, 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 had 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 had been intrigued sufficient to spend a number of hours sorting by way of dozens of promising neck followers. We sought dependable producers (um), good warranties (ha), and a few believable proof they had been working for patrons within the wild. We discovered two foremost varieties: primary wearable, battery-operated followers for round $30, and others with a little bit tech, like a thermal cooling chip, which pushed the value 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 choose: Penkou Moveable Neck Fan
This fan’s battery lasts all day, a number of unintended drops haven’t killed it, and it matches 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 mild 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 preserve a cool breeze on you all over the place you go. And if that’s the kind of reasonably priced aid you’re on the lookout for, effectively, the Penkou delivers.
With three pace settings and a hoop of 72 air slots for the fan to exhaust by way of, it’s sufficient to cowl the whole lot above your neck with out blowing instantly into your face (which might be annoying anyway). Its plastic building is sturdy sufficient and in a position to face up to falls from a transferring bicycle onto the pavement under (oops), and its discreet design shouldn’t entice far more consideration than in case you had been sporting a pair of over-the-ear headphones round your neck. In truth, 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 sleek plastic design means you’ll barely discover it sitting in your neck and shoulder (except you’re already sweaty sufficient that it’s sticking to you). It’s straightforward to regulate, too, with one massive button on the entrance proper aspect that cycles by way of the fan speeds. The button is recessed simply sufficient that most individuals ought to have the ability to 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 pace, the rechargeable battery can final for as much as 16 hours, which makes it companion for a full workday (particularly in case you work open air).
The noise from the Penkou fan wasn’t notably bothersome both, although it’s primarily blowing straight at your ears. Should you put on headphones with it on, like I did whereas strolling or working, it’s principally unnoticeable. That being mentioned, the amount of the fan at increased speeds can intrude with conversations a bit. I have already got some auditory processing issues to start with, so typically it will take me a second to understand that the issue was the fan and never simply me. Maintain it operating on low, nevertheless, and you need to be wonderful.
The Penkou fan prices about $30. Loads of different manufacturers promote almost equivalent (or perhaps even totally equivalent) units for across the similar value. It doesn’t have a lot of a guaranty, however our check mannequin held up effectively over two weeks of almost nonstop use, together with a number of unintended drops.
Amongst a number of thousand principally constructive consumer evaluations, the subject of battery life is combined however leaning favorable, suggesting some basic satisfaction amongst longer-term buyer experiences. The phrase “stopped working,” a pink flag we look ahead to when contemplating any decrease value electronics objects, seems a handful of occasions, however not usually sufficient to trigger main issues about making this advice.
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 primary competitor.
If the Penkou Moveable Arms Neck Fan seems 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 choose from Moslia can also be accessible beneath 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 goal 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 know-how are typically dearer; these followers sometimes value round $50.
For some individuals, nevertheless, that markup is likely to 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 saved 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 quite a lot of power. So although I’d totally charged the fan earlier than I left, it nonetheless ended up dying about midway by way of my return journey—leaving me a lot, a lot sweatier once I bought house. It finally lasted about three hours with the thermal chip operating on full, in contrast with the 8 or so hours it could actually run with simply the fan on. In different phrases: It’s nice for a fast settle 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 notably 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 mentioned, 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 trouble any of the half-dozen different individuals who I let strive the fan, however that particular frequency triggered one thing bizarre in my mind, leaving me feeling unbalanced and unfocused. It didn’t trouble me as a lot on the low setting or whereas sporting headphones. It did make my one-year-old nephew cry, nevertheless, though I’m fairly certain that was only a child factor. Your mileage could range.
As a lot as we cherished the expertise of the thermal chip, the consumer 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 search 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 reasonably than simply faucet them as soon as to cycle by way of the settings. Additionally, the longer it runs, the hotter the battery will get, which isn’t an issue we observed on fan-only mode. This makes a specific amount of sense, given the upper power consumption, however it nonetheless results in a wierd combined hot-and-cold sensation on the again of your neck.
All that thought of, with each the thermal chip and Penkou followers, I used to be persistently, pleasantly shocked at how a lot I loved the mild gusts round my nape. They’re nonetheless items of plastic rubbing in opposition to your pores and skin, so even with the aid 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 choose: Torras Coolify 2S Neck Air Conditioner
With thermal chips that warmth in addition to cool, plus Bluetooth connectivity and a flowery carrying case, it’s the fanciest neck fan we’ve examined. And the costliest.
The Torras Coolify 2S Neck Air Conditioner is definitely one of many nicest neck followers accessible, and a genuinely strong gadget general—although it’s nonetheless not well worth the hefty price ticket. It prices as a lot as our runner-up window air conditioner choose, which may truly cool a whole room, as a substitute of simply your face. However in case you do have cash to burn—otherwise you’re simply actually, actually into neck followers—then this Torras mannequin is definitely 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 effectively). But when you will spend an common of $250 for a neck fan, I can definitely perceive why you may wish to take higher care of it.
The fan itself seems a lot sleeker than the choices we’ve examined, with rounded edges and a shiny black end. A small LCD display on the precise aspect of the fan shows the present setting in addition to the share of battery energy remaining. It’s a pleasant contact, even in case you can’t truly see the display whereas sporting the fan. The buttons are massive and simple to search out, too, with one on both aspect of the neck: energy settings on the precise, mode choices on the left.
Like our also-great choose, the Torras fan comes with the choice to make use of a nice 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 by way of the winter to see if it truly 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 undecided that was the supposed goal).
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 wholly pointless luxurious—why would I take my telephone out once I can simply faucet a button on my neck? However it could be useful for some of us, equivalent 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 doable method it may very well be well worth the $250 price ticket. Frankly, we nonetheless really feel that method. Nevertheless it is a pleasant gadget, with loads of considerate options that actually made it stand out above the opposite neck followers that we tried. It’s not a magical resolution to non-public local weather management, however it may carry you some consolation on a sizzling—or chilly—night time.
What to stay up for
Torras has launched a brand new model of our improve choose 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.
