The first time you ask me for my senior fashion editor-approved summer staples, I'll recite the pieces all over my For You page: The Row's Barn Tote, Chloé jelly sandals, a celebrity-tested white tank top. Ask me again, and I'll be more honest: My true New York City heat wave holy grail is a $9 portable fan.
A portable fan became my anywhere-and-everywhere plus-one in roughly 2022. That year, it felt like sweltering summer temperatures crept into September, melting me into a puddle when I'd run between shows and appointments around the city during fashion week. I never regretted making room for a fan in my purse: They're lightweight but hard-working, and they usually cost less than $20. (Even when it's not Amazon Prime Day.)
I'm hardly the only professional fashion person who considers a battery-powered or rechargable fan a must-have to rival their Tabi flats. Everywhere I turn during show season, street style regulars are also cooling themselves down with handheld portable fans or swapping their necklaces for neck fans.
As a portable fan-carrying veteran, I suggest shopping one sooner rather than later, not only because my fellow fashion people are also—forgive me—fans. It has nothing to do with being trendy and everything to do with being prepared. Summer 2025 is already sweltering, with above-average temperatures according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center. With the exception of Florida and the Pacific Northwest, most regions of the contiguous US states are expected to have hotter-than-average forecasts through the end of the season.
Keeping a portable fan on rotation is a shortcut to staying cool wherever and however you're spending summer. (And on that note: I also always, always carry a mini tube of sunscreen with me. My favorite is Khiel's.) So ahead, pick your favorite of the editor-vetted portable fans before the next time you break a sweat.
Behold, the fan that has seen me through the sweatiest, stickiest days I've experienced so far this summer. I first used it to attend the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix in May; I last used it about an hour ago while walking my dog. In all that time, I haven't had to recharge it yet.
Other winning details aside from a months-long charge include three fan speeds (slow, less slow, and fast) and a lightweight, compact design. Even though this fan doesn't fold up, it still fits in my smallest shoulder bags.
Kristin Contino, Marie Claire's senior royals and celebrity editor, owns this lightweight, foldable fan in two colors. "This handy little rechargeable fan has been in my arsenal since 2017 and I can’t do without it while traveling, but I also use it around the house or throw one in my tote when I know I’m going to be outside for a while," she tells me. "I appreciate that the blades are covered up so they can’t get stuck in your hair or whip you in the face by accident like some other handheld fans."
Ariel Baker, beauty writer at Marie Claire, is something of a portable fan connoisseur. She tells me she owns at least seven, but this one by JISULIFE is her top pick. "Its a 10/10 product that I use year-round, but has come in especially handy with what feels like the endless heatwaves we've been experiencing in New York City," she says.
For this fan of portable fans, size and speed matter. "Not only is it small enough to fit into my always-overflowing handbag, but it has three speeds that get progressively cooler the higher up they go. This fan also comes with a wrist attachment if you want to just bring it on quick errands or a walk outside. The best part? It's super affordable at just around $20." I might just have to upgrade mine.
This portable fan kind of gives "eighth grade field trip to Six Flags," but I don't mind in the slightest. On dry, hot days, a fan with a tiny water tank for generating a cool mist is even better than a blade by itself. It's the closest one can get to a theme park-esque misting machine on the streets of the city.
This flips-open fan is one of the highest-rated Amazon Prime Day vacation deals I've stumbled across in my online sleuthing. There's a lot to make it an everyday staple alongside a phone, wallet, and keys. One charge supplies 19 hours of cooling time, for starters. Plus, it's small enough to fit in a pocket and comes with a built-in flashlight. Think of how much happier you'll be waiting in line at a TikTok-approved café or sitting on the beach with this portable fan along for the journey.
This is the second-most-frequently toted portable fan I've seen on the fashion week circuit, entirely because it's hands-free. Intrepid editors will conceal neck fans underneath a voluminous shirt collar—or they'll shrug and leave it exposed with a sleeveless top. I can't blame them: The sun is strong when we reconvene for shows in September, and the lines outside are usually long. Of course, no one needs an invite to New York or Paris Fashion Week to appreciate a personal breeze.
This top-rated AMACOOL portable fan is advertised for families: Those spider-like arms at the bottom are supposed to hook onto the handles of a stroller. But I can see several more uses. It could sit up straight next to a picnic blanket in the park, or twist around a bike handle on a solo excursion. I've even seen users secure theirs to the side of a tree while they hang in a hammock. Point being: You can have near-AC conditions anywhere with one of these in your arsenal.
