When I first wrote my guide to the best handheld fans in 2025, familiar electronics brands in the space were hard to come by. But, like buses, two have arrived at once this summer. The Dyson HushJet Mini Cool provided plenty of power, but missed the mark on the “hush” part of its branding, and now it’s time for Shark’s debut mini fan: the ChillPill.
In words that I never expected to write, Dyson’s product is the cheaper option – although everything is relative. While the HushJet Mini Cool is a penny below three figures, the Shark ChillPill blasts through that ceiling, coming in at £129.99.
To be clear, you don’t need to spend anywhere near this amount to get a decent fan. But if you’ve already decided you will, I would spend the extra £30 on Shark’s innovative little cooler. It’s not as powerful, but it trumps Dyson’s debut on the flexibility front, arriving with three distinct kinds of cooling built in.
View at AO View at SharkNinja***
How I tested
The three-in-one system means I had to adjust my usual testing methodology a little, but not by much.
To recap, when reviewing fans, I assess a mixture of objective and subjective measures. For the former, I consider wind speed (measured with a digital anemometer), volume (tested using a sound measurement app held 15cm away) and weight (using kitchen scales).
There’s also battery life – and this is where it gets rather tedious with something as long-lasting as the Shark ChillPill. Usually, I let fans run at top and bottom speeds until the battery empties and they shut down. The ChillPill not only has three different heads to test, but some sensibly turn off after a time to save battery life. Good news for the consumer, but pity the poor tester who has to babysit them.
As for the subjective measures, I look at ease of use, aesthetics and portability, as well as any features that might put you off.
Last – but far from least – when we’re discussing a product that sells for 21 times the cheapest recommended fan in our roundup – I consider whether it justifies the price.
***
What you need to know
View at AO View at SharkNinjaUnlike Dyson, which boasts 17 years of fan knowhow in its press release for the HushJet Mini Cool, Shark is relatively new to the age-old game of pushing air around to help sweaty people function. Its first fan arrived just two years ago, but it made a pretty strong impression: the Shark FlexBreeze regularly popped up on social media last summer with its optional water misting for a more refreshing cool-down (and features in our roundup of the best fans, too).
That function has now been miniaturised, with a water mister being one of three heads that come with the ChillPill. The other two are a regular air fan and a cooling plate that you apply directly to the skin for instant temperature regulation.
The design is unorthodox: two uneven cylinders, like somebody has tried to make a pair of binoculars but decided to eyeball the measurements. The fan barrel twists around the control section, allowing you to aim the blast of air at an angle, or have it resting pointing upwards when on a desk.
The fan comes in seven colours. My review unit is glacier, but it’s also available in other two-tone flavours: carbon (grey), haze (dark blue), dragon fruit (pink), matcha (green), iced latte (brown) and rose gold.
***
Shark ChillPill specifications
Power levels: 10 (2 for cooling plate)
Measured air speed: 1.6-4.6 metres a second (m/s)
Measured volume: 46.2-74.1dB
Tested battery life: 2hrs 46mins 43secs to 19hrs 19mins 8secs (fan mode)
Measured weight: 237g (with fan head; 253g for misting; 282g for cold plate)
***
What we love
As a stand-alone fan, Shark’s ChillPill is extremely competent. Twisting the control dial lets you switch between 10 settings, starting at a pretty mild 1.6m/s, but going all the way up to 4.6m/s. While this won’t trouble the speeds put out by the Dyson HushJet – which reached an astonishing 7.5m/s in boost mode – it’s certainly a decent blast.
But what really sets the ChillPill apart is its flexibility. Most fans simply blow air around, which isn’t ideal in stuffy environments, where you end up just pushing warm air at your face. Shark supplements this option with two other tricks up its sleeve in the form of two bundled extra heads.
First, there’s a misting head. You fill this up with water, and at the press of a button, the fan will accompany the air blast with a fine spray of mist. On hot days, this is extremely welcome, making the air feel much cooler while it lasts.
The cold plate, meanwhile, disables the fan completely but promises to lower skin temperature by up to 9C with direct contact. On its highest of two settings, it got cold enough for condensation to form on the plate. It’s enormously refreshing: press it against your temples, neck and wrists, and hot weather really does feel more manageable. It’s the same effect as placing an ice-cold glass against your skin on a hot day – except the frosty feeling sticks around as long as the battery does (although you’d need to turn it back on every eight minutes).
On the subject of battery life, Shark has underpromised and massively overdelivered. The manual says you can expect 90 minutes’ use at the top fan setting. My test nearly doubled that, with the fan blasting out cold air for more than two-and-three-quarter hours. It was the same story at the lowest setting, with the fan giving just over 19 hours of light cooling – eight more hours than promised in the manual. True, my wonderment was distinctly dampened by the fact that this meant I had to sit up with it until 2am for testing, but I’ll try not to hold that against Shark.
These results were replicated across the board. The misting setting was only supposed to go for “up to one hour” at top power, but it carried on for 2hrs 23mins. The cold plate’s lowest setting guaranteed only “up to two hours” of use, but it was still going nine hours after starting on a full charge. Even on full blast, the promised hour of cooling turned into 1hr 43mins.
It’s astonishing, and makes a strong case for the ChillPill as an accompaniment for long day trips.
Finally, it’s a small thing, but there’s a power lock to prevent it from turning on accidentally. That’s extremely useful if, like me, you’ve ever had your luggage delayed due to electronics accidentally switching on in transit.
***
What we don’t love
There are a few mild annoyances that make you re-evaluate that high cost of entry, however. First, like all handheld fans that put out a decent amount of power, it can get noisy. At its top speed, I measured 74.1dB – similar to a vacuum cleaner. This isn’t quite as loud as the Dyson’s 76.2dB (nor is it as powerful, with the ChillPill maxing out at 4.6m/s to the Dyson’s 6.1m/s, or 7.5m/s in its temporary boost mode, which is an even more raucous 80.3dB).
What makes this less damning is that the Shark doesn’t include the word “hush” in the product name with the accompanying expectation of quiet; and that it has 10 settings to move between, compared with Dyson’s five (plus boost), giving you more control over the sound level. Still, it’s always a relief when you turn it off and your ears settle to a more ambient volume – which isn’t a glowing endorsement of a product.
Its unorthodox design also takes some getting used to. After a bit of experimenting, the asymmetrical binocular shape works well when using it on a desk, but it’s a little unwieldy for handheld use. The grip side always feels somewhat awkward to hold, with the fan barrel in the way.
Speaking of awkwardness, while the three-in-one design is clever and flexible, it’s not hugely convenient. Since you need to switch the heads to engage the different modes, you’ll need to carry around two spares if you think you might want to mix things up on the go. The ChillPill does come with a small bag to keep these extra heads together, but it’s not big enough to hold the fan itself, which feels like a missed opportunity.
Then there are drawbacks to the replacement heads themselves. The misting attachment really does make the fan feel cooler on a hot day, but the water capacity is understandably tiny, at 14ml, and I found it emptied in about 20 minutes. While it’s not hard to refill, the repetition will get old fast. It also has a wick inside that Shark says has to be replaced monthly. You get three replacements in the box, and three more will cost you £6.99.
The cold plate is more successful as add-ons go, offering targeted skin cooling that really feels different from anything else on the market. But unlike the other two, it blocks the fan functionality entirely, meaning you have to choose between direct skin cooling or the blast of air.
For all its flexibility, it’s disappointing that Shark has opted to hold back some accessories as paid-for extras. It’s understandable, given nobody will need all of these, but you’ll end up paying Shark an extra £96.94 if you opt to buy – deep breath – the ChillPill’s bespoke crossbody strap, clip attachment, clamp attachment, travel case, wristlet, and sleeve and strap.
Which neatly brings me back to the price. To reiterate, £129.99 is a lot for a handheld fan – even one as flexible as this. For comparison, my overall pick from my group test is the John Lewis handheld, which comes in at just £12.
***
Sustainability
SharkNinja’s most recent sustainability report is from 2025. There’s no mention of recycled materials or sustainability on the product page. It’s worth noting, though, that Shark does sell a replacement for its rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which should ensure the unit lasts longer before becoming e-waste.
***
Shark ChillPill review: should I buy it?
As someone who has tested a lot of portable fans, the Shark ChillPill is genuinely a breath of fresh air. The three-in-one design is clever, and the flexibility is truly helpful for anyone who struggles in the heat – especially with the incredible battery life.
But it’s far from perfect. Each of the extra heads has its drawbacks and is fiddly to change; the unit is slightly cumbersome to hold; and there’s no escaping the noise issue at higher power levels.
All of which makes it a somewhat difficult sell at its RRP of £129.99 – more so if you need to buy some of the extra accessories. Nonetheless, if money were no object, this is the fan I’d pack for a big trip.
View at AO View at SharkNinja***
Shark ChillPill vs …
Dyson HushJet Mini Cool
£99.99 at Amazon £99.99 at ArgosThe Dyson HushJet Mini Cool comes in at £30 less than the Shark ChillPill while offering higher fan speeds of 6.1m/s (or 7.5m/s in its temporary boost mode). It also sports a more conventional design, making it easier to hold, and comes with a neck strap for hands-free on-the-go cooling.
But it’s less flexible, offering only five levels of air cooling plus boost, and its battery is far weaker, lasting just over six hours on its lowest setting. Worse still, it’s extremely loud – with measurements ranging from 61.5dB on level 1, all the way to 80.3dB in boost mode.
Read my full Dyson HushJet Mini Cool review.
John Lewis handheld & foldable desk fan
£12 at John LewisWhile not the cheapest fan in my roundup, you could still buy 10 of John Lewis’s excellent handheld fan for the price of one Shark ChillPill, with enough change for a freezer’s worth of Cornettos.
The overall winner of last year’s roundup may only max out at 3.7m/s, but it’s positively whisper-quiet compared with Shark’s fan, reaching just 62.4dB at its top speed. The battery doesn’t extend to Shark levels, but it’s not to be sneezed at, with four hours on its highest setting and nearly 10 on its lowest.
DiveBlues JetForce
£22.99 at AmazonIf you want more power at a low price, the DiveBlues JetForce packed speeds of between 3.8m/s and 6.6m/s in our anemometer tests.
At its top speed, it’s similarly noisy to the ChillPill, reaching 74.3dB. The bad news is that its lowest speed isn’t much quieter, coming in at 66dB. Given the high output, the battery life is quite impressive: more than 11 hours at its lowest speed, and nearly three at its max level.
For more ways to keep cool with the Filter, read our guide to the best fans, the best evaporative air coolers and top tips for coping in a heatwave
***
Alan Martin is a writer who has been putting products – including phones, gaming devices and wearables – through their paces for more than a decade. While little of this actively increases body temperature, a poorly ventilated south London home has ensured he’s become something of a fan enthusiast too
