When I was first hired as a commerce editor at WIRED in summer 2024, one of the first media requests I fielded was from a nationally renowned talk show. The ask was for an editor to speak on the popularity of portable and neck fans. High-temperature records were breaking all over the US, and abroad, neck fans were suddenly the “it” accessory at the Paris Olympics, hugging the nape of athletes like Simone Biles. “I can’t do this,” I told my manager at the time. “I’ve never even worn a neck fan! I don’t have an opinion!”
How times have changed. Two years later, curiosity has gotten the best of me, and I have tried both neck and handheld fans. I can say with confidence that, once you’ve gotten used to having a little fan with you everywhere you go, enduring high temperatures without one will henceforth feel unbearable. I now own an entire bin full of neck fans, and half of my office is now overtaken by boxes of portable fans, misting fans, and all manner of inexpensive, portable cooling devices. And now I have an opinion. Many, in fact.
An Amazon search for “portable fan” will yield more than 60,000 results, many of which feature weird names and AI art, dubious battery-life claims, and wildly varying features and build quality. Even if most of these portable fans are just $20, no one wants to waste a Jackson on an item that’s going to fall apart after one season or stop misting halfway through a vacation.
I spent all summer (and in some cases, last summer, too) testing the fans I recommend below. Be sure to check back periodically, as I’ll update this guide regularly with new products and observations.
Keep keeping cool with our guides to the Best Fans and Best Window Air Conditioners and Portable ACs.
Love WIRED? Add us as a preferred source on Google to see more of us.
Jump to Section
Best Overall
A good portable fan serves a variety of purposes. You can wear this one around your neck, pointed upward, or place it on a desk or table. Amazon sells a lot of fans in this style for $15 to $20, with wild variances in size, quality, and features. This one from Diveblues bested others I’ve tried by a significant margin. Not only is it cheaper than many options, but its head also is nearly 3 inches across for a wide breeze; it’s got a digital screen to display battery life and power level; it has a carabiner on the bottom to clip it to your bag; and it folds totally flat for easier transport. It’s a little bit loud, at 56 decibels on its highest setting, but most of these fans are noisy. Fortunately, it lacks the common high-pitched jet engine whine that can make your ears ring after a while. Images online show users standing this fan upright on top of the squared-off carabiner, but I didn’t find this position stable enough to be a practical option. There’s also a nearly identical version that does away with the carabiner for a nonskid base, which can stand upright ($19), but it doesn’t have the digital screen, which I found super useful.
| Decibels low/high: | 47–61 dB |
| Max wind speed: | 925 ft/m |
| Battery capacity: | 3,600 mAh |
| Extra features: | Can be worn around the neck or sit on a table, folds for storage, has a carabiner |
| Available colors: | Cream (shown), lavender, navy, rose, white-and-green, yellow-and-orange |
Best Misting Fan
New this year, Shark’s entrée into the handheld fan market looks like two stacked cylinders—one the controller, the other a tube that can variably be a regular fan, a refillable misting fan, or a metal cryo-inspired cooling plate you can press to your neck or pulse points. That last capability is a super-unique one that I love, but I didn’t like that you have to swap out separate attachments for each function (and carry them around in a bag—which is not included—if you’re traveling). The unit itself is a little awkward to hold, and it also does not come with a lanyard or an easy way to carry it, which one might expect at this price point. It might not be practical, but after testing it all summer, I’ve decided this thing is just plain fun. The misting attachment also creates the finest, most consistent mist of any handheld fan I’ve tried—no need to worry about getting your shirt soaking wet.
| Decibels low/high: | 55–80 dB |
| Max wind speed: | 689 ft/m |
| Battery capacity: | 4,700 mAh |
| Extra features: | Can be a regular fan, a misting fan, or a cold plate |
| Available colors: | Black, bronze, hot pink, green (shown), blue, purple, rose gold |
Best Neck Fan
Sporting five speeds, this no-nonsense neck fan looks a little bit like headphones. It’s the lightest of these types of fans I tested, and the most comfortable if you need to wear it for long periods. I wore it during a daylong hike around New Orleans’ Garden District and Audubon Park, and I frequently wear it while playing pickleball. However, the ends don’t adjust or angle, so if you don’t like where it naturally directs air, there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s also not too loud, at around 40 decibels on low, but this also means it’s not super strong. Color options used to be limited to black and white, but new this year is access to more shades like navy, forest green, and pink.
| Decibels low/high: | 40–60 dB |
| Max wind speed: | 314 ft/m |
| Battery capacity: | 4,000 mAh |
| Extra features: | N/A |
| Available colors: | Navy, black, forest green (shown), white, pink |
Best for Kids
This cute two-speed fan has little plastic ears and a printed-on bear mouth. It produces a decent breeze for its size, at 472 feet per minute (measured with my anemometer). It’s quiet and lightweight at 4 ounces, making it easy to slip into a pocket, and the blades immediately stop spinning if they come in contact with an object—a feature that makes the fan safe for kids to use. It’s also cheap enough that it’s not a big deal when your kid inevitably loses it.
A light on the bottom doubles as a mediocre flashlight, and a USB-C port on the back makes it a portable power bank. However, note that the 2,000-mAh charge capacity isn’t the strongest, and it lasts for about one phone charge. If the blue model pictured here isn’t your thing, there are seven other color options.
| Decibels low/high: | 40–48 dB |
| Max wind speed: | 472 ft/m |
| Battery capacity: | 2,000 mAh |
| Extra features: | Can also be a flashlight or power bank |
| Available colors: | Blush, black, navy (shown), brown, hot pink, mint, orange, white |
A Fan You Don’t Need to Charge
If you’ve ever worried about forgetting to charge your fan or having it run out of battery at an inopportune time, this fan, just slightly squatter than a film tube, is your solution. It plugs into your phone’s USB port (or an auxiliary power bank’s!) and runs off its battery for an instant breeze anywhere, any time. It hasn’t caused a noticeable power drain on my phone when I’ve tested it, but I haven’t used it for more than 20 minutes at a time, for reasons outlined below. It’s also great for kids and teens who may want a hand fan but never remember it needs to be charged—my teenager keeps one permanently in his soccer bag to take out and use at halftime and water breaks.
The only downside is that it doesn’t fit well into a lot of chunkier phone cases, including my iPhone 15’s Casetify case. The Phone Fan comes with a little USB-C extender, which allows it to work with my case, but it’s a loose fit and constantly falls out if I’m not holding it at the perfect angle. Those with slim phone cases, however, will not have this issue.
| Decibels low/high: | 49–63 dB |
| Max wind speed: | 866 ft/m |
| Battery capacity: | N/A |
| Extra features: | 4 speeds, USB extender |
| Available colors: | Black, lavender (shown) |
Others Tested
Aecooly Portable Handheld Fan Air Gimbal for $35: I was originally interested in this handheld fan for its fun World Cup–edition designs, which are now on sale. (There are also World Cup versions of the Aecooly’s Cold Air Ultra misting fan, shown below.) It’s a fine fan, but it is quite loud for the amount of airflow it puts out. There are other fans with more features for half the price.
Jisulife Handheld Fan Ultra2 for $76: This fan is so strong, it’s almost comical—1,614 feet per minute on my anemometer. (For reference, this is stronger than a typical full-sized tower fan.) It also emits a high-pitched whine not unlike a jet engine (60 decibels on its lowest setting), and its mallet-like shape makes it too bulky to slip into a pocket. However, it does double as a power bank and a flashlight, and it’s got a short carrying lanyard you can attach to make it slightly less unwieldy. The 9,000-mAh battery capacity is also a plus. Jisulife says this can last up to 25 hours, which I have no reason to doubt, as I’ve been using it on and off for most of the year and the battery has yet to run out.
Dyson HushJet Mini Cool for $100: With so many decent portable hand fans on the market for around $20, I’d expect great things from a fan that costs $100. While this one is fine (aside from a resemblance to—I’m sorry to have to say—a worm anus), the wind speed and overall performance were only marginally better than that of the cheaper fans. I do like that it comes with a stand for use on a desk, though, as well as the ribbon lanyard for wearing around your neck, but it’s also—despite the name—quite loud at nearly 70 decibels on high.
PlayHot Handheld Turbo Fan for $19: WIRED reviewer Kristin Canning loved the versatility of this fan, the contained blades, and the fact it fit into her small crossbody bag. I’ve used it all summer, and it’s a solid fan, but the Diveblues above offers better performance and more features for the same price.
JisuLife Pro 1S Handheld Fan for $75: A handy scroll wheel controls the speed (as opposed to up-and-down buttons) on this lightweight fan, and the magnetic center cap comes off in two phases. The first section reveals an absorbent pad about the size of a pea, for saturating with essential oil, and the second section comes off to reveal a digital screen that shows power level and battery life. However, I was never able to test the full wind speed, as my unit would shut off as soon as it reached its max.
Aecooly Waist Fan for $30: I liked the 3-in-1 design of this chunky waist fan, which lets you wear it on your belt or waistband inside or outside your shirt, on a strap around your neck, or propped up on a table or desk. It’s not super lightweight at nearly three-quarters of a pound (which means you can’t wear lighter-weight pants or shorts if you plan to clip it on your waistband). It’s also not exactly quiet at 53 decibels, but with five speeds and a top wind speed of 866 feet per minute, it’s one of the more powerful waist fans I’ve tried. There’s also a “flashlight” on the side with a strobe option, but it’s about the size of a BB, so don’t count on it illuminating anything important.
Aecooly Aero Pro Hand Fan for $20: Aecooly’s periscope-shaped “powerful turbo air tube” won both a Red Dot and iF Design award last year, and the curved shape is both easy to transport and hold. I also like that there are no rotors or blades to knock into. It doesn’t double as a flashlight or phone charger, but it does come with a digital display, which shows you the battery and speed levels. You’ll also get a short lanyard for carrying. Don’t plan on using this one if you plan to have a conversation, though, as it was one of the worst offenders for having a high-pitched jet-engine whine.
Gaiatop Portable Handheld Fan for $10: WIRED reviewer Kristin Canning found this fan to be a great companion during a late-summer parade, providing airflow without too much noise. Like the Jisulife Handheld Mini above, the Gaiatop’s soft blades stop automatically if they hit anything, and it can stand upright on a table. It’s got pointy owl “ears” on top, which is cute, but it doesn’t double as a flashlight or power bank like other fans of this style and price point.
Aecooly Cold Air Ultra Personal Cooling System for $80: Behold, another pricey entry with super-high airflow, impressive battery life, and a jet-engine whine. The key difference with this Aecooly is a little sealed compartment at the bottom you can fill with water. Press a button on the front, and it will dispense a wet spray along with the breeze. This is the second model I’ve had of this fan—the first one stopped misting after about six months. It should also be noted that the misting function makes a quite loud “unnnnhhhh” sound when it’s happening, kind of like a miniature pressure washer. The first time I used it, it alarmed me and the person sitting next to me.
How I Tested
I (or another WIRED reviewer) tested each of these fans in real life. The fans came to weddings, festivals, and tournaments; they went on vacations; and they sat on desks to gauge if the noise level was distracting or livable. I tested all available features and attachments, used a decibel meter and anemometer to measure noise and wind speed, practiced holding a conversation while running them, and transported them in a bag to see if they were awkward or easy to carry.
Why Does Charge Capacity Matter?
Charge capacity is the total amount of electricity—and cooling power—that rechargeable battery-powered fans can store and deploy. Measured in milliampere-hours (mAh), or one-thousandth of an ampere-hour (the ability to provide one amp of power for one hour), the higher a fan’s charge capacity number, the longer it can go between charges. How this measure translates to run time heavily depends on speed, fan size, and features used. The measure also varies widely between fans.
How I Obtained the Fans
Some fans were samples I obtained from the fan companies with no promise or guarantee of coverage; other fans I purchased and expensed. After testing, I keep the fans on hand for future testing, noting any malfunctions.
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that’s too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: wired.com
