These Personal Fans Can Handle the Next Heat Wave
The best personal fans do more than make summer a little less sweaty—they can also help your skin stay healthier and happier when temperatures soar. While heat can be uncomfortable in its own right, it can also have a significant impact on the skin itself. "There are many mechanisms that can affect the barrier of the skin," says Sharon Scherl, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. For starters, "heat increases transepidermal water loss and can also increase the inflammatory response of the skin." She adds that excess sweat can cause the stratum corneum—the outermost layer of skin—to become "overhydrated," raising its pH and affecting its ability to function as an effective barrier. Translation: Your skin might feel dry and be more prone to redness and irritation.
The good news: Personal cooling devices can make a big difference, whether you're navigating hot flashes, sweating through a humid commute, or simply trying to survive another brutal heat wave. Better yet, today's options are far more innovative—and far less bulky than past handheld options. (In fact, none of our top picks weighs more than a pound.) From wearable neck fans to cryo-inspired cooling plates, these editor-approved gadgets help take the edge off.
Why it's worth it: From the makers of one of our favorite cryotherapy-inspired face masks, Shark's ChillPill packs an impressive amount of cooling power into a surprisingly portable, handheld package (it almost looks like a tiny hair dryer). The three-in-one device combines a high-speed fan with 10 customizable speeds that generate airflow up to 25 feet per second, an InstaChill Cooling Plate that can lower skin temperature by up to 16 degrees on contact (the kind of instant relief that earns an audible "ahhh"), and a dry-touch evaporative mist that cools you down without leaving your skin or clothes damp. That's a notable advantage, considering that "traditional misting fans can contribute to skin dryness over time by pulling moisture from the skin's surface," says Dr. Scherl. Whether you're navigating hot flashes or surviving a sweltering commute, its versatile design lets you wear it around your neck, attach it to a bag, or prop it up on a table for hands-free cooling.
“Oh, how I miss the days of my youth when I never sweat (unless I was straight-up working out). Well, that's long gone. In fact, I've gotten to the point where I step out of my apartment for three minutes tops and visible beads of sweat start dripping and pooling together. The most criminal and bothersome area is the back of my neck, which is why I always carry around a hair tie or claw clip to let that area breathe. I cannot emphasize how much I hate the feeling of hair clinging to sweat!!! I've used a handful of free fans I've gotten from events/brands but they're simply not powerful enough. Nay, Shark's ChillPill comes with 10 levels of intensity—I was at level 5 in my demo but should've gone up to a 6 or 7—for extra custom coolness. (Fair warning: 10 gets to be very loud, so proceed with caution if you're around people.) I'm not in love with the overall shape, but heck, it's mighty, and that's worth a bit of awkward handling. I'm not gonna lie: I'm not sure how often I'll use the dry-touch mist mode (the fan suffices!), but the cyro plate has come in handy with cooling down—say it with me—the back of my neck. It's a little too intense for the face but I don't mind a quick-touch situation (after wiping any sweat off, ha) when my face is veering tomato-red. All in all, I love my ChillPill! Especially when I'm stuck waiting for the train in the saunas that are subway stations in the summer!” —Sarah Han, commerce editor
Why it's worth it: Dyson has already transformed the way we dry, curl, and style our hair with the iconic Airwrap. Now it's applying that same obsession with airflow to keep us cool with a personal fan. The HushJet Mini Cool packs the brand's signature engineering into a surprisingly compact package, measuring just 1.5 inches in diameter (about the width of a watch face) and weighing roughly the same as a typical smartphone. Its proprietary HushJet nozzle delivers powerful, focused cooling while minimizing the noise you'd expect from a traditional handheld fan, and when the temperature really spikes, Boost Mode can turbo-charge airflow up to an impressive 55 mph. Bonus: As with Dyson's other fan designs, the bladeless construction adds an extra layer of safety around kids.
"Even though it’s summer and I want to do is frolic around in shorts and Birkenstocks for the next four months, sadly, I have an office job that requires a little bit more effort in the wardrobe department. And that’s fine!
It’s just…very hot. And my daily commute, a 15-minute walk to the nearest train in dress pants or jeans, is brutal. I’m usually drenched by the time I hit the subway platform, which is already broiling. So by the time I get to the office, my makeup has melted, I’ve got sweat stains in places I don’t want to think about, and, again, I’m uncomfortably hot.
This summer, though, I’ve got a plan to keep me cool before, during, and after my commute: a handheld fan. Honestly, I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, but I’m glad I have one now! Actually, I have a few of them, but my favorite right now is the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool Fan.
It’s pricey for a personal fan, but that’s because it has a lot of bells and whistles. For instance, it has five speeds, which are really powerful. The fourth and fifth speeds feel like I’m standing in front of an F1 practice track. It’s crazy fast! (Speed five gets up to 55 miles per hour!) It’s also…crazy loud. I don’t really mind the sound because I care more about cooling down, but I know it may be an issue for other people, especially if the fan is being used in a somewhat quiet location.
Another thing: It comes in three different colors (pink, red, and blue) and attaches to an over-the-neck strap for hands-free wear. So far, I’ve only just carried it around in my right hand, but I will likely use the strap as the temperatures keep climbing over these next few months. I anticipate many instances out with my HushJet: park days, baseball games, and, again, standing on the subway platform." —Sarah Kinonen, beauty director
Why it's worth it: There's a reason cooling towels and ice packs are often placed on the neck when you're overheated: Major blood vessels run close to the skin's surface there, making it one of the most effective areas of the body for cooling down quickly. The Jisulife Portable Neck Fan Life3 delivers that relief hands-free with a lightweight design that rests comfortably around your neck and provides steady airflow through five customizable speed settings. Weighing just over half a pound, it's light enough to wear all day. Add up to 16 hours of battery life, whisper-quiet operation, and a lineup of cute colorways (we're partial to the millennial pink), and it feels less like a gadget and more like a fun accessory.
“This looks a little dorky, but I don't care: I love it. I wear it when I'm nursing my baby, who's like a human hot potato, and to help me cool down after I go for a run. It's such a gamechanger to have it directly on my neck, and I love that I can toggle between the different speeds. It's also incredibly quiet, so I don't have to turn it off when I'm on the phone." —Deanna Pai, contributing commerce editor
Why it's worth it: While parents with young kids will appreciate Veer’s Flex Fan to clip onto a stroller during summer walks, its flexible legs make it useful far beyond kid duty. The soft, grippy arms can wrap around everything from camp chairs and folding tables to tents, hammocks, and beach gear, making it a versatile accessory for outdoor adventures of all kinds. Unlike most tripod-style fans that top out at a couple of speed settings, the Flex Fan adds a fourth Turbo mode for particularly hot, humid days when a gentle breeze just won't cut it. Despite packing plenty of power, it's smaller and lighter than many comparable fans and can run for up to 12 hours on a single charge, making it easy to toss in your bag and wield through long days in the sun.
“With two young kids in tow, I’m basically always carrying approximately 17 things at once—and sweating buckets as I'm doing so. While this fan is technically made for strollers, the bendy tripod legs wrap around just about anything: a beach chair, a tent pole, even the handle of a wagon. Being hands-free is nonnegotiable when I’m schlepping all around town and this one earns extra points for staying surprisingly quiet, even when I crank it up to the highest setting.” —Christa Joanna Lee, contributing commerce writer
When you’re exposed to heat for prolonged periods, skin can experience both short-term irritation and longer-term damage. One of the most common acute reactions is heat rash, or miliaria rubra, “which occurs when heat and humidity block the sweat glands, leading to small, itchy bumps that typically appear on the neck, arms, trunk, and groin,” says Dr. Scherl.
Over time, chronic heat exposure may take a toll on the skin's structure as well. "More chronic heat exposure can cause premature skin aging due to the degradation of collagen and elastin," says Dr. Scherl.
Heat doesn't just make us sweat—it can set off a cascade of skin reactions. "There are several mechanisms involved with flare-ups of inflammatory skin conditions like rosacea and eczema when exposed to heat," says Dr. Scherl. With rosacea, heat can activate certain receptors in the skin, causing blood vessels to dilate and increasing blood flow to the surface. The result is the redness, flushing, and sensation of warmth many people experience during hot weather. Eczema can flare for different reasons: "Sweat can be a direct irritant to the skin, and heat can affect the skin barrier, creating transepidermal water loss (TEWL)," she explains. Heat can also activate the immune system and increase inflammation, which may intensify itching. In addition, “moist skin is an ideal environment for bacteria to grow," says Dr. Scherl, and that can further drive the inflammatory response, leading to more irritation, breakouts, and flare-ups.
Sitting in front of a personal fan for a few hours isn’t necessarily to blame for dry, tight skin. “Short-term use of fans does not directly affect TEWL,” says Dr. Scherl. That said, fan airflow may contribute to dryness and irritation indirectly in certain situations. "Airflow from a fan combined with the use of certain skin products can impair the barrier effect of the skin and cause irritation," she explains. “One example is cleansers or soaps containing sodium lauryl sulfate, which may become more irritating when skin is exposed to continuous airflow afterward,” says Dr. Scherl. She also notes that factors such as low humidity, co-existing irritants, and underlying conditions like atopic dermatitis—which already involves barrier dysfunction—can make skin more prone to feeling dry. "Fan airflow contributes to skin drying not by disrupting the barrier but by indirect mechanisms," she says.
To help counteract that dryness, make sure you're applying a moisturizer after cleansing to seal in hydration, especially if you're spending long hours in air conditioning or with a fan pointed at you.
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