It’s summer. You are sweaty. There’s some unprecedented heat wave that’s even worse than the last unprecedented heat wave. You are uncomfortable. You’re getting sweatier by the second. What do you do? This predicament — one that’s becoming more and more common — just flat out sucks. But if you have a handheld mini fan on you, the situation can change from “actively horrific” to “less than ideal.” In sweaty circumstances, that’s a miracle. Over the last few summers, I’ve bought a handful of random mini fans on Amazon or TikTok Shop. While those <head>0 to <head>5 devices have become staples in my summer purse, I noticed that premium brands like Shark and Dyson were rolling out their own handheld fans at much higher price points (<head>00 to <head>50). As someone who suffers from the SSRI sweats — if you know, you know — I was curious whether these higher-end products are really that much better than the drop-shipped fans I’d bought in summers past. The verdict is: they’re all pretty good in their own way! But the best one for you depends on your budget, the size of your go-to summer bag (or pockets), and your tolerance for drawing attention to yourself with a large device blowing air in your face. Image Credits:TechCrunch Most powerful: Dyson HushJet ($99) I wasn’t surprised to find that the Dyson HushJet is an exceptionally powerful mini fan — this company is best known for vacuums, air purifiers, and hair dryers. Dyson knows how to make stuff that blows air! But at about 7 inches tall, the HushJet is the tallest and heaviest device I tried. It will still fit in most purses, but it’s not pocketable. The HushJet comes with a travel bag, a charging/desktop stand, a neck lanyard, and a USB-C charger (all of these fans charge via USB-C — woohoo!). If my desk weren’t directly below an air vent, I could see myself using this while I work, since it functions so well on a desktop. The neck lanyard looks a little dorky, and I imagined myself wearing it while pushing a stroller at Disney World. This is an odd image, since I don’t have children, but maybe the reason I envisioned a hot day out with kids is because the lanyard frees up your hands? Or, maybe it’s because if I had to give one of these devices to a kid and bet they wouldn’t break it, I’d say the Dyson is the most kid-proof? Unfortunately, the lanyard doesn’t really help the fan blow air at you while you wear it — you still have to pick it up to direct it at your face. The HushJet is more powerful than any other mini fan I tried, but that power comes with some noise. Luckily, it has five different power settings, and the lower ones are quieter. Dyson HushJetImage Credits:TechCrunch Most versatile: Shark ChillPill (<head>49) The Shark ChillPill is the most expensive fan of the bunch, but to be fair, it also does the most. The ChillPill comes with three attachments: a fan, a water mister, and a cooling plate that you touch to your wrist or temple to help you cool down. Like the Dyson HushJet, the ChillPill can sit up on its own for desktop use. It’s about 4 inches long and about double the width of the other options because of its dual-cylinder design. I chose to bring the ChillPill with me to a softball tournament, since I knew I’d already be sweaty enough that a mister would benefit me without making me look unnecessarily damp (there is no universe in which I would not appear damp at an all-day outdoor event in the summer). You just have to pour a tiny bit of water into the attachment and it works great. The cooling plate is interesting, but I personally found the fan more immediately effective — plus, it has ten speeds! I might be more inspired to bring the ChillPill with me in my bag if it came with a case for all of its accessories — I wasn’t really sure what to do with the extra little components. I mostly used the ChillPill with its fan attachment, but I was impressed by the product design when it comes to changing out attachments. There’s a locking mechanism, which you toggle when you want to remove or add a new attachment. It feels secure enough that it would be pretty difficult for an attachment to accidentally fall off or something. I understand why the ChillPill is as wide as it is — there’s probably a lot of technical components in there that make the 3-in-1 design possible. The design works for outdoor events like music festivals, sports games, or beach days, but I prefer smaller fans for other circumstances, like when you’re the only one at the bar who thinks it’s a little hot inside, and you feel weird about that. Shark ChillPillImage Credits:TechCrunch Good enough: JISULIFE 3-in-1 Portable Fan (<head>3) The JISULIFE 3-in-1 Portable Fan was the first mini fan I ever bought, and it’s served me well for the last three years — it still works just as good as new. I’ve taken it on vacations without AC and found it endlessly valuable. It has a flashlight, though not one that’s any better than your phone flashlight, and a USB plug-in to ch
