Last week, Shark launched a compact, rechargeable fan that’s small enough to carry anywhere, and comes with three different attachments to keep you cool when the mercury rises. It sounds like bliss on a warm day, and having now tried it myself, I can confirm that it really is.
The ChillPill is much more solidly built than most personal fans, and comprises two cylinders: one containing the battery, display, and controls, and the other housing a variable-speed fan. The cylinders pivot in the center so you can place the ChillPill on a flat surface and twist it so the fan is pointing in exactly the right direction.
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The ChillPill has three swappable attachments: a standard fan, a misting fan, and an ‘InstaChill Cooling Plate’, which is a metal disc that’s actively cooled by the fan behind it. The higher you turn the fan, the colder it gets, and you can gently press it against your wrists, neck, or forehead.
Press down on the circular LED display to turn the ChillPill on, then turn it right and left to increase and decrease the fan power. An icon on the screen indicates the current battery status, and when it starts to run low, you can recharge it with a standard USB cable. You will also see a different icon on the screen depending on which attachment is in place: a fan, a water drop for the mister, and a snowflake for the cooling plate.
The screen will time out after a few seconds of inactivity to save power, and the ChillPill has a locking switch to prevent it being activated accidentally when you’re carrying it in a bag.
The standard fan is very effective, particularly when you’re working at your desk, as you can aim the airflow directly at your face and neck, but my favorite feature is the misting fan.
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Fill the attachment’s reservoir with water, clip it closed, then twist it into place. When you want to cool down, twist open the aperture on the front, switch on the fan, and take your pick from the two misting modes: continuous and intermittent (which pumps out mist in pulses so it can keep misting for longer).
The mist is extremely fine, and evaporates immediately on contact, so you won’t end up with damp skin, clothes and hair, and you can adjust the fan speed while it’s running. It’s the same technology used by the Shark FlexBreeze HydroGo tabletop fan, which launched last year, and quite frankly it’s bliss. I’m writing this in a very warm apartment with the intermittent misting mode enabled, on the second fan setting, and the cooling sensation is wonderful.
It’s not silent, but it’s certainly quiet (registering at 35dB on the current setting) and you’ll easily forget it’s there — until you have to move away from its delightful breeze.
I’ll soon be putting the Shark ChillPill through out usual battery of tests to see whether it can earn a place in our full roundup of the best fans, but my initial impressions are very positive, and I can see this little wonder keeping me company at the office, on the train, and at the gym throughout the summer.
Where would you take a ChillPill? Let us know in the comments.
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catherine.ellis@futurenet.com (Cat Ellis)
