‘More powerful and versatile than any other personal fan I’ve tested’ — I reviewed Shark’s 3-in-1 portable fan and have never experienced so many different kinds of cooling | Tech Radar

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‘More powerful and versatile than any other personal fan I’ve tested’ — I reviewed Shark’s 3-in-1 portable fan and have never experienced so many different kinds of cooling

The Shark Chill Pill is a game-changer for anyone who struggles in the heat

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The Shark Chill Pill is a fan, cooling plate and mister all in one colorful, portable and flexible design. It charges via USB-C with an all-day battery life, has a sturdy but versatile build, straightforward controls and you can add extra attachments to make it even more practical. The only catch is the price is high as far as portable fans go. But I think if your budget can stretch and you struggle in the heat it's worth it, because it's so much more than a run-of-the-mill fan.

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The Shark Chill Pill is a personal cooling system, which means you can use it as a fan, a cooling plate you can press against your skin or a mister. Portable fans have always been around, but I’ve not seen anything else that combines these three functions into one device that manages to look stylish and cute while doing it.

Trust Shark to pull it off. The brand many readers will know for their vacuum cleaners and hair-styling products has a habit of combining solid tech, thoughtful design and straightforward controls, and I’m happy to report the Chill Pill is no different.

The only catch is the price. It’s expensive for a portable fan at $149.99/£129.99. But as I’ll get into below, it’s so much more than that and if you really feel the heat, well worth the price.

If you’ve ever held a compact pair of travel binoculars, you’ll already have a good mental image of the Shark Chill Pill. It’s made up of two cylinders connected by a hinge in the middle. The larger cylinder is lighter and houses the fan, that’s where you attach the different heads. The smaller one holds the battery, controls and a small screen, and it made the most sense for me to use that one as the handle.

At 45 X 84 X 112mm and 350g, it’s compact enough to carry in most bags but not small enough to slip into a pocket. So manage your expectations if you were hoping for something as tiny and light as a regular cheap travel fan. This has considerably more tech inside it, and you can feel that.

The hinge in the middle makes it really versatile. If you lay the cylinders flat and parallel, it’s a handheld fan. But twist it so they’re perpendicular and it’ll stand on a desk or any surface, directing air exactly where you want it. I used it this way a lot while working, and it’s a great setup for that.

It comes with a small cloth carry case. I’ve seen other reviews describe this as fitting the Chill Pill itself, but I’d say it’s a squeeze and doesn’t fully cover the top. Best to use that as storage for the spare attachments instead.

There are some genuinely lovely color options here, each with a darker color for the fan cylinder and a lighter one for the battery cylinder. There’s Carbon (black), Glacier (turquoise), Haze (dark blue), Dragon Fruit (pink), Match (green), and Iced Latte, a pale brown and beige with a slightly shiny finish, which is the one I tested. My personal favorite of the range is Glacier.

Controls are really straightforward. The smaller cylinder has a dial at the top with textured edges that you turn to move the fan through the ten speeds, and a small screen that shows speed and battery level. It also displays a little icon depending on which attachment you’ve fitted. There’s a fan, a water drop for the misting pod then a little snowflake for the cooling plate.

Press the screen down to turn it on and long press to turn it off. There’s also a lock and unlock switch on the side to stop it accidentally activating in your bag, which is necessary as I did turn it on a couple of times without meaning to before I got into the habit of locking it.

Charging is via a USB-C port on the base of the smaller cylinder, tucked under a sealed flap. A green icon flashes when it’s charging and you can use the fan while it charges, though not the cooling plate.

The three attachments twist into place really easily. In fact, there’s an overall high build quality to the whole thing, which makes it feel really satisfying to use and hold.

Beyond the three included attachments, Shark also sells additional accessories. There’s a crossbody strap, a wrist strap, clip, clamp and sleeve. These are all sold separately, which is worth knowing — there's no strap included as there is with some rivals, like the Dyson Hush Jet Mini Cool Fan.

That said, they’re not expensive and could be really invaluable to buy along with the fan from the get go, as it will allow you to attach it to a pram, desk or use it hands-free on the move. If I was taking it on holiday, I’d snap up the crossbody strap in a heartbeat.

The Chill Pill is genuinely powerful, more so than any other personal fan I’ve tested. At mid-range settings — around 4 or 5 — it’ll cool you down effectively without blasting you in the face or hurting your eyes. Especially if it’s propped up on a desk nearby, which is how I used it the most during the day while I was working. Settings 9 and 10 get considerably more powerful and are for when you really need it, either to cool down quicker or outdoors in more serious heat.

I’ve seen other reviews flag the Chill Pill as very loud, and I’m going to respectfully push back on that with my measurements — I clocked it at 43.4d B at speed 1, 59.5d B at speed 5, 66.5d B at speed 8, and 70.5d B at speed 10. For context, my high-tech kettle just before it finishes boiling is 69d B and my hairdryer is 78d B. So yes, it gets louder as you turn it up — that’s true of every fan — but calling it really loud at speed 10 is a stretch. I also used it at night on setting 5 and the sound (which I’m guessing is akin to white or green noise) helped me sleep.

Battery life was impressive for such a small device. I ran a test with the fan at speed 5, which is the sweet spot I’d realistically use it at on a desk all day, and it lasted for 8 hours and 10 minutes. Now Shark claims 11 hours at the lower settings, so this is a welcome surprise.

The misting pod works by filling a small tank with water, which then soaks the wick inside the attachment. There’s a wick pre-installed that Shark recommends you replace monthly and three spares in the box. Getting the old one out is fairly easy with either your fingertips or a pair of tweezers.

Once it’s set up, there’s a small opening at the top and then you can choose between constant or interval misting modes. I found the mist to be fine enough that it won’t soak you or anything around you, which means you can use it indoors or on public transport if you’re mindful about it but I probably wouldn’t use it directly over electronics.

The attachment I was least sure about before testing it was the cooling plate, which Shark calls Insta Chill. And yet it was the one I ended up loving the most.

Using the fan behind the metal plate to cool it down, the Insta Chill allows you to gain targeted relief by pressing it against your skin. It’s very cold, like touching an ice pack fresh from the freezer. I used it on my wrists and the back of my neck and it had an instant cooling and calming effect. Although this is probably a subjective experience, I’m always a little too warm and using this on the pressure points on my neck didn’t just cool me down but made a real difference for focus, alertness, and heading off a migraine.

Based on my battery testing, the cooling plate lasts 1 hour and 40 minutes before you run out of juice. That might not sound like much, but it's doing serious work to cool the plate down to ice-pack levels of cold.

I also don't think anyone would realistically be using that attachment continuously. I run hot and even I found 30 seconds on my skin was enough before it got too intense. In practice, you're more likely to use the fan, switch to the plate for a minute or two on the pulse point, then switch back. For that kind of use, 1 hour and 40 minutes goes a long way.

I think the Shark Chill Pill makes the most sense for anyone who really feels the heat, if you’re traveling to a warmer climate or work in offices with no upper temperature limit (yes that’s a real thing in the UK, there’s a legal lower limit but not an upper one). It'd also be a great fit if you're dealing with perimenopause or menopause symptoms or suffer from migraines and would benefit from the cooling plate’s targeted effect on pulse points. But really it'll be good for everyone else as the summer heat hits.

The only notable downside to the Chill Pill is that it’s expensive for a portable fan at $149.99 / £129.99. But it’s three cooling tools in one well-built and thoughtfully designed device that happens to be small enough to carry anywhere. That said, it's only really good value if you genuinely plan to use all three of those attachments and if you have enough budget left over to buy an accessory, like the crossbody strap.

If you just want a fan, there are cheaper options, including the Dyson Hush Jet Mini Cool. Expect to see more premium portable fans entering this space. The era of tiny, underpowered travel fans that just seem to move hot air around seem to be giving way to solutions that are more effective and considered, and the Chill Pill is currently leading that charge.

The Shark Chill Pill was released in March 2026, priced at $149.99 / £129.99. It's available in Europe and North America at the time of writing.

For a portable fan, this is expensive. It’s worth being honest about that. You can pick up another portable fan, like the JISULIFE Portable Handheld Fan for $73.49 / £69.99.

But the Chill Pill isn’t really a portable fan, it’s three cooling tools rolled into one, which makes direct price comparisons tricky. There’s nothing else on the market right now that does exactly the same thing.

The closest rival is the Dyson Hush Jet Mini at

Beyond that, if you want a fairly small desktop fan for working or at home that you don’t need to be portable, there are some good alternatives to consider. Like the Shark Flex Breeze Hydro Go, a desktop fan also from Shark with the same misting technology at $149.99 / £129.99. Or the Meaco Fan Sefte 8in at £79.99, a great desktop fan for working and sleeping, which we rated for its ability to blast out impressively strong airflow at a pleasingly low volume.

For now, the Chill Pill remains the most versatile product in this space. All in all, it’s expensive. But if you’ll genuinely use all three attachments, it’s good value. The people who’ll get the most out of it, like those who can’t sleep in the heat, commuters, anyone dealing with menopause or migraines, will likely find the price very easy to justify.

Carbon, Glacier, Haze, Dragon Fruit, Matcha, Iced Latte

Carbon, Glacier, Haze, Dragon Fruit, Matcha, Iced Latte

With three modes and a screen, features are simple and work well. Battery life is impressive and extra attachments are handy — though you'll need to pay more for them.

With three modes and a screen, features are simple and work well. Battery life is impressive and extra attachments are handy — though you'll need to pay more for them.

Works well in all sorts of environments with plenty of power and longevity. The fan is excellent (if a little loud at the highest settings) and the cooling plate and mister give a much welcome alternative way to cool down.

Works well in all sorts of environments with plenty of power and longevity. The fan is excellent (if a little loud at the highest settings) and the cooling plate and mister give a much welcome alternative way to cool down.

It looks cool, is exceptionally well built and can be used in a few different ways. It's compact, fairly light and gets bonus points for all the vivid color options.

It looks cool, is exceptionally well built and can be used in a few different ways. It's compact, fairly light and gets bonus points for all the vivid color options.

It's expensive. There's no getting around that. But I think for many people that price is absolutely worth it and you're getting a top-performing and well-built device.

It's expensive. There's no getting around that. But I think for many people that price is absolutely worth it and you're getting a top-performing and well-built device.

You struggle in the heat Whether that’s migraines, perimenopause or menopause, travel to a hot climate, camping or any other reason the heat is difficult, this was made for you.

Standard portable fans have never quite cut it It’s more powerful and versatile than anything most people will have tried, especially in such a compact package.

You appreciate good design — and don’t mind paying for it You do need to spend a bit here, but you get a genuinely fantastic product for your money.

You need something truly pocket-sized It’s compact but not slip-it-in-your-pocket compact. You’ll need to look elsewhere and accept something considerably less powerful.

You’re on a tight budget The price is the only real downside here. If spending over $100/£100 just isn’t feasible right now that’s completely understandable.

You only want a straightforward fan It’s excellent as a fan alone, but it makes the most sense if the misting head and cooling plate appeal to you at least some of the time.

Dyson Hush Jet Mini Cooling Fan If you want something from a brand with serious experience in this space, Dyson’s latest personal fan is well worth considering. It’s lighter and more stripped back than the Chill Pill, without the same 3-in-1 versatility, but Dyson really know what they’re doing when it comes to airflow. We haven’t tested it yet, but our full review is coming very soon.

Shark Flex Breeze Hydro Go If the Shark Chill Pill appeals because you want to cool down at home or as you work, then the Shark Flex Breeze Hydro Go is a tabletop fan that's worth a look. It also has a misting feature we loved during testing. It's small for a fan but not as portable as the Chill Pill. If you don’t see a need for something small you can use on-the-go, stay with Shark just consider the Flex Breeze Hydro Go instead. Read our Shark Flex Breeze Hydro Go review

Used at home, in the city, in the countryside on a walk and in a park

I tested the Shark Chill Pill for a whole week during a surprisingly warm spell in the UK, which meant I could put it through its paces properly. I used it while working at home on warm days, remote working in coffee shops, on a walk in the countryside and having a picnic in the park, all when temperatures were high in the UK. I also used it at night to see how both the cooling effect of the fan and the sound it makes impacted my sleep.

This week-long testing time gave me a good opportunity to run the battery down across a range of settings and properly test the longevity.

I’ve been writing about and testing tech for more than 15 years, covering health tech, smart home devices, wearables and audio products. Always with a focus on whether a device can actually make your life better, rather than what’s on the spec sheet.

Becca is a contributor to Tech Radar, a freelance journalist and author. She’s been writing about consumer tech and popular science for more than ten years, covering all kinds of topics, including why robots have eyes and whether we’ll experience the overview effect one day. She’s particularly interested in VR/AR, wearables, digital health, space tech and chatting to experts and academics about the future. She’s contributed to Tech Radar, T3, Wired, New Scientist, The Guardian, Inverse and many more. Her first book, Screen Time, came out in January 2021 with Bonnier Books. She loves science-fiction, brutalist architecture, and spending too much time floating through space in virtual reality.

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Key Takeaways

• News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

• Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

• Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards

• ‘More powerful and versatile than any other personal fan I’ve tested’ — I reviewed Shark’s 3-in-1 portable fan and have never experienced so many different kinds of cooling

• The Shark Chill Pill is a game-changer for anyone who struggles in the heat