When the temperature spikes, most portable fans don’t cool the air – they simply move it across your skin, which can make you feel a bit cooler. SharkNinja’s new ChillPill takes a different approach that promises to provide far more cooling effect than a standard fan.
Instead of relying on airflow alone, the ChillPill delivers cooling in three ways. There’s an InstaChill cryo-cooling plate designed to rapidly pull heat away from your skin, a bladeless fan with ten speed settings that pushes air at up to 25 feet per second, and a “dry-touch” mist that adds evaporative cooling without leaving you wet. According to SharkNinja, the cooling plate can drop skin temperature by up to 16°F.
At first glance, the ChillPill looks more like a fashion accessory than a cooling gadget. The design is reminiscent of a pair of opera glasses, with two circular ends connected by a short handle and a small LCD display on top. It’s compact enough to toss in a bag or hold in your hand, and the styling wouldn’t look out of place whether you’re commuting, at an outdoor event, or even dressed up for dinner. And it comes in a variety of colors.
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In my testing, the ChillPill was surprisingly powerful for such a tiny device. The fan speed was more than I needed when holding it in my hand. Even when I set it a few feet away, I could still feel a stiff breeze, which is impressive for something this small.
But the cryo-cooling plate is the feature that really stood out. When I tested it on my skin, I measured a temperature drop of about 14 degrees within a few minutes, and the surface of the plate felt extremely cold to the touch. On a hot day, that direct cooling can be instantly refreshing. The plate runs for eight minutes at a time, which seems like a sensible limit – long enough for a quick cooldown without draining the battery.
The misting feature works a bit differently than typical portable misters. The spray is extremely fine and almost dry, so your face doesn’t feel wet. The trade-off is that you need to be close to it – within about a foot – for the cooling effect to really register. There’s also an intermittent mode designed to extend battery life, but in my testing that setting didn’t feel like it would keep you very cool.
The water reservoir is also quite small. In continuous mist mode, the tank only lasts about four minutes, which feels short if you’re trying to stay cool for an extended period.
Controls are handled through a small LCD display that’s easy to read and intuitive to use. You can quickly adjust fan speed, misting mode, and cooling plate settings. My one complaint is the battery indicator. It’s functional, but I wish it provided a more detailed view of remaining battery life so you can better gauge how much runtime you have left.
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Despite those minor limitations, the ChillPill is an interesting rethink of the handheld cooling gadget. Instead of just blowing air, it combines airflow, evaporative cooling, and contact cooling into one compact device. For quick relief during a commute, outdoor workout, or sweltering summer event, it delivers a surprising amount of cooling power for its size. The ChillPill is available now for $149.99 on Amazon.
[Image credit: Suzanne Kantra/Techlicious, SharkNinja]
