Stay Cool This Summer Without Breaking the Bank on a Handheld Fan

Forget what the influencers are pushing; you don’t need to shell out $99.99 for a Dyson HushJet Mini Cool or $149.99 for a Shark ChillPill to stay cool this summer. My family has found all the relief we need for those humid baseball games, sweltering concerts, and sweaty hikes with a couple of budget-friendly handheld fans from JisuLife, a brand that has been perfecting its gear for the past decade.

At the start of summer, I impulsively grabbed a pair of JisuLife Life10 S fans from Costco for CDN $25 each (or $32.99 on Amazon). These are among the most basic models from the brand, which offers a range of fans that can go for nearly $100, featuring perks like reverse charging for your phone and a whopping 100 speed settings. While I’d love all those bells and whistles, my goal was to avoid spending a fortune on personal cooling devices that could easily get lost or damaged during our summer escapades.

The Life10 S may not have all the fancy features, but it’s straightforward and user-friendly. A sliding power switch on the back prevents it from accidentally turning on while bouncing around in a backpack, and a single button on the front lets you cycle through five fan speeds. It also has a basic LCD display that shows the battery level and current speed when you power it on. It’s simple, but the Life10 S does its job quietly and lasts surprisingly long.

When Dyson launched its first handheld fan, I expected it to be the ultimate personal cooling device, given the company’s expertise in airflow. My partner swears by their Dyson hair dryer, and I thought the HushJet Mini Cool would be my go-to for surviving hot, sticky summers, even if it was a bit of a splurge at $99. However, after trying both the Dyson fan and the JisuLife alternative, I find myself reaching for the latter whenever I venture out without AC.

The HushJet Mini Cool boasts impressive engineering and a sleek design, and it definitely outperforms the JisuLife fan at its highest setting. However, even on its lowest setting, the HushJet is quite loud, emitting a high-pitched whine reminiscent of Dyson’s vacuums. While that sound is tolerable during short cleaning bursts, it’s less pleasant coming from a fan meant to be used close to your face. In contrast, the JisuLife fan operates at a lower frequency, making it much easier to handle for extended periods, even if it’s not completely silent at full power.

What really stands out about the JisuLife fan is its impressive 5,000mAh battery life. At half power, which is more than enough to keep us cool on scorching days, it ran for over 16 hours before needing a recharge—much longer than my son lasted at the water park. For comparison, Dyson claims the HushJet Mini Cool can run for up to six hours on its lowest setting, but I found it dead after just over an hour at full power.

I haven’t tried the pricier Shark ChillPill, which combines a fan with a metal cooling plate that supposedly lowers skin temperature by up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit in seconds. While it sounds effective, it only cools as long as the fan has power, and SharkNinja estimates it will last up to 11 hours at the lowest setting or just an hour and a half at max power. I’m not keen on spending $150 to test it out.

I’ve also experimented with those popular wearable neck fans that seem to be a hit with cashiers at my local Costco, but they didn’t meet my expectations. The airflow is spread out, making it feel less intense than a handheld fan, and the motor sits right below your ear, creating a constant drone. I can see their utility, but it’s not an experience my family enjoyed.

After a successful summer with these fans, I’m already on the lookout for sales on other JisuLife models, including a hands-free version that hangs from your neck. However, I expect these budget-friendly options will remain our go-to gear for summer adventures for years to come.