The $32 Neck Fan I Swear by for Staying Cool All Summer Long
A few days before my husband and I were flying out to Italy last year, we decided to buy little travel fans to stay cool amid blazing temps. The most popular and well-rated ones we found on Amazon (hooray for free and fast shipping!) were these bladeless neck fans from Jisulife, a new-to-us brand that specializes in personal fans.
They were truthfully among the least elegant ways to stay cool in 100-plus degree weather and 90% humidity, but we remained committed to function over form and now, almost a year later, they’ve become essential again during the current heat wave.
What sets the Jisulife fan apart from other personal neck fans is the wraparound bladeless design. The fan wraps around your neck (like how you’d hang over-the-ear headphones when they’re not in use) so it frees up your hands for your phone, water bottle, or subway pass whether you’re using it while walking around Rome or just walking a few blocks to the train station.
The fan has little vents all around it, so cool air circulates up and around your neck and head, versus traditional neck fans, which usually have the fan head blasting air right in your face. The bladeless design is also much safer for little fingers, as well as anyone with long hair or who wears dangly earrings (I shudder at the thought … ).
There’s only one button to operate the fan and toggle between fan speeds, and even when you’re on the highest speed, the noise level is acceptable. On the lowest setting, you might forget you’re even wearing the fan after a while. There’s also a small USBC slot to charge the fan, and a full charge gets you up to 16 hours of usage, although we’ve never had to use it for such a long stretch of time.
While the design is not chic by any means, I’ll admit that it’s sleek due to the lack of blades and visible buttons. And depending on your aesthetic, there are currently three colors to choose from. Sadly, you don’t get style points for these no matter which one you go for, but when you’re desperate for a way to stay cool in high heat and humidity, style goes by the wayside.
And I’ve been pretty desperate these days. As global temperatures rise (and the current heat wave is almost in its second week) we’ve been using the neck fans as we run errands, tend to our flower garden, or just commute to work. They’ve come in clutch, keeping us cool amid the heat and humidity. We’re so used to them, we sometimes even forget that we’re wearing them — until someone asks about them, that is.
As silly as the fan looks, it’s easy to overlook in the face of comfort — especially in extremely hot temps — and it’s a small financial investment that I’d gladly make again.
Buy: JISULIFE Neck Fan, $31.99