Shark's new 3-in-1 portable fan has officially put an end to my heatwave anxiety

With the UK experiencing the first proper heatwave of the year, I am also experiencing my first bout of heatwave anxiety.

But something that gives me real comfort is that it's literally my job to test the best fans on the market. While I've found some brilliant pedestal and desktop options that can keep my living room, bedroom or home office comfortable, I've been crying out for a brilliant portable fan option that I can take around my home with me, as well as out and about.

Enter the new Shark ChillPill, a 3-in-1 portable fan that offers different cooling options for ultimate in personal comfort. This is how I got on when I tried it out myself.

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In a nutshell

As someone who generally runs hot, the idea of a hand-held fan definitely appeals to me. But the Shark ChillPill takes that appeal a good few steps further, offering three different cooling experiences. Firstly there is a beautifully traditional fan, then there is a misting fan head (that doesn't leave you drenched) and finally an 'InstaChill' cooling plate that is designed for direct skin contact and is deliciously cool.

It's simple to use, incredibly easy to swap over the fan heads and small enough to slip into my bag when I'm out and about (although it's a little too large to be described as pocket sized).

While a hand-held fan is particularly useful in the summer in those spaces where you wouldn't have a larger floor standing or table top fan, like the bathroom or garden, the fact that the Shark ChillPill can also stand unaided on a desk gives you the option to use it as a personal desk fan too.

Available in a range of colours, there's also a load of accessories (sadly not included with the fan itself) that make the ChillPill even more suitable for all aspects of daily life, including wristlets and crossbody straps available now, and clips, clamps and sleeves coming soon.

Sarah Handley

As well as being Ideal Home's Renovation Editor, I also look after all of the website's heating and cooling content, which means I'm well versed in what it takes to keep your home a comfortable temperature year round and how you can do that in the most energy efficient way possible. I tested the Shark ChillPill in my 1970s three-bed home, garden, and out and about, for more than six weeks. Find out more about how we test fans.

Specification

• Type of fan: Hand-held (but adaptable to desktop)
• RRP: £129.99
• Weight: 0.35kgs
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 8.41cm x 11.2cm x 4.5cm
• Wattage: 15W
• Wind speed (metres/second): 1.5-4.8m/s
• Running costs per hour (based on energy price cap at the time of writing): 0.37p per hour
• Number of fan speed settings: 10
• Noise in dB: 48-78dB
• Smart features: None
• Dual functionality: Fan, mister, cooling plate
• Oscillation: None

Unboxing, setting up and first impressions

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The Shark ChillPill comes with the main body, three fan heads, a charging cable, three replacement wicks (for misting mode) and a little drawstring bag to keep your fans heads in when you're not using them.

First I gave the fan a good charge for a couple of hours and took a proper look at the packaging that gives you a good steer as to what the different fan heads do as well as basic instructions on how to get started.

Once the body was fully charged, I got a feel for the ChillPill. It's very attractive (I had the Iced Latte shade but there are six colours to choose from), lightweight, and easily fitted in my palm. It's essentially comprised of two tubes that are attached by a hinge. The larger tube is the fan, and the smaller one is the battery, with the display screen on one end and charging point on the other.

I found it really easy to attach the fan head. There are dots on both the heads and the body, which you just line up to slot them together and then twist until the dot on the base and the lock symbol on the head line up.

There's also a lock switch on the base which prevents you from inadvertently turning it on while it's in your bag (the switch also helpfully shows red or green depending on whether it's locked or not). Once it was unlocked, it was simply a matter of pressing the display screen, which turns it on.

What's it like to use?

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First up, I tried the fan head and was surprised by how powerful the wind speed was on this handheld fan. According to my anemometer (a device that measures wind speed in metres per second), the ChillPill ranges from a very pleasant 1.5m/s in the lowest power setting up to a gloriously blustery 4.8m/s at top speed. For context, the most powerful fan we've tested is the Meaco Sefte, which hits 5.2m/s at its top speed. So I was very impressed to get anywhere near that with a portable device.

Then I tried the misting head. Before I attached it to the body, I needed to fill it up with water. I wasn't initially sure how to do that, but then I had a better look at the misting head and saw a very handy water symbol that indicated the lid I needed to open to fill it with water. Inside, there is a foam wick, which Shark recommends you change every 30 days. Three replacement wicks are included with the fan, and you can buy a pack of three replacements for £7.

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Once I'd filled it with water and attached it to the body, I twisted the nozzle open and turned it on. I love that you can choose between constant or intermittent misting, as well as cycling through the wind speeds to find the combination that feels the nicest. I was a bit worried that I'd end up a bit wet, with this being a personal fan and all, but I was so wrong. The mist is ultra fine and just makes the breeze feel a bit fresher, which is a very pleasant sensation indeed.

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While the fan and misting heads are brilliant, my absolute favourite was the InstaChill cooling plate. Designed for direct contact with the skin, there are two cooling modes which make the metal head feel like it's just come out of the fridge, and the only word I can use to describe the sensation is delicious. On an unseasonably warm spring day during the testing process, this head applied to my wrists, neck and warm cheeks was incredibly effective at cooling me down. I can also see this providing particularly welcome relief for perimenopausal or menopausal symptoms.

In terms of portability, the fact that the ChillPill fitted in my palm meant that it was really easy to move around my house as I went, and could slip inside my usual handbag while I was out and about. I do plan on picking up one of the cross body straps for a hands-free option too.

I love that this fan isn't just for when you're on the move though. Twisting the two tubes so that they are at right angles to each others means that the ChillPill can stand on any surface unaided. I'd pop it next to me in fan mode while I was working at my desk for a little blast of cool breeze when I needed it. It's never going to cool a whole room, but for personal comfort, it's spot on. While the misting head produces an ultra fine spray that doesn't leave you soggy, I'd be a bit cautious about using this one need electronic equipment.

When it comes to noise, I was expecting the ChillPill to be louder so was pleasantly surprised. It's not silent, even in the lowest speed setting, but I would have been shocked if that was achievable in such a compact design. On the lowest setting, my decibel reader clocked it at 48dB, which is audible, but not loud by any means. In top speed, I recorded 78dB, which is considerably more noticeable, especially when it's close by. But I'm telling you, if I was so hot that I needed my ChillPill on the highest setting, I would not be put off by the noise.

In terms of battery life, a single charge will give you 11 hours of fan mode in the lowest speed setting, but if you are using it intermittently while you are out and about, then it'll take you a decent amount of time to run down the battery. However, if you favour use of the InstaChill attachment, you can expect the battery to run out much sooner. Used solely with this attachment, I got less than two hours of battery life.

Running costs

While the ChillPill runs off a battery, that doesn't mean it's running costs are zero. With a wattage of 15, it's definitely not an energy intensive device. When charging, it will cost around 0.37p per hour, and it'll take 3.5 hours to go from empty to full charge.

Cleaning and maintenance

There's definitely not much required in terms of cleaning when it comes to the ChillPill beyond a wipe with a dry cloth. With the cooling pad, you might want to give that a regular clean, especially when it comes into contact with your skin.

The misting attachment does need a little bit more to keep it safe and hygienic to use. Shark advises that the water chamber is emptied after each use and that the wick is replaced every 30 days.

Who should buy this fan?

If you want a personal fan that not only looks good, but that is also practical to take with you around your home, garden and beyond then the Shark ChillPill is a worthy investment. But while you could absolutely buy a cheaper portable fan that will get the job done, it won't have the choice of cooling options that's offered by the ChillPill. Having the flexibility of going from a fan to a misting fan, to a direct contact cooling solution is really what makes the Shark ChillPill such a game changer.

While the ChillPill is a great option for personal comfort on the go, it does have it's limitations. This is not the fan to buy if you are looking for a whole-room cooling. If you want something that can benefit the whole family while hanging out together, then something like the Meaco Sefte 10'' Pedestal Air Circulator or Pro Breeze 43'' Hybrid Pedestal Fan would be much more suitable.

Similarly, if you are looking for a fan to keep you cool as you drop off to sleep, I would instead recommend the ultra quiet Duux Whisper 3, or the sub-£100 Silentnight Airmax Pro 360 Pedestal Fan.

If you need a desktop fan that doesn't involve any misting whatsoever, the Morphy Richards AirFlex 10'' air circulator won't take up loads of space, but still delivers decent wind speeds and oscillation to keep you comfortable as you work.