Why this £12 rechargeable Amazon neck fan is an absolute summer essential
Wearing a fan around your neck is the secret to staying cool in a heatwave.
Despite being Australian and growing up in a sub-tropical climate (think humidity so severe that it’s like living inside a steamy bathroom after a hot shower), I’ve never found a way to cope with the heat. Or the ensuing sweat that pours out of me when it’s above 25 degrees.
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Then I happened upon this viral TikTok video about neck fans and I knew I may have found the sweat-drying solution I’d always dreamt of.
I’d never as much as Googled a neck fan before. Like many people I assumed that if such a thing existed it’d be a heavy monstrosity that would suck my hair in its blades, would look dreadful with all my pretty summer dresses and give me neck strain.
If you're looking for a hands-free way to stay cool this summer, you need a neck fan.
I stand corrected. Because when I (along with over 600,000 other viewers) saw influencer Nguyen Yeats-Brown putting a bladeless fan around her neck, and realised it actually looks like a slightly chunkier pair of headphones, I was sold.
🛍️ Product reviewed: Amazon Neck Fan
⏰ Tested for: Over a year
⭐ Rating: 3/5
💸 Reasons to buy: It's hands-free, and looks like you're wearing some headphones around your neck
✋ Reasons to avoid: It's a bit chunky to put in your handbag, marks easily and the air blowing up can irritate your eyes
💰 Best deal we've found: This is the cheapest bladeless neck fan we've found with positive reviews and currently has 15% off
I baulked at paying over £30 though. So I found a very similar neck fan with great reviews on Amazon for under £15. Here’s why it’s now my favourite new way to keep cool.
💸 Reasons to buy
While my neck fan is a relatively new addition to my cooling repertoire, it quickly won me over.
Mainly because it's hands-free and has been designed to look like a pair of headphones. It's also bladeless, which means there’s no danger of your hair getting caught up/twisted inside it.
Another win? It's not too noisy. The last thing you want when trying to listen to your favourite podcast or Kate Bush album is loud chugging noise around your neck. The fan makes a very low, gentle whirling sound, which isn't too distracting.
Shop now Browse all neck fans on Amazon
It also has three speeds, so you can decide the level of air you want to feel on your neck/hair. And the design is very flexible, so you can move it and twist it around to sit more comfortably on your neck.
It’s chargeable via USB, too: the brand claims that one charge can last up to six hours, depending what fan speed you choose.
I decide to put my neck fan through its paces and the first time I used it, I took it on a three-mile walk during the peak midday sun to meet a friend for afternoon tea.
I played around with speeds at home first – when not moving very fast the first speed is perfect, but for more extreme exertion it’s all about the highest speed (be aware, though, that the higher speed does blow your hair around as if you’re in an 80s pop video. But I found that quite amusing).
Verdict? While it didn’t completely stop me sweating, it provided enough of a cooling effect that my hair wasn’t a sodden mess by the time I arrived at my destination.
Nobody batted an eyelid at my neck fan, either, clearly assuming it was headphones. If they did notice it, they asked where I got it from (including one very cool, stylish, shop assistant in an boutique who immediately wanted to buy one for herself).
✋ Reasons to avoid
It does blow air up into your eyes which made mine feel a little irritated. So I just popped my sunglasses on. Indoors, I have it on a lower speed so it bothers my eyes a little less.
It’s a bit bulky so it's not suitable for slotting into a small handbag or pocket. But these small drawbacks can't take away from the fact I love being cooler when on the go.
💰 Best deal we've found
This neck fan now has 15% off on Amazon, reduced from £13.98 to £11.94,.
It was also one of the best options with the most reputable reviews (over 1,000 people have left reviews, of which over 500 are five-star ratings).
You may be able to find more affordable versions on Amazon, but we recommend choosing one with a good amount of reviews, just to make sure it's from a reputable seller.
To help, we've put a few other affordable options below for if you want to give portable neck fan life a go this summer.
Shop now: UseeShine Portable Neck Fan | £11.94 (Was £13.98) from Amazon
Other highly rated Amazon neck fans under £30
You can also get the same fan in black.
This neck fan is a slightly different design, but is very popular with over 10,000 reviews.
This similar fan also has three speeds and is only £10.
This rechargeable fan is also on sale with almost 40% off.
