Dyson’s First Portable Fan Has Power, But Comes at a Cost

Highlights taken by CNET

• At $100, Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool it comes in three colors and includes a “neck dock” (lanyard), charging station and travel bag.
• The HushJet Mini Cool has five speeds and a boost mode that reaches 55 mph and 77.5 dBA, which, in my opinion, makes it the loudest of the shared spaces.
• While it charges in three hours, you only get six hours of battery life at speed 1, and even less at top speed. However, you can use it at speed 1 while it is charging.

During hot yoga in a 110-degree Fahrenheit room with hot air blowing against my skin, I often dream of having something, anything elseto cool me down. Lately, I’ve been imagining (hallucinating?) the HushJet Mini CoolDyson’s first handheld fan, on top of my yoga mat during sweat sessions. Its small profile also makes it easy to throw in a backpack or gym bag.

As CNET’s health editor, I’ve had the opportunity to test a wide variety of health technology, including the HushJet Mini Cool alongside its recently released competitor, Shark ChillPilla few weeks. Unlike The ChillPilla three-in-one machine with a fan, cooling plate and water king, the Mini Cool is just a fan, but it’s powerful.

Pros and cons of Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool

With four speeds and a boost mode, the HushJet Mini Cool fanless fan can reach 55 mph. And yes, it feels like a powerful fan despite being 1.5 inches wide, 7.9 inches tall and weighing 0.46 pounds.

Interestingly, the 1.5 inch diameter is about the same size as the watch face.

How and where to use it

Similar to the Shark ChillPill, the Mini Cool can be used in three ways: held in your hand, worn around your neck with the accompanying integrated cloth (which the company calls a “neck dock”) or placed upright on a table. The Mini Cool’s microphone also rotates 360 degrees, so when you’re wearing it, you can tilt it towards your face.

I really appreciate that the Mini Cool comes with a lanyard, as ChillPill accessories are sold separately for $10 to $40. The ChillPill crossbody strap, for example, is $25.

This summer, Dyson will also release a grip clip for jackets and backpacks, as well as a universal mount that can attach to strollers and more, both sold separately. No word on pricing yet, but I’m hoping they’ll be more affordable than the ChillPill supplements.

The last accessory that comes with the Mini Cool is a travel bag, which I prefer over the Shark because it fits the entire device. The ChillPill bag only fits two of its attachments.

Speaking of portability, the HushJet Mini Cool has a lithium-ion battery. The US Transportation Security Administration reports that lithium-ion batteries should be carried in carry-on luggage, so you can bring the Mini Cool on your next vacation. Just double check your airline’s rules before you fly.

My gripe is the battery life

The Mini Cool’s 5,000-mAh battery charges in 3 hours with the included cable and stand. The stand fits the HushJet Mini Cool 40-watt base and has an indent that allows the cable to connect to the fan seamlessly.

Once charged, the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool runs for up to six hours at speed 1, its lowest setting. That’s also the only speed that can be used while the device is charging, so you can stay cool without interruption.

At low speed, the 15-watt ChillPill fan runs up to 11 hours, five more than the Mini Cool. But the ChillPill takes 30 minutes longer to charge and has less power.

The sound quality makes it best for outdoor use

To reduce noise, the Mini Cool’s 65,000 revolutions per minute motor is built with an anti-vibration rubber mount.

Dyson reports maximum sound level as 72.5 A-weighted decibels, but when I measured it in boost mode with the Decibel X app, about 2 inches from the device, my reading was 77.5 dBA. At speed 10, the ChillPill was 74.6 dBA.

For reference, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the sound from a group chat or a vacuum cleaner is about 70 dBA, so both the Mini Cool and the ChilPill are pretty loud at their peak.

Admittedly, I found the HushJet Mini Cool to be noisy at speed 5 and in boost mode, so I’d recommend the lower settings for the shared internals.

The smaller the color range, the higher the price

The HushJet Mini Cool comes in three colors: pink, blue and red/blue. ChillPill offers eight colors: red, rose gold, purple, black, pink, green, brown and yellow, so it’s got a little cool vibe there.

Now, the price. Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool is $100, which is cheaper, but still $50 less than the ChillPill. Both come with a two-year limited warranty.

Between the Mini Cool and the ChillPill, I would recommend the ChillPill if you want two additional features: a cooler and a cooling plate. But if you want fans, the Dyson model is the way to go.

However, there are more affordable options on the market, such as the 38-mph JisuLife Ultra2 for $76 again The Pro1 Mini for $63, which I’m currently testing. It’s a little underpowered, but I’m not sure that matters as long as it still helps you stay cool.

Details

• Cost: $100
• Speeds: Five, plus boost mode, up to 55 mph
• Sound level (boost mode): 77.5 dBA
• Guarantee: Two years limited
• Weight: 0.46 kilograms
• Dimensions: 1.5 x 7.9 inches
• Power: 40 watts
• Battery life: Six hours
• Battery charging time: Three hours
• Included in the box: Device, neck strap, USB-C charging cable, charging stand and travel bag

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool vs. Shark ChillPill

Details	Shark ChillPill	Dyson HushJet Mini Cool
Price	$150	$100
Main functions	Fan, mist, cooling plate	A follower
High airflow	Up to 17 mph	Up to 55 mph (boost mode)
Maximum sound level (dBA)	74.6	77.5
Water	15	40
Battery life (low speed)	Up to 11 hours	Up to 6 hours
Charging time (hours)	3.5	3
Weight (kilograms)	0.77	0.46
Colors are available	8	3

CNET’s shopping advice

• If you want a personal fan that only works as a high-powered fan, the $100 Dyson HushJet Mini Cool great option. But for the extra cooling plate and sir, I’ll go with Shark ChillPill for $50 more.
• At $100, the HushJet Mini Cool is expensive. There are very inexpensive personal fans under $100 on the market, such as JisuLife Ultra2 as well as The Pro1 Mini. They are less powerful, but will still work as intended.
• In terms of sound, I found the HushJet Mini Cool to be loud at the highest setting and in boost mode. In boost mode, I measured 77.5 dBA, 2.9 dBA more than the ChillPill at speed 10. Because of that, I would recommend that those speeds be used outdoors only.