As a native Floridian, I’ve experienced just about every version of extreme heat you could imagine. Walking to get the mail and coming back sweating or stepping into a car with leather seats in the middle of July feels like a nightmare. With that said, appliances like portable fans help make these everyday situations more bearable.
That’s why my colleagues and I at NBC Selected have tested several portable fans over the years, including neck fans and handheld fans (even ones with cooling plates) to get a breeze of relief during our daily commutes and activities in New York City, crowded subway trains and all.
Below, I’ve rounded up the best portable fans to help you stay cool this summer and beyond.
Related
Want more from NBC Selected? Sign up for our newsletter, The Selection, and shop smarter.
The best portable fans in 2026
All of the portable fans below have been tested by the NBC Selected team and have at least a four-star average rating from 500 reviews or more on Amazon or other retailers.
Best overall handheld fan
This is a staff-favorite portable fan (at least four people on staff have it, myself included) because of how affordable yet powerful it is. I’ve owned this handheld fan from Jisulife for around two years now, and it has yet to fail me. I keep it with me all the time and I enjoy using it most when I’m waiting for the train in the morning and the platform is crowded. NBC Selected freelance newsletter editor Marilyn La Jeunesse loves this fan too, and even has three of them.
“Not only is it one of the more affordable options on the market, this fan is surprisingly powerful given its under-five-inch size,” she says. “The product features up to 19 hours of cooling time on a single charge and doubles as a power bank and flashlight.”
It also has three speed settings and it isn’t loud, so it won’t draw attention. What’s also great about the fan is that it can stand up on its own, so I often prop it up at my desk at work.
Best portable fan with an LED display
This versatile portable fan has blades that are encased by a cage, and while it is a handheld model, it also comes with a stand, so you can set it up anywhere with a flat surface. It has five speed settings and seven blades, NBC Selected editorial operations associate Jem Alabi has this handheld fan and says she always has it with her when she leaves home.
“One charge lasts for so long. When I brought it out from storage to use this summer, it still had a 50% charge,” she says. “You can see the battery percentage and mode on the LED screen.”
It also comes with a lanyard that you can put around your head when you want to free up your hands.
Best portable fan with a cooling plate
One of Shark’s newly launched appliances, the ChillPill is more than just a portable fan. Aside from not having exposed blades, it emits a light mist of water and has a unique cylindrical shape. One side of the device has an LED display showing the remaining battery life and the other side has a compartment for a cooling plate, which is arguably the best feature of the ChillPill. The cooling plate can be applied directly to your body to lower the temperature of your skin up to 16 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Shark.
NBC Selected reporter and self-proclaimed summer hater Zoe Malin tested the Shark ChillPill when it first launched and says it keeps her cool, even as someone who’s sensitive to heat. “It’s a fan, mister and cooling plate in one, so I can choose which mode I want to use depending on the situation and swap out the included attachments in less than a minute,” she says. “I use fan mode when I need a constant cool breeze, the mister when I’m getting sweaty and need a little refresh, and the cooling plate mode when my skin feels super hot or I’m having a hot flash and I need to lower my temperature quickly.”
Malin also loves how compact the fan is and that the battery lasts her at least a few days at a time. Plus, you can stand the ChillPill up on its own by twisting the handle.
Best neck fan
Malin also tested this neck fan and loved it so much that she wrote a review about it, saying she loves how strong it is and that it’s very comfortable to wear because of its light weight (9.7 ounces). It has 64 small vents around it that blow air around your head and neck at up to three increasing speeds.
“I love that my hands are free while I’m using it and [I] can comfortably wear it for as long as I need to,” she says in her review. “If you feel as miserable as I do during the summer, or need help combating warm temperatures indoors and outdoors year round, this neck fan is exactly what you’re looking for.”
Additionally, the fan is bladeless, so it doesn’t catch hair accidentally, according to the brand.
Best portable fan worth the splurge
While Dyson is a household name when it comes to vacuums, the brand recently ventured into handheld fans, starting with the HushJet Mini, which is similar in size to an electric toothbrush. Malin also tested this portable fan from Dyson when it launched.
“This bladeless fan has no bells and whistles, which is one of my favorite things about it,” she says. “There’s an on/off switch and 5 speeds, plus you can hold down the speed button to get an extra strong puff of cold air. That’s it — it doesn’t complicate cooling you off, and it’s powerful even on the lowest level.”
It has six speed settings and gets up to six hours of battery life on a full charge. It comes with a USB-C cable, a stand to charge it and a compartment for the included lanyard, so you don’t lose it when you’re not using it. You can also adjust the head so that the air comes out at different angles.
Best portable desk fan
Malin also has this corded portable desk fan from Vornado on her desk at work and says that it’s great to use when she gets into the office during a warm day.
“I walk to work, so I often feel warm when I get to my desk in the morning year round, and in the winter, the building turns up the heat very high,” she says. “Knowing I have my fan to provide a cool breeze is reassuring in both situations, and despite its small size, it’s quite powerful.”
Perfect for taking with you in a carry-on or checked suitcase, the fan comes in multiple sizes, has a 6-foot cord that makes it easy to rest on tall dressers, and you can tilt the head back and forth to get the best angle.
How I picked the best portable fans
After trying out different handheld fans, I found the most important factors to keep in mind when it comes to shopping for the best portable fans:
- Type: The main types of portable fans are handhelds and neck fans. While neck fans are straightforward (you simply wear them around your neck and it does the rest of the work), handheld fans come in many varieties. Many handheld fans either have blades that are exposed or encased that spin to create airflow, or they’re bladeless and usually have a round mechanism that emits air. Most of the portable fans on this list are rechargeable (as opposed to battery operated) and some even function as portable power banks. Additionally, many of the handheld fans are collapsible, making them easy to travel with or throw in a bag while you run errands.
- Speed settings: The most common and expected feature on most portable fans is speed settings — the best ones have at least three. Some of the fans on this list even have up to 10. A portable fan with multiple speed settings allows you to find the perfect amount of refreshing air, even on an extremely hot day.
- Battery life: While portable fans are most often rechargeable, they have varying battery levels and last for different amounts of time. The list above includes portable fans we’ve tested that get up to 20 hours of juice — which means days of power before needing to be charged again. Some also have an LED display showing battery life (some don’t, but those are still worth trying out).
- Features: The features mentioned above are usually where many portable fans stop when it comes to what they can do, but today, there are portable fans that have even more innovative cooling features, such as a mister and a cooling plate, like the Shark ChillPill. A mister is great because a light spray of cold water to the face or neck on a super hot day is a lot easier than trying to find a body of water to cool off in. Additionally, a cooling plate can bring your temperature down even more when you apply to the skin for a few seconds, according to brands like Shark.
How to shop for portable fans
When shopping for a portable fan, consider these questions below to decide the best type of appliance for you.
Frequently asked questions
First, decide on the type of portable fan you want based on your routine or schedule. If you don’t mind holding something, a small, handheld fan is perfect for taking with you on a daily commute, while traveling, visiting an amusement park or even while camping. If you want to make sure your hands are free, a neck fan is probably the best option for you.
Most portable fans have at least a few speed settings, but the best have three or more. Additionally, some portable fans have features like a mister, an LED display which helps you track the battery life, and a cooling plate which helps cool you down more than a regular fan.
Why trust NBC Selected?
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Selected, where I write about deals and sale events daily. I also write product roundups on home, kitchen and lifestyle appliances like vacuums, air fryers, coffee machines and espresso makers. For this story, I tested portable fans and compiled testing feedback from different members of the NBC Selected staff.
Catch up on NBC Selected’s in-depth coverage of tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.
