Following the hottest day of 2024 (the mercury tickled 35°C in Cambridge on August 12), there can’t be many people who haven’t considered buying a fan to deal with the sustained high temperatures. Especially if you’re reading this in the human soup that is London Underground in summertime.
While we’re thrilled at the sight of long-awaited sunshine, trying to live in it without proper air conditioning - heck, even a cracked open window - is some kind of hell.
Procuring a fan becomes an overwhelming preoccupation. Whether to make working from home more comfortable or a cooling apparatus for sweet breezes at night, a good fan becomes a lifeline when a heatwave hits.
Portable fans, be they manual or electric, are essential when you’re on the move. The compact gizmos take the edge off long car or rail journeys, make summer commuting bearable and bring welcome relief on sweltering days in the park, gardening or while tending to the BBQ.
If they have a flaw, it’s that most are handheld. It seems that incapacitating one hand is the price one must pay for the bliss of localised cooling.
But not anymore. The future is here with neck fans.
Worn around the back of the neck, you’ve probably spied one of these gadgets on the tube and assumed they were over-ear headphones. Some designs position small fans on each end, blowing up air towards the face to cool you down (particularly helpful after sprinting for the bus). Meanwhile, newer, snazzier bladeless designs come with a thermal cooling chip. With traditional batteries well on their way to obsoletion, buying a rechargeable model makes sense financially and environmentally.
Aside from stopping the torrent of sweat swamping your face, the other big plus is that your hands are left free for other things, like repotting plants, driving, cooking, eating popcorn, watching ridiculous TikToks - well, you get the idea.
They’re perfect for anyone with a low sweat threshold or anyone dealing with hormone changes, like menstruation or menopause.
Ultimately, a neck fan gives you the freedom to go about your business unhindered while keeping your cool. And with weather like this, who wouldn’t want that?
We’ve rounded up the best neck fans and neck air conditioners to buy now and keep for holidays and summers to come.
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RANVOO 2024 AICE LITE AI Neck Air Conditioner
- Weight: 480g
- Modes: four
When temperatures nudge past 30 from dawn to dusk, it's time to bring in the big guns. Portable fan? Pah! Try a portable neck air conditioner.
This baby is fitted with a 6000mAh battery, which means you can use it for a full 24 hours if needed. Power to the tune of 15W and ICEMAX cooling tech propels a stream of air through four vents across the face and over blood vessel pathways in triangular cooling circulation, helping you feel cooler from the neck down too.
It operates through an app from which you can choose between four modes including an AI mode which monitors for changes and adjusts accordingly. There's also a silent mode and hair-pinch proof, all packed into a gizmo that weighs 480g. You'll forget you've got it on.
Buy now £159.00, Amazon
TORRAS COOLIFY 2 Neck Air Conditioner
- Weight: 1378g
- Modes: cooling, blowing and heating
Whether it’s a hot flash or post-workout sweat, trying to regain your composure can so often do the opposite, leaving you flustered and red-faced. Keep this personal air conditioner on you though, and you’ll be ready to deal with high temperatures whenever they flare up.
The rechargeable neck fan offers 360 wrap-around high-velocity cooling through air ducts and vents located around the design. It works quickly too, cooling by 1 in the same number of seconds.
It’s not an energy drain either - just plug it into a USB-C for three hours to get up to 18 of use. Best of all, this gadget can be used all year around since there’s a heat mode too.
Buy now £159.99, Amazon
ecoCalm Rechargeable Neck Fans
- Weight: 480g
- Modes: three speeds
A fan helped along with semiconductor chilling plates, don’t leave the house without this fan in the summer.
The C-shaped bladeless design is made for controlling your personal climate when you’re engaged in strenuous exercise or living in scorching temperatures, making it ideal for outdoorsy types or anyone headed to a beach break.
It works speedily too, capable of lowering body temperature in seconds - perfect if you’re prone to overheating. Keep it on pure fan mode where you’ll get up to 18 hours of use, or enjoy ultimate cooling for 2.5 hours.
Buy now £69.99, Amazon
JISULIFE Neck Fan
- Weight: 283g
- Modes: four speeds
Durable but lightweight, this neck and face fan looks far more expensive than it is. Good design may have attracted us to it, but excellent functionality is why we’re staying.
This bladeless and rechargeable unit keeps air flowing around the face, shoulders and upper body with the 4500mAh battery capable of blowing breezes for up to 20 hours. The neck brace is adjustable, expanding to fit any neck size. Save turbo mode for the most sweltering day - you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.
Buy now £20.99, Amazon
DDKJ Neck Fan With Water Mist Spray
- Weight: 380g
- Modes: two mist modes, three wind speeds
A summer spritz of a different kind but no less refreshing, this rechargeable neck fan combines cooling with misting, making it ideal for using in hot and dry environments or where there’s a lot of wind, like hiking - or walking along Bishopsgate in the City. Bladeless vents propel air towards the face, avoiding worry about hair getting entangled, and a full charge of the 2000mAh battery will give you up to eight hours of use on the lowest setting. Once it’s out of juice, a quick recharge with a USB-C will get it back on track.
Buy now £12.98, Amazon
LUMI Foldable Neck Fan
- Weight: 250g
- Modes: gentle, cool and strong wind
If you don’t like the idea of wearing a clunky collar all day, Lumi’s option may entice you. The lightweight design offers three wind speeds, circulating air from vents positioned on either end of the gadget, going up to nine hours straight on the lowest setting. The flexible hose makes it easier to wear over clothes too. It’s the perfect thing to take on holiday or keep in your bag, folding down to a conveniently compact size.
Buy now £24.99, Amazon
IBLE Airvida M1 M1W45 Wearable Air Purifier - White
- Weight: 0.02kg
- Modes: n/a
Despite increased efforts, air pollution is still a key concern for many living in London. While you can filter out harmful particles at home with a traditional air purifier, it’s not so easy when you’re on the move.
Enter Airvida, a wearable air purifier that can be worn as a necklace or brooch to protect from airborne bacteria, particles, viruses, pollen, pet dander and more. The noiseless gadget improves air quality directly around you and can work for 28 hours straight, meaning you can keep it on at night if that’s when your allergies tend to kick in. Sold with a two-year guarantee.
Buy now £174.00, Currys
Portable Neck Fan with 78 Ventilation Holes
Best for: effortlessly cool
This bladeless fan has been doing the rounds on social media, and no wonder. They look like headphones but have a sole purpose: to cool the worst of your sweat before those beads have a chance to drip.
Reasonably priced and with three wind speeds to help you battle the heatwave, it projects enough air to keep neck, face and head at a comfortable temperature, even in the human soup that is the London Underground in the summertime. It charges with a USB port, so you can wear it at work and plug it into your computer to charge up for the journey back home. Mind you, it's not just for the commute; the hands-free design makes it perfect for using while cooking up a storm in the kitchen as well as strenuous outdoor sports.
Buy now £26.64, Amazon
