Dyson HushJet Mini Cool vs. Shark ChillPill: Which Handheld Fan Is the Coolest?

Price: Worthwhile Splurges

A rarity for the normally premium Dyson brand, the HushJet Mini Cool is the more affordable of the two at $99.99. The Shark ChillPill costs $149.99. While both qualify as splurge-worthy accessories, Dyson definitely gets the edge on this front as it costs a third less.

Winner: Dyson HushJet Mini Cool

Design: Multiple Color Options

The Dyson HushJet Mini Cool comes in three different colorways. All models feature a two-tone design, with the rotating nozzle at the top matching the buttons and contrasting with the rest of the body. I tested the Stone/Blush model, which is off-white with pink accents. Ink/Cobalt mixes dark blue and black, and Carnelian/Sky combines a light blue with bright red.

Dyson's included accessories match the fan

The Shark ChillPill comes in eight colors. With some options, its two main cylinders match, while others offer a contrast. Available colorways include Carbon (silver and black), Dragon Fruit (light and dark pink), Glacier (blue), Haze (light and dark purple), Heat (red), Iced Latte (beige), Matcha (green), and Rose Gold.

The HushJet Mini Cool is long and thin, measuring 1.5 by 7.9 inches (WH) and weighing 0.46 pounds. Since the ChillPill comprises two cylinders attached by a central, rotating post, it’s wider but shorter than the Dyson fan. Each cylinder is only 1.8 inches thick, but they add up to a combined width of 3.3 inches and a height of 4.41 inches. The ChillPill is a bit heavier than the Dyson, at 0.77 pounds.

The ChillPill's accessories change what it does

Neither the HushJet Mini Cool nor the ChillPill is small enough to fit into a pocket without sticking out, but both would be unobtrusive in a bag of nearly any size.

The ChillPill comes in more colors, and I like the look a little better. The HushJet Mini can be a bit off-putting at first glance, and more than one of my friends has made an inappropriate joke about what it vaguely resembles.

Winner: Shark ChillPill

Features: Helpful Included Attachments

While both devices are primarily meant to serve as fans, the Shark ChillPill comes with two extra attachments for added versatility. A Dry-Touch Mist attachment supplements the airflow with a gentle spray of water. The InstaChill Cooling Plate takes a different approach to cooling, with a cold metal surface that you can hold against your skin.

You'll need to fill up the Shark's reservoir with water for the mist attachment

You can easily swap attachments on the Shark by twisting the fan off the top of the main cylinder and replacing it with one of the other two options. Before installing the mister, be sure to pop it open and fill it up with water. A wick on the inside soaks up the water and allows it to spray at any angle. Shark says that the wick should be replaced roughly every month; three extras are included in the box.

The Dyson HushJet Mini Cool also comes with accessories, but they don’t change its function. Instead, a stand helps dampen its noise when you set it on a desk, and a necklace lets you point it at your face while keeping your hands free on the move.

You can wear the Mini Cool around your neck with the included accessory

While the HushJet Mini Cool gets points for its useful accessories that let you use it hands-free at home or on the go, the ChillPill works just fine on a desk on its own thanks to its pivoting base, and its extra pieces add welcome options to the personal cooling experience.

Winner: Shark ChillPill

Usability: Simplicity vs. Versatility

The controls on the HushJet Mini Cool are simple and self-explanatory with a power switch and a rocker to set the fan speed.

The ChillPill has a safety switch to prevent accidental activation while in your bag. To turn it on, flip the safety switch to the unlocked position, then push down on the display at the end of the base cylinder. You can adjust the fan speed by rotating the bottom dial. With different attachments in place, pressing the display cycles through modes to let you adjust the intensity of the cooling plate and mist intervals.

The display on the ChillPill changes depending on the attachment

This control scheme can get a little wonky with the mist attachment, as the ChillPill didn’t always recognize it during testing. A couple of times, I had to remove it, install another attachment, and put the mister back in place to get it to register. With the mister installed, the dial doesn't cycle the fan off. It just toggles between mist levels, so I had to flip the safety switch to get it to power down.

Both fans let you angle the air. The head of the Mini Cool pivots 360 degrees. On the ChillPill, the fan cylinder pivots around the base cylinder, with the base acting as a kickstand to hold the fan at your preferred position. The two cylinders are easy to turn and position, but still stay in place however you adjust them.

The controls of the Mini Cool are simple and self-explanatory

Though both are flexible, I was able to hit a wider variety of angles with the ChillPill from their respective spots on my desk, but I’m giving the win in this category to the HushJet Mini Cool thanks to its simple and reliable controls.

Winner: Dyson HushJet Mini Cool

Battery Life: Enough for a Summer Outing

Dyson specifies that the HushJet Mini Cool can run for up to 6 hours on the lowest fan speed. Shark says the ChillPill lasts for 11 hours on fan speed 1. Shark also lists battery life for other settings: 1.5 hours on the max fan speed, 4 hours with the mister on low, or 1 hour with the mister on high. Both take a while to recharge: roughly 3 hours for the Dyson and 3.5 hours for the Shark.

The two fans each have enough battery life to last through outdoor activities like ball games and day trips to Disney, or to keep you cool during a long car ride or a medium-length flight. The Shark gets the edge as it lasts longer on low.

Winner: Shark ChillPill

Power: Moving the Air

As a fan, the ChillPill has 10 speeds and can move air at up to 25 feet per second. The Dyson HushJet Mini Cool has 5 speeds. It lists its power in a different metric, with airflow at up to 55 miles per hour and a fan speed of 65,000 rotations per minute.

I tested their respective power by seeing how far they could blow a wadded-up tissue across a hard floor on both low and high speed. I let both fans have three attempts at each speed, and counted the furthest distance reached.

The HushJet Mini Cool won both rounds. On low speed, it didn’t move the tissue much, only 1.5 inches, but the ChillPill didn’t move it at all. On high, the Dyson fan pushed it 4 feet, 6 inches, and the ChillPill fell short again, reaching only 3 feet, 11 inches. When positioned an arm’s length away from me, I needed to turn the ChillPill up to speed 3 before I could feel it on my face. From the same distance, I could feel the Dyson even at its lowest speed.

Both fans were loud enough to cause my cats to be concerned

The HushJet Mini Cool is more powerful, but it’s also louder. I tested it using a sound app on my phone, and it produced roughly 60 decibels (dB) even at its lowest level, with max speed reaching 80dB. The Shark ChillPill ranged from 48dB at its lowest speed to 72dB at its highest. Both fans were loud enough at their medium speeds to startle my cats.

While the Shark ChillPill is quieter, Dyson takes the win here thanks to its higher airflow volume.

Winner: Dyson HushJet Mini Cool

Both Dyson and Shark are offering trendy portable fans to help you handle the summer heat, but which compact cooler will keep you the most comfortable? I compared the two directly to find out.

Shark ChillPill

Bottom Line