Dyson’s First Handheld Fan Is Powerful, but It Comes at a Cost

CNET’s key takeaways

At $100, Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool comes in three colors and includes a “neck dock” (lanyard), charging stand and travel pouch.

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 too loud for shared spaces.

While it charges in three hours, you get only six hours of battery life at speed 1, and even less at higher speeds. However, you can use it at speed 1 while it charges.

Dyson’s First Handheld Fan Is Powerful, but It Comes at a Cost

The pros and cons of Dyson's HushJet Mini Cool

The specs

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool vs. Shark ChillPill

CNET’s buying advice

During hot yoga in a 110-degree Fahrenheit room where hot air is blowing on my skin, I often dream of having something, anything, to cool me down. Lately, I’ve been imagining (hallucinating?) the HushJet Mini Cool, Dyson’s first personal handheld fan, at the top of my yoga mat during particularly sweaty moments. Its slim profile also makes it easy to throw into a purse or gym bag.

As CNET’s wellness editor, I’ve had the opportunity to test a wide array of health tech, including the HushJet Mini Cool alongside its recently released competitor, the Shark ChillPill, for several weeks. Unlike the ChillPill, which is a three-in-one device with a fan, cooling plate and water mister, the Mini Cool is simply a fan, but it’s a powerful one.

The pros and cons of Dyson's HushJet Mini Cool

With four speeds and a boost mode, the HushJet Mini Cool’s bladeless fan can reach 55 mph. And yes, it does feel like a powerful fan despite being 1.5 inches in diameter, 7.9 inches tall and weighing 0.46 pounds.

Interestingly, the 1.5-inch diameter is about the size of a watch face.

How and where you can 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 included matching lanyard (which the company calls a “neck dock”) or placed upright on a tabletop. The Mini Cool's nozzle also rotates 360 degrees, so when you wear it, you can tilt it up toward your face.

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

This summer, Dyson will also release a grip clip for jackets and bag straps, and a universal mount that can attach to strollers and more, both sold separately. No word on price yet, but I’m hoping they’ll be more affordable than the ChillPill add-ons.

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

Speaking of travel, 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 with the battery life

The Mini Cool’s 5,000-mAh battery charges in 3 hours with the included cable and stand. The stand fits around the 40-watt HushJet Mini Cool’s 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 on speed 1, its lowest setting. That’s also the only speed that can be used while the device is charging, so you can keep cool without interruption.

On low speed, the 15-watt ChillPill’s fan runs up to 11 hours, five more than the Mini Cool. But the ChillPill does take 30 minutes longer to charge and is less powerful.

Noise level makes it best for outdoor use

To reduce noise, the Mini Cool’s 65,000 revolutions per minute motor was engineered with an antivibration rubber mount.

Dyson reports the max noise 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 noise from a group conversation or a vacuum cleaner is around 70 dBA, so both the Mini Cool and ChilPill are pretty loud at their highest setting.

Anecdotally, I found the HushJet Mini Cool to be loud at speed 5 and in boost mode, so I would recommend the lower settings for shared indoor spaces.

Small color range, high price

The HushJet Mini Cool comes in three colors: pink, blue and red/light blue. The ChillPill offers eight colors: red, rose gold, purple, black, pink, green, brown and teal, so it has the Mini Cool beat there.

Now, the price. Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool is $100, which isn’t cheap, but it’s still $50 less than the ChillPill. Both come with a two-year limited warranty.

Between the Mini Cool and ChillPill, I’d recommend the ChillPill if you want two added features: a mister and a cooling plate. But if you just want a fan, the Dyson model is the way to go.

Yet, there are more affordable options on the market, such as the 38-mph JisuLife Ultra2 for $76 and the Pro1 Mini for $63, which I’m currently testing. They're less powerful, but I’m not sure that matters as long as they still help keep you cool.

The specs

Cost: $100

Speeds: Five, plus boost mode, up to 55 mph

Sound level (boost mode): 77.5 dBA

Warranty: Two-year limited

Weight: 0.46 pounds

Dimensions: 1.5 x 7.9 inches

Wattage: 40 watts

Battery life: Six hours

Battery charge time: Three hours

Included in box: Device, neck lanyard, USB-C charging cable, charging stand and travel pouch

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool vs. Shark ChillPill

Specs

Shark ChillPill

Dyson HushJet Mini Cool

Price

$150

$100

Core functions

Fan, misting, cooling plate

Fan

Max airflow

Up to 17 mph

Up to 55 mph (boost mode)

Max sound level (dBA)

74.6

77.5

Wattage

15

40

Battery life (low speed)

Up to 11 hours

Up to 6 hours

Charge time (hours)

3.5

3

Weight (pounds)

0.77

0.46

Colors available

8

3

CNET’s buying advice

If you want a personal fan that only functions as a high-power fan, the $100 Dyson HushJet Mini Cool is a great option. But for an added cooling plate and mister, I’d go with the Shark ChillPill for $50 more.

At $100, the HushJet Mini Cool is pricey. There are more cost-effective personal fans under $100 on the market, such as the JisuLife Ultra2 and the Pro1 Mini. They’re less powerful, but will still work as intended.

In terms of noise, I found the HushJet Mini Cool loud at its highest setting and in boost mode. In boost mode, I measured 77.5 dBA, 2.9 dBA louder than the ChillPill on speed 10. Because of that, I’d recommend reserving those speeds for outdoor use only.