The Shark chillpill has been just about glued to my hand all summer. Launched in March, the tech giant’s first-ever handheld fan is unlike anything I’ve seen before, able to cool you down in various ways using three different attachments.
While the fan and the cooling plate are good, it’s the misting fan that I’ve had constantly screwed on to the top of the Shark chillpill. It delivers a beautifully cooling shower to my skin that feels perfect during our many summer heatwaves.
The problem is its £130 price tag. A hard pill to swallow when I mainly use just one attachment anyway. So when I spotted a £30 handheld fan that also mists, but with a larger fan head and a bigger water tank, I had to give it a try. Would I miss the cooling plate, or have I found an even better summer companion?
Read more: Shark chillpill review
Read more: Best neck fans, tested
Aecooly cold air misting fan
Why we love it
- Excellent value for money
- Powerful airflow with effective misting
- Larger fan head cools a wider area
- Easy to refill 25ml water tank
Take note
- Mist leaves your skin wetter than the Shark chillpill
- Not as pocket-friendly
Design
The Aecooly cold air looks much more like a traditional handheld fan compared to the Shark chillpill. It has a premium design, with a barrel-shaped fan head. There are two buttons on the front: the top button controls the fan speed, while the bottom button controls the misting feature. Double-press the button and it'll spray continuously. Hold it down and you can control exactly when it sprays, stopping the jet of water the moment you lift your finger.
The Aecooly’s water tank is at the bottom of the device. Lift up the tab, rotate to unlock and then pull it out. You can then fill the 25ml tank up with ice-cold water. It’s very easy to refill.
The first time I filled the tank I hadn’t quite twisted it back into place properly, which caused a small leak, so just make sure it’s fully locked before chucking it into your bag.
Size
The Shark chillpill is more compact, but that also means it has a smaller fan head. I like Shark’s versatile design – the interchangeable attachments are great, the fan speed dial is a lovely touch and it can double as a desktop fan – but you have to hold it quite close to your face to really feel the cooling mist.
The trade-off for the Aecooly’s larger fan head is portability. The Shark chillpill is much easier to pop into your pocket, whereas the Aecooly is better suited to a bag or being carried in your hand.
Cooling
In terms of cooling performance, I actually found the Aecooly cold air’s misting feature worked better from a little further away. Hold it close to your face and the water sits on your skin rather than disappearing almost instantly like the Shark's mist. In fact, you kind of get drenched when you use the Aecooly, but you don’t with the Shark. I’m no physicist, but I suspect it’s down to the way each fan atomises the water – the Shark has a much finer mist, while the Aecooly seems to shoot water out using a more concentrated jetspray.
Despite having almost twice the water capacity of the Shark chillpill, the Aecooly only has eight minutes of continuous misting, compared to roughly 15 to 20 minutes on the Shark chillpill. That may explain why it leaves my skin feeling wetter than Shark’s ultra-fine mist.
That's not a huge issue, though. While the Aecooly's mist isn't as fine as the Shark's, it still feels incredibly cooling and has done an excellent job at helping me cope with this summer's heatwaves. It just achieves that in a different way to the Shark, leaving my skin a little wetter instead of evaporating instantly. I found myself using the mist in short bursts anyway instead of leaving it running continuously.
There are five different fan speeds with the Aecooly cold air, but you get 10 on the Shark chillpill. Interestingly, despite only having five fan speeds, the Aecooly device feels more powerful than the Shark chillpill, and slightly quieter. The Shark chillpill and the Aecooly cold air are both loud, but I think the Aecooly is very slightly softer – the whir of the motor and the fan appears dampened and muffled in comparison to the Shark chillpill’s roar.
Battery
You can also use the Aecooly while it’s charging, with the battery life displayed on the screen. I never found myself running either fan flat during a day out. The Shark chillpill lasts up to 11 hours, while you get up to 20 hours with the Aecooly.
Key specifications
Buy now £30, Aecooly.com
Should you buy the Aecooly cold air or the Shark chillpill?
I fully expected the Aecooly cold air to be a poor man’s version of the Shark chillpill, but it’s actually become the handheld fan I’ve swapped to. While I do love the Shark's fine mist, I actually found myself ditching it in favour of the Aecooly because of its stronger airflow and wider cooling coverage. I didn't have to hold it right up to my face to feel the mist either, which made it easier and more comfortable to use.
Sure, the Shark chillpill is a better-designed product. I love that it also boasts a cooling plate and that it features a modular design. Its misting system is also more sophisticated. But at more than four times the price, I don't think it's four times better. Unless you specifically want the cooling plate or the more premium experience, I'd save the £100 and buy the Aecooly cold air instead.
Do note though that the Aecooly ships from the company’s warehouse in China, so it can take up to 15 days to arrive. UK customers get free shipping when they spend over $50 (£38). Spend less than $50 and you’ll pay a $6.99 (£5.23) shipping fee.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Alex Lee is IndyBest’s tech editor. He’s reviewed everything to do with cooling your home down and air treatment since 2021. Alex has consulted experts on what to look for in cooling tech, and always takes into consideration everything from performance and value to design and usability when testing.
He’s got particular expertise when it comes to cooling devices, having tried and tested everything from Sony’s wearable fan and Dyson’s best fans to the best portable air conditioners and air coolers. Beyond his experience in real-world testing, Alex is the perfect candidate for this test since he runs warm, making him a harsh critic.
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