Review: Shark ChillPill

Sun, sun, summer, and sun... I must beg to differ with Andy Williams’ atmospheric Christmas classic, but this is the best time of the year. The summer of 2026 feels as if it has already offered us very pleasant weather overall, with some days being really hot, sometimes just over 30 degrees. For us Northerners who are used to harsher climates, a week with 25-27 degrees can feel unusual and a bit difficult, at least until you get used to it. Then again, we all handle heat differently; some (such as yours truly) love it, while others find it increasingly difficult to tolerate (especially with age). Europe is scorching right now, and in the future, it’s a safe bet that the concept of Air Conditioning – AC – will be as prevalent on our continent as it has long been in the States. But until then, you can look at simpler and more portable solutions, such as Shark’s recently launched multi-function fan ChillPill.

ChillPill is thus a portable fan that looks like a small pair of binoculars, or two rotatable tubes on top of each other, which can either be placed on a table or held in the hand to cool the face or selected parts of the body. In addition to the classic “fan mode,” we also get a water mist mode and a cooling plate to quickly lower body temperature by placing it against the neck and wrists.

The device is very easy to get started with; charge it via the included USB-C cable (using a suitable wall charger, which you provide yourself) and then you’re ready to go. ChillPill has ten levels of intensity, so you can choose anything from a faint breeze to a full-on Melodifestival wind on the maximum setting (well, almost). The mist head has a small container you fill with water so that the superfine mist can be created by atomizing the water. This container is on the small side, presumably to keep the product reasonably compact and consistent with the other plug-in heads included. It lasts about 15-20 minutes, and it is truly heavenly while it lasts, but you must be prepared to refill it fairly regularly (and it’s a bit addictive; it suddenly feels very hot without it once you’ve used it for a while). If you need to cool down on the go, this is unbeatable, but if you are at home (and outdoors), you might as well go for Shark’s full-size fan FlexBreeze instead. Inside the water container, there is also a filter that should be replaced every 30 days, and three new filters are included in the package. Therefore, expect a small investment each season for this. The third mode, the cooling plate, was perhaps the one we used least in practice. The idea is good—holding a cooled plate against major pulse points on the body is supposed to be able to lower the temperature by up to nine degrees in a short time. But it requires patience and isn’t as immediate in its relief against the heat as the other two cooling systems, in the opinion of both myself and those who tested it with me.

On the negative side, it’s noted that ChillPill is noisy at its maximum setting. This might not be a big problem during the day with surrounding noise, but in a quiet room at night, it becomes distinctly disturbing if run higher than level 4-5 (max is 10). And that’s a shame, as one of the testers discovered that the device is really pleasant to sleep with on the chest during tropical nights. The other issue is that the included carrying pouch is so small. It is probably intended only for the accessories, but it would have been nice to have a slightly larger bag that also protects the unit (perhaps with its own pocket inside so the parts don’t scratch against each other). Next time?

The suggested retail price when we tested Shark ChillPill was 1,800 SEK during the summer, but it seems to have dropped to 1,500 SEK now. At first glance, this can be a lot of money for a handheld fan—and it certainly is. At the same time, there is essentially no competition to speak of in this niche. ChillPill cannot be compared to the plastic, battery-powered 50-SEK fans you can find in various supermarkets; it is a product with quality and thought behind its function, execution, and design. It may not be an obvious purchase for a vast group of consumers in Sweden, partly because we generally have “extreme heat” for very few days per year, but also because many handle the heat quite well with regular fans at home, AC in cars and shops, and trips to the beach. However, there are groups, such as the elderly, who are not as mobile and who tolerate the heat much worse—especially if they also face health challenges. For them, ChillPill can be a godsend and worth every single penny, if not more.

Shark sent review copies for this test. Senders of material have no editorial influence on our tests; we always write independently with you, the readers and consumers, in focus.