The Shark ChillPill 3 in 1 Fan has quickly become one of summer’s most talked-about portable fans. But at £129, is it really worth the money? Well, I bought it and put it to the test to find out.
Honest Review
Bought & tested ourselves
The viral Shark ChillPill has been all over my social media feeds, but when I saw the price, I was apprehensive. However, after receiving countless requests to review it on my Holiday Expert Shop account, where I test travel gadgets, I finally bit the bullet, paid for one myself and set out to discover what makes this fan so special.
So, let’s get into it.
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What is the Shark ChillPill?
Let’s begin with what Shark promises about its own product.
The Shark ChillPill is Shark’s 3 in 1 handheld fan which has a fan attachment, a water mister attachment and a cooling plate attachment. It comes in seven different colourways including black, blue, turquoise, hot pink, green, rose gold and taupe.
In other words, it’s a portable fan that is meant to be able to cool you down in multiple ways depending on personal preference and situation.
How long does the Shark ChillPill battery last?
Shark claims it to have an 11 hour run time on the lowest speed, and up to 1.5 hours on the most powerful setting. The fan comes with a USB-C cable which you plug in to the bottom of the fan and it should fully charge in 3.5 hours. You can use the fan whilst it’s charging, but only with the fan attachment.
What does the Shark ChillPill come with?
Inside the box was the fan itself, the other two attachments, a USB-C charging cable and three replacement wicks.
There are numerous accessories including wrist strap, clip attachment, lanyard and a carry case. However, these don’t come with the product – you’ll have to buy them separately.
My Honest Review of the Shark ChillPill
Testing the Shark ChillPill fan
The fan attachment is already on when you receive your fan. To turn the fan on, you press the black digital display and then twist the outside rim to change the speed levels, of which there are ten. On speed level one, there’s not much to write home about but then I cranked it up to ten. Whilst it was pretty noisy, it was powerful and I was impressed by how much range it had across my whole face. However, having tested many portable fans over the years, I wasn’t – pardon the pun – blown away. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very good fan, but it’s a quality you could easily find from fans for more than half the price.
However, we do have to remember that the fan isn’t all you’re paying for here.
Testing the Shark ChillPill mister
Now, this is what I was really excited to test out. On a hot day, surely there’s nothing better than misting yourself in a fine cloud of water. And that’s exactly what the ChillPill promises.
After removing the fan attachment (you simply twist it off) I was ready to attach the mister. However, before doing so, I needed to fill the little reservoir up with water. After spending a few seconds struggling to open it up (it requires a bit of force which terrified me that I was about to snap something off!) I was finally able to peer in. Inside, there is an area for the water which also has a wick pre-installed to purify it. Inside the box, there are 3 replacements which you’re instructed to last 30 days each. After that, you’re expected to replace them yourselves – which after a quick search will cost me £6.99 for another pack of 3 from Shark.
Finally, I was ready to fill with water. Now, I was actually surprised that there wasn’t anything to assist with this, and I ended up slopping the water into the attachment using a pint glass. I do not recommend!
But after mopping up my table, I was finally ready to test the mister. After pressing the black digital display as I had done for the fan function, I was dismayed to find it doing… nothing. The fan was blowing but there was no misting action to be seen (or felt). After playing around with it for a few minutes, I discovered that pressing the button again would activate the water. Now this was lush! It’s almost like a dry mist so it doesn’t leave you feeling drenched and it hits all of your face perfectly. This was my favourite part of the fan.
Testing the Shark ChillPill cooling plate
I twisted the mister attachment off and attached the cooling plate which is essentially a round disc which can be used to press against the pulse points of your body. I was initially sceptical about this metal circle but within a few seconds, it got super cold and I can appreciate how nice that would feel on your pulse points. As a migraine sufferer, I did think how helpful it would be for that situation. but also as the plate is quite small, so it’s probably not as effective as using a cool strip across my head.
Overall, I did quite like this as its not something I’ve really seen elsewhere, but it’s a shame that in using this you’re then not able to use the fan.
Testing the Shark ChillPill functionality
The Shark ChillPill has a double barrelled design where one column is the actual fan and the other is the part you can hold on to. However you can twist these to create an X shape and prop it up to use as a desk fan or small outdoor fan. There are also multiple accessories you can use with the fan like a wrist strap, lanyard or clip attachment but these are sold separately.
My final verdict
Now, I know I’ve been a little sceptical in this review but I do think this is a good product – it just has some flaws which I wouldn’t expect for the price. It feels a bit clunky to me, with too many attachments and I don’t like that you have to buy a carry case separately. Otherwise, I think the attachments would scratch up against the fan in your bag, and that you could easily damage it. Plus, if you wanted to use the mister you’d have to carry water to refill it and also buy more wicks to keep it working well.
Basically, there’s just too much to have to think about to justify the price. I don’t mind paying up for a premium product, but I want it to make my life better and easier!
Who is the Shark ChillPill for?
Whilst I don’t think it’s great value for money, I do appreciate that it’s a lovely bit of kit and so if money is no object, or you’re just looking to treat yourself to a fan that helps cool you down and looks good at the same time, then please don’t let me stop you!
How to save money on the Shark ChillPill
Shark ChillPill retails at around £129 but the good news is that there are sometimes some sales. You can buy a used one on Amazon for a bit less money and you can also sometimes grab the fan for less on TikTok Shop.
Also, don’t forget to check cashback sites to see if you can earn additional money on your purchase.
Cheaper alternatives to the Shark ChillPill
- 5 fan speeds
- Comes with a lanyard
- Has a water mister
This handheld fan from Wrischan has five speeds and can be worn around the neck with the included lanyard or placed as a desk fan thanks to the foldable stand. It also comes with a small bottle to fill up the water mister which delicately sprays to cool you down.
The fan fully charges in 3 hours with a USB-C cable included in the box, and will last from 4 to 17 hours depending on mode.
- 100 fan speeds
- Digital display
- Full charge lasts 12 hours
Now, on first inspection this does look boujie. It’s got a digital display showing what speed it’s at, and you can set it at any speed from 1-100. It has neither the mister nor the cooling plate that the ChillPill does – but this is Luxury Expert James’ approved fan.
It comes with a 3600mAh battery and a safety lock, so the fan doesn’t accidentally go off in your bag and become damaged. The listing says it takes 2-3 hours to fully charge.
