Shark has been making some intriguing devices lately, and its newest offering is one I’m personally very excited about. The company has just announced the ChillPill — a gadget it’s describing as a “3-in-1 personal cooling system.” It’s a modular system that offers a fan, mister and cold plate in one portable accessory, and is available today (March 10) for $150. Just in time for the summer, I guess. I’ve had a ChillPill to test for a few days and while I think it’s a bit pricey, I’m impressed by the sophistication and versatility you get for the money.
The ChillPill looks kind of like a strange, modern pair of binoculars. It is made up of two tubes connected via an inch-long silver rotating hinge. Unlike a pair of binoculars, though, one of the halves of the ChillPill can swivel on its hinge to about 180 degrees in either direction, so you can twist it to your heart’s desire. The hinge clicks firmly into place, and feels solid, so it can hold steady in whatever position you’ve chosen.
The smaller of the two tubes is where the controls and the USB-C charging port sit. There is a switch near the bottom here that locks the controls so the ChillPill doesn’t accidentally turn on when it’s in your cluttered purse. This is important, since turning on the device and adjusting the intensity levels is a matter of pressing the other end of this tube and rotating the dial. There’s a screen that takes up the top surface and it’ll show you your battery level and what speed or mode the
The matte, slightly larger tube is where the attachments go, and the other end of this is an air inlet. Shark calls the attachments “caps,” and like mentioned earlier, these are the “High-speed fan” cap, a “Dry Touch Mist” cap and the “InstaChill Cooling Plate.” The fan is basically an inch-thick disc, while the other two are a bit taller (or deeper), and the misting pod has a tank with a wick in it. You have to fill this with potable water (and the instruction manual repeatedly warns against using oils, fragrances or other additives) before turning the device on.
Swapping the caps out is a fairly easy affair thanks to the self-explanatory symbols on the edge. Twist the parts till the circle or lock icons are on top of the solid white dot on the other side, and you’re all set.
The Shark ChillPill in use in various scenarios. (Shark)
Of the three attachments, I was most excited for the cold plate, but was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the mister. I was initially skeptical when Shark’s reps told me it was a “dry mist,” and I assumed it was probably much wetter than they promised. But when I filled the container with cold tap water and turned the ChillPill on, I found the resulting cool air and mist very refreshing. And though my chin, which got the most of the water vapor, did get a bit wet, it all dried off very quickly. Plus, if I didn’t want to risk any moisture on my face at all, I could just hold the device a bit further away from my face. I also think it would be thoroughly enjoyable when aimed at other areas, like my neck or back, for a quick cooldown.
Same goes for the cooling plate attachment. It uses basically the same technology as the under-eye plates on the Shark CryoGlow LED face mask and the Shark DePuffi device. The company’s InstaChill technology essentially gives you a super cold surface that you can press to your skin (or, in theory, any surface that needs to chill) to quickly cool things off. Not only can this be great after, say, a hot yoga session or running to the subway in the middle of summer, but it can also be quite calming. I set the plate to the lower of the two chill settings and rubbed it all over my face before a call with my boss. I can’t say I was completely relaxed during the chat, but I was certainly a lot less strung out than I might have been without the ChillPill.
Finally, though the fan is the least exciting, it does work as promised and gets so powerful at the top level of 10 that I was genuinely shocked. It was like a mini cyclone in my hand, and if all you want is for moving air (that doesn’t have to be cooled), the ChillPill offers plenty of oomph and a wide range of intensity options.
For the money, I wish that Shark included some ChillPill accessories like the wrist strap, clamp, belt clip, crossbody strap or travel case. I also would love for the company to find a way to keep all the attachments on the device so I don’t have to carry loose caps with my ChillPill or buy a carrying case. I also found the half of the device with the power button on it to be a bit prone to becoming slick or greasy, making it a bit slippery at times.
Ultimately, I really enjoyed using the ChillPill to keep me cool. I can see this being a popular device in a hot, humid country like Singapore (where I’m from), and you best believe I’ll be ordering a few as gifts for my family members. Well, maybe just one or two. I’m not rich, after all, and these aren’t that affordable.
