Forget the Shark ChillPill – this John Lewis fan is £100 cheaper and it isn’t even discounted

This Amazon Prime Day (23-26 June), I’ve been on the lookout for good fan deals – perhaps more so than any other Prime Day before it. A couple have already stood out to me, such as the Levoit Classic Pro (avg £115, now £95) or the Duux Whisper Flex 2 (avg £151, now £129). 

Another deal that I’ve seen crop up a few times this Prime Day is on the recently launched Shark ChillPill: a “personal cooling system” that I reviewed earlier this year with mixed feelings. The ChillPill, bundled with a travel case and crossbody strap, is on sale for £120 – down from its RRP of £150. 

However, upon closer inspection, this deal isn’t all that great. It’s limited only to the ChillPill’s “Premium Travel Bundle” and, what’s more, it’s still a great deal more expensive than the John Lewis Handheld & Foldable Desk Fan: a £12 fan that fairly beat the ChillPill when it comes to the strength of its airflow. 

What did we think of the Shark ChillPill? 

I gave the Shark ChillPill a pretty lukewarm review last month (pun not intended), awarding it three stars. It’s well-built and has a really nice design – the modular attachments are a neat concept, and the misting pod offers effective cooling.

However, its fan speeds are underwhelming and it’s loud: on its highest setting, we measured an air speed of 1.3m/s and a noise level of 65.6dBA (from 50cm away). Compare this to the readings we got on the £12 John Lewis handheld fan – 2m/s and 53.7dBA – and you can guess which model I recommended.

Is this a good deal?

As I mentioned, this Prime Day deal is on the ChillPill’s Premium Travel Bundle, with crossbody strap and travel case included, down from £150 to £120. But to put this into perspective, this is only £10 cheaper than the ChillPill on its own (RRP £130). So, for those who aren’t so fussed about the included attachments (nice-to-have extras but far from essential), this might be a pretty underwhelming deal. 

After all, £120 is still an awful lot of money to spend on a handheld cooling system, particularly one that didn’t totally win us over. Even the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool, another raucously loud fan, is a cheaper and more powerful option at £100 – one that also comes with a strap included by default.

That said, my money is still on the trusty John Lewis Handheld & Foldable Desk Fan: a tenth of the price and not even discounted.

Cool enough? There are plenty of other deals on offer this Prime Day, and our experts have been doing the hard work rooting out the best ones. Check out our Prime Day hub for more savings on tech, household appliances and more.

Written By

Gareth Thomas

As Expert Reviews’ Home Editor, Gareth manages a vast range of content, including kitchen appliances, air treatment, ergonomic furniture and mattresses – the latter being a section of the website he’s worked within since joining in 2020. Following a Master’s Degree in Magazine Journalism, Gareth’s six years (and counting) on the team has made him an unlikely expert on filter coffee machines, office chairs and pillows. Gareth also works closely with Expert Reviews’ roster of freelancers in commissioning and editing reviews. 

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