I tested the Shark ChillPill, a 3-in-1 personal cooling device that combines a fan, cooling plate, and misting function. At $149.99, it promises a premium cooling experience, but I wanted to see how well it performed in real-world Las Vegas heat and how it compared to a much cheaper Coolhill fan.
Where to Purchase
Below are links where you can buy the ChillPill and the Coolhill fans.
- Shark ChillPill – Amazon | Direct
- Coolhill fan – My Review | Amazon
- Coolify2 – My Review | Amazon (This is not part of this review, but this still ranks as my favorite personal cooling device.)
Shark ChillPill Review
The Shark ChillPill is advertised as a 3-in-1 personal cooling system with a fan, an InstaChill cooling plate, and a “dry touch” misting feature. Inside the box, I found the main unit, fan attachment, cooling plate attachment, misting pod, USB cable, replacement misting wicks, instructions, and a carrying pouch.
At first glance, the ChillPill feels well made. The dial is smooth and oddly satisfying to turn, the display is clear, and the twist design allows the unit to be positioned at a variety of angles. Shark says the fan has 10 speeds, the cooling plate can drop skin temperature by 16 degrees, and the battery can last up to 11 hours on low or 1.5 hours on max. The downside is that the three main cooling features require separate attachments, so you cannot use the fan, cooling plate, and mist at the same time.
That became one of my biggest complaints right away. For a device that costs around $150, it feels surprising that you have to swap attachments instead of having everything built into one unit. Shark also sells several accessories separately, and buying all of them would add roughly another $100. That makes the overall value harder to justify, especially when cheaper fans include some similar features. Want a lanyard? That’s extra. How about a clamp? Those can run up to $40. For an already-expensive item, the extra cost of accessories feels almost insulting.
I started with the misting function. Shark claims the mist lasts up to 5 minutes on constant mode and up to 10 minutes on interval mode. In my testing, constant mode gave me about 7 minutes of meaningful mist and about 2 more minutes of weaker mist. Interval mode lasted about 10 minutes with consistent mist, plus about 2 minutes of weaker mist. That was slightly better than advertised, but still not very long for a cooling feature that you may want to use outdoors. To use it constantly, you’d have to bring an extra water source with you and keep refilling.
In 99-degree Las Vegas weather, the regular fan was not especially impressive. On the lower settings, I could barely feel it outdoors, and even at higher speeds it was mostly blowing warm air back at my face. In a slight breeze, the fan did not feel very useful. The misting function felt much better when held close to my face, but the mist dissipated quickly if I moved it about two feet away.
The cooling plate was the most impressive feature at first. On my face and wrist, it felt genuinely cold, almost icy. Using a thermal imager, I saw the cooling plate reach temperatures in the 50s on the lower setting and into the 40s on the higher setting. When I tested Shark’s claim that it could reduce skin temperature by 16 degrees, I saw results that were in that general range, dropping my skin temperature by around 12 to 16 degrees depending on the setting.
I also compared it against a Coolhill fan I had previously reviewed. The Coolhill has a cooling plate and fan that can be used together, while the Shark cooling plate does not blow air. Surprisingly, the cheaper Coolhill cooling plate appeared slightly colder on the thermal imager. The Coolhill also produced stronger airflow and was a little quieter in my tests. That was not a great result for the Shark, considering the the Coolhill runs about $17-$20.
Next, I tried the ChillPill inside a hot car, where the temperature reached 113 to 115 degrees. The misting function felt very nice in that environment and made a noticeable difference while it lasted. Unfortunately, the cooling plate struggled badly in that heat. It started off cold, but after a short time it became warm and nearly hot to the touch. Shark’s own instructions note that the cooling plate is best used under 90 degrees, which is a major limitation for a device marketed for hot weather.
The regular fan was also not helpful in the hot car because it simply blew hot air at my face. This is where the ChillPill started to feel limited. It can be refreshing in certain situations, but extreme heat is exactly where I would want a premium cooling device to shine, and that is where it had trouble. The instructions state that the fan shouldn’t be used in weather over 104 degrees, further adding to its limitations.
Battery life was one of the better surprises. Shark says level five should last about 4.5 hours. In my test, the ChillPill ran for 7 hours and 24 minutes on level five, which far exceeded the claim. I was impressed with that result. Wind speed measured about 2.5 mph on low and around 9 mph on high. The Coolhill fan still beat it in airflow, but the Shark’s battery performance was strong.
Noise was another consideration. The ChillPill reached around 64 decibels at higher speed, while the Coolhill was a couple of decibels quieter. I would not say the Shark is unbearably loud, but it is noticeable, and several users online have also complained about the noise.
After testing all three attachments, I do think the Shark ChillPill works, but I also think it has too many limitations for the price. The cooling plate feels great when conditions are right, the misting function is refreshing while it lasts, and the battery life is excellent. The build quality is also very good, and the twistable design is clever.
However, the negatives are hard to ignore. You have to swap attachments, the accessories are sold separately, the mist only lasts several minutes, the cooling plate is not meant for extreme heat, and the fan is not especially impressive compared to cheaper alternatives. It feels less like a true 3-in-1 cooling device and more like a “pick one of three” device.
Overall, I found the Shark ChillPill to be a well-made but overpriced personal cooling gadget. It has some useful features, especially the cooling plate and mist, but at around $150, I expected fewer compromises. I am not saying it does not work, but I think many people may find it underwhelming once the novelty wears off.
My favorite personal cooling device is still the Coolify2. You may be interested in checking out my review for that here.
Video Review
Below you can watch the full ChillPill review.