Sweaty? Join the Club. This Portable Electric Fan Might Help

TIRED OF sweating through outfits and melting through sunscreen and makeup once they step outdoors, some Americans are taking cooling into their own hands—literally.

Tiny portable fans are popping up in unexpected places, gripped by Naomi Campbell at Paris men’s fashion week or model Precious Lee at the Met Gala. A distant, indelicate relation of folding fans, these battery-powered, ergonomic devices tend to start conversations.

Sonia Kiani, 39, a makeup artist based in Irvine, Calif., says a lot of people mocked her when she first started carrying a portable fan. “But it is a nonnegotiable,” she said. “The fan goes with me everywhere.” After all, what’s cooler than being cool?

Common in Asia, these electric fans aren’t necessarily new to the U.S. Ellen DeGeneres, Matthew McConaughey and Julie Andrews have all been photographed using them on set over the years. Lately, however, they have gained popularity, especially among young women, by popping up on TikTok, where they are often highlighted in the same breath as a creator’s necklaces, rings and bracelets. Some fashion influencers, like Remi Bader, have incorporated their love of personal fans into their brands.

What’s the appeal? Johanna Costigan, 28, a writer and editor based in Brooklyn, says the little whirlers give her the confidence to feel like an off-duty celebrity. “You give no f-s if you’re carrying a fan, because your self-preservation and personal comfort is blatantly and physically coming before anyone or anything else,” she said.

In a mercilessly hot summer that’s breaking temperature records, a portable fan can feel like a rare way to cope. Some women argue that the fans let them take back the streets and “hot girl walk,” rather than fade and wilt in the sun. “I feel like Beyoncé with the wind blowing through my hair sometimes,” said Jessica Cole, 32, a fashion planner and buyer based in New York.

No matter what you’re wearing, there is a coordinating fan to match. From chunky fans with Radio-Shack-esque logos to the custom bedazzled versions you can find on Etsy, a suitable style exists whether you’re trying to cool off at the golf course or at your version of a red-carpet event. Some come in youthful colors, like a dusty pink or baby blue. Others target chronically online Gen Zers, with features like a built-in LED ring light that’ll help their owners appear blemishless in selfies.

Bretman Rock, 24, has been using portable fans his whole life. As a child, the Filipino American beauty influencer would purchase a specific brand of hard candy that came with a tiny fan. He values his cooling devices as a practical way to preserve his outfit and makeup, and boost his morale. With a fan in hand, he said, “I feel empowered. I feel easy, breezy, beautiful.”

Hair and Makeup by Roy Liu; Talent: Ciara Consiglio for JAG Models

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