The Dyson portable fan is stronger and louder than I expected

Two years ago, I attended an outdoor wedding in August, where the hot and humid weather sometimes sent guests into their cars to enjoy the AC. A new $99.99 Dyson portable fan would have provided some much-needed relief at the time, though I’m not sure I would have been comfortable running it during service or reception. The HushJet Mini Cool is as slim and sleek as Dyson’s last device Thin vacuum and hair dryerbut it’s not quiet enough to earn the name “silence.”

This is unfortunate because the HushJet Mini Cool is another product that Dyson has redesigned to look and perform better than what’s already on the market. All of its components – including the motor, 5,000 mAh rechargeable battery, and rotating blades – are safely housed within a 38mm diameter cylindrical body that’s easy to fit in a pocket. Many portable fans use flexible or folding blades that are left exposed and are not ideal for children, or they stuff the moving parts in Bouffant section at the top This limits pocketability.

The HushJet Mini Cool weighs 208g, roughly the same as the iPhone 17 Pro, so it’s not a terrible burden to carry around when temperatures rise, and it’s incredibly easy to use. A toggle switch turns the fan on and off, while a rocker button lets you go up and down through five different fan speeds indicated by a strip of five small white LEDs. There’s also a stronger Boost mode that only activates while holding down the “plus” side of the rocker button.

The only learning curve was remembering to hold the fan over the vent that wraps around its base so as not to obstruct airflow. Some texture has been added to the outside of the HushJet Mini Cool to guide where your hand should naturally grip.

Dyson claims up to six hours of battery life at the lowest fan setting, but at the highest speed (not boost mode) the battery stops after 62 minutes. I’m still impressed, because I didn’t expect the fan to last so long at full power. The remaining battery life is displayed using the fan’s five white LEDs, but only when it is turned off. Being able to track how quickly the battery level drops while the fan is running will be a useful way to estimate how much cooling time you have left.

The HushJet Mini Cool has a heavy base and can be used as a stand-alone fan, and Dyson includes an accessory to expand the base and improve its stability. It’s useful, but it’s also an accessory that’s easy to lose. And while you can power the fan indefinitely by connecting it to a power source via USB-C, you’re limited to the lowest speed setting. On this setting, you’ll need to stay about 5 feet away from the fan to feel anything.

Dyson’s marketing for the fan, including the HushJet branding, emphasizes how it’s designed to be quiet. “Dyson’s obsession with acoustics means tonal comfort: with the HushJet nozzle, we’ve lowered frequencies, eliminated high-pitched hum, and silenced the whine of motors,” the company said in a press release. But it was definitely not as quiet as I expected.

It’s nowhere near as loud as Dyson cordless vacuums or hair dryers, but the HushJet Mini Cool isn’t exactly quiet, even on its lowest settings. The portable fan also has a similarly loud sound to those found in other Dyson devices, even though its small electric motor spins at less than half the speed of its motor.

Last year my family was using it Fan of Nitecore izzCool 10 Pro To beat the heat when there is no air conditioning available. Its design makes it difficult to pocket, and at full power its blast is nowhere near as powerful as a Dyson blast – even at half its power. While both fans were similarly loud at their lowest settings (measured using NIOSH sound level measurement app On my iPhone), the Dyson was well over 10dB louder at full power. This isn’t surprising given that the Dyson fan’s performance is far superior to the Nitecore’s, but the HushJet Mini Cool’s sound was generally noticeable, since it produces noise at higher frequencies.

At a loud outdoor music festival, a crowded carnival, or a noisy state fair, I can see myself comfortably pushing the fan speed to the third or fourth speed setting without worrying about getting too many uncomfortable looks. But in quieter settings, like the sweltering outdoor wedding I attended, I’d be hesitant to turn on the HushJet Mini Cool. At least until a wedding planner takes over.

Compact electric air dusters such as Wolfbox MF100 It’s more powerful and cheaper than the HushJet Mini Cool, but it’s usually much louder because it’s designed to be directed at keyboards covered in Doritos crumbs, while the fans are designed to be directed at your head. Dyson’s HushJet Mini Cool is better at balancing size, performance and battery life. If used non-stop, it can last for half a day in the amusement park. You can certainly find a quieter alternative, but I doubt you’ll find a more powerful one at this size.

Photography by Andrew Leszewski/The Verge