We need to talk about individual fans.
It’s hard to ignore their existence when attending Vidcon 2025. Handheld fans are everywhere as I lurk on the creator’s floor. Once, I passed by the stylish Naomi Hearts and looked at her chic with the pink fan of my handbag. It’s no surprise that she summoned the product when we talked to her about her basic items. It’s easy to use handheld fans as creators fashion, but when I go back to the East Coast to a Baidu hot dome, I still can’t escape them. At one party I attended, at least two guests evacuated private fans as the AC in the room worked to cool down the crowd. While in the gym this week, I found a passerby cooled with a handheld fan in the afternoon.
But, as my private fans are in my mind, I still believe that now I noticed that they have a bias, that is, until I turned to my shopping colleagues. Senior shopping journalist Haley Henschel said her sister Z just bought one and they were all over the Denim Carter Tour. Plus, last year, Miller Kern, deputy shopping and review editor, stuffed her and mom’s Christmas socks. After all of us quickly recall the souvenir fans of the children who were jealous of Disney World, it’s clear that private fans are the product of summer.
Why are individual fans so popular?
The increase in personal fan use is not surprising given the strong enthusiasm the Northern Hemisphere has been experiencing this month. The U.S. East Coast has experienced a hot dome from Chicago to Pittsburgh and North Carolina to New York. It brings temperatures that some states haven’t experienced in more than a decade, according to the Associated Press.
Credits: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; gaiatop
With the impact of global warming, these heat waves are becoming more and more frequent. “There is little noticeable shift in average temperatures from global warming, and it can eventually turn a “one” heat wave into a “one” time” once,” Johns Hopkins University climate scientist Patrick Brown told Mashable’s former science editor Mark Kaufman in 2023.”
Mashable Trend Report
In addition, this year’s Eastern Conference heat wave occurred early this season, providing people with little time to adapt to their bodies. With the intense heat, people are desperate to calm down, so it’s no surprise that they turn to private fans. When you can’t control external conditions, or even make sure you can use a good air conditioner, a personal fan may be a real lifeguard, as the fan speeds up heat evaporation to adjust the temperature faster.
Their popularity is of course due to the affordability of the product. They are widely used in large retailers and are usually priced no more than $20.
Where can I buy a personal fan?
The most popular personal fan model I found is the pastel bright handheld option. Most are USB rechargeable, with multiple speed settings and several hours of battery life. There are some options around the neck, but they are sure to be much less attractive and look like a pair of headphones that aren’t too beautiful.
But where can you buy it? Literally, anywhere. Amazon has endless options. The most popular choices are Gaiatop, Jisulife and Sweetfull, which are about five to 10 inches long and have bright, colorful shades.
Credits: Ian Moore / Mashable Composite; Jisulife
Henschel noted that her sister only spent $1 to get her private fan from Shein. Retailers are selling fans in a variety of colors, apparently attracting crowds at festivals and concerts, looking for fans to match each piece of clothing.
These Shein models certainly lack quality compared to the $15 model on Amazon and raise questions about the life and life cycle of these products. As Shein sells these fans, they are almost opposite to the lack of core core that has taken over social media. The inexpensive availability of these products is ironic considering the contribution of fast fashion to global warming.
However, at this cheap price, it is easy to understand the appeal. Keeping proper cool usually requires the use of air conditioning, which is sometimes difficult to fill and is certainly expensive. So when you’re in record high temperatures, why not turn to a personal fan that is affordable and able to provide some cool relief?
