The Sony neck fan may appear nerdy, but researchers claim it is actually more effective than desk fans.

      I wasn't previously acquainted with the trend of neck fans.

      I wrote an article on Sony’s newest wearable cooling device a few months back, and I must confess that wearing a gadget secured around my neck doesn’t quite fit my idea of being fashionable. However, recent findings from scientists have given me a compelling reason to change my perspective.

      Researchers from Concordia University compared wearable face and neck fans with traditional bladed and bladeless desk fans, discovering that cooling a specific temperature-sensitive area of the body can be remarkably effective. The wearable devices achieved a level of thermal comfort similar to that of larger desk fans, while using less energy and producing fewer unwanted drafts for those nearby.

      Your neck is surprisingly adept at regulating your temperature.

      The researchers evaluated four personal cooling devices in a controlled office environment set to 25 degrees Celsius, using a 23-segment thermal mannequin that could measure skin temperature, heat loss, and overall thermal comfort. The study revealed that the effectiveness of wearable cooling stems from where the airflow is directed.

      Although your face and neck make up only about 5.5% of your body’s surface area, they are exceptionally sensitive to temperature changes. Targeting airflow to these areas enables wearable fans to provide whole-body comfort on par with a bladeless desk fan or a low-speed conventional bladed fan. The face-mounted fan significantly increased heat loss from the face by up to seven watts.

      While a standard bladed desk fan still offered the best cooling overall, it's not a reason to discard it just yet, as it created much stronger air currents that could disturb coworkers nearby.

      Sony might have made a significant advancement.

      Sony has taken this concept further than the wearable fans used in the Concordia study. The £199 Reon Pocket Pro Plus rests on the back of the neck and utilizes two thermoelectric modules rather than relying solely on airflow. The company claims that its latest model provides over 20% stronger cooling compared to its predecessor, achieving a surface temperature about 2 degrees Celsius lower under test conditions.

      It also adjusts its cooling based on environmental monitoring and is said to last up to 15 hours on a battery, depending on various conditions and settings. The researchers at Concordia see a larger advantage in this targeted cooling approach. If individuals can remain comfortable with personal devices, offices might not need to operate centralized HVAC systems as aggressively, potentially lowering overall energy consumption. This could be particularly beneficial for hybrid workplaces where cooling a large office for a few employees doesn’t make sense.

      So, while wearing a small climate-control device around my neck might continue to appear somewhat nerdy, I would prefer to embrace that look rather than endure another summer of this heat wave.

      Vikhyaat Vivek is a tech journalist and reviewer with seven years of experience focusing on consumer hardware.

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