JisuLife Handheld Fan Review: Luxury gadget or overpriced breeze?

With Singapore’s notorious heat and humidity, cooling gadgets — neck fans, wearable air-cons, you name it — have become a hit. But if you’re not keen on rocking the sci-fi look, trusty handheld fans are your next best bet. They are great for mums and families on the go, being generally lightweight and easy to stash in your bag or pocket, and a lifesaver for keeping little ones cool on hot days (and hopefully, less tantrum-prone).

Cheap handheld fans are a dime a dozen on the likes of Shopee, Lazada, and gadget shops. But one brand in particular has been making the rounds on TikTok: JisuLife.

IRL, I’ve also spotted the Chinese technology brand’s handheld fans being the accessory of choice for some folks in my gym and on the streets.

But I certainly baulked at the price — the brand’s most expensive JisuLife Handheld Fan Ultra1 costs around $100, depending on the retailer. Recently, I got the chance to give it a whirl (a colleague waved it around like a coveted toy, and loaned it to me to satisfy my FOMO curiosity), and here’s my verdict to help you decide whether it’s worth the splurge.

Unboxing The JisuLife Handheld Fan Ultra1

– The JisuLife Handheld Fan Ultra1
– Two attachments
– A stand
– Cleaning brush
– USB-A and USB-C charging cables
– Lanyard
– Manual

The good stuff

Shaped somewhat like a mini Dyson hair dryer, the fan has a solid build with a sleek metallic finish that feels premium (none of that cheap plasticky stuff) and has a nice weight (315g) without being too heavy. For comparison, that’s slightly lighter than a 330ml canned drink.

The speed setting can be easily ramped up from 1 to 100 with a scroll wheel, with the latter delivering a rather impressive jet of air. At its fastest, it clocks a maximum wind speed of 19m/s, which the website says is akin to that of a force 8-strong gale. The wind strength is displayed on a small digital screen, which also allows you to monitor the battery life when switched on.

Handy attachments

The fan comes with two attachments. One is a tapered nozzle designed for targeted airflow. It does a decent job as a blower for the keyboard, getting a good amount of loose debris out, and I even used it to clean out my window grilles. I did not get to try this out, but another way to use it would be to pump up inflatables like floats or air pillows.

A second attachment has a nozzle similar to that of a hairdryer. It acts as a portable dryer, not just for hair, but for drying clothes and the like, in case of spills when you’re out. It doesn’t emit hot air though — it’d be interesting to see if Jisulife rolls out one that offers warm or hot airflow in the future.

The fan comes with a stand, so you can go hands-free if you’re working at a desk. And thanks to its weight, it remains sturdy enough to stand on its own even when the wind speed is turned up. There’s also a lanyard that’ll keep it from slipping should you lose your grip, or to use as a carry strap to hang the fan on your bag.

Battery life

With a built-in 9000mAh rechargeable battery, the brand promises 6.5 hours of continuous fan use on a single charge (2.5 hours). When used intermittently throughout the day (which would chalk up to about 1.5 hours of use), the battery never dipped below 80 per cent, which should ensure at least five hours of juice.

And The Not-So-Good Stuff

Right off the bat, I was put off by how loud the whirring was (almost like a mini hairdryer), despite what the website says. In fact, at full speed, other co-workers could hear it from across the office (note: It’s not a small office). Not a great option for quiet indoor spaces. And even outdoors, unless you’re at a noisy theme park, playground or at the beach, it could be an annoyance to those in your immediate vicinity.

But on the flip side, a friend shared that she used hers in public, and while it did draw stares, she also got a few queries on where she bought the fan.

The verdict

I definitely enjoyed using the gadget, and its nifty functions are great bonuses. But the scrooge in me still wouldn’t splash out $100 for what it offers ($60 feels more of a reasonable price tag). Alternatively, there are other Jisulife handheld fans (and those from other brands) available for much lower prices though they lack the attachments. But to be honest, I don’t foresee myself using those extras all that often anyway. And while the more budget-friendly models have reduced wind speeds, that’s not necessarily a drawback — after a while, a strong wind in my face got pretty annoying.

But seeing how a couple of my fellow gym-goers fervently swear by it, a hundred bucks could be worth it to keep cool as a cucumber for at least a few hours when the weather gets insufferable.

In the meantime, I’m sticking to my own $15 handheld fan.

The JisuLife Handheld Fan Ultra1 is available on its online store, Lazada, Shopee and Amazon.