Sony’s new wearable air conditioner is my non-negotiable in a heatwave

Sony’s reon gadgets have at all times been slightly odd. Arguably the corporate’s strangest gadget line, the wearable air conditioners solely launched within the UK final yr, regardless of being accessible in Sony’s dwelling nation of Japan since 2020. Rather than blasting chilly air at you want a fan, the reon pocket professional plus makes use of a cooling plate to convey your physique temperature down straight. It sounds gimmicky, however after utilizing the reon pocket professional all through final summer time, I shortly grew to become a convert.

The reon pocket professional plus seems virtually an identical to its predecessor. The rectangular physique nonetheless curves to match the form of your again, sitting beneath your garments, whereas two arms wrap round your neck to maintain it in place. Most of the adjustments are underneath the bonnet, however Sony has tweaked the match too. The earlier mannequin had a knack for dropping contact with my pores and skin whereas strolling round, however the widened neckband and extra versatile hinge have saved the brand new mannequin pressed towards my again extra securely and discreetly.

It’s nonetheless not excellent, but it surely’s undoubtedly safer. The reon pocket professional plus stayed glued to my pores and skin much better throughout walks and practice rides, solely shifting sometimes. I’ve discovered that wrapping the arms barely additional round my neck in order that they virtually overlap helps hold it in place, although it does generally really feel slightly like a chokehold. I nonetheless assume there’s most likely a greater long-term answer than the present arm design – maybe a rear again strap, akin to a harness, may hold it in place.

So how does it work? Most of the magic, and all the upgrades, are underneath the bonnet. Like the earlier mannequin, the reon pocket professional plus makes use of thermoelectric cooling and heating to manage your physique temperature. It does this by chilling the higher a part of your backbone, the place blood flows near the floor, making a sensation that feels slightly like urgent an ice dice towards your pores and skin.

With this newest mannequin, Sony says it may cool as much as 2C greater than earlier than, because of a redesigned exhaust system that expels warmth extra effectively. As the machine cools your physique, it vents the extracted warmth upwards by means of an exhaust outlet on the high of the unit, serving to cease warmth from build up beneath your garments. It’s like an precise air conditioner – the warmth has to go someplace.

It feels superbly chilly towards your pores and skin. Suffering by means of the heatwave has been a lot extra bearable with the reon pocket professional plus hooked up to my neck, and it genuinely feels colder to the touch than the earlier mannequin. You can flip it on utilizing the buttons on the machine, but it surely’s rather a lot simpler to manage utilizing the Reon app (making an attempt to regulate the extent of cooling by contact is kind of tough). The machine additionally comes with Sony’s exterior reon tag 2 sensor, which may clip onto your bag and displays the temperature, humidity and daylight publicity.

If you activate the good cool mode, the wearable can robotically alter cooling ranges, relying on the surroundings and whether or not you’re indoors or outdoors. Like a pair of wi-fi earbuds, the machine is aware of once you’ve taken it off your again, so that you don’t actually need to regulate it in any respect.

Personally, I’ve tended to regulate the cooling stage myself. Like with a daily handheld fan, I like setting it to the utmost cooling stage and conserving it there till it dies – there are 5 totally different cooling phases to select from. Having it on stage 5 is absolute bliss – it looks like I’m diving into an icy bathe, only for my higher again.

What’s neat in regards to the new mannequin is that there’s additionally a brand new adjustable air vent attachment designed for higher-collared clothes. While the earlier mannequin labored greatest with T-shirts and open collars, the brand new vent might be prolonged and angled to redirect airflow and warmth by means of thicker materials or shirts that sit increased on the neck, which means it really works with all clothes varieties.

The fan is ultra-quiet. I genuinely can’t even hear it operating whereas I’m sporting the machine, and it’s tremendous light-weight regardless of its dimension. Like the earlier mannequin, good cool mode lasts as much as 15 hours, however guide mode ranges from a formidable 34 hours on stage one right down to five-and-a-half hours on stage 5. It additionally lasts 27 hours on stage two, 18 hours on stage three and 10 hours on stage 4.

I wouldn’t count on it to chill my whole physique down like an precise air conditioner, but it surely’s far more efficient than a handheld fan, offering focused cooling to the higher again. I don’t actually care for one more gadget that may simply blow extra sizzling air at my face.

What’s even higher is that it isn’t only for summer time. The reon pocket professional plus additionally has a warming mode, which means I’ll be capable to use it in winter too. I’m already trying ahead to making an attempt it in a freezing soccer stadium.

Key specs

• Dimensions: 125mm x 60mm x 175mm (with brief air vent cowl hooked up); 125mm x 60mm x 210mm (with adjustable air vent cowl hooked up)
• Weight: 259g (with brief air vent cowl), 270g (with adjustable air vent cowl), 194g (foremost unit solely)
• Battery life: Up to fifteen hours (good cool mode)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, iOS 16+, Android 9+
• Charging: USB-C (80 per cent cost in 120 minutes, full cost in 200 minutes)