This is the summer of mini-fans and for this reason we at Cyberlayman have not dispensed with trying a second model – this time on sale on Amazon – which, in addition to cooling the air thanks to the water tank, is able to to purify and humidify it. Thanks to a special tank, Chilly Air can even diffuse essential oils into the environment and in this regard we recommend the essence of peppermint, among the best to emphasize the refreshing effect during this summer heat.
As did
The quality of Chilly Air's materials is the same as that found in other competing products. Medium quality plastic for most of the case and the advice therefore remains the same: handle the air conditioner with care to prevent a bump or a well-aimed blow from cracking the surface.
This small fan, with a cubic shape of about 17-20 centimeters per side, is compact and easy to place even on the busiest desk, because this is where its use is most appreciated: small environments such as an office that need to be cool down in a short time and where there is no space for a traditional fan.
On the back there is a microUSB socket through which it can be powered by any 2 A charger, or a USB socket on the computer or a powerbank for mobile phones. Alternatively on the bottom there is a housing for rechargeable 18650 batteries: it is not included in the package (pity!) Because in the end it is not essential for the operation of the fan, but if you want to completely free yourself from cables then just buy one with a few euros and the advantage will be that of being able to place it anywhere, provided however that you accept an overall autonomy significantly lower than that guaranteed by direct power supply, whose only limit will be the capacity of the water tank.
On the bottom there are four long feet that lift the fan from the ground but lack rubber tips, in our opinion essential to avoid scratching the desks and surfaces on which it will be placed as well as very useful for increasing the adherence of the structure and reducing the risk. of rollover in case you hit it.
The tank is accessed by lifting the top cover: rectangular in shape and a few centimeters wide, it is located on the left. Like others of the same kind, adding water here is not mandatory for its operation but it is essential if you want something more than a simple desk fan.
Inside this section you can see another small tank hooked to the bottom of the lid. Here, using the pipette included in the package, it will be possible to add water perhaps together with essential oils in case you want to use the humidification function of the environment (we'll talk about it in a moment).
On the upper side there are five buttons: the larger one, in the center, allows you to turn the machine on and off; the LED button allows you to lock the lamp inside the tank (which transforms the fan into a small decorative light point) on one of the different colors available; the STERILIZE button activates the air purification function, while the one called DIFFUSER activates the diffusion of water vapor and the oils inserted in the aforementioned mini-tank.
Finally, the FAN key allows you to adjust the speed of the blades – and therefore of the power – on three levels: low, medium and high. It starts with maximum power and each click will then allow you to decrease in speed. Here previous experience with another mini-fan points out that there is a lack of LED indicators that would certainly have been useful for knowing the speed of the blades at a glance.
Compared to the latter, however, it offers the possibility of directing the air ventilation upwards or downwards by tilting the front grille by means of a small lever. This is an option that is most appreciated when placing the device in strategic points, such as on a rather high shelf.
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How does it work
To turn on Chilly Air just press the power button while to adjust the speed all you have to do is select it using the relative button. As we said, you start at full speed and then, click by click, you can decrease by passing from medium to low speed, and then restart the cycle with a third click.
If there is water in the tank, the displaced air will be significantly cooler in our opinion than a traditional fan would displace.
The operation is similar to that of other fans of this category, but after a careful analysis we can say that the system has been designed in a slightly better way. The grid of internal sheets is in fact moistened by the water contained in the tank much more quickly than others, thus enormously speeding up the cooling effect of the air moved by this fan.
This is because, instead of moistening them with a small sponge, the base of the fan also acts as a mini-water collection tray: in practice, when you put the water in the tank, part of it pours to the bottom. There will always be about one centimeter because, as the water evaporates, the tank deposits the same amount.
How is it going
Based on this we can say that the cooling effect of the air occurs much faster. When placed inside a small room it only takes a few minutes to benefit from the relief of a slightly cooler room (even better if you lower the water temperature in the tank with a few ice cubes).
The effect, to understand, is very similar to what is obtained by placing a wet towel on top of a traditional fan. Clearly the slight increase in air humidity will be the small price to pay for a perceptibly cooler and more ventilated room.
And if the goal is to humidify the air more, then just press the DIFFUSER button and, if water has been inserted into the small tank built into the bottom of the lid, Chilly Air will nebulize the contents slowly, spreading it in the room through the small nozzle placed on the highest part of the front side.
The only drawback: it is a bit noisy. At maximum speed it is no different from others but if you reduce the power, then the rustle of the air will no longer cover the noise of the fan, whose movement of the blades reproduces an almost “electronic” sound. For clarity, we include a short video below.
We do not know how to tell you anything about the STERILIZE mode, which should purify the environment. Surely it could make a difference in closed rooms but even taking it apart it is not clear to us how the air is filtered.
Conclusions
The price of Chilly Air is comparable to that of a traditional fan which, in comparison, is much larger and clearly displaces a greater volume of air. If you aim above all at this and therefore at the sensation that something in the room is moving, then it is better to leave it alone and buy a fan, perhaps with a turret for the smaller footprint.
If, on the other hand, you want to freshen the air, then buying it makes sense because thanks to the ice water that you can put in it, it actually manages to lower the air temperature.
Before sending you back to the list of pros and cons, let's take this opportunity to point out two other things that we didn't really like: one concerns the system startup time, which in our opinion is really too slow. From the click of ignition, about 10 seconds pass to begin to see the blades move and over 20 to ensure that they rotate at the maximum speed available. Secondly, it is not possible to activate the DIFFUSER mode without turning on the fan: having the possibility of using it to diffuse essential oils is a great advantage over the competition and would have made it useful even in winter for the humidification of the environment only.
Pro
Cons
Retail price
At the time of writing, Chilly Air is on sale on Amazon for € 29.99.