When it’s summertime in the Philippines, a handheld fan isn’t a luxury—it’s survival.
Even if you’re just standing outside waiting for your car, doing absolutely nothing, you’ll still end up drenched in sweat, looking like you just finished a full workout.
No joke. Ganun kainit, ganun kalala.
So yes, I own three handheld fans. Two I bought myself, and one was a gift.
But the quest for what I really needed took me almost two years.
I started with the portable, but still quite bulky, Akari clip fans, which were all the rage at the time.
And I bought them as a backup in case there was a brownout.
Unfortunately, after a few uses and less than a year, the battery life became shorter.
Next, I got to try my first Jisulife fan—the FA42 4500mAh model—as a freebie with an appliance I purchased.
I’ve always liked its noise-reduction feature.
It was impressive—until I tried the more advanced models.
JisuLife Pro 1S FA53 PRO 5000mAh
The FA42 model has just three wind power, but the FA53 has 100 settings.
It also boasts “super battery life,” and it’s not bluffing.
One time, while waiting for the aircon to cool, I lay down with it and fell asleep without turning it off. When I woke up, it was still running, still giving me air. That’s about eight hours of battery life.
PEPfinds the cheapest price: PHP2,599 on Ansons.ph
But when I purchased it from Lazada, it was more than PHP4,500.
Do not mistake it for the Pro 1version, which also has 100 wind settings but with a 3600mAh battery.
Price: PHP1,149 on Lazada.
My only minor complaint is that it’s a bit too big for my grip, and it tends to announce my presence since it’s noticeably noisier.
And please get a silicone protective case for your unit so it won’t get scratches or chips when you drop it. I got mine from TikTok Shop for PHP199.
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Acerpure COZY HF1
This is labeled a "bestseller" by Abenson appliances.
It is more handy and it can be folded, so, it can fit in my small bag.
It has 100 levels of speed adjustment, plus a cooling mode, which is truly refreshing.
Its battery lasts up to six hours.
Its drawbacks are the noise and the longer charging time.
But for its price, not bad, really.
PEPfinds the cheapest price: PHP899 on Ansons.ph
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JISULIFE Handheld Fan Ultra2 9000mAh
This model is by far the best for me.
My husband has the ULTRA1, which is quite noisy and has shorter battery life than the FA53. It is supposed to have a usage time of six hours, but, when inside the bag, its on-off key at the back may open on its own, draining the battery.
Its charging time is approximately two and a half hours.
Its back has strong suction, so be careful when using it because it can potentially pull in your hair.
But its great additional features are the flashlight and the removable, washable air inlet net, which solves the problem of hair getting stuck inside.
The amazing thing about both is their wind power—I was literally blown away.
They can also be used to dry hair and even small pieces of clothing.
I use mine to clean my keyboard and my husband’s DSLR camera lens.
Price of Ultra 1: PHP1,995 on SmAppliance.com
Price of Ultra 2: PHP3,870 on Shopee.
If you’re looking for more affordable options, some friends swear by Xiaomi handheld fans.
I haven’t tried any of them, but they’re said to be decent and quite durable.