Neck Coolers

A neck cooler sits around your neck and keeps you cooler on a warm commute, in a stuffy office or while travelling. This guide compares passive cooling rings and towels, neck fans and neck coolers with a cooling plate, some of which can also warm. Gløde does not sell neck coolers.

Which neck cooler suits you?

Type	Good for	Keep in mind
Cooling neck ring or towel (no power)	The garden, a festival, watching sport, a day of outdoor work	Silent and simple; the cool feeling fades, and you chill the ring or wet the towel again
Neck fan	Commuting, walking around a city, travelling	Moves air over your neck and face; you hear it, and it blows your hair about
Neck cooler with a cooling plate	The office, the commute, outdoor work; with a warming mode also chilly mornings	The plate, often Peltier, cools by contact; heavier than a fan, and it has to sit close to your neck

What to look for

• Cooling plate or fan: a plate cools the skin it touches, a fan moves air. Some models combine both.
• Noise: plate coolers often have a small fan behind the plate too. If you will wear it in a quiet office, check how loud it is.
• Weight and fit: it rests on your collarbones all day, so a light, adjustable or flexible band makes a difference.
• Warming mode: handy in an air-conditioned office or on a cool morning. If you want it, check that the model has one.
• Charging: USB-C is common. Check whether you can keep using it while it charges, for example at your desk.
• Cleaning: a contact pad or band you can wipe or take off for washing.

More on cooling, and on warmth for your neck

We compare cooling products in our guides. Gløde itself makes heated clothing, for the other half of the year.

• Neck cooler with heating: how one device can cool and warm, and when that is useful.
• Neck coolers compared: neck fan, Peltier plate or cooling and heating in one.
• Neck fans compared: bladeless, quiet or with a cooling plate.
• What is cooling clothing? Evaporation, PCM and fans explained, from vests to towels.

Frequently asked questions

Neck fan or neck cooler with a cooling plate?

A neck fan moves air, which feels pleasant when you are walking or the air is not too still. A cooling plate cools your neck by direct contact, which suits a desk or a train. A plate cooler is usually heavier; a fan is usually lighter and simpler.

Is a neck cooler noisy?

Not always silent. Neck fans make a steady whirr, and plate coolers often have a small fan behind the plate. Passive rings and cooling towels make no sound at all. If you will wear one in meetings, check the lowest setting.

Does a warming mode replace a scarf in winter?

Not really. A warming mode warms the small area of the plate. For a cold winter day you want a scarf or neck warmer as well. Our guide to the heated scarf, hat and neck warmer compares the types.

Which neck cooler suits outdoor work or watching sport?

For a long day outside, a passive ring or towel is light and needs no charging. A plate cooler gives stronger cooling but needs a charged battery. A neck fan suits a walk around a festival or a city, less so a seat in a busy stand.