Sony's Reon Wearable Air Conditioner Saved My Sanity Through Multiple Heatwaves

Key Points:

• London experienced its hottest day of the year with temperatures reaching 100.6°F amid the UK's third heatwave, highlighting the country's lack of widespread air conditioning in homes and public spaces.
• Sony's latest wearable cooling device, the $260 Reon Pocket Pro Plus, uses the Peltier effect to cool the body by placing a metal plate against the back of the neck, effectively cooling blood flow and improving personal comfort.
• The Pro Plus offers a 20% improvement in cooling performance over previous models, with adjustable exhaust vents, quiet operation, and up to 15 hours of cooling in Smart Cool mode, though actual duration varies with conditions.
• The device includes physical controls for ease of use without a phone and a smart tag for ambient temperature tracking, although the tag's reliability and usefulness were limited in practice.
• While effective, the Reon Pocket Pro Plus is visually conspicuous under casual clothing and can cause condensation, but it remains splash- and sweat-resistant, making it a viable option for personal cooling during heatwaves.