It’s 8am and women turn in a brisk walk, ensuring they reach on time. Handbag? Check. Make-up? Check. A portable neck fan? Check. You read that right, neck fans are everywhere in Seoul and anyone with any amount of make-up would vouch for the benefits of this device that can change lives.

Not sure if it would take care of the weather in Calcutta but the neck fan I picked up (and now handed down as heirloom of the month) in Seoul seems to be a hit with my 12-year-old daughter. It literally stops sunscreen and make-up from melting.

It’s not as simple a device as it seems. There is a foldable factor attached to most of these fans. Think in terms of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5. You can flex it to suit different conditions. Either you can hold it like you would hold a phone while taking a selfie or bend/flex it like a flip phone and keep it on the desk.

Neck fans are becoming a trend after videos are filling social media networks

The fan in my kitty comes with three speeds and it runs pretty quietly. It can be hung, carried, or propped up with the versatile built-in folding stand. That’s not all: There is a USB port to juice up, like you would charge up a phone. In the box there is a charging cable but like all premium phones, there is no power brick. That’s fine because it’s USB-C charging. Be it throwing it inside the gym bag or handbag, the portable fan can fit in anywhere.

In a place like Myeongdong Market, there are plenty of options available, like the one that takes the shape of a neckband. These come with twin-fan design with three adjustable speed modes. The bladeless design makes it safer to use. The one I have has to be used carefully because there is a chance that long hair may get entangled.

Also, these fans are suitable for air travel as long as you don’t check it in. Since these have rechargable batteries, take it in your carry-on luggage. You could be wondering about the pricing. It’s anywhere between $15 and $50, perhaps even higher but that’s what I came across at Myeongdong Market. There are a few options available on Amazon India but very little by way of variety. It’s just a matter of time before these neck fans become a trend in different markets.

Besides being sleek and discreet, they come in a range of colours to help the style-conscious individual. To be fair, these fans are not something very new. But they have caught the attention of young people because of videos on social media network. As for me, a 40-year-old with a boule-bread face, I wouldn’t mind using it on the tube railway, raising a few eyebrows.

Mathures Paul