Bearwind · Tech & Power · Worth packing
Bearwind S40 Portable Handheld Turbo Fan
The handheld fan that gets you through a humid summer city
Bearwind's S40 is a rechargeable handheld fan with a brushless motor, 7 blades and 5 speeds, rated at up to 9 m/s airflow. Its 4000mAh battery runs up to 12 hours, recharges over USB-C in about 3 hours, and it folds for handheld, desk or neck use.
Our take
People pack for the temperature on the forecast. In places like Tokyo, Bangkok or New Orleans in August, the humidity is what wears you down. You're damp by 10am and there's no breeze in a queue or on a train platform.
A fan sounds like a gimmick until you're 40 minutes into a line at a theme park or a temple. The S40 runs up to 12 hours on its 4000mAh battery, so it lasts a full day. Five speeds, a brushless motor, and it folds so you can hang it on the lanyard or stand it on a hotel desk. It charges over USB-C, the same cable as your phone. It's 6.7 in and about 0.42 lb, small enough for a sling. It won't make hot air cold, it just keeps it moving.
For a hot or humid trip, this is the one we'd pack. Check the price before you book.
Who it’s for
Travelers heading somewhere hot and humid in summer, especially with long queues, theme parks or kids in strollers.
Skip it if
Skip it if you're traveling somewhere cool or you'll mostly be in air-conditioned spaces. A folding paper fan is fine for the odd warm afternoon.
Bearwind S40 Portable Handheld Turbo Fan: questions people ask
Can I take a rechargeable fan on a plane?
Generally yes, in your carry-on. Battery-powered devices with lithium batteries should stay in the cabin rather than checked bags.
How long does the Bearwind S40 fan last on a charge?
Bearwind rates the 4000mAh battery at up to 12 hours, depending on speed. It recharges over USB-C in about 3 hours.
Do handheld fans actually help in humid weather?
They help you feel cooler by moving air across your skin, which speeds up evaporation. They don't lower the air temperature.
Where we recommend it
What to Pack for SedonaIt's easy to pack Sedona for desert heat and get caught out by the cold. It sits at 4,270 feet (1,300 meters),What to Pack for TokyoIt's easy to pack Tokyo for the temperature and forget the humidity, which is what makes August, with its 34°CWhat to Pack for SeoulSeoul isn't a mild city with the odd cold snap. January lows average -7°C, and summer brings 30–31°C highs witWhat to Pack for BangkokBangkok is hot every single month, with highs of 31°C or more, and the temples still want your shoulders and kWhat to Pack for HanoiIt's easy to assume Hanoi is hot all year and pack only T-shirts. December to February brings highs of 22–23°CWhat to Pack for BarcelonaThe classic Barcelona mistake is packing beach clothes for the city. Highs go from 15°C in January to 30°C in What to Pack for SevilleMost people pack for Seville like it's a beach town. It isn't. It's an inland city that hits 38°C in August, wWhat to Pack for OsakaPeople pack for Osaka's heat and forget the rain. From June to September the city hits 27°C to 34°C with 13 toWhat to Pack for BucharestPeople pack for Bucharest like it's a mild European capital. It swings hard. January lows average -1°C, then JWhat to Pack for Hoi AnPeople think Hoi An is a dry tropical town with a rainy month or two. It's wetter than that. September to DeceWhat to Pack for NashvilleEveryone packs cowboy boots for Nashville. Fine, but most people get the weather wrong. May and July each brinWhat to Pack for Tel AvivTel Aviv is a beach city, so people pack only beach clothes. That works on the promenade, but not on the day tWhat to Pack for DubaiEveryone packs for Dubai's heat and then shivers in it. Outside can be 43°C, but the malls, the metro and everWhat to Pack for Chiang MaiMost people pack for Chiang Mai like it's a Thai beach town. It isn't. The cool season mornings get down to 16What to Pack for TaipeiMost people pack for Taipei's heat and forget the cold. Summer highs hit 33°C with rain on 20 or more days, buWhat to Pack for Los AngelesEveryone packs for LA like it's always beach weather. It isn't. Winter highs are 18°C with 7°C nights, the coaWhat to Pack for MarrakechMost people pack for Marrakech as a hot desert city, and they're only half right. August hits 40°C, but winterWhat to Pack for RomeMost people pack for Rome's heat and forget about the ground. You'll walk far more than you plan to, mostly onWhat to Pack for MiamiMost people pack for Miami's heat and get caught by the rain. From June to October you'll see 19 to 26 rain daWhat to Pack for NaplesNaples looks sunny on paper, so people pack light and get soaked. March and May each average 15 rain days and What to Pack for Ho Chi Minh CityPeople pack for Ho Chi Minh City's heat and forget the rain. From May to October it rains on 26 to 30 days a mWhat to Pack for LuxorPeople hear Luxor is hot and pack shorts and tank tops. It is hot, with 43°C highs in July and August, but looWhat to Pack for CharlestonCharleston's summer heat gets the attention, but the humidity and afternoon storms are what wreck plans. July What to Pack for PalmaPalma in July and August is hotter than people expect, with 32°C highs and 23°C nights, and the old town's stoWhat to Pack for KyotoPeople pack for Kyoto's temples and forget the two things that actually shape the trip: summer humidity and taWhat to Pack for Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur doesn't really have a dry month. Every month averages 16 or more rain days and highs of 30°C to 3What to Pack for AustinAustin heat isn't a summer-only thing. Highs hit 30°C in May, stay there or above through October and peak at What to Pack for MadridMost people pack for Spain and get Madrid wrong. The city sits high on a dry plateau, far from any beach, so JWhat to Pack for BeijingBeijing swings hard. January lows hit -6°C with a dry, cutting wind, and June highs reach 34°C. The bigger surWhat to Pack for SingaporeMost people pack for Singapore's heat and forget about the inside. You'll walk out of 31°C humidity into mallsWhat to Pack for Hong KongHong Kong's heat is only half the problem. From May to October you'll walk out of humid 27°C to 30°C streets iWhat to Pack for New OrleansPeople pack for the New Orleans heat and forget the rain. Summer highs hit 32°C to 34°C, and May to July bringWhat to Pack for AthensMost people pack for Athens like it's a beach holiday. It's a city of hills and polished marble, and the pathsWhat to Pack for DelhiPeople pack for Delhi's heat and forget the rest. The city swings from 39°C in May to monsoon downpours in JulWhat to Pack for CartagenaMost people pack for Cartagena's heat and forget the humidity and the rain. Highs barely move from 30°C to 33°What to Pack for Las VegasMost people pack for Las Vegas like it's hot everywhere. It's 42°C on the Strip in July, but casinos and show What to Pack for PetraMost people treat Petra as a quick look at the Treasury. It's a full day of walking on sand, loose gravel and What to Pack for Siem ReapMost people pack for Siem Reap like it's a beach holiday, then get stopped at the temple steps. The upper leveWhat to Pack for CairoMost people pack for Cairo's heat and forget its winter. From December to February nights drop to 10–12°C, andWhat to Pack for JaipurMost people pack for Jaipur as if it's hot all year. In January nights drop to 8°C, so a sunrise trip up to AmWhat to Pack for CórdobaPeople pack for Córdoba like it's any other Spanish city. It isn't. In July and August the average high is 38°What to Pack for MéridaPeople expect Mérida's heat to peak in summer. It peaks in May, at an average high of 38°C, before the rains aWhat to Pack for SavannahEveryone warns you about Savannah's heat. The bigger problem is the bugs. Summer brings 17 to 22 rain days a mWhat to Pack for AvignonProvence sounds warm, so people pack for sun. In Avignon the thing that catches you out is the mistral, a coldWhat to Pack for Da NangMost people book Da Nang as a beach trip and pack like it's dry all year. It isn't. October gets 29 rain days,What to Pack for HoustonEveryone warns you about Houston's heat. Nobody warns you about the air conditioning. You'll spend a lot of yoWhat to Pack for ShanghaiPeople pack for Shanghai like it's one climate. It's two. Summers hit 34°C with heavy rain, and winter lows drWhat to Pack for SorrentoSorrento is a base, not a beach town. Most days you're on a ferry to Capri, a bus along the Amalfi Coast road What to Pack for Abu DhabiMost people pack for Abu Dhabi's heat and forget the cold. From May to September highs run 37–42°C outside, buWhat to Pack for ValladolidMost people pack for Valladolid like it's Cancún. It isn't a beach town. You'll spend your days in cenotes, atWhat to Pack for AgraMost people plan Agra around the Taj Mahal and pack for the heat. That's only half right. From December to FebWhat to Pack for PenangPenang's drier months aren't very dry. Every month in our data has at least 17 rain days and highs of 30–32°C,What to Pack for San AntonioPeople think San Antonio is just hot. The bigger surprise is spring. May is the wettest month with 14 rain dayWhat to Pack for GranadaMost people pack for Granada like it's the Costa del Sol. It isn't. The city sits high up at the foot of the SWhat to Pack for Xi'anMost people plan Xi'an around the Terracotta Warriors and forget how far the weather swings. Winter lows drop What to Pack for PhuketMost people pack for Phuket like the brochure says: sunny, dry, beach. The weather data says otherwise. Even tWhat to Pack for Aix-en-ProvencePeople pack for Provence as if it's always summer. Aix gets real winters, with lows of 2–3°C from December to What to Pack for PisaMost people treat Pisa as a quick stop for a tower photo and pack for sunny Italy. Pisa gets rain on 12 to 15 What to Pack for Punta CanaPunta Cana is hot all year, and you will spend most of it at a resort. The packing problem is the switch from What to Pack for PalawanPalawan is hot and wet most of the year, and you spend much of it on boats. The packing problem is keeping youWhat to Pack for DohaDoha has two packing problems at once. Outside, summer highs reach 43°C, and inside, malls and hotels run theiWhat to Pack for Montego BayMontego Bay is hot, with highs of 31–34°C every month. The packing problem is water: Dunn's River Falls has yoWhat to Pack for BaliBali is hot and humid all year, and the wet season brings 20 or more rain days a month. You also need a sarongWhat to Pack for the MaldivesThe Maldives is hot every month, but what you can wear depends on where you are. Resorts are relaxed, while loWhat to Pack for ArubaAruba is dry, sunny and windy almost every day. The packing problem is sun and wind together: the constant traWhat to Pack for TulumTulum is hot and humid, and you will be in the water a lot. The packing problem is the cenotes: many require yWhat to Pack for HiroshimaHiroshima's summers are hot and sticky, with the tsuyu rainy season in June and July. You will also take your What to Pack for Cabo San LucasCabo is desert, not jungle. The packing problem is dry heat and the sea: many Pacific beaches have dangerous sWhat to Pack for BoracayBoracay's weather is set by two winds. The amihan, from the northeast roughly November–April, brings calmer waWhat to Pack for Koh SamuiKoh Samui's rainy season runs on a different clock from most of Thailand. The Gulf side is wettest from OctobeWhat to Pack for CairnsCairns is a reef and rainforest base, so most of what you pack is for the water. From roughly November to May What to Pack for BarbadosBarbados is a beach island with real rules about clothing. Camouflage is illegal for civilians, swimwear staysWhat to Pack for St. ThomasSt. Thomas is steep, hot and on the water, and most visitors spend the day hopping between beaches, boats and What to Pack for CozumelCozumel is a dive and snorkel island, so the packing problem is the water, not the weather. You need sun proteWhat to Pack for ProvidencialesProvidenciales is all beach and shallow, glassy water, and the sun is the real packing problem. There is littlWhat to Pack for ZionZion's big packing problem is water, in both directions. Summer highs top 37°C on the canyon floor, and the paWhat to Pack for MumbaiMumbai is hot all year, and from June to September the monsoon dumps rain almost daily. You pack for heat and What to Pack for FijiFiji is hot and humid all year, so the clothes are easy. The harder part is village visits, where you need to What to Pack for Puerto VallartaPuerto Vallarta has two very different seasons. Winter is dry and pleasant, and summer brings heavy afternoon What to Pack for MuscatMuscat's summer heat is extreme, with highs of 40°C in June, and it almost never rains. You pack light, loose,Packing list: Packing List for Hot and Humid WeatherIn humid places clothes dry slowly, so pack for that, not just the heat. Linen over technical fabric, one more
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