Beauty / news
Cooling Devices Chase Must-Have Accessory Status as Heat Becomes Routine
Makers of fans and other cooling tools are borrowing fashion and beauty marketing tactics — collaborations, stylish colorways and creator campaigns — to turn functional devices into desirable accessories. The push arrives as record heat reshapes everyday habits.
Portable fans became a familiar sight on New York City subways this summer, carried or worn much like a pair of headphones. The options ranged from electric hand-held models and neck fans to traditional paper fans, and the city recorded temperatures reaching 100 degrees — its hottest reading in more than a decade.
Manufacturers are now drawing on playbooks from fashion and beauty, using brand collaborations, fashion-forward colorways and influencer marketing to position cooling devices as accessories rather than purely functional purchases.
The shift reflects a changing climate baseline. Berkeley Earth's 2025 Global Temperature Report ranks 2025 as the third-hottest year on Earth since 1850, while the Fifth National Climate Assessment found that the number of heat waves per year in the United States has doubled since the 1980s.
Katie Sturino, founder of body-care brand Megababe, said the category is at an early and expansive stage. "We are witnessing the start of a huge category explosion because being dangerously hot isn't a summer gimmick — it's a daily comfort issue," she said.
Sturino added that no dedicated "cooling aisle" yet exists on retail shelves, which she said leaves room for brands to build the space, educate shoppers and lead the conversation.