Sony has announced a new version of the wearable personal air conditioner the company first revealed in 2019 ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The latest version is an upgrade to last year’s Pro model, and while the new Reon Pocket Pro Plus isn’t a complete overhaul of the hardware, it comes with performance upgrades and design updates making it easier to wear discreetly under many kinds of shirts. It’s launching in Europe and other markets today for €229/£199, or around $270. As with all the previous versions, Sony hasn’t mentioned plans to bring it to the US.
Instead of simply blasting you with air like the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool, the Reon Pocket Pro Plus works more like the cooling plate accessory for Shark’s ChillPill. Using a pair of upgraded flexible arms that wrap around your neck to keep it securely in place on your upper back, the device relies on a chilled metal plate pressing against your skin. Compared to last year’s model, the plate’s surface temperature has been reduced by an additional two degrees celsius, and it works in conjunction with an “evolved cooling algorithm” that Sony claims delivers a 20 percent improvement in cooling performance.
Other upgrades include a new design for the Reon Pocket Pro Plus’ exhaust vent, allowing you to extend its length and adjust its angle to ensure warm air is blasted away from your body, even while wearing a high-collared shirt. The Pro Plus also works alongside a new Reon Pocket Tag 2 sensor that’s now 18 percent smaller and has a new design allowing it to be hung from a strap or carabiner away from your body for more accurate temperature and humidity measurements.