Update July 27: This post, first published on Friday, July 24, has been updated to reveal more details about the Sony Reon Pocket Pro, now available for purchase in the US
Sony’s Reon Pocket Pro Plus is a portable thermal device. It was released earlier this year, but for the US, the shipping date was slated for late July. Well, that’s where we are now, so the device’s arrival in the United States seems well-timed for the recent high temperatures. See what it is and how it works.
Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus
Sony
Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus: How it works
If you don’t want to constantly hold a fan to your face, Sony’s device is hands-free.
While portable fans are convenient and useful, Sony’s latest Reon is fully wearable. It works in a different way. Instead of blowing air to cool you with a gas effect, it uses cold metal in a carefully selected location to lower your temperature.
It has a neck strap to keep the main part of the device firmly on your neck. The neck strap is adjustable and once it’s in place, you can forget about it. An advantage of the latter model is that the plate is slightly larger and heavier, which, combined with the wide neck and more flexible joint on this model, help it stay in place.
The solid metal back plate cools the back of your neck, which in turn cools the rest of you too. It appears that this is because here the blood flows close to the surface, creating a sensation that feels a bit like pressing an ice cube against your skin.
Plus, because it’s perched on your shoulders, it means your hands are completely free to do whatever you’re doing. A hand fan does not offer as much freedom in this sense.
The Reon Pocket Pro Plus sits under your clothes — almost, almost. Although people probably won’t notice it’s there, a bit of it is visible as there is a hole that directs the warmth drawn from your body away from you. If you’re wearing a collared shirt, there’s an extension that sticks out further, channeling the warm air away from you.
Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus: The Tag
A separate plugin is included that can measure the ambient temperature.
It comes with a small device called a Wearable Sensing Device (TAG), which connects wirelessly to the companion smartphone app and detects the ambient temperature. This means it can automatically adjust the cooling temperature accordingly.
You can also change the temperature yourself using physical buttons on the device or the smartphone app.
Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus: Improvements
Sony has added new features, improved power and more.
The latest model isn’t Sony’s first, but it’s improved in a number of ways. First, it’s 20% cooler than the previous model, Sony says. Second, it has safety switches so that if the device starts to overheat, it will automatically shut down — after all, you’re trying to make it cooler, not warmer. Also, the new model has a Smart Mode that is designed to automatically adjust the temperature.
Although the new model is a touch heavier than the previous model, the weight distribution is designed so that it is not tiring to wear for long periods of time.
Sony Reon Pro Plus heat engine
Sony
Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus: Battery life
Wireless devices need batteries and batteries need recharging…
How long the gizmo lasts between charges depends on how hard you make it work. With the Reon Pocket Pro Plus on the second coldest setting, it should last up to 10 hours before giving up.
If you only need less aggressive cooling, the lowest setting can see the device last for more than 30 hours, or around 18 hours at the intermediate level 3. Recharging can take up to around three hours, although an 80% charge can be achieved in two hours.
Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus: Pricing and Availability
The Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus is priced at $259.99 direct from electronics.sony.com. It just arrived in the United States, but it’s already sold out. However, other stores such as wafuu.com and eBay.com have it, although prices vary.
Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus: Works even in winter
If you think $259.99 is expensive, consider that it also doubles as a heating and cooling device. As hard as it is to imagine when you’re in the grip of a heat dome, one day it will get colder. And you can still use it to keep warm.
