Verdict
The Black + Decker Comfortpak is an interesting neck fan alternative that provides a mild cooling effect to help on warm days. It’s versatile with a rubberised lanyard and can cool and heat as you need it, although the smaller cooling plate means it isn’t as effective as more premium alternatives.
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Compact, with versatile placement
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Convenient heating and cooling options
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Low(ish) price
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Not as effective as the competition
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Can be quite loose fitting
Key Features
Introduction
The Black + Decker Comfortpak is a product I literally stumbled across, spotting it on an Amazon listing in recent weeks, and admittedly, I was intrigued.
People will do anything to keep cool in hot weather, which led to a multitude of different takes, including premium fans, such as the Shark ChillPill and Dyson HushJet Mini Cool, to Sony’s clever Reon Pocket Pro Plus wearable air conditioner.
The Comfortpak is a cheaper take on the same idea as the Reon Pocket Pro Plus, at $120, although it can regularly be had at a discount on both sides of the Atlantic – my sample was £42 from Amazon, for reference.
I was certainly interested to see if this Black + Decker implement can work even half as well as Sony’s rival, considering the price difference between the two appliances. To see if it is one of the best fans we’ve tested, I’ve been using it for the last couple of weeks.
Design and Comfort
- Versatile placement with lanyard
- Not as comfortable as Reon devices
- On-board controls can be finicky
The core idea of the Comfortpak isn’t that far removed from Sony’s intention with its Reon line of products, acting as a device you wear on your back that provides a cooling plate to help regulate your internal body temperature to a more comfortable level.
However, the way it sits is slightly different. Sony’s device is long, sitting down your back, complete with a rubberised neckband that keeps the device in place. With Black + Decker’s, the main unit sits in a rubberised shell on your back, which then clips around your front on a lanyard.
The Black + Decker Comfortpak has a much looser fit than Sony’s Reon devices, and its cooling plate is a lot smaller. To be fair, Black + Decker says this means you can wear it either on your back or your front, or you can take the unit out of its lanyard and use it as a handheld device, similar to the Shark ChillPill’s cooling plate.
With the rubberised lanyard and more compact stature in tow, it makes the Comfortpak decently comfortable to wear for extended periods, although I think Sony’s is more comfortable overall.
There are on-board controls for changing between hot and cold temperature modes, plus plus and minus buttons to dial the intensity up or down. To help distinguish between modes, there are LED lights that go blue for cooling and red for heat. On the other side of the unit is a USB-C port for charging, plus there is a vent on the back.
The problem is that you don’t have any other means of controlling the Comfortpak other than those onboard controls, meaning every time you want to change something, you’ll need to take the unit off. The buttons are also quite small and finicky if you’ve got larger hands or fingers.
Performance
- Milder cooling sensation
- Works better on your front than on your back
- Middling battery life
The effect the Comfortpak is aiming for is something closer to a cool sensation such as someone putting a cold can on the back of your neck, rather than that of a fan blowing air in your face.
To this end, it helps somewhat to regulate your internal temperature, keeping a hotspot cool, although owing to how small the plate is against Sony’s devices, it’s not as effective in my book.
To be truthful, it actually works better on your front than back in my experience, and it’s a shame that the plate isn’t larger so it could sit more securely and cool a larger area, which would potentially increase its overall effectiveness.
The other problem this Black + Decker appliance faces is that the area below the cooling plate can get warm, and this can be felt, almost nullifying the cooling effect. This is particularly true if you’re already warm, meaning any part of you that’s already hot will feel even warmer from the unit’s residual heat in my testing.
That being said, I appreciate what the Comfortpak is trying to do, and if you’re happy with a milder cooling sensation, it’s reasonable. The Sony Reon devices are much stronger, though.
Should you buy it?
You want an neck fan alternative
The Comfortpak provides an intriguing alternative to a classic neck fan in a compact and versatile package.
You want more effective cooling performance
The smaller cooling plate and different method of wearing the device inhibit its cooling performance against more premium alternatives, though.
Final Thoughts
The Black + Decker Comfortpak is an interesting neck fan alternative that provides a mild cooling effect to help on warm days. It’s versatile with a rubberised lanyard and can cool and heat as you need it, although the smaller cooling plate means it isn’t as effective as more premium alternatives.
The Sony Reon Pocket Pro Plus is essentially double the price, but is a much more complete solution with stronger cooling performance, a more comfortable fit and a lot more features. With the US retail price in mind, the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool is also cheaper and offers some very powerful air movement that can keep you cool. For more choices, check out our list of the best fans we’ve tested.
How We Test
Unlike other sites, we test every personal cooling unit we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
- Tested for multiple weeks
FAQs
The Black + Decker Comfortpak is a wearable personal air conditioner designed for targeted cooling on your back, front, or elsewhere.
Test Data
Full Specs
| Black + Decker Comfortpak Review | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Black and Decker |
| Size (Dimensions) | 68 x 140 x 140 MM |
| Weight | 405 G |
| Release Date | 2026 |
| First Reviewed Date | 28/07/2026 |
| Model Number | Black + Decker Comfortpak |
| Number of speeds | 3 |
| Fan Type | Portable air conditioner |
| UK RRP | £42 |
| USA RRP | $120 |
