Keep Your Cool This Summer With the Sony Reon Pocket Wearable Air-Conditioner

By Mike Richard Published April 21, 2021

sony-t-shirt — Image used with permission by copyright holder

If it seems like the summers just keep getting hotter, you’re not imagining things. Last year was the third-warmest on record, and the summer of 2019 was the hottest since we started recording such things more than 140 years ago. The right fabrics can, of course, help keep you cool. But, sometimes, that’s not enough. That’s why Sony is using its considerable ingenuity to throw technology at the problem with the new Reon pocket air conditioner.

The Reon Pocket is an ultra-portable “wearable air conditioner.” The sleek, all-white device is smaller than a deck of cards, so it’s designed to be almost invisible. The wearer slides it into a special pocket sewn near the top rear of a corresponding lightweight Sony undershirt. Through a bit of clever science, it promises to drop the wearer’s body surface temperature up to 23 degrees Fahrenheit in hot weather. In winter, it can act as a miniature heater by raising the surface temperature as much as 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

portable air conditioner — Image used with permission by copyright holder

A companion smartphone app (for Android and iOS) controls the Reon via Bluetooth. Users can manually set their preferred temperature, or switch to auto to let the device handle the heating or cooling for them. In auto mode, Reon reads the wearer’s activity level through built-in motion sensors, then dials the power up or down accordingly. It charges in around two hours through a standard USB-C plug and lasts up to three hours.

Recommended Videos

Reon might sound like a silly “As Seen on TV” novelty, but it’s based on sound, 19th-century science. It uses the Peltier effect to raise the temperature on one side of the device while lowering it on the other. When pressed directly against the skin with the built-in silicone pad, it can actually regulate body surface temperature. It also works as a handheld device, though not nearly as effectively.

The Reon is primarily available through the Sony Japan online store for around $120 (¥13,000). Add another $20 for the matching V-neck shirt (available in small, medium, and large). So far, however, it’s been so popular that Sony is having a hard time keeping it in stock.

If a fancy wearable gadget isn’t enough, check out our roundup of the best portable air conditioners to keep you cool this summer.

Contributor

Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South…

Outdoors

These are the best Colorado ski resorts for beginners to learn their turns

From small resorts to bustling mountain estates, we have a resort for every budding skier and snowboarder

Skiiers shred slopes at Beaver Creek ski resort

When it comes to the best ski resorts in the world, Colorado is always near the top of the list. With a huge stretch of the Southern Rockies, this state offers some of the best skiing experiences out there, especially for beginners.

If you're new to the slopes, Colorado ski resorts are the perfect place to learn. Many cater specifically to beginners, with gentle runs, friendly instructors, and easy-to-navigate areas. Plus, December, January, and February bring ideal conditions, with cold temperatures and frequent snowstorms creating perfect powder.
Beaver Creek

Outdoors

No laundromat while camping? Try this classic laundry solution

Here's how to wash your clothes while hiking, camping, or RV'ing

camping hack for laundry toby wong fttvcvu89 m unsplash

If you've ever been on the road for any length of time, you'll know that one of the biggest challenges is how to do the laundry. As someone who RV'ed for several years in a 1991 Airstream Motorhome with a family of 7, this was a huge challenge for us, and we often resorted to coin laundry whenever we could get it. Laundry services aren't always available during your rockiest adventures, so it's handy to have an alternative in your back pocket should you run out of undies.

Washing your laundry the old-fashioned way is definitely not glamorous, but what must be done must be done. If undies are all you need, a quick scrub in the RV sink will be sufficient. But if you have a whole pile of stinky clothes marinating in the corner of your rig? Here's how wash your clothes while on the trail.
How to wash your clothes on the trail — the old-fashioned way

Outdoors

Zion Off-Road’s 2025 Z2 is an all-in-one gear trailer and off-road micro camper

It's a versatile gear/cargo hauler during the week and a go-anywhere micro camper on the weekends

Zion Off-Road Z2 micro-camper/trailer being towed down a desert trail by a pickup truck

Teardrop campers are almost always the best trailer-based option for minimalist campers. But in the last few years, a new breed of stripped-down micro towables has hit — towables, like the 2025 Zion Off-Road Z2 modular utility trailer.

The Z2 ditches the bloated, feature-packed design of many of today's premium (and pricey) gear haulers/micro campers in favor of versatility and customizability. It's a completely modular platform that starts as little more than a cargo-hauling trailer that resembles those most landscapers might use. But the secret sauce of the Zion Off-Road Z2 micro camper trailer is its arsenal of bolt-on accessories that transform the Z2 from an "ordinary" gear/cargo hauler to a legit micro camper on the fly.