6 in 1 fan, light, bluetooth, phone charger: Source: Lazada.com.ph
I'm currently in the Philippines and it is pretty warm. Today hit 33C and it is very very humid. Having plenty of water to stay hydrated and a fan to replace all the sweat is pretty important. However, there was also a typhoon coming through and with heavy winds and heavy rains come the inevitable brownouts.
Now I try very hard not to grumble but trying to sleep or get through the heat of the day without internet in the sweltering heat. Well, that would just be miserable. What's a man to do? Well, buy a device that gives light in the dark. A fan to cool them down. A solar panel to charge it all up in case of a power outage. A USB output to keep the phone running. Add in a bluetooth speaker to add some music to make the time pass a little faster.
Sure its P1,350 which is about $32 USD but honestly it is a bit of a lifesaver in the sweltering heat.
A new package arrives. All photo's taken by me
Now I ordered it and I'm so happy that Cash On Delivery is a thing here in the Philippines. As a tourist I don't have a bank account and my credit cards get flagged as fraudulent because they are international. With cash on delivery I just have to be here when the package arrives (or have someone at the house).
Ordered on Sunday night, arrived on Wednesday morning. Sure its not Amazon next day like I have in Canada but considering where I'm at I am really impressed. Now, I DID see it when I was shopping in town here but at a price just over double what I paid on Lazada. Overall I was pretty happy with the price, the packaging and the speed of the transaction.
6 in 1 Fan, light, solar charger, bluetooth
The box was a little beat up and it had been opened but I kind of expected that. The main reason was the the seller had removed it from the packaging and tested everything before it got shipped. Everything was in the box although the solar panel wasn't overly useful because it was raining and very dark. Still we didn't have a brownout so I plugged it in right away to make sure to charge the internal battery.
Rear view. Charge with USB-C
It was pretty to figure out. Just plug power into the USB-C port in the back and it starts to charge. On the front there is a choice whether to use the AC (power directly from USB-C) or DC which uses the internal battery (and if plugged in it charges and discharges at the same time). Overall, pretty easy to figure out.
Front view. Everything you need to survive Philippine heat
I tried the light. Very bright and is adjustable so you can use it for work or reading. Didn't seem very durable but for the price I didn't mind. The fan was a bit noisy and I wouldn't use it for a room. However, for a single person at a desk while writing a Hive post it works really well. The USB on the front is just a basic USB-A and it certainly isn't a fast charge but some someone who has a phone with no battery its a godsent! Then there was the FM radio (good for emergency broadcasts) and the bluetooth (good to keep entertained). The volume was good and the sound fidelity wasn't terrible for something so cheap and with such a small speaker.
Overall I was really really pleased in getting it. I was going to take it back to Canada because I've never seen such an item there.
But Sometimes You Lose.
Of course I thought I got a steal of a deal. It did everything I needed at a good price! Then the speaker died after only 15 minutes of use. It was so disappointing.
Then the true sad part about buying online came to bear. As I paid COD there was no easy way to get my money back for a defective item. The seller wanted me to try everything before they would consider sending a replacement. The replacement would be shipped after I shipped the item back and I would have to pay shipping for both the return and the replacement.
Now, if I lived in the Philippines I probably would do that as even paying an extra P200 for shipping it was still way cheaper than buying the item in the store.
However, as I'm only a tourist and I'm travelling from place to place....well, that just wasn't going to happen.
Now I have two choices.
I can of course look at the negative side. I paid full price for a defective item. That doesn't do anything to make me feel any better.
Or I can look on the positive side. I'm here writing an article with a fan by my side keeping me cool. There is a light beside it if I need to get to the washroom in the dark. I can charge my phone with it and I can power it with my laptop.
Sure it doesn't have a speaker that works and everytime I look at the music display it makes me a little sad.
But being a glass half full kind of guy
I look at the bright side and I'd still happily pay P1350 to beat the Philippine heat...even if just for a little while
Any thoughts out there? How about you @sej ? You were complaining earlier today about how hot it is in the Philippines? Are you keeping cool with AC or wish you had a fan like this one 😁
Haha having lived here in Metro Manila the heat and the fumes of the vehicles can really wear someone out hence, the complaining earlier of the midday heat lol. So a rechargeable fan is always a must for me. I don't have the same item like yours as I need something I can carry especially when doing commutes. But as you said, that would be really helpful when there's no electricity especially during typhoon season. I'd say, at least the most important feature is working because it's really a hassle to return an item bought in Lazada.. 😁
Let me guess. You have one of the little mini handheld fans that are also rechargeable. I brought one to the Philippines last time I was here and it was a lifesaver when I had no fan in my bedroom and the heat was keeping me up at night. Amazing how even a little breeze can make all the difference!
As for the fan I purchased having the most important feature. You are absolutely right. But it was so nice watching movies on my laptop with sound from the fan beside me (the laptop is kind of quiet) ..... But as I said, I can grumble about what I don't have or I can be thankful for what I do....
Only one of those options makes me happy :)
Haha yess also got it from Lazada. I just need to purchase a good power bank because it's useless when it's low bat and I have to use the fan I also always carry.. just a little breeze on the face is big help to fall asleep 😄
For its price it's a great item.. would be perfect if it's all working though 😅
Hmm....
.... You should read previous articles on power banks :) There are good, bad, and awesome power banks out there. What type of power bank do you think would be best?