Sony wants to save Londoners from the heat of the summer tube with its new REON PRO Plus personal cooler
A cool wearable
Anyone who’s spent even five minutes on the Central line in August knows the London summer commute can feel less like public transport and more like being slowly steamed alive in a metal tunnel. Sony apparently knows this too, because it’s back with another attempt to stop Londoners melting through their work shirts on the morning tube ride.
The tech giant has just unveiled the REON POCKET PRO Plus, the newest version of its wearable personal cooling device, and it’s a tiny portable air-con unit designed to sit discreetly on the back of your neck. Yes, it sounds slightly ridiculous. Yes, it also sounds quite useful once temperatures start pushing past 30 degrees and the Victoria line turns into a sauna on rails.
The REON POCKET PRO Plus is Sony’s new flagship model in the REON series, arriving with upgraded cooling power, smarter sensors and a redesigned neckband that promises a more secure fit while walking around the city.
According to Sony, cooling performance has increased by up to 20 per cent compared to the previous version, while SMART COOL mode drops the cooling plate temperature by an additional 2°C for what the company describes as the most powerful cooling experience in the line’s history.
The idea is simple. The wearable device sits against the back of your neck and uses thermal technology to cool your skin directly, while built-in sensors monitor temperature in real time to adjust performance automatically. It’s less “portable fan from Boots” and more “cyberpunk commuter gadget from five years in the future”.
Sony has also redesigned the neckband entirely with what it calls an “Adaptive Hold Design”, which sounds like corporate jargon but essentially means it grips more securely without feeling uncomfortable. The airflow vents can also be adjusted depending on what you’re wearing, so whether you’re in a T-shirt, a collared shirt, or a light jacket, it should still dissipate heat properly without sticking out too obviously.
Alongside the main unit, Sony is also releasing the REON POCKET TAG 2, a smaller wearable sensor that tracks ambient temperature and humidity around you. The new version is around 18 per cent smaller than before and can now clip onto bags or belt loops using a carabiner attachment.
The REON series first launched back in 2019 and has quietly built up a following among commuters, office workers and anyone who’s ever had to survive summer in a city where most buildings still seem philosophically opposed to air conditioning.
The REON POCKET PRO Plus is already out via the Sony Store, priced at £199.
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