[Stan]

I’m thinking about getting a CoolJet for my desk but I’m not sure about the power situation. Does it have to stay plugged into USB-C the entire time it’s running, or can you charge it and then move it around? I move between rooms a lot so that part matters to me. Just trying to figure out if it’s actually portable or more of a plug-in thing.

[Emma Ray]

It runs off USB-C the entire time, so there’s no charging it up and carrying it around unplugged. The carry handle is handy for moving it between rooms, but you’d need to plug it in again each time.

[Tom C]

You answered your own question when you said you move between rooms a lot. If it only runs while plugged in, that’s not portable in any useful sense. You’re just carrying a cord around looking for an outlet.

[Alex Morgan]

I mostly use mine at my desk and just leave the cable plugged into my laptop, so it’s basically a stationary thing for me. Moving it around unplugged isn’t really the point of it in my experience.

[Harper J]

The cable thing is real but I still take mine out to the balcony. I just run it off a power bank when I don’t want to drag a cord around.

[Lisa Hydrow]

I actually think the “not portable” take is a bit harsh. I’ve had mine since spring and I move it around my apartment constantly, just not the way people usually mean.

My setup is kind of the opposite of what most folks here seem to do. Instead of carrying the CoolJet to wherever I am, I keep a couple of USB-C cables already plugged in around the place, one near the couch and one in the kitchen, and the unit just hops between them. Takes two seconds to unplug, carry it over, plug it back in. The water tank is the part that actually makes it feel portable to me because I can fill it up and get a good long stretch of use before I need to deal with anything. That part surprised me, I figured I’d be refilling it constantly.

The cable itself has never really bothered me. It’s one cord, not some big power brick situation, so it’s not like I’m dragging an extension cord around. I do wish the plug sat a little tighter though, mine wiggles a bit if I bump the table.

Anyway, for someone bouncing between rooms, I’d say it works fine as long as you’re okay plugging in each time. It’s not a carry-it-to-the-park thing, but around the house it’s been totally fine for me. Thanks for starting this thread, kind of nice to see other people’s setups.

[Nina Rogers]

If you’re thinking of it as something you’ll carry from room to room while it’s actually running, the cable is going to bug you. I borrowed one from a friend for a few days and that was the part that stuck with me. It cools fine at a desk where the cord just lives there, but the second I tried to move it somewhere without an outlet nearby it was basically dead weight. A power bank would sort that out but then you’re carrying two things, which kind of defeats the point of it being compact. So I’d say if most of your use is one spot, it’s fine. If you genuinely roam around a lot, that cable is the thing to think about before buying.

[Pete Sterling]

USB-C only means it’s tethered, plain and simple. I don’t care how light it is, if it dies the second you unplug it, that’s not portable in my book.

[Jessie Travels]

I’ve had mine a few months and I almost never keep it plugged in while it’s running. Charge it up, carry it to the kitchen or wherever, and it runs fine until the battery drains. So the whole “tethered” thing doesn’t match how I use it at all.

[MeryVip]

I don’t really buy the whole “it’s tethered so it’s not portable” thing. Mine runs off its own charge just fine for a few hours, I just top it up when I’m near an outlet anyway.

[Jake Paul]

Mine only turns on when there’s power going to it. Unplug it and it’s dead immediately, no internal battery at all. So yeah, it’s a desk thing, not something you carry around running.

[HarrY]

Mine works fine unplugged, so the whole “tethered” thing is overblown.

[Stan]

Works fine unplugged, just charge it between trips.

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