For better or for worse, as Strategist editors and writers, we cannot turn off our shopping brains. In Saw Something, Said Something, we write about the tiniest of details that have caught our eye — status toothpaste in the background of Lizzo’s TikTok, a plant so rare it’s called a Birkin, or a specific coffee table in a Roy sibling’s living room.
This month, members of the Screen Actors Guild (the SAG-AFTRA) have joined the Writers Guild Association (the WGA) in protesting against unfair pay conditions in the streaming age. Quite simply: Actors are officially on strike, and they’re marching in the sweltering mid-summer sun. While several A-listers have been spotted on the picket line, Lupita Nyong’o and her surprisingly stylish neck fan caught our eye.
We’ve been neck fan advocates since 2021 when Strategist contributor Alison Freer told us about how they keep her cool, even in 112-degree desert heat waves. Intrigued by Nyong’o’s slimline model, we cross-referenced photos from Nyong’o’s Instagram to find this one from Comlife, which seems to be an identical match. The slender fan has the exact same shape as Nyong’o’s, as well as vents running along either side to deliver cool air all along the neck and shoulders. It’s also, like Nyong’o’s, slightly tapered at the back, making it the perfect shape to perch comfortably between the neck and the base of the head. The fan has a choice of three speeds and is bladeless (unlike Freer’s). Fully charged, the fan lasts for up to nine hours — ideal if you’re heading out for a day of sightseeing, for a jog, or if you’re venturing onto any picket lines yourself.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
