While it is not the smallest thing in the world, when folded in half, the fan is compact enough to fit in my fanny pack. And it is, most importantly, powerful. The fan has three different speeds (I keep it on the strongest setting) and can go for hours when fully charged. Comparing this fan to my old hand fan is like comparing a luxury car to a horse-and-buggy: It blasts my face with air that feels cooler, as opposed to just fanning what feels like tepid air in my general direction. The fan is the closest thing you can get to sticking your head in a freezer on a steamy subway platform, somewhere I have used it countless times.