Sony REON POCKET PRO Plus brings stronger neck-worn cooling to the UK and Europe

Quick answer

The REON POCKET PRO Plus was announced on 12 May 2026 and made available from that date as Sony’s new flagship REON POCKET model. It is launching in the UK and Europe through Sony’s store and online retailers, including Amazon, with reported pricing of £199 in the UK and €229 in Europe.

The headline upgrade is a claimed up to 20% increase in cooling power over the REON POCKET PRO, alongside a redesigned thermal system, an evolved cooling algorithm and a new Adaptive Hold Design neckband.

What the REON POCKET PRO Plus is

Unlike a portable fan, the REON line works via the Peltier effect; reports describe a metal cooling plate that sits against the body and moves heat away from the contact area. Sony’s product description for the existing REON POCKET PRO says the device attaches directly to the base of the neck and can cool or warm the part of the body it touches.

Discretion is part of the product idea. Sony says the REON POCKET PRO was designed to be unnoticeable under clothing and suitable for business settings, while reports on the Plus describe a refined design intended to be easier to hide under shirts.

The important caveat: this is a personal thermal wearable. It cools a contact point on the body; it does not cool a room like conventional air conditioning.

Launch regions and price

Sony’s UK press announcement says the REON POCKET PRO Plus launched on 12 May 2026 and was available from that date. Engadget reported that the device will be sold in the UK and Europe through Sony’s own store and online retailers, including Amazon.

Reported launch pricing is £199 in the UK and €229 in Europe. At the time of Engadget’s report, Sony had not confirmed an official US launch.

What changes from the REON POCKET PRO?

Cooling performance: stronger, but still personal

The most measurable headline claim is Sony’s up-to-20% increase in cooling power over the REON POCKET PRO. Reports attribute that gain to a new cooling algorithm and redesigned thermal system, while Sony’s launch materials describe “improved cooling efficiency” and an “evolved cooling algorithm.”

That matters because the REON line is not trying to chill a whole room. It is a contact device worn at the base of the neck, so its effect depends on direct body contact and the conditions around the user.

Smart Cool is also central to the experience. Sony’s existing REON POCKET PRO description says Smart Cool automatically adjusts the cooling temperature based on the user’s activity and temperature environment detected by the onboard sensor, which is intended to make cooling feel more seamless when moving between places with different temperatures.

Comfort and stability: the neckband is the key hardware change

For commuting, walking or office use, the most important physical change may be the neckband. Sony says the Pro Plus includes a newly developed Adaptive Hold Design dedicated neckband, and its press headline emphasizes enhanced stability. Independent coverage also says Sony redesigned the neckband that keeps the device in place.

That is important because the main unit sits on the upper back/base of the neck rather than being held in the hand. The available sources support Sony’s claim of a more secure fit, but they do not provide independent lab measurements for comfort or stability.

Battery life and sensors: what is confirmed

Battery life is reported as up to 10 hours for the REON POCKET PRO Plus. The available sources do not specify whether that figure applies to a particular cooling level, Smart Cool mode, or mixed cooling/heating use, so it is safest to treat it as a maximum quoted runtime rather than a guaranteed all-day cooling result.

Sensor changes are less clear. Sony’s existing REON POCKET PRO page says Smart Cool mode adjusts cooling based on the user’s activity and temperature environment detected by an onboard sensor. None of the provided sources clearly names a new Pro Plus sensor package or gives a quantified sensor upgrade, so the reliable conclusion is that automatic sensing remains part of the REON experience, while new sensor hardware is not confirmed from the available evidence.

How Sony’s wearable cooling line got here

Sony’s REON project has moved from an experimental wearable cooling idea to a broader consumer-electronics rollout:

• 2017: Development of Sony’s wearable REON cooling device reportedly began.
• 2019: The product had a crowdfunding launch, with reporting tying the early concept to the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics.
• 2020: Sony says sales of the original product began after the crowdfunding campaign.
• 2023–2024: Sony Thermo Technology Inc. was launched in 2023 to accelerate the business and spun off from Sony Group in 2024, according to Sony’s own blog.
• 2025: Sony launched the REON POCKET PRO as a premium model with dual thermo modules and a newly developed heat-dissipation fan, aimed at improved cooling performance and operating time.
• 2026: Sony announced the REON POCKET PRO Plus as the new flagship, with an evolved cooling algorithm, improved cooling efficiency and Adaptive Hold Design neckband.

The direction is clear: Sony has been turning REON from a niche wearable-cooling experiment into a more polished international product line. The Pro Plus is not a radical new category; it is a refinement of the REON POCKET PRO formula, focused on stronger cooling, a steadier fit and broader UK/European availability.

Bottom line

The REON POCKET PRO Plus is for people who want a discreet, neck-worn personal cooling device rather than a handheld fan or room air conditioner. Its strongest confirmed selling points are the UK/Europe rollout, reported £199/€229 pricing, claimed up-to-20% stronger cooling, Adaptive Hold neckband and reported 10-hour battery life.

The main unresolved point is sensors: the earlier Pro already used onboard sensing for Smart Cool, but the available evidence does not confirm a specific Pro Plus sensor upgrade.