Don’t sweat it: Sony’s Reon Pocket 5 is a wearable thermostat that goes under your clothes

Sony has had a busy month, not only revealing a range of bass-inspired headphones and speakers, but a new line of Bravia TVs and soundbars too. But neither of those are what I’m talking about here. This is something a little different. 

There are no speakers or screens in sight, instead there’s an app-controlled device that sits under your clothes, in between your shoulder blades and will heat you up and cool you down depending on your preference or external factors. 

What is the Sony Reon Pocket 5?

The Reon Pocket 5 is a difficult device to describe if I’m being completely honest, but it is one that those who find themselves having regular hot flushes or cold shivers could be very grateful for. The Sony Reon Pocket 5 is in its fifth generation – originally beginning its life as a crowdfunded project in 2019 before Sony swooped in to stamp its name on it in 2020. You would be forgiven for having not heard of it before however – this generation is the first to hit UK shores.

A range of improvements have been made since the first iteration of the device too, including better cooling and a better battery life, with the device now offering four warming modes and five cooling modes, as well as a Smart mode. For the warming and cooling modes you can select your preference in the app and the Reon Pocket 5 will respond pretty much instantly, sending either a warm or cold sensation between your shoulder blades via the metal plate against your skin. 

If you choose the Smart mode, the Reon Pocket 5 will automatically adjust the temperature of the metal surface to suit the temperature of your surroundings, the inside of your clothes, whether you are moving and your preferences. It will also pull in data from the accompanying Reon Pocket Tag that clips on the front of your clothing to measure temperature, humidity and motion.

In terms of design, the Reon Pocket 5 is a rectangular-shaped device that is inserted into one of two neck bands (available in grey and beige colour options). As mentioned, the main element of the device sits at the back of your neck, while plastic rubber arms around your neck hold it in place.

The larger and taller neck band is for when you are wearing garments with a higher neck, such as a shirt, while the smaller and shorter neck band is for the days where you’re wearing a T-shirt. When it comes to the technology, there are three temperature sensors on board, a motion sensor and a temperature and humidity sensor, as well as a battery life claim of 17 hours, with charging taking place via USB-C.

What’s the Sony Reon Pocket 5 like?

I tried the Sony Reon Pocket 5 in London before it was announced and I think it would be fair to say it’s an interesting device – even if a little niche. It’s comfortable enough to wear based on my experience – though this might be very different three hours into a hot summer’s day – and the smaller and shorter neck band is hidden with clothing, which would be my preference.

The larger neck band is less discreet (depending on what you’re wearing). It sat above the clothing I had on the day I tried the Reon Pocket 5 out and that’s something I wouldn’t be thrilled with on a day-to-day basis, but I might say differently on a sweaty train in the height of summer. Ultimately, the Reon Pocket 5 is discreet enough as long as you have a top on that covers your collar bone and the top of your back and based on my experience, the cooling and warming modes are noticeable and quick to respond as you crank them up and down in the app.

I’ll be interested to see quite how the Smart mode adapts to both external factors and the Reon Pocket Tag, though it’s the Tag I think could perhaps use some work. It only comes in white and that means it stands out quite a bit on bright or dark clothing, making it look more obvious than it should be. The app is also fairly basic and while basic is fine for what this device is trying to achieve, I’d always take a little bit more jazz. 

How much is the Sony Reon Pocket 5 and when is it available?

The Sony Reon Pocket 5 will go on sale on 15 May 2024 through sony.com. It will cost £139 and that includes the Reon Pocket 5, Reon Pocket Tag and neck band. The Reon Neckband on its own will cost £25.