Milwaukee RedLithium USB Cooling Fan Keeps Bolt Users Cooler on the Jobsite
Milwaukee has one of the largest collections of head protective gear out of all major power tool and workwear brands with its Bolt lineup. Now for 2026, the brand is releasing a cooling fan designed specifically for their helmets and hard hats: the Milwaukee Bolt Hard Hat Cooling Fan. How does it compare to traditional jobsite cooling methods? I’ll take you through the big picture so you can decide if it’s worth adding to your workwear wardrobe upon its Q2 release.
Read:
Coolest and Most Comfortable Hard Hats
Milwaukee Hard Hat Cooling Fan: Overview
- Model: Milwaukee 48-73-1385
- Power Source: Milwaukee RedLithium USB Battery
- Max Runtime: 6 hours
- Max Airspeed: 15 MPH
- Three Air Duct Variations
- Two Speed Settings
A few years ago, Klein came out with their dual-sided jobsite hard hat fan, which brings cool air to your head and neck for hard-hat wearers. Now, Milwaukee’s RedLithium USB Hard Hat Cooling Fan enters the ring with a design that’s a bit different than Klein’s version.
Milwaukee’s hard hat fan is exclusively compatible with all Milwaukee Bolt hard hats and safety helmets, attaching to your hard hat’s front and back mounts. The actual fan component hooks onto the back mount, and an accessory-compatible plate attaches to the front, which holds a RedLithium USB battery.
The front plate is compatible with Milwaukee headlamps, enabling your hard hat or helmet to be outfitted with a lamp and fan simultaneously.
This fan features two air speed settings. In the highest setting, Milwaukee tells us it delivers airspeeds of up to 15 MPH. Using the included 3.0Ah battery, it can run for up to 6 hours on low and 4 hours on high.
Air Ducts and Airflow Direction
With this fan, Milwaukee includes three air duct attachments to adjust your airflow. The ducts attach to the fan’s outlet, letting you customize your cooling experience.
- Neck Air Duct: Directs airflow down your neck
- Suspension Head Protection Air Duct: Directs airflow upwards under the helmet, towards your head
- Ducted Foam Helmet Air Duct: Features dual upwards-facing ducts to direct air to both sides of your head
Milwaukee Hard Hat Cooling Fan Price
The cooling fan by itself retails for $135, and it’s available at Acme Tools. It includes a RedLithium USB 3.0Ah battery, a USB-C charging cord, and three air duct accessories.
Acme also carries bundles that include the 48-73-1385 fan with just about every class, brim type, and color of Bolt hard hat and helmet, which run in the $150 – $160 range.
Should You Buy It?
Milwaukee Bolt hard hats are accessible for most budgets, offering head protection from around $20 for standard hard hats to over $100 for Pro-grade safety helmets. No matter which price point your Bolt hard hat/helmet falls into, the Milwaukee Bolt RedLithium USB Cooling Fan can offer some heat relief on hot jobsites.
However, it’s not universally compatible—it only connects to Milwaukee Bolt helmets and hard hats. If you use head protection from another brand, you’ll have to stick to traditional cooling methods for now.
