Experimental study on gender differences in thermal comfort and physiological responses in fan-assisted cooling environments

• Gender differences in thermal comfort studied in fan-assisted cooling environments. • Females had greater cooling sensitivity and draft discomfort under high airflow. • Both genders achieved similar neutral temperatures but differed in sensitivity. • Females had lower mean skin temperatures than males in cooler conditions. • No significant gender difference in psychological or physiological stability time. Gender-related differences in thermal comfort have been widely reported in chamber experiments and field studies across building types. This study examines group-level differences in thermal perception and physiological responses between male and female participants exposed to elevated air temperature and increased air velocity in a hot-humid tropical Singapore. Fifty-six university students participated in controlled experiments conducted in a mixed-mode testbed. Four ceiling-fan modes were tested across a range of air temperatures. Subjective thermal comfort and skin temperatures were measured. Under moderate thermal conditions, both groups exhibited comparable comfort responses. However, under cooler conditions combined with high air velocity, more pronounced group-level differences were observed. At 27 °C with 2.0 m/s airflow, female participants reported lower thermal sensation votes than males (−2.2 vs. − 1.1), a stronger preference for warmer conditions (45% vs. 28%), and more frequent strong draft sensation (56% vs. 27%). Physiologically, female participants had lower mean skin temperatures under cooler conditions, particularly at airflow-exposed sites such as the neck and wrist. Regression analysis showed a steeper TSV-SET* slope in females (0.38 vs. 0.27, Z = 5.17, p < 0.001), though neutral temperatures were similar (∼26 °C). An overshoot phenomenon was observed in both genders, whereby physiological responses stabilized later than thermal sensation. Despite this pattern, no significant gender differences were detected in adaptation durations. These findings indicate that gender-related differences are most pronounced under high-velocity cooling at lower temperatures, supporting the inclusion of gender considerations in fan-cooling strategies for equitable comfort in tropical indoor environments.