If you are looking for a guide to help you when purchasing a laptop cooler, you’ve come to the right place. We offer quality, unbiased reviews that will assist you in whittling down through the hundreds of laptop coolers available and to find the best one for your needs. Please read on for more cooler information and check out my top 3 cooler selections down below!
So what exactly is a laptop cooler?
A laptop cooler is normally something that elevates your laptop – such as a lap desk, pad, or mat – and usually also contains at least one fan to cool down your computer. The material of the cooler can vary, some are plastic, aluminum, or other metal, some are special materials that claim to cool your computer faster, and one is even made out of bamboo! The material used is not usually the most important part of the cooler, as long as it elevates your laptop and doesn’t hold in the heat it should work just fine.
You’ll also want to pay attention to the fan size and build quality. Some coolers come with gigantic fans, and if made properly these work great. But if the engineer was drinking the day he came up with the designs, you might get a noisy and ineffective fan! There are a few coolers that don’t even use a fan – like the ThermaPak HeatShift – and these can sometimes work just as well as conventional coolers. Make sure to pay attention to how the cooler actually works, and do some research before making a wasteful purchase.
Do you really need one?
In order to answer this question, you have to consider what you normally do on your laptop and how much heat it generates while doing these tasks. If you are just using your computer to surf the web, read emails or play simple games on something like Facebook and only use your notebook for a few minutes a day, then you are probably just found without an external cooler.
But if you normally use your laptop for hours a day, use it as a desktop replacement, watch movies or play graphics-intensive games, or notice your laptop getting too hot during normal use, chances are you could benefit greatly from investing in a laptop chill pad or chill mat.
So now that you’ve decided a laptop cooler would be beneficial to you, the next question to ask is which one is perfect for me? There are many different kinds of coolers out there, some with speakers built-in, some with massive fans for greater cooling power, some for gamers, and others for more casual users. This is where we come in! We take each cooler and look at factors such as cooling power, size, and comfort and create good quality reviews to assist you in your purchase. Click here to find all of the reviews in one place.
If you would rather check out the top coolers I reviewed, I’ve included them here for easy browsing. All of these coolers are top-notch and will cool your laptop down quickly and quietly. Some even have cool special features like LED lights or dual fans. So check these out and look around my site, thanks for visiting!
1. TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad
The TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad is one of my favorite coolers. It combines style and substance into one package. Looking at the cooler for the first time, the first thing you will probably notice is the fan – it’s huge! It comes in at 110mm. It has 13 clear blades and runs at a somewhat slow speed due to its size – but trust me, this thing does an amazing job of cooling your laptop down! The actual case itself is at a nice angle for desk work, and at the bottom of the cooler is a rubber strip that stops your laptop from slipping forward. It makes for a very comfortable place to rest your hands while typing.
I will have to say that this particular cooler is more suited for desk work – it is fairly large making it hard to carry around and the case has no bottom so it is difficult to position it on your lap. This makes it perfect for gaming, watching movies, any deskwork, and desktop replacement laptops.
This cooler will easily fit laptops from 10” to 17” (standard or widescreen), making it a great solution for laptops of all sizes. A very neat feature of this cooler is the LED lights on the fan blades that provide a dazzling light show every time the fan starts up. The lights themselves look very cool and bounce off the blades creating a nice effect. The only problem is once your laptop is on the cooler you can barely see the lights, especially if you have a large laptop.
The cooler runs off of USB power and has minuscule power consumption. The Massive23 is a monster when it comes to cooling down my laptop – easily one of the best I’ve tried. The giant fan is very quiet (mainly because of the low speed) but pushes out huge volumes of cold air. In fact, the fan is so quiet I found myself lifting up my notebook several times during a gaming session to check and make sure the fan was on! This thing did such a good job of chilling my laptop that my laptop’s internal fans never even had to turn on – the cooler did all the work necessary. It was so efficient that the aluminum casing of the cooler was cold to the touch, even while my notebook was working away!
The TECKNET Laptop Cooling Pad gets the job done on all fronts – it is a cooling powerhouse with styles thanks to the clean design and LED lights. It is a great no-fuss cooler that does exactly what it is intended to do. If you would like to read more reviews or purchase this cooler, please check out the product’s page of Amazon.com. They have super low prices and quick shipping.
2. iGo Arctic Laptop Cooling Pad
Over my lifetime I’ve probably owned around 4 laptops, and have interacted with numerous more while using or fixing family and friends. One thing I’ve noticed is that laptops can vary quite a bit, from the keyboard layout and buttons available to screen size and trackpad styling. Additionally, each laptop seems to have that one area that gets hotter than the rest (many times near the battery and vent) and its location can change from one notebook to the next. The engineers over at iGO must have noticed this because they came up with the perfect solution: a laptop cooler with a movable fan! This allows you to be able to place the fan right under the hottest area of your computer. Other features include a built-in dampening feature that reduces rattles and vibration, a hidden USB port for power, and a small size that makes it perfect for travel. This cooler is made for laptops up to 17” (exact measurements 12.78 x 11 x 1.4 in) and weighs about 1.4 lbs. The pad is also very affordable too.
First off I have to say that the movable fan is genius. It is very quiet and moves around easily in the cooler. The cooling power of the pad is that much more effective because you are able to target the problem area easily. Once you have the fan under the hot spot, the cooler gets to work and very rapidly cools down your computer. I also liked the angle the pad gave my laptop; it was perfect on my desk for working and reduced glare from my lamp. The hidden USB power cable was nice as well, when not in use you can just place it in the compartment, making the pad that much more portable. I do wish the pad had an on / off button, but it isn’t a big deal because the pad uses very little power, and having a fan going constantly is only going to cool the laptop more.
Overall the IGO Arctic Laptop Cooling Pad is a great idea that is executed well. The moveable fan works exactly as described and is able to easily target hot spots for greater cooling power. Combined with the dampening and portability features you get a great all-around laptop cooler for an amazing price.
If the Arctic Chill Pad sounds like a great product to you, check it out at Amazon.com. They have amazing prices and a huge selection.
3. Cooler Master NotePal X3 Laptop Cooler
Today I’ve decided to review the NotePal X3 by Cooler Master. Cooler Master is a well-known name in the world of laptop coolers and never fails to disappoint when debuting new products. The NotePal X3 continues this legacy and is a high-quality cooler that delivers on multiple fronts.
notepal x3 front
The specifications for the Cooler Master are pretty impressive. First of all, there is a huge 200mm fan, or 7.8 inches (why do no manufacturers tell you how big their fans are in inches? Thank goodness for Google!). Below the fan are four LED lights that shine directly on the fan and create a pretty cool effect. The lights are not too bright and spread around the cooler, making the whole front of the pad glow blue. Also, the Notepal X3 has little stands you can flip open (like on the bottom of many keyboards) to give the pad some angle, giving you a more ergonomic position to use your computer. A very unique feature the Notepal X3 includes is a vent at the front of the cooler that blows out the air you can use to keep your hands cool and dry. Whenever I get into an intense gaming session my hands get pretty sweaty, so this feature is pretty sweet and I found myself using it frequently. Speaking of gaming, this pad supports laptops up to 17” so your gaming laptop should fit it perfectly. The cooler has a Mini-USB to provide power and also includes a non-power USB slot to fill in for the USB slot used by this computer.
Cooler Master provides a USB to Mini USB cord if you don’t have a mini USB port on your computer. The final feature that makes the NotePal X3 stand out is the fan control wheel. On the side of the laptop, cooler are buttons for the LED lights and fan control, so you can slide the wheel to get the perfect amount of air cooling your laptop.
The build quality of this cooler is fairly good. The company’s marketing for this laptop states it has an aerodynamic design to increase airflow by up to 20% (when compared to no cooling pad). I think it’s pretty obvious that having a cooler is better than nothing at all, so this stat is kind of misleading. Also, when using the pad in your lap the intake vents the cooler uses to pull in the air can get slightly blocked, making it more of a desk cooler. The pad has a nice glossy UV coating which makes it somewhat shiny and with the blue LED lights it makes the NotePal stand out from normal coolers. I personally think the design is very cool, it reminds me of a stealth fighter plane and fits nicely with my laptop. The material used to create this cooler is mostly plastic though, so it feels slightly cheap and not quite as durable as other pads. Overall these are just nitpicking details, and the cooler is built more than well enough to complete its job.
This cooler lives up to its company’s namesake. The ginormous fan took my computer from burning hot to something more around lukewarm. When I cranked the fan control to high, the fan picked it up (but stayed extremely quiet) and cooled down my computer in just a few minutes. To test I started converting a movie which normally gets my computer running at 98 – 100% consistently for around an hour. I used the Cooler Master during this hour and it did a great job of keeping my computer’s heat down – my laptops internal fans did turn on but the laptop never seemed *too* hot. I wouldn’t say this is the best cooling solution out there but it did a very good job.
The Cooler Master NotePal X3 is a great cooler for gaming or everyday desk work. It doesn’t work well as a lap cooler but is still useable. The fan is large and extremely quiet and does a great job of cooling down your computer. I would recommend this cooler to someone who wants a cooler for their desk that looks cool and gets the job done.
If the Cooler Master NotePal X3 sounds like the perfect cooler to you, I would recommend purchasing it through the Amazon.com online store. They always have low prices and can often ship products to your house for free! Check it out
4. Targus Portable Lightweight Chill Mat Lap
Often times I find myself needing a simple cooler that I can use in my lap or on a desk and that can last through the punishment my family can put on any device. The Targus AWE55US Lap Chill Mat accomplishes this wish perfectly and makes for a superior all-around cooler. One of my favorite features of this pad is the soft neoprene material that is present on the bottom of the cooler – this padding makes the cooler super comfortable when you are using it in your lap.
There are 4 rubber stops on the front of the cooler that grip your laptop and prevent it from falling off so you can use it anywhere without worry. The cooler itself is quite large – big enough to fit laptops up to 17”. It has dual fans that provide good airflow and the top cover is well ventilated so your laptop receives a good amount of cool air. The fans run very quietly and will never disturb you while you are working or gaming. The chill mat gets power through a built-in USB cable that comes out of the back.
The power usage for this pad is very low and will not drain your battery too quickly. While using this mat I did find myself wishing the USB cable didn’t come out of the back – it gets in the way occasionally and can be an annoyance. This is just a minor quibble though and the USB cord performs well and stays out of the way most of the time. This mat also features an ergonomic tilt that makes typing much easier – this especially comes in handy when you are using your pad throughout the house and need a good surface to type on!
I found that this pad really shines when it is used as an “everyday” type of cooler. For one, you can tell from the build that it is a very durable cooler – one review I came across even said their mat is still working after two years of heavy use! The Chill Mat is also lightweight and very portable, so you can take it around the house and use it anywhere. Now the main reason I would call this an “everyday” cooler is that this cooler may not provide enough ventilation for extremely CPU intensive activities like gaming or converting a video. During my usage, the cooler worked great when surfing the web, listening to music, or watching videos but was a little subpar when playing graphics-heavy games or running huge programs. The pad still cooled down my computer – a lot – but it wasn’t up to the level of some of the other coolers like the Thermaltake Massive 23 and the Cooler Master NotePal X3. Having said that, this cooler still performed great during most tasks and was extremely comfortable and quiet.
Overall this is a high-quality cooler that is very portable and works great both on your desk and in your lap. It is very durable and will keep your computer cool for a long time. The people who may want to try another cooler are gamers or those who need A LOT of cooling power.
If the Targus AWE55US Chill Mat sounds like a great cooler, I would check out Amazon.com.
5. Logitech Cooling Pad N100
The Logitech Cooling Pad N100 doesn’t get everything right – the lacking grips on the pad immediately come to mind – but what it does do correctly it does great, and thankfully the pad gets most things right. The N100 can comfortably fit notebooks with displays up to 15.6”, although a 17” laptop could probably also lay flat but would definitely hang over the sides. The power consumption at max is 5V @ 200mA (AKA very little) and the fan noise level is around 27 decibels. It is USB powered and has a slot in the back of the pad to store the cord when it is not being used.
The pad weighs around 1.5 lbs so it is very lightweight, and the styling is sleek and modern and would be perfect for an office environment. It has a single fan that is enclosed inside of the cooler.
The fan on the Logitech N100 cooling pad is extremely quiet – like so quiet I continually forget that I’m using it. You will notice a hum coming from the fan, but it quickly transforms into background noise and you’ll have no idea it’s on. The cooling pad has just one fan setting – that would be “on” – but it works great and there is no real reason for other fan settings.
The N100 has very few bells and whistles and has one fan, so the power consumption is very small. While I normally use my laptop at a desk on AC power, the couple of times I had to get mobile around the house I didn’t notice any drops in battery life from the cooler.
The pad sucks in air through a grated opening in the rear, allowing the pad to be used on your lap or at a desk without obstructing the airflow. This also has the added benefit of keeping the air cool since it is not recycling hot air from your laptop.
The Logitech N100 boasts a very durable build that feels solid and the plastic used in the construction stays cool. The fan is built into the pad and is protected from dust and dirt while the design allows for unobstructed airflow. Additionally, the pad only weighs around 1.5 lbs and can be transported easily.
One downside to this cooler is the lack of cooling on the forward section of your notebook (such as where the touchpad is on most laptops). The pad only has one fan so it struggles to reach certain areas. This would only be an issue if your notebook is known to have issues with the heat at the front, but most laptops have excess heat towards the back because of the battery so it won’t be an issue for most.
One annoying aspect of the N100 is the two rubber grips at the back of the cooler that are used to hold your notebook in place. Sometimes when the cooler is being used at an angle (like if you are using it in your lap or while laying down) your laptop will slip some off of the grips and you’ll have to reposition it. This doesn’t happen with all notebooks (my iMac seemed to have the most problems, probably due to its sleek surface) so it isn’t a huge issue, and it’s not hard to fix when it does happen, but it can be frustrating.
All in all, the Logitech N100 is a great midrange cooler that performs admirably in all important areas. It’s a virtually silent fan and durable construction earn it high praise, and its slick styling and lightweight design mean you will want to take it everywhere. While there are a few issues with the design, these are easy to overlook and shouldn’t stop anyone who’s considering purchasing this pad.