Best Laptop Cooling Pads: Small Things You Didn’t Know You Need
Soon after you just bought a performant laptop, you will discover a new best friend: the laptop cooling pad. Finding yourself in need of a cooling device for your laptop is a sure thing to happen because, no matter how hard the engineers try, assembling last generation components in a tight space, with very little room for airflow, will result in a high temperature of your mobile system. Of course, it might not seem a problem during the first month, but after the dust settles in too, the word “hot” will come to mind every time you open a game or any other complex desktop application.
So this is why we’re putting together this list of best laptop cooling pad models, so that you can pick the one best suited for your needs. But what are the features of a good cooling pad? First of all, when you decide to buy a cooling pad, you have to look for features like cooling power, size, noise level, durability and, also, design.
1. Cooling power
The most important factor, without doubt, for this type of device, is its ability to dissipate the heat build-up coming from your laptop. This is achieved by using a special design combined with integrated fans.
2. Size
Another important factor is size. If the cooling pad is smaller than your laptop, it will not prevent the overheating of your system, while if it’s bigger, you will find it hard to take it with you on travels.
3. Noise level
To cool down your laptop, the integrated fans have to spin very fast. This is good for your system, but it may be very irritating for anyone who finds itself in the same room with the cooling pad.
4. Durability
Also, you have to take in consideration that a good cooling pad will work more than a couple of months before the fans start to fail. This is why you should look for a quality design and good base materials.
5. Design
The design influences both the performance and the aesthetics of your cooling pad. An ergonomic design will help the cooling process and it will provide, in the same time, comfort for the user
Top cooling pads for laptops
7. ThermaPAK HeatShift
Technical details: no fan | organic composite crystals| no power required | must be cooled after a few hours
This is by far the most different laptop cooler you’ve ever seen because it’s passive and uses crystals to take heat away from the bottom of your laptop. So why is it at the back of our top? Because these crystals liquefy after a few hours and you have to give the pad a rest for crystals to solidify again. It’s a must have for those that don’t need extreme cooling power, but if you do stay away from it and find something else. [our complete review here]
ThermaPAK HeatShift
The good:
- no noisy Fan
- no power plug
- comes in various sizes
The bad:
- crystals must be solidify after a few hours, so you have to give it a rest
Find out where to buy ThermaPAK HeatShift from here
6. Belkin F5L001 Laptop Cooling Pad
Technical details: 1 integrated fan | plastic | USB powered
Let’s start with a relatively cheap cooling stand from Belkin that offers a plastic case with one large fan in the middle and a wedged profile shape that allows cool air to be sucked from the side and cool the underneath of your laptop. The whole thing is USB powered, but unfortunately there’s no way to control the fan speed. Thank God it’s pretty silent by default. [here's our article]
Belkin F5L001-BLK Laptop Cooling Pad
The good:
- comfortable
- lightweight
The bad:
- not designed for travel
- no Fan speed control
Belkin F5L001 Laptop Cooling Pad - Buying info
5. Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700
Technical details: 1 integrated fan | maximum fan noise 31 dbA | automatic fan speed control | no drivers or software needed | 2 built-in high-definition speakers
Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700 is more than a cooling pad. It has a very nice design, which incorporates, besides a cooling fan, 2 built-in high-definition speakers. Although it might seem a good idea at first look, this affects its main purpose and it, also, makes the cooling pad bigger. [read full presentation]
Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700
The good:
- comfortable
The bad:
- the audio quality is not really high-definition
- not designed for travel
- the price
Logitech Speaker Lapdesk N700 - Buying info
4. Zalman ZM-NC2000
Technical details: 2 integrated fans | maximum fan noise 25.5 dbA | aluminum | fan speed control
The quality design and the pure aluminum, as a base material, of this device, guarantees an efficient cool down for your laptop every time you need it. Even if it’s an impressive cooling pad, it only got the 4th place on this top because of its price and its size.
Zalman ZM-NC2000
The good:
- pure aluminum as a base material
- low noise level
- fan speed control
The bad:
- hard to travel with
- the price
3. Cooler Master Notepal U2
Technical details: 2 removable fans | aluminum and rubber | supports all laptops from 14” up to 17”
The ergonomic design of Cooler Master Notepal U2 makes typing on your laptop much more comfortable while the 2 removable fans give you the exact cooling you need. This happens because you can easily position the removable fans directly under your CPU or your hard drive. There are versions with one and three cooling fans, making the Cooler Master Notepal U2 one of the best coolind pads you can choose. [read our complete article]
Cooler Master Notepal U2
The good:
- removable fans
- ergonomic design
- the price
The bad:
- absence of fan speed control
2. Logitech Notebook Cooling Pad N100
Technical details: 1 integrated fan | maximum fan noise 27 dbA | supports laptops up to 15.6”
The N100 cooling pad from Logitech comes with a versatile and ergonomic design which ensures the comfort of the user and a great deal of the cooling process since the fan is not very effective. Another plus for this device is the low noise level, well suited with the rest of the design. [read our full presentation]
Logitech Notebook Cooling Pad N100
The good:
- sleek, ergonomic design
- low noise level
The bad:
- not very effective fan
Logitech Notebook Cooling Pad N100 - Buy from here Gray, Dusty Rose and Green Accent
1. Cooler Master Notepal X2
Technical details: 1 integrated fan | fan noise level 15 dbA (Min.) | fan speed control | plastic and metal mesh | supports all laptops from 12” up to 17”
The best laptop cooling pad benefits of a sleek design with two different height settings for improved comfort, optimal airflow control provided by the strategically placed fan and a special heat dissipation system. Also, the aesthetics of the Cooler Master Notepal X2 cooling pad rely on the blue LED which shines when notebook cooler is powered on. [read our full post]
Cooler Master Notepal X2
The good:
- sleek design
- fan speed control
- supported laptops
- low noise level
- the price
The bad:
- plastic as a base material
This is the list of best cooling pads for laptops for now, but rest assured we’ll be updating this list once new interesting models hit stores. So it might be a good idea to bookmark this page.
Ovidiu is a Computer Science student. He’s passionate about the IT and he desires a career as a programmer. My Facebook profile
