Does your laptop have an overheating problem? Then we’d recommend you grab a Kootek Chill Mat 5. It’s a great laptop cooling pad that can help keep your laptop cool and quiet during long gaming or work sessions. Nothing is worse than seeing your laptop grind to a halt in the middle of an important project or gaming session — especially when those high temperatures can cause permanent hardware damage.
You can mod a desktop with all sorts of cooling mechanisms, but cooling down a laptop is a trickier prospect. That’s where the best laptop cooling pads come in and we have a list of great recommendations. If the Kootek isn’t to your liking, check out some of the alternatives further down.
The best
Kootek Chill Mat 5
Designed for laptops anywhere from 12 to 17 inches, this Kootek pad can handle just about anything. As you can see by the LED lights, it uses a set of five fans to supply cooling air circulation–the number of fans isn’t always indicative of cooling power, but it is a usually a sign of a cooling pad that can handle some heat. You can switch between modes that activate only one fan, four fans, or all five if you please. There’s also a dual USB hub for connecting additional devices if you please. We particular fans of the two pull-up barriers in the front, which will keep your laptop from sliding off, no matter which of the six different height options you end up choosing.
The rest
CM Storm SF-17
This durable, heavy-duty cooler is designed for those who are super serious about protecting their laptops from overheating. It uses a 180mm fan direct cooling, and a handy speed dial so you can control exactly how fast the fan is running. Height options include four different positions, and there are also four USB ports you can make use of. If you need to plug your laptop in, you’ll also appreciate the handy cable grooves on the side for keeping your cord out of the way. On the downside, it is significantly more expensive than most pad models.
Tree New Bee Cooling Pad
This stylish Tree New Bee pad definitely has an interesting shape, but it’s the low weight and quad fans that impress us. There are also handy features such as a built-in dual USB hub, a switch to control fan speed, and adjustable “anti skid” flip-up arms to get the angle right.
That being said, a number of users have pointed out that the lightweight nature of the pad makes it difficult to support a full 17-inch laptop with the legs up, which means heavier laptops may be condemned to the flat position on this pad. The shape, while interesting, may also make it a little more difficult to store in your laptop case, so make sure to measure before buying.
Havit HV-F2056
This Havit pad is a bit simpler than some of our other top picks. It only has three fans, for example — but that underlines the minimalistic, slimmed down design that makes this model especially portable. It’s particularly easy to slide into a bag or store next to your laptop, even in a tight case.
The stand options are a little limited but you do have two heights to choose between, along with an extra USB port. If you don’t mind settling for a few less fans, this more affordable model may be just what you had in mind. The stand fits laptops between 15.6 and 17-inches, but again be wary of using especially heavy laptops.
Cooler Master NotePal X3
This version of the Cooler Master pad is designed specifically for gaming. It has a little more weight for extra support of larger gaming laptops, and one large 200mm fan to push out a steady stream of air fast — plus, of course, those blue LED lights for showing off a little.
Notably, there’s a front vent so your hands get a breath of fresh air too, all the better for staying cool and dry under pressure. It also comes with two height settings for propping up laptops and a fan speed controller, but no extra USB port. The pad is made to fit laptops up to 17 inches.
Opolar LC05 Laptop Cooler
Maybe you don’t care about laptop height or angle at all, and you’d just as soon play at your normal tabletop level (or you already have a stand and don’t want to mess with it). In this case, take a look at the Opolar LC05, which is a fan attachment that you plug into the side of your laptop. It still dissipates heat, and has a handy little temperature indicator as an optional add-on to keep an eye on just how hot things are.
It’s specifically designed for laptops with air vents on the sides or back, especially larger gaming laptops. It is not recommended for the super compact laptops like MacBooks.
