Laptop Cooling Pads

A platform that blows air at the base

A laptop cooling pad is a flat or tilting platform with fans underneath and a mesh top. The laptop sits on the mesh, and the fans blow air up at its base, where most laptops draw air in. Dell describes a cooling pad as having its own fans that supplement the fans in the laptop. They help most when the laptop's own cooling is struggling: in a warm room, on a long game or a video export, or on a soft surface.

What is in this range

• Pads with one big fan, which suit a laptop with its intake in the middle of the base.
• Pads with two, four or six fans, which spread the air across more of the base.
• Height settings. Many pads here tilt or rise through several positions, which lifts the screen a little and slopes the keyboard.
• Lights and screens. Several have LED or RGB lights, and some have a small screen showing the fan speed setting.
• Spare USB sockets on some pads, so plugging in the pad does not cost you a port.

The sizes stated run up to 15.6, 16, 17 and 18 inches, with one pad for laptops of 14 inches and below.

How to choose a cooling pad

Size. The pad should be at least as big as the laptop, so the laptop is fully supported and its intake vents sit over the mesh. Check your screen size is inside the size the pad states.

Fan position. Turn the laptop over and look where the intake slots are. Choose a pad whose fans sit under them.

Noise. A pad adds its own fan sound. Many have a speed control, so you can turn it down for calls and quiet work.

Power. Most pads run from a USB port on the laptop. On the charger this makes no difference; on battery the fans draw on the battery too. Many have a USB-A plug, so a laptop with only USB-C sockets needs a USB-C to USB-A adapter or a hub.

Questions people ask about laptop cooling pads

Do cooling pads actually work?

They add airflow to a laptop that draws air in through its base, and help most on soft surfaces, in warm rooms and under long, heavy work. Lenovo says pads are especially useful on a bed or a sofa.

Will a cooling pad help a MacBook Air?

Very little. Apple describes the MacBook Air with Apple silicon as fanless, so there is no intake for the pad's fans to feed. An open aluminium stand is usually enough.

Can I type on the laptop on a pad?

Yes, at a low tilt. At the higher settings, a separate keyboard is more comfortable.

More to look at

• Cooling stands with fans
• Clip-on laptop fan coolers
• Lap desks and bed trays
• Gaming mice
• USB-C to USB-A adapters
• Guide: How to keep a laptop cool
• Guide: How to clean a laptop safely