Targus Notebook Chill Mat review

The necessity of notebook cooling

If you've bought a laptop recently, you've probably noticed that over the past several years they've been getting less and less lap-friendly due to excessive heat. While my Dell Inspiron 9300 doesn't get hot enough to fry eggs (like Apple Macbooks), the bottom gets hot enough to make things pretty uncomfortable, especially in the summer. As someone who enjoys lounging, I've used my machine while it rested on a couch, and while there was no noticeable damage to the furniture or the computer, I wouldn't recommend doing this until after you've checked the batteries in your smoke alarms.

My laptop never gets excessively hot on a desk like the majority of machines based on mobile processors, but just about everywhere else the thing cooks (figuratively), and that's where Targus' Chill Mat is especially handy. I should also say that I've never had my laptop malfunction due to overheating, regardless of how careless I've been in placing it on unsuitable surfaces. My main use for a cooler is for comfort and some peace of mind that I'm not putting unnecessary thermal stress on my components.

Physical design

The Chill Mat's spacers

The design of the Targus is excellent. It's quite rigid; each one of its feet on the bottom has an internal pillar above it that can support even a heavy "desktop replacement" notebook. The Targus is powered by a generously long USB cable, and although it does shorten battery time to some extent, on my machine, with an 80 watt-hour battery the projected difference is only about 7 minutes.

My favorite feature on the cooler are the rubber grips (shown in the picture to the right) on the top surface of the cooler. They act like upside down feet, and are meant to contact the bottom of your laptop. Regardless of the position of your laptop's own rubber feet, it will sit firmly and evenly spaced on the cooler. They even grip well at a considerable angle, if you decide to put it on your lap while reclining, and work particularly well with larger machines. Even though my Dell is considerably bigger than the cooler, overhanging it by an inch on all sides, it still stays completely stable.

The chill mat fits under any notebook computer

The Targus has two fans and works by sucking stagnant air out from under the laptop and expelling it out the back of the cooler. While I can't confirm that it will work on laptops of all shapes and sizes, it kept the underside of my 17" Dell relatively cool to the touch.

Conclusions and manufacturer recommendations

Targus' new Chill Mat is well designed and works as advertised. While my machine never got particularly hot on my desk, it definitely runs cooler on the Targus, and as I've said, it really shines when used on the lap or a soft surface like a bed or couch. If you like to lounge with your computer, this product is for you, and depending how hot your laptop gets, you may find it helpful for desktop use as well. The Chill Mat widely available for between $25 and $35 USD, and for the added comfort it's well worth it.

While the Chill Mat is a great product, it isn't perfect, and there are two things I would recommend for future models:

• Standardize the power cable. While the Targus' power cable has a USB connector on the end connecting to the computer, it has a proprietary 2-pole connector on the end that connects to the cooler. It would be much more convenient for travelers (and people who are prone to misplacing things) if they had made the cooler with a standard or mini USB connector, allowing users to share cables with other devices.
• Better power cable storage. I really appreciated the fact that the competing Antec Notebook Cooler has a compartment for storing the power cable inside the unit. I would have liked to see that feature incorporated into the Chill Mat. After all, laptops are made to be portable; their accessories should be as well.