A new laptop meant that I had the urge to get a new cooling mat for the new machine.... the main reason being that the old cooling mat fan had failed, and that might have contributed to the eventual downfall and failure of that particular beloved piece of hardware.

So, why a cooling mat do I hear you say? Well, there are three main uses for a cooling mat for a laptop... the first is for gaming laptops, they get pretty hot when they are kicked into full gear... and it can be a bit uncomfortable to have them on your actual lap! So, the mat acts as a sort of thermal barrier between the hot metal and your squishy ouchy bits that will complain about being burnt. And the second, is partly to aid that... there is better airflow, and an additional fan to provide a cushion of cool air flowing around the laptop chassis.

The final reason, which ISN'T limited to gaming laptops is the filtering effect that means dust will get trapped in the mat first... instead of clogging up your laptop fans and grills... Yes, you should clean those out regularly... but who actually does? But it can really lead to a 10-15 degree difference (Celsius... just make up random numbers if you are an Imperialist measurer... ).

So, when this mat arrived in the post, it was significantly larger than I had expected! Which is a mixed blessing... it means that my new larger Aorus laptop fits comfortably on it, but it also means that I am not likely to take it travelling as I sort of need that space in my small suitcase for things like clothes...

The top side is angled slightly downwards to make for a comfortable viewing and typing angle when you are sitting down... and the top is rubberised, to protect the laptop against scratching, but also providing a secure footing for the machine.

The underside is a nice soft touch material... nice to have against your legs, so that you aren't being exposed to naked metal... or rubber. It also helps to soak up some dust... but I suspect that it will start to soak up sweat and oils from your legs as well.

The fan system (two additional fans) is powered by a regular USB-A port... these start to get rarer on laptops, but they are going to be pretty common in gaming laptops. Now, you can definitely get MUCH better laptop cooling mats with serious desktop type fans on them... but they will be powered by mains power instead... and whilst providing some serious cooling power, you will be hampered by the additional bulk and power requirements. Not really much thing... but I guess if the laptop is sort of doubling as a desktop replacement, then perhaps it is definitely worth it. But for me... the lack of portability of the hardcore mats was a big turnoff!

So, there you have it... the Targus Laptop Chill Mat... so far, so good. I do wonder how the build will hold up though. It is made of stiff plastic... whilst my older Coolermaster mat (that I still take when I'm travelling) is metal in construction. But given that it is a stay at home mat, and doesn't get inflicted with travel suitcase pressures, it should be okay... but I have noticed it creaking sometimes...

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