Have a case of the Mac Sweats? Embarrassed by the wet stains on your lap after hours of using your MacBook? Targus has what you’re looking for, friend.
Pros
The Chill Mat actively cools your notebook with two fans positioned in the heat zone. The mesh underside conforms to your legs ensuring maximum comfort. I don’t know about reducing the overall temperature of my MacBook Pro, but the Chill Mat did a fine job of keeping my legs and junk cool. Tiny rubber nipples positioned at each corner will keep your notebook firmly in place. It’s angled just enough that Targus claims it to be ‘ergonomical’ and I can’t argue that. The fans aren’t too loud, which was a concern I had before plugging in the bad boy. But I tend to be distracted by music and/or street noise when on the couch.
Cons
The only caveat is that you’ll lose a USB port, but how else are supposed to power this thing? At least it’s not a battery powered. The on/off button seems a bit redundant considering the fact that you wouldn’t plug this in if you didn’t want it on, right?
Overall
The Chill Mat does a great job of keeping my lap cool after hours of using my MBP on the couch and I couldn’t ask for much more. The $50 price tag may deter some folks, but considering Logitech’s Comfort Lapdesk is $40 and has zero fans, I’d say it’s a great deal.