Targus 17" Dual Fan Laptop Chill Mat Plus, Ergonomic Cooling Pad, Heat Protection, 4-Port USB Hub Laptop Fan, (AWE81US)

I wasn't expecting a lot, given some of the negative reviews, but the fan in my laptop has died and I still need to be able to use the computer, at least until the replacement arrives, so I thought I'd give it go. Looking in detail at the reviews here, it seems as though Amazon has shoved together responses to a load of different products. To be clear, therefore, this is a review of the Targus Chill Mat with a four port USB hub.First, it feels well made. My Acer Swift 3 (15.6") fits onto it very snugly and doesn't slide around. The plastic feels robust and the system for changing the angle of the rest is well engineered and seems secure.Second, it is reasonably quiet in operation. There is fan noise, but it's only a bit louder than my laptop's original fan at the top of its cycle.Third, and most importantly, it has worked. Idling temps after a couple of hours of light use are in the mid-to-high 30s - which is about 8 to 10 degrees lower than before. And it performs under load too. I tried a session of Total War: Rome 2 and temperatures, despite some initial spikes into the red as the game got itself up and running, eventually settled in the low 80s. And I've done some light Photoshopping and Illustrator work without temperatures getting too high. This is obviously hotter than the laptop was running with its own working fan but it's definitely significantly lower and more stable than without the mat and is acceptable.It's useful, of course, that my laptop has its cooling vents on the base of the laptop at the back and the fans on the mat are, therefore, blowing air straight onto the chip and heatsink. If your laptop has vents on the side or back then this isn't the device for you - it is unlikely to do much good just blowing air onto a sealed case.My only initial concerns are that there is no off switch - you have to unplug it from the laptop - which seems odd. Less significantly, I hope, there's the fact that the cable for the USB connection is hardwired into the device, so if that cable gets damaged then the whole thing is borked. I'm not sure why they couldn't have just used an ordinary detachable USB cable...So, it works for me and it feels well made. Happy customer.

This arrived very quickly indeed.Once you get used to the fact that your laptop is sitting a couple of inches higher than normal, and at a slight angle, it's a pleasure to use, although you'll also have to get used to the lapop wobbling a little as you type.The fan comes on as soon as you connect the USB cable; there is a little noise, but not much, and it's very unobtrusive if you are in a silent environment.If you have any music or other background sounds, then you won't hear it at all.Does it work?Not had a chance to really test it; my gaming laptop is a Qosmio which does get very warm and it's internal fans are much more noisy than those of the Targus.At the time of writing, around 12 hours after receipt and use, the laptop is considerably cooler and it's fans have not come on nearly as often, which suggests the Targus is doing it's job well.The 4 port hub at the rear is a great idea, but, given that it's being used by a [fast] gaming laptop, would perhaps be better if they were USB 3.0 and not just 2.0 - a small niggle from me, for an otherwise well-thought out and useful piece of kit.

The product specs say that this is for a 15" to 17" laptop, and as I have a 17" laptop, I thought it would be fine.Unfortunately it's just too small and my laptop is slightly bigger than the cooling mat on all sides.Also, the surface of the mat is smooth plastic so there's no grip to keep the laptop in place. This doesn't matter if you don't have it raised. There is a lip at the front that's meant to keep the laptop in place, I'm not sure if my laptop is particularly heavy, but combined with no grip, I find the laptop quite easily slips down and over the lip.Also, I find the hinges to be fairly flimsy, they're brittle plastic and don't feel too solid, and sometimes hitching it up to each height isn't quite as easy as it should be.On the upside, it's very quiet and does cool well, and the extra USB ports you get is a great feature.

Pretty good quality for being all plastic, well designed and made, handy extra ports in the back, fan noise can be noticed but still quiet. I'm not sure if the fans can be adjusted, not tried that as they're in a good position, helps to feed air into my Asus TUF and keep it cool. perfect size for a 15 inch gaming laptop with no over hangs. perfect for extra cooling. I highly recommend.

I had an old Asaska metal stand but it was ridged and not the easiest thing to carry around, this Targus cooler is light weight, does the same job and fits in my laptop back. the adjustable Hight is great. Typing takes a bit of getting used to as its a little bit chunky would not want to use it all day.I've had gaming laptops in the past and I'm not 100% sure I would trust it to hold the weight of some of the heavier ones, but for general us laptops its perfect.