There are a lot of laptop coolers out there that mostly carry similar designs. You typically have a thin surface with a few fans shoved inside that help either deliver air to the bottom of a laptop or pull air away (depending on the direction of the fans inside). There usually isn’t a lot to talk about, but in a discussion, I was asked to give my two cents on one. So here is a quick review of the Targus Chill Mat.
What made this one a little different from the rest was the price. Many of the options out there fall within the $10-$25 range. But from time to time, you’ll come across one from a notable brand that carries a heftier price tag, either because it features better parts or design, or simply because they want more. In this case, it is a cooler that landed around $40 at release and now falls within $30-$37.
It features a simple design that is all black with no accent colors in the mix. There are no adjustable legs, feet, or anything else, making it a static design when it comes to lift. The only lift comes from the tiny rubber feet on the bottom, providing just enough space for air to get under it and up to the laptop.
There are just two fans inside, which cover the needs of most laptop models out there. Personally, I like to see four fans (depending on overall noise levels) as I prefer total chaos under my laptop when it comes to moving air around. But, at the end of the day, most models either suffer the most heat on the upper half of the bottom side of the laptop, or this is also where the intake vent(s) is/are for air (if not from the sides or back). So it still somewhat makes sense to only focus on this half of the laptop.
There are no fancy LED lights or anything to play with or stare at with this model. You are simply buying into something for the sole purpose of what it is intended for and nothing else. I like that, as sometimes it’s best to focus the cost of everything on just that and nothing else, so that you know you are getting the performance (hopefully).
The USB cable that comes with it is outdated in a way. I say that only because it is a mini USB connection to USB. Something that has become long-abandoned. This isn’t an issue, though, since it is just a cooling pad and nothing else.
So why does it have such an old connection to it? It is the same reason I was asked why I was actually agreeing to go through with this story (outside of the fact that we don’t normally talk about laptop cooling pads). This cooling pad originally launched way back in 2010. It apparently had sold so well for Targus that it never felt it needed replacing. Not even a touch-up to the connection it is using.
So what do I like or not like about it? For one, it is slim and lightweight. I can easily slide this into my backpack and not worry (too much) about the amount of space it is consuming. Since there aren’t any adjustable legs or anything, it is pretty simple when it comes to this.
The amount of air that comes from this is surprisingly average. It isn’t a LOT of air, but it isn’t a terrible amount either. Just average. Not bad for two little thin fans, but again, I would have liked a little more air movement.
One of the benefits of having only two small fans is that there isn’t as much noise when compared to something that has 4-6 fans inside. So everything has its ups and downs. In a perfect world, the cooler would have a giant 200mm fan inside. That would make things interesting as you’d be able to move a lot of air at a lower speed, giving you the best of both worlds. But who am I to say things like that?
There is only one USB connection to run between it and your laptop. This means you are consuming a USB port on your laptop without gaining a passthrough to still be able to use it with something else. So you do sacrifice a USB port when using this model. That was one of the biggest downers this round. It also doesn’t have any speed control, so that too falls into the downer list.
That’s about it. At the end of the day, it ends up being an average laptop cooler, at an above-average price, from a company that has a solid reputation to its name. I was asked for my two cents, and there it is!
Our Conclusion
So it’s basic, which is nice for those who don’t like LED lights and other things that do nothing for keeping your laptop cool. However, it is also basic when it comes to USB ports and the lack of speed control. The amount of air it moves is average, but not terrible. And it only has two fans.
However, it is (mostly) quiet compared to some of the coolers I have come across. It is also lightweight and consumes little space since it keeps a low profile. It’s good for someone who doesn’t want their laptop tilted too much (some of these coolers act more like laptop stands that also cool).
For the most part, it is easy to use the word “average” for this one. It isn’t a bad cooler at all. The biggest thing for me is the price. It feels more like a $20 cooler when it comes to modern times. I want to say nothing but great things since it is Targus, but this round falls a little flat. Personally, I have another generic cooler I paid $12 for on sale that moves more air at around the same noise level, has a speed control wheel on the side, and a spare USB port so you can still make use of the USB port path for something else. It does have LED lighting, but I opened it up and cut the wire running to that, so it didn’t bother me. Done. So it might be time for Targus to come out with a new one (just saying). This one has gray hairs that are showing.
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