I’ve used both a laptop stand and a cooling pad for my laptop before. In this article, I will analyse the pros and cons of a laptop stand versus a cooling pad and recommend which one is better.
A laptop stand is better than a cooling pad because it is easy to setup, yet allows for ventilation of the laptop and at the same time, generally allows more options in terms of viewing angles making it a more ergonomic option.
A laptop stand is the better choice not just because it is easier to setup…
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The ways a laptop stand is better than a cooling pad
A laptop stand is easier to set up as it doesn’t require any power – it also generally costs far less than a laptop cooling pad.
I got my laptop stand for about $20, while it cost more than $40 to get my laptop cooling pad.
With the smaller form factor of the laptop stand, a laptop stand is also usually more portable than a laptop cooling pad.
Although a laptop cooling pad allows for active ventilation of my laptop through the fans, when compared with a laptop cooling pad, I’ve realised that a laptop stand activates my Macbook’s fan less often.
Even when engaged in high CPU activity on my laptop, I’ve found that having a laptop cooling pad makes little to no difference in the cooling down of my laptop.
Combined with the fact that my laptop stand also allowed for multiple viewing angles as compared with my laptop cooling pad which only allowed for 2 viewing angles, the laptop stand is my choice if I had to choose between a laptop stand or a laptop cooling pad.
To clarify further, I’ve generalised the comparison between a laptop stand and cooling pad into a table and rated each component on a scale of 1-10 that you can look at, at a glance.
| Laptop stand | Laptop cooling pad | |
| Ease of setup | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Ventilation | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Ergonomics (Viewing angle) | 9/10 | 8/10 |
| Cost | 9/10 | 7/10 |
| Portability | 9/10 | 5/10 |
What are the most value for money laptop stands you can get?
Here, I’ve summarised what I think are the best value for money laptop stands you can get. I also wrote an article about how to choose a good laptop stand that you may want to check out.
Soundance Adjustable Laptop Stand (Affiliate link)
These laptop stands are perfect if you have a laptop like the Macbook that only allows you to open up to 110 degrees.
Based on what I can see, it offers maximum adjustability while ensuring that heat dissipation from your laptop is taken care of as it is made of metal.
It has silicone grips that help prevent your laptop from falling over while it is on the stand and is easily foldable for maximum portability.
Consider this laptop stand for a good balance between all the 5 criteria that was highlighted just now.
Besign Adjustable Laptop Stand (Affiliate link)
These laptop stands are cheap yet practical.
It offers a good amount of adjustability but heat dissipation may not be as good as it is made of plastic.
That said, I do not think that it loses out in terms of stability as the stand has silicone grips at all the important places.
Talking about value for money, this laptop stand even comes with a built-in phone holder.
Priced at only about $14, consider this if you just want a no-frills laptop stand.
Arae Adjustable Ergonomic Portable Aluminum Laptop Holder (Affiliate link)
This laptop stands most closely resembles the one I use, with the only difference being that mine is made of plastic while these are made of metal.
With it being made of metal, it facilitates the heat dissipation of a laptop.
And with the way it folds, I reckon it is one of the most portable laptop stands available in the market.
While it has silicone grips in the right places, the one downside I can think of for these laptop stands is that it may not be the most stable stands available in the market.
Consider this laptop stand if you bring your laptop about/your workplace varies.
Circumstances where having a laptop cooling pad may be justified
By and large, I think that a laptop stand will be the best option for most people. But I also think that there are situations that justifies getting a laptop cooling pad instead.
You might want to consider getting a laptop cooling pad if your main work involves a lot of high CPU intensive activity such as video editing. gaming or computer modeling and if your work space generally remains the same.
Picking a good laptop cooling pad
Choosing a good laptop cooling pad generally follows the same logic as choosing a laptop stand. But this time, you’d want to ensure that you get your cooling pad from a reputable source since the main purpose of you getting the cooling pad would be to have it cool down your laptop effectively.
Gaming Laptop Cooling Pad (Affiliate link)
These laptop cooling pads are rather expensive, but I saw that there are more than 1,000 reviews, with the overall rating at more than 4 stars.
Besides, I also saw that it allows for up to 7 different viewing angles.
It seems to offer a good balance between ventilation and ergonomics.
Consider it if you’re looking for a tested and proven laptop cooling pad.
7-16 Inch Laptop Cooling Pad (Affiliate link)
Consider these laptop cooling pads a bargain option to the one above.
Costing only about $15, it allows up to 6 viewing angles and offers a good balance between cost, ventilation and ergonomics.
Consider this if you’re looking for a tested and proven laptop cooling pad that is economic.
Need some inspiration on what productivity items you could get for your work space? – check out my productivity kit where I share the items that I use that has helped me increase my work effectiveness.
