Here's Why You Might Actually Want a Laptop Cooling Pad

The idea of using a laptop cooling pad feels antiquated. These days, laptop chips have become extremely efficient. The fans on MacBooks (if they even have them) are barely used, and both Intel and Qualcomm are pushing efficiency on the Windows front.

But people keep buying laptop cooling pads, so surely there is a use case in 2026 that actually makes sense, right? I tried out a couple cooling pads paired with a couple of different gaming laptops, and walked away surprised at how effective they could be.

Do Cooling Pads Actually Work?

Laptop cooling pads have been around for decades, and the idea has always been simple: provide extra air to blow through a laptop that’s otherwise restricted by its own cooling system. In theory, more air means lower temperatures—and, ultimately, better performance. This is the whole idea of the power modes that exist ...