Do you have a laptop computer? Where do you use it the most? On your lap, in the car, while traveling, in bed, while watching television – actually anywhere since you can take it and go.

I find that I use my laptop computer the most on my lap, in bed or in my favorite chair. After all that is why they call it a laptop right? Do you notice when you use the laptop either for gaming (which can lead into hours) or just for writing articles (which could lead to long hours too) that the laptop starts to get your legs very hot? Have you ever placed your laptop on the bed – I mean just for awhile? Then you remember where it is and try to pick it up and it is really hot? My son called me the other day and his laptop got accidentally turned on in his backpack – he failed to notice for three hours. He said it was so hot he could barely touch it. What can you do to prevent your laptop from getting so hot?

There are three top choices out there you can look at. They are the Belkin Laptop Cooling Pad, Belkin Ac Adapter or the Vantec Lapcool. All three are worth the money, but all have their little quirks, so keep reading to find the one that best fits your needs.

Belkin Laptop Cooling Pad cools your computer very nicely. You can purchase one ranging from $19.95 – $29.95. They have a one year warranty, gentle slope to prevent wrist strain or to help those who have carpel tunnel syndrome, raises the screen to help reduce neck strain, fits into your laptop bag, also contains a convenient compartment for USB cables and grip pads to prevent your laptop from slipping out of your lap.

If you are going to type on a table top, the cooling pad has a built in stand that folds out to allow the air to circulate. There are no big bulky adapters to deal with, just a small USB cord that plugs into your laptop. With all of these features, I found it hard to believe that it was so cheap.

Belkin has another product called the Belkin Ac Adapter Stand. This is also a very good product from Belkin, although it is not as good as the Belkin Cooling stand. When you place this stand on the table, you must reach back and flip up a plate in the rear portion of the stand. If you are not careful and just blindly reach back to flip the plate, you can risk touching the fan. Now this is not too bad, you will not cry, but it is an irritating design flaw.

Vantec Lapcool is another great laptop cooler. It comes with a 12 month parts and labor warranty. The greatest feature was a variable fan speed which the other two did not. It also has four extra USB ports, which if you have an older or cheaper laptop, you might just have one USB port. This comes in handy if you have flash drives and other extras that take a USB port. It also has an eight in one memory card reader. Now this almost makes this product a must buy.

How many people have a digital camera? I do and I found out that my computer did not support the memory card that came with the camera. So, I had to constantly plug the camera into the USB port to download my pictures or videos. This was just a hassle and almost mad the digital camera not worth the effort. But with the eight in one memory card reader, my camera’s memory card fits in and I can download the pictures in a flash. It does cost a little bit more (around $47), but if you are having a problem with memory cards this may just be worth the money.

Another laptop cooling solution is the Vizo Xena Mini Laptop Cooler. This is a miniature cooler that can fit into the laptop’s cabinet and is easy to carry around. It does not require an external power connection – it comes with a USB connection and draws its power directly from the USB port. And finally, another great feature is that it has adjustable feet so that you can control the angle of the cool air flow in the cabinet.

In the long run, getting a laptop cooling pad just makes sense. Your laptop keeps cooler so while you are working it is not heating you up and it prolongs the life of your computer.