But it was when she mentioned her Lapworks Laptop Desk I realized I had forgotten to include my lapdesk in my own post. Honestly, it is so much a part of my gear that I hardly think of it as anything other than part of my laptop.

A couple years ago I realized that laptops get really hot. The fan on the side of my ThinkPad puts out a good amount of heat and can get uncomfortable pretty quickly. At the time, I did a lot of research about laptop desks and such and eventually ended up buying the oddly named, but very effective, Lapinator portable insulated laptop desk.

Unlike a lot of lapdesks I looked it, it’s not fancy looking and doesn’t include a fan or USB ports. But it is well designed and manufactured with high-quality 3M Thinsulate™ insulation. The design not only minimizes the heat coming from the PC but the dual-padded ridges, or feet, also keep air flowing between it and my legs. It’s much more comfortable than a solid desk.

I don’t just use it when working casually, though. It also serves to keep my laptop raised an inch or so off of any table, so it helps keep things cool even at my desk. I also tend to bring it with me on outings, particularly coffee shop meetings. This helps minimize the risk of damages due to coffee or water spills. It has already saved me a couple of times as spilled fluids run right underneath the base.

For larger machines, there is a Lapinator Plus, which would work well with a laptop with a 17″ display.

For about $25 ($30 for the Plus) it’s a bargain compared to a lot of the other options, and going on four years now it’s still holding up quite well. It’s well made, sturdy, functional, lightweight and an essential part of my work area, no matter where that is. It also stows easily right in my backpack.

Do you use a lapdesk? How do you keep things cool?

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