Customer Reviews

Logitech Comfort Lapdesk N500 (white/grey)

5 star:		(169)
4 star:		(63)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

Laptop tested: MacBook Pro unibody 15.4" (late 2008 model).
Laptop tested: MacBook Pro unibody 17" (early 2009 model).
Laptop tested: MacBook Air 13.3" (mid-2011 model).

Normally I'm not a fan of lapdesks. Most of the time they look ghastly, take up way too much room, and have those annoying "peas" in the material that rests on your legs. At first, they're fine, until you wiggle around a bit, the peas get pushed off to the side, and your legs end up against the faux wood. Not fun.

Enter Logitech's Comfort Lapdesk. I was given this as a gift, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to give the lapdesk one last try. The results? Awesome. I love it. And I'm surprised I do.

Why am I so surprised?

1.) It's comfortable on your lap, even lying in bed.
2.) The underside is made of an airy mesh, so it never warms up at all, but remains quite firm on your legs. Not too firm, as I sit in my shorts writing this in bed. Very cushy but sturdy.
3.) It's very light, so the added weight of the lapdesk with my laptop on it is not intrusive.
4.) It tilts forward a little so that it's at a "perfect" angle to type on.
5.) It does actually stand up by itself on its edge, so you can stick it next to your bed without having it slide over and disappear under the bed/sofa etc. Very convenient!

My laptop isn't running too hot sitting on it, and I can't comment on the number of layers Logitech says the top part features, but supposedly it's a 4-layer, heat-shielding design. I can say my laptop isn't running too warm, and while the top of the lapdesk is a little warm, it's nothing unusual.

So, are there any complaints? Well, my only concern with the desk is that it IS white, and the top part FEELS like if you slam it around at all, it will likely pick up a myriad of scratches. Mine came with a few out of the box, though I'm sure it wouldn't have taken me long to do it myself. If Logitech had gone the whole hog and made the top part aluminum, boy would this thing be killer...

Just bear in mind, with my 15.4" MacBook Pro, there's no room for a mouse on the side, though I prefer this, as it means the actual lapdesk is smaller and easier to handle. This lapdesk is designed for 15.4" laptops, though it can handle smaller systems of course. I think a 17" MacBook Pro "might" be pushing it. (EDIT: works just fine with a 17"!)

As it is, it serves its purpose very well, and is without doubt the most comfortable lapdesk I've ever used. I was more concerned with how usable the base is on my legs rather than how astonishingly it removes heat. It does the former excellently, and the latter quite well.

Great job, Logitech.

4.5/5

**EDIT June 17, 2009**

I can report I'm having no trouble with my new 17" unibody MacBook Pro on this lapdesk. I love it! :-)

Some people have reported their laptops slipping of this lapdesk. I've had no such issue with either of my unibody MacBook Pros.

**EDIT August 18, 2010**

Still loving this lapdesk, and it hasn't bowed or shown any noticeable additional wear and tear. Still 100% worth the money!

**EDIT September 27, 2011

And still loving this lapdesk. My wife is using it every day now with her new MacBook Air 13.3", and we have zero complaints about it!

Having used this lapdesk for a week, I find that this is a recommendable product even though I believe the msrp is a bit on the high side. Let us evaluate the features as claimed by Logitech's marketing literature:

1. Helps protect your body from notebook heat: I totally agree with this.

2. Positions your notebook to improve comfort: This lapdesk introduce a difference of merely 12 degrees and the truth is I could not feel any significant improvement after a week. I was using a light-weight cutting board before, and the 12 degree difference only means I tilt my screen differently.

3. Use your notebook on your sofa, bed, or floor: The claim here is it helps provide a stable platform over your legs. Compared to my board solution, I have to agree that this Logitech lapdesk is more stable. Why? The board is rigid and thus it is very unforgiving in its movemnet. This one has cushion underneath which dampens the movement.

4. Feels comfortable on your legs: The air-mesh material underneath this lapdesk is indeed quite comfortable even on bare skin. However, I would say I still feel the hot spots. (It's MUCH better than direct contact with the laptop though.) I must also note that this mesh is non-removable. I wish the cushion is only velcro'ed onto the lapdesk and is removable for washing.

5. Thin, streamlined profile: I am not sure it is "thin" at about 3 inch at the thickest part. However, the current design, as another reviewer has noted, is in fact very effective---this lapdesk stands on its own when placed on the side. It is indeed very convenient and I keep it right next to my reading/laptop lounger.

As you can see, this Logitech scores very well with me on its features. I must add that these features are all delivered on one nicely manufactured piece of furniture. The fabric seams are tight and there is no loose threads hanging around. The plastic used for the laptop surface seems durable and is well-grinded on the side to make sure there is no hard edges at all. I would say that the quality demonstrated by this product can easily justify its premium price, even though I also admit that I would hesitate to buy it if I were to see it at a retail store. The bottomline is: I am recommending it to my friends whoever come over to visit.

P.S. I must also note that unlike some reviewers, I do not find the laptop surface to be slippery at all. I tested this on a 12in thinkpad, a 14in thinkpad, and a 13in sony vaio. Maybe their laptop's "legs" are missing or getting dirty?

The Logitech Comfort Lapdesk is slick-looking, and it is definitely comfortable. As far as lapdesks go, it is one of the more attractive units I've seen so far.

When using it in the lap, I can attest to the all-around comfort of the Logitech Comfort Lapdesk. It holds the computer at just the right height, and at an angle that tilts the computer perfectly for viewing the monitor and easy typing on the keyboard.

Also, the lapdesk does a great job of keeping the heat from the computer away from your lap.

My disappointment lies in one area - the surface of the lapdesk is slick and shiny, very pretty. Unfortunately, it means that optical and laser mice don't work on it without a mousepad, Also, they slide right off the lapdesk without something under them to hold them in place. For those of us who prefer to use an external mouse with our laptops and netbooks, this is a huge issue.

That is the only disappointment I have with it, though. If you don't use an external mouse, then this would be a perfect lapdesk for you.

I was thinking about getting two based off of the positive reviews, but I'm glad that I didn't.

Overall the Lapdesk feels great; the size and angle is just right. But sadly I was surprised to find that both my Macbook and my Macbook Pro slides right off the Lapdesk if it tilts horizontally ever so slightly.

All the rubber feet for both the notebooks are still there, but they just don't create enough friction to keep it from sliding off. It has gotten to point that I'm considering adding velcro to connect the notebook to the Lapdesk... but that just makes me feel silly.

I hesitated after all of the comments on how slippery it was. Mine just arrived today, and just want to note that Logitech may be listening. The lapdesk arrived with four white rubber feet, along with a layout template to stick them onto the top surface of the lapdesk.

That said, I tried it without the feet with my 17" Dell studio, and it really seemed to stick just fine (possibly because my laptop comes with 6 rubber feet).

As for the comfort, I have mixed feelings. It's very lightweight, which is great, and I like the shape, but for me the padding on the back ridge is a bit too stiff and uncomfortable. Given that the design shifts most of the weight there, I would have hoped for thicker padding, so I only give it an "OK" for comfort. To be fair, my laptop is on the heavy side, so YMMV.

I purchased this item after reading many of the reviews. So, I was very surprised and disappointed when I tried it out for the first time tonight and found it to be uncomfortable. As opposed to a lapdesk with a flat bottom, the angled part at the back of this product (while made of a soft material) focuses nearly all of the pressure/weight of the laptop onto a very small part of the leg. I tried adjusting my position, but nothing helped and it actually became painful after a bit. I've reverted to using it upside-down so I still get the angle but the pressure is spread over a greater surface on my legs. Very disappointing for a Logitech product.

I have had a couple of lap desks. One of them I was still using when I received this. There are several things that I love about this compared to my other lap desks. One is that the padding that rests on my legs is more comfortable, there is ventilation in the padding, it looks nicer, and the angle at which it holds the computer makes it easier for me to type without straining (while in a sitting position). it certainly does the job of keeping the heat away from your legs. I have a macbook pro 15 inch that has the older battery that gets pretty hot so for me, a lapdesk is a necessity. I also love the look of this lapdesk, especially with my computer.

The down side? The top surface is a little slippery. I think I will get some duct tape or something to fix the problem. The feet on my older macbook pro are not sufficient enough to stop the slipping. Although I did test it over night and it didn't slip off by itself. For me, it is more likely to slip if I am moving or adjusting. It hasn't been a big deal, but it would have been a very easy fix by the company--which is why I gave it 4 starts instead of 5.

UPDATE: I now own a macbook pro unibody and have no problems with slipping.

I've had this for a few months now.

The positive.

The size is great; it's just big enough.
It stands on it's side and takes less room on the floor or something.
It insulates you from the heat from the computer.

The negative.

It's plastic. My laptop's feet aren't the only thing that touch the surface anymore as the surface has curved a little bit so now the middle of the laptop touches it. This makes the laptop slide off since the nonslip rubber feet aren't all touching the surface at the same time.

My advice:

Get something that has a solid wood surface as that won't warp.

I am very disappointed with this product. I bought it for my MacBook Pro. The surface is too slick and if you are not sitting with your legs at a perfect 90 degree angle, the laptop will slide right off. In fact, even if you are at the perfect angle, it just may go. It also doesn't do a great job of keeping the computer cool because no air circulates under it. Don't waste your money.

The comfort desk is a great laptop surface which to type on. With my 17" MBP the laptop fits just fine with some minor issues. First off the bend is not adjustable. If you are sitting in a recliner it causes the bend in the bottom piece to put the laptop at an uncomfortable angle.

The glossy surface and the macbook do not play well together. MBP have small rubber feet and the laptop continuously slides off (mainly due to the strange angle). Ok enough of the cons. While typing sitting upright in a chair the lap desk allows for a stable surface to type on.

I type pretty fast and I never have even the slightest feeling that the laptop will fall off my lap. The pad on the bottom is very comfortable and the webbed texture helps it not slip.

I do game with my macbook and the back left where the video card is can get pretty hot. Using this platform, I do not feel any heat on my legs at all. For that its a wonderful product.

Pros:
>> Stable typing surface
>> Comfortable feel
>> Modern appearance

Cons:
<< Slippery laptop surface
<< Not collapsible (difficult to travel with)

Overall a really nice product to use at home or on vacation, just not practical for use with travel.

Thanks for reading my review.