Customer Reviews

Targus Notebook Cooling Chill Mat (AWE11US)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

My first Targus chill mat(PA248U) didn't last long, as the construction didn't hold up -- somehow the fans both got chipped, and eventually quit working less than 6 months after purchase. That model also had an unnecessarily long USB cord. HOWEVER, THAT model was at least nice and quiet! This chill mat is has much sturdier construction, and the USB cord is shorter! BUT..... the noise from this thing discourages me from turning it on until my laptop is kicking its own fan on high speed. The whirr isn't even steady and thus is very hard to tune out. Maybe the 3rd model I try will be the charm and have all 3 features in one unit...

UPDATE: THE CHILL PAD DIED AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS OF NORMAL USE (NOT ROUGH HANDLING, JUST MOVED AROUND WITHIN THE HOUSE.) DISAPPOINTING.

This thing was just plain crappy. It was loud, the power plug didn't sit right, and the fact it just had a pair of lame box fans with no ducting meant that if you use this thing on anything but a desk or table, it;s going to suck up hairs, or your blanket will poke the blades, or one of a number of other bad, noisy things will happen.

I had it for a couple weeks before it died a loud, annoying death.

Spend the extra couple bucks and get this Antec USB-Powered Notebook Cooler it's fantastic, whisper-quiet, amazingly powerful, and has a sealed bottom with intakes in the back and side, so I can use my laptop on my lap

My first one of these didn't last very long, but it was effective enough that I'm buying another. The problem was with the connector jack on the back of the unit -- it shifted out of place and the thing won't work anymore.

This model is an improvement in performance over the previous model, the Targus PA248U, but a step backward in durability. And that one wasn't very durable to begin with. I have been going through at least 1-2 of those per year. Plus needing new cords.

Wish me luck -- and I wish you the same.

The most poorly made thing I have seen in my life. The on off switch worked one time, once! The fans hardly move any air and still they were noisy, making tick tick tick sounds. If this is the best thing you can find go capture a couple of flies, tie em to a string and tape em to the back of your laptop. It will work as well as this does and instead of having to punch the thing when the fan noise has driven you crazy, just untape the flies and replace them with new living flies. In the alternative you could always just wave your hand near the side of your laptop every couple of minutes and certainly work as well as this thing doe.

Save your money, buy something like an Antec!!

I've had this for a few months. It didn't really cool the laptop as much as I'd hoped it would. Not only that but the power hole just started to malfunction. I had to tilt the power plug at certain angle just to keep it working! NEVER will I buy Targus product EVER again unless it is free. Waste of $30 + TAX

I started having problems within a week of purchasing this item. The fans would just randomly stop working. I would have to tap on it and set it a certain way on the table for them to start working then, in the middle of a game/work/email etc I would shut down due to overheating because the fans stopped working. I realized if I maneuvered the cord a certain way the fans would come back on so this is how I used it for about a month and it not only stopped working 70% of the time but after about 2 months I could no longer plug it in, the little metal thing that you plug the cord into was gone...if I shook it I could hear it rattling around inside. I did not save the packaging and do not have my receipt but I know I paid over $30.00 for this piece of crap. Please, I am begging you, donate the money to charity before you throw it away on this product!!! I couldn't choose less than 1 star.

I wish this thing was built better, because when it works it keeps the laptop cool. But I've gone through two now and wouldn't buy another. The USB connector that goes to the laptop is kinda flimsy, and mine pushed all the way through - inevitable since the plug is always sticking out the back of the unit.

Most concerningly is that the fan blades are curved and spin towards the curve. This means that if something sticks into the fan, they can catch on the case and completely jam the fan (bending the blade). Or worse: they can snap off and send a dangerous shard of plastic across the room or straight into your crotch. Thankfully, I've only seen the "across the room" option, but I've seen it eject across the room twice. Once those fan blades get a little bent (can happen if a piece of paper or something else gets caught in it), it's just a slow devolution from there.

Summary: Works for a few months, and then becomes dangerous.

I WAS liking this little chill mat. BUT, like so many others on here, it completely stopped working after 3 months. I even took it apart to see what the problem was. There was an obvious short in the wires. Piece of junk. I can't believe that they charge so much for something that is so poorly constructed. Targus must be laughing all the way to the bank.

have purchased two Targus Chill Mats, and while I can say they both work well when they do work, both of my Chill Mats have ceased to function. While the cooling tray does cool my laptop, and it cools it very effectively, the power switch on the Targus Chill Mat is very cheaply made, and the wires have been pulled out of both units I purchased. I was able to splice the cords together and got another three month's use out of the one tray from it, but for the full retail price of this tray, I expected more.

Also, the little rubber lift on the back of the tray have a tendency to fall off. They are loose on one unit, having fallen off and been pushed back in several times, and the other unit that travels with me, they are just missing/lost.

Also, the little stoppers on the bottom of the tray that are supposed to help keep the tray from slipping have all but one fallen off too.

Another negative, if you have a wide screen laptop/notebook, the Targus Chill Mat is not wide enough to provide good stability for the laptop. The smaller laptops are fine, but mine is a 17" widescreen, and so it doesn't fit properly.

So, summary is: it works great, while it's working, but it's cheaply made and for the price, you could probably find a sturdier unit.

I really liked this pad at FIRST. It was quiet and really seemed to help my laptop keep cool. But after a few months, the cheapish construction started to break. Four of the fan "arms" on the right fan have broken off and the left fan now regularly makes a VERY loud whirling noise that it never made before. Turning the pad on and off will usually stop this noise, but the slightest shift in position or angle of the pad will start it up again. Also, I sit with the lap top actually on my lap... and I have to sit with my legs slightly set apart so that the fans can properly ventilate underneath. All in all, an okay product... but next time I will try to find a pad with higher quality construction. This one is just breaking down way too quickly and growing more annoying every day.