Finding the best laptop cooling pads is essential for any power user, as every laptop owner has felt it: that alarming heat building up during a long gaming session or a heavy workload. When your laptop gets too hot, it’s forced to “thermal throttle”—intentionally slowing down its own CPU and GPU to prevent damage. This directly results in lower frame rates and reduced performance, but this is a problem the best laptop cooling pads are designed to solve.
A high-quality cooling pad is an essential accessory for any power user, especially those with high-performance gaming laptops. It actively dissipates heat, allowing your components to run at their peak speeds for longer, resulting in a smoother and more responsive experience. It’s a key strategy in our guide on how to stop a PC from overheating.
But with hundreds of options on the market, how do you choose the right one? This guide will break down the 5 best laptop cooling pads of 2025, helping you find the perfect match for your machine.
What to Look for in the Best Laptop Cooling Pads
Not all cooling pads are created equal. Here are the key features that matter.
- Fan Size and Speed (CFM): The most important metric for a fan’s performance is its CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute), which measures how much air it can move. A higher CFM means better cooling. Generally, a single, large fan is more effective and quieter than multiple small, whiny fans.
- Ergonomics and Adjustability: Most cooling pads also function as laptop stands. Look for models with multiple height adjustment settings, which can significantly improve your posture and typing comfort by raising your screen to eye level.
- Build Quality and Size: Ensure the cooling pad is the right size for your laptop (e.g., 15-inch, 17-inch). A sturdy build with a metal mesh surface is ideal for both durability and heat dissipation.
- Extra Features: Many modern pads include extra USB ports (to replace the one it uses), RGB lighting to match your setup, and fan speed controllers. For a deep dive into the science of thermal throttling, the experts at Intel have an excellent technical overview.
Our Top 5 Picks for the Best Laptop Cooling Pads
1. KLIM Mistral: The Best Overall Laptop Cooling Pad
The KLIM Mistral earns our top spot for its uncompromising focus on raw performance. While many cooling pads use standard case fans, the Mistral utilizes a powerful, high-speed turbine fan that spins at up to 4500 RPM, moving a massive amount of air. This design is incredibly effective at forcing cool air into your laptop’s intake vents and combating thermal throttling. It’s built with a sturdy metal frame and features a rubber seal to create a perfect airtight connection with the bottom of your laptop, ensuring no airflow is wasted.
- Size Compatibility: Up to 19 inches
- Fans: 2 x High-RPM Turbine Fans
- Key Features: Airtight Rubber Seal, Metal Frame, 5-Year Warranty
- Best For: Gamers and power users who need the maximum possible cooling performance.
If your primary goal is to lower your temperatures and increase your FPS, the KLIM Mistral is the most powerful and effective cooler on the market.
2. Cooler Master NotePal X3: The Best Value Laptop Cooling Pad
Cooler Master is a legendary name in PC cooling, and the NotePal X3 brings that expertise to the laptop world at a fantastic price. It uses a single, massive 200mm blue LED fan that runs quietly while moving a significant amount of air. The front of the pad has a gentle, ergonomic slope for comfortable typing, and it includes a simple fan speed controller. It’s a no-frills, reliable performer from one of the most trusted brands in the industry.
- Size Compatibility: Up to 17 inches
- Fans: 1 x 200mm Fan
- Key Features: High-Airflow Mesh, Fan Speed Controller, Ergonomic Design
- Best For: Everyday users and budget-conscious gamers.
For a simple, quiet, and effective cooling solution that won’t break the bank, the NotePal X3 is the best value you can get.
3. Thermaltake Massive 20 RGB: The Best for Large Laptops
If you have a massive 17-inch or 19-inch desktop replacement laptop, you need a cooler that can match its size. The Thermaltake Massive 20 RGB is, as its name suggests, a huge and sturdy cooling pad. It features a giant 200mm fan with a customizable RGB light ring around the edge, allowing you to match it to your setup. It offers three different height settings for improved ergonomics and a fan speed controller for fine-tuning performance.
- Size Compatibility: Up to 19 inches
- Fans: 1 x 200mm RGB Fan
- Key Features: Large Surface Area, Customizable RGB, 3 Height Settings
- Best For: Owners of large gaming laptops.
This is the best laptop cooling pad for providing a stable, cool, and stylish base for the biggest and most powerful gaming laptops.
4. KLIM Ultimate: The Best for RGB and Style</h3>
The KLIM Ultimate is designed for the gamer who wants their cooling pad to be a centerpiece of their setup’s aesthetic. It features a powerful 200mm main fan surrounded by four smaller fans, all illuminated with vibrant, customizable RGB lighting. This unique 5-fan layout provides excellent coverage for laptops of all sizes, and the entire unit looks fantastic in a modern RGB-focused setup. It also includes an extra USB port and a clever phone holder that slides out from the side.
- Size Compatibility: Up to 17 inches
- Fans: 1 x 200mm + 4 x 60mm Fans
- Key Features: Full RGB Lighting, 5-Fan System, Integrated Phone Holder
- Best For: Gamers who want a perfect blend of style and cooling performance.
If you love the RGB lifestyle and want a cooler that looks as good as it performs, the KLIM Ultimate is a stunning and effective choice.
5. IETS GT500: The Most Powerful Cooling System
The IETS GT500 is in a league of its own, functioning less like a simple cooling pad and more like an external turbocharger for your laptop. It uses a powerful blower fan to force a high-pressure stream of air directly into your laptop’s intake vents, similar to the KLIM Mistral but with even more power. It includes a foam seal to create a tight connection and a dust filter to ensure it’s only blowing clean air into your machine. This is the best laptop cooling pad for pure, unadulterated cooling power, though it comes with a higher price and more fan noise.
- Size Compatibility: Up to 18 inches
- Fans: 1 x High-Pressure Blower Fan
- Key Features: Dust Filter, Foam Seal, Extreme Cooling Performance
- Best For: Enthusiasts with high-end laptops who need to tame extreme temperatures.
For users who are experiencing significant thermal throttling and need the most powerful solution available, the IETS GT500 is the ultimate weapon against heat.
Conclusion: An Essential Tool for a Healthy Laptop
Investing in the best laptop cooling pads is one of the smartest decisions you can make for the health and performance of your machine. It’s a simple, affordable, and highly effective way to combat thermal throttling and increase your frame rates. Many of the best laptop cooling pads also improve ergonomics.
For its unmatched cooling power and smart design, the KLIM Mistral is our top recommendation for any serious gamer or power user. However, for those looking for a quiet, reliable, and budget-friendly option from our list of the best laptop cooling pads, the Cooler Master NotePal X3 delivers fantastic performance from a brand you can trust.