Belkin F5L001 Laptop Cooling Pad
by Belkin Components
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List Price: Our Price: $17.88 You Save: $12.11 (40%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $14.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Belkin F5L001 Laptop Cooling Pad
Customer Review: Best of its type. Reliable and works very well.
Summary: 4 Stars
I have had this cooling stand since late August 2008, and it has been in virtually 24/7 use under my MacBook on my desk, with excellent results. It is a like most cooling stands in use on my lap or bed, in that care need be taken to prevent blocking the air intake, but that is universal for this type of appliance. I have experienced none of the failures or problems other reviewers have reported. This model cools my machine by 12F to 15F over its otherwise "normal" operating temperature. The fit and finish are fine, and the fan is not silent, but quiet, such that it is mostly necessary to put a hand at the side to verify it is even on. The fan has had no problems of intermittent operation elsewhere reported (I suspect many of those reporters allowed some object or material to temporarily jam the fan blades). The fold out foot does tend to collapse if not fully extended and properly positioned (it lacks a catch to lock it in place), so that is its only known flaw. Still running almost 24/7 (maybe 150 hours a week) with no signs of failure, increased noise, or diminishing function/flow, and the price is very reasonable. I strongly recommend this model. It is a little oversize for the compact MacBook, but nothing dramatic and should fit most 15 inch models even better.
UPDATE 4/20/10:
Still going strong after a year and a half of daily service, with one problem: about a month ago the USB end of the power cord broke. I easily stripped out the cord, and it is back in service, though the MacBook no longer likes it when I plug it directly into the USB bus (it gives and over-current warning), so I have it plugged into the powered hub I use. Possibly there was so current-limiting electronics in the fat plastic case surrounding the USB-A plug. I am VERY rough on this type of thing, so yours may last considerably longer. Still happy, though. . .
Customer Review: Helpful Cooling + Nice Position = A Winner
Summary: 4 Stars
I got concerned about my laptop's heat as it got older. I had a passively cooled one, but it didn't seem to be cutting it any longer. The laptop fan seemed to be coming on more and more often. I found this cooler and have been using it ever since.
Unlike a lot of coolers, this one blows air on the bottom of the laptop instead of sucking air away. Personally, I feel it's a better system. You wouldn't suck air to put out a Birthday candle. The flow of air is good, my laptop fan runs less often. I can't really tell if it drains the battery any more slowly than those dual fan coolers, but I'd assume it's slightly less hungry with only one fan. Due to the shape, this cooler should provide limited cooling even if it isn't plugged into your USB port. Its dip should allow air to flow under the laptop a little more easily. The shape is also good for ergonomics while you're typing. It lifts the laptop up at a good angle. The only thing this cooler isn't good for is sitting on your lap. You can do it and I have done it, but it's not comfortable and you really get the feeling this thing has to be on a flat surface.
The construction feels kind of light and cheaply made, though I've had no problems with any parts breaking. You do need to be very careful plugging that chord into and removing from the cooler though. I've seen a lot of people say that the connector can break off inside the cooler if you're not carful. Then you're out of luck.
I was worried about the fan dying quickly, but I've had it running off and on for over a year and the fan has been fine. My wife has been using hers (black) almost constantly for nearly as long and while it does get loud, blowing dust out of the fan blades quiets it back down again. For travel, the storage area for the chord is very handy. We are both very happy with the product.
Customer Review: A Good Start, but a (Much Too) Quick Finish
Summary: 2 Stars
I've had this Belkin laptop cooler exactly 3 1/2 months. And from day one until yesterday , it did a reasonable, although not perfect, job of keeping my laptop cooler.
However -
This is a noisy cooler, and, from time to time, the fan has stopped dead. But the real problem came when the port for the connector popped out. It is nowhere to be found, so this cooler must go back to Belkin. Meanwhile, I'm suffering a very hot laptop.
Now I realize that a $30 cooler is not the high-tech equipment that you expect to deliver outstanding performance.
But, really -- 3 1/2 months of use, and then Splat? Even from the least expensive peripheral, I would expect better performance.
On the positive side, the design allows for air circulation by lifting the laptop away from whatever surface you're using. And, when working, it does reduce the heat my laptops produce. So it's not entirely useless.
Two stars!
Update: January 18, 2007
Belkin's replacement cooler arrived today. While I was out the cost of shipping, the replacement itself was provided quickly and at no charge. So far, it is working well. We'll see how long this replacement lasts.
UPDATE: February 3, 2008
The fan on the new cooler has stopped --- dead. So, I've gotten approximately three weeks service from this new one.
Not a good omen.
I will return this one for a new one, but the shipping on these coolers is adding up to more than the actual cost of the product, so this will be my last try. If the third cooler fails, I will ask for a refund.
I really like the design of this cooler, so I am very disappointed that the quality is so poor. Amazon will not allow me to change the stars, but if I could I'd change my rating to one star!
Customer Review: Can't stand noise and folding leg anymore after several years
Summary: 2 Stars
In the initial days after I purchased this cooling stand, I was satisfied about its performance. However, things started getting worse over a period of a few months. I have been using this with my HP 15" laptop for a long time now.
Most importantly, from a cooling standpoint, the fan works VERY WELL, hence the four stars for efficiency. My laptop heats up quickly and would shut down as a safety mechanism until I started using this stand. However, I dinged this product in two areas mainly: noise (one star) and ease of use (two stars):
(1) The noise: sometimes, the fan is quiet. Then suddenly, for no apparent reason, it starts screaming. Like another reviewer said, it's like a 727 taking off. (Do they even fly those things anymore?)
(2) The leg/support thingie underneath to keep the stand level given its curved design: constantly collapses into its closed position. It's like a battery compartment, so when this occurs, you have to move your laptop completely unless it is much lighter than my hulking 15" then pull open the leg. When transporting laptop and stand from one room to another in our house, we find this to be a pain. This is also an issue when trying to place the stand on a workspace tilted at an angle for ergonomics.
Quality of materials: this stand is not all that different from the others. It's plastic, but at least it is sturdy enough to support my large, heavy laptop without any problems. One more comment: the shape of the stand is nice for cooling but horrible for putting in your laptop bag for travel. It is not flat. Try stuffing it into your bag and you may find it better to leave it at home.
Given the shortcomings (noise, the folding leg), I think it is finally time to invest in a newer, hopefully better cooling stand.
Customer Review: What a disappointment!
Summary: 1 Stars
I read all the amazon.com reviews before purchase and can't understand why previous reviewers could rate it a 5 star. Somebody's got to be lying. It may indeed cool well. However it has one big problem: It has a flimsy plastic piece on the bottom which tilts out on a flimsy hinge to provide the one-and-only tilt position. If you don't tilt it up, the stand cannot work at all because it becomes unstable, due to the fact that there is no hole for the cable to exit around the closed plastic piece and the fan begins to rattle. Obviously it was not designed to lay flat.
But having one position would be okay if it worked well in the tilt up position. It doesn't. If you happen to move it slightly backward, the whole thing collapses because this plastic support has no way of locking it in the open position. (Maybe I can improvise something, but why should I have to make their design work properly?) The person who received this gift from me needs to move his laptop around on the desk and hates this collapsing feature (Note that on the box Belkin brags about this feature, saying "Pad collapses easily for transport . ." (Boy! Did I LOL!) In addition, we figure this plastic support will soon break because the material is thin plastic and the hinge is obviously fragile.
I have to rate this poorly, whether or not it cools well, because the first three requirements are that the unit is STABLE, FUNCTIONAL and DURABLE. The Belkin Laptop Cooling Pad does not qualify.
Note: Other reviewers have said that earlier problems were straightened out in the "newer" version which was released a few months back. I just bought this latest version from amazon.com and can tell you the problems are just not fixed. I can't imagine how bad the earlier version was!