Finding somewhere comfortable to work, talking to a friend, or watching a movie, a laptop offers them all in one package. Being able to lay down on your bed and still have a computer on your lap is what a laptop is all about.
But the problem is, the machine might suffocate for air circulation if you put it on the bed for long. It might overheat and reader the laptop too hot, even work less efficient!
Then how to use a laptop in bed without overheating?
Well, you can use a laptop raiser table, a stand that goes across your lap and elevates the machine a bit!
Let’s talk about this in detail and show you how exactly it should be done.
Is It Safe To Use A Laptop In Bed?
Want to work from bed? Think about the following things:
- That you may get a stiff neck or bad back from this activity
- Working from bed affect the quality of sleep, especially if you’re struggling with sleep issues in general.
- If you’re working from bed all day, chances are bad sleep quality may affect your work productivity.
- It will be hard to resist a little nap here and there when you’re working from your bed.
- You might end up affecting your posture. Sitting or lying in one position for long can affect your posture.
- Your laptop might overheat, suffocate, even shut or slow down if heated excessively.
However, after all of this, you still may not have a problem working from your bed. The possibility that the laptop might overheat is still worth a lot of consideration.
At worse, your laptop might explode and cause a fire when you’re running heavy GPU-intensive software. For example, aerospace engineers run heavy simulators that need extra circulation.
Note: If you’re in the same situation, you should get a laptop for aerospace engineering students that offer extra support at GPU intensive works.
Is Your Laptop Getting Overheat In Bed? Here’s What You Need To Know
Laptops are the preferred method for many because of convenience compared to a desktop. The main reason for that is their mobility and compact and portable size.
The compact size of a laptop means, however, that there’s limited space for all the internal components. The hard drive, RAM, CPU, and other internal parts reside in a small space.
Computers generate heat when they’re working. In such a small space, the possibility of overheating is very high. All computers come with at least one fan to provide airflow to the internal components.
Causes of overheating include:
- Using your laptop on a surface that might be blocking the exhaust vents. Doing this would restrict airflow to the laptop’s components.
- A fan that is damaged or not working properly. This will affect the fan’s ability to cool efficiently.
- An aging laptop battery. An old battery will lose its efficiency. It will also generate its own heat.
Running too many programs on your laptop may also exceed the laptops capabilities. For instance, you may be working in Excel, Word, plus several tabs in several browsers at the same time. The more software you have open, the harder the CPU and the fan will work.
How Do I Know If My Laptop Is Overheating?
Watch out for the following signs of overheating:
- System freeze
- If you see a blue screen
- Laptop suddenly shuts off without your input
- The laptop is warmer than usual. Especially by the fan, battery, CPU, or RAM.
- Error messages
- Very slow laptop. opening of the browser or any other software has noticeably slowed down.
If your laptop shows signs of overheating, you should take the following steps:
- First, turn it off and put it in a cool area. Wait until it cools down.
- Wait another 15 minutes before turning it on back.
- Turn off some background programs.
- Check if the fan is damaged
- Check that the vents are clear and remove any obstructions.
How To Use Your Laptop In Bed Without Overheating?
1. Cooling Pads Are the Number One Method
They are the number one method for keeping your machine cool. Cooling pads have the double advantage of lifting the laptop off the surface of the bed. It will also help keep the laptop cool. A cooling pad is like a dock for your laptop.
Some cooling pads come with fans, while others come with a material that resists heat. The ones with fans will cool your laptop better than those without.
2. Laptop Stands
Laptop stands are also a worthwhile investment. They also work by keeping your laptop off the bed surface. They can be quite inexpensive and are made of different types of materials. They can be purchased online.
3. Unplug the charger
Another way to keep the laptop cool is to plug out the charger while using the laptop cooler. By its nature, charging creates heat. When you’re using the laptop while charging, even more heat is created. So while it’s charging, keep it unplugged. If you want to keep it plugged in, then take out the battery.
4. Close a Few of the Programs
Keeping many programs open at the same time can also, potentially overheat your laptop. Some programs like Chrome and graphics programs like Adobe, tend to use a lot of RAM. If you find your laptop running low on RAM, you may have to close out some tabs, or background programs.
If you find yourself using such programs heavily, you may have to upgrade. Check out my reviews for Laptops for Adobe Creative Suite.
Watch the video for a clear understanding.
Final Verdict
Using your laptop in bed might not be the best idea as it can cause a thermal throttling down the line. Overheating is never a good thing for any computer, be it a desktop or a laptop.
However, knowing how to use a laptop in bed without overheating will surely help you out. If you follow the tips and take the precautions in the article, you can make this activity relatively safe enough.