How to Use Laptop In Bed Without Overheating: You Should Know!

Recently, many people tend to spend more time on their laptops. This is because of the restricted movements resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, most jobs are done remotely, with frequent meetings on zoom and Google meet, and you have probably used your laptop in bed.

However, you must have noticed the laptop burning your lap after a while. So, knowing how to use your laptop in bed without overheating becomes the next topic of concern. Thankfully, you can use your laptop from your bed and still keep it at a low temperature.

This article includes common reasons why your laptop heats up when used in bed. More importantly, you will also find some solutions to help you keep your laptop from overheating. A cooling pad is just one of the many solutions you’ll find in this article and answers frequently asked questions; therefore, this article should be your guide.

What Causes My Laptop to Overheat when I Use It in Bed?

Blocked air vents

When you place your laptop on soft surfaces like your pillow or your mattress, the laptop sinks into the surface. The result is that there is no hot air blown out of the laptop by the cooling fan.

Also, it’s almost impossible for cool air to enter the laptop since most of the air vents are at the bottom. As a result, your laptop cannot regulate its temperature and ends up overheating.

So many unused power-intensive apps are running.

When too many apps are running in the background, it consumes your battery much faster.

As a result, it heats up at a quicker rate. Some third-party apps allow you to identify programs that are causing the overheating.

Your Cooling Fans Might Be Clogged Up

The cooling fans in your laptop may have collected so much dust on the blades over time, which is unavoidable. You need to take it to a professional if you discover that the fans need to be cleaned. Also, you can buy some of the best laptops that don’t use cooling fans on amazon.

Usage at Extreme Capacity

At times, your laptop’s overheating might not result from insufficient ventilation. Instead, the settings you have programmed in the laptop can contribute to overheating. Some of these settings include high graphics, volume, or screen brightness.

Also, running multiple apps in the background simultaneously contributes to overheating, making the laptop consume power faster.

How to Use Your Laptop in Bed without Overheating

To avoid overheating your laptop while using it in bed, try as much as possible to keep the air vents open to fresh air.

You might also consider placing it on a solid platform or a cooling pad. Also, it would be best if you considered shutting down some power-intensive apps that are not in use.

Using a laptop in bed is a very comfortable way to do some more extra work before bed. But note that it’s not comfortable for the laptop as it will overheat. An overheated laptop usually results from insufficient cooling air, which cools some parts because the vents at the bottom of the laptop are covered.

Maybe you thought they were made just for the looks- no, you got it wrong. Those vents are there for proper air circulation in the interior parts of the laptop.

Everyone wants to use their laptops anywhere they have the chance. After all, working shouldn’t be restricted to specific locations.

So, if your bed allows you to compute comfortably, but you have an overheating problem to worry about, a few steps will help solve the problem.

Purchase a Cooling Pad for The Laptop

Cooling pads are the easiest way to cool your laptop while using it in bed. They are not restricted to use on the bed alone, and they can also be used in your office if you find your laptop’s temperature too high for your liking. Cooling pads are easily affordable and can be purchased for as low as $30.

Cooling pads can be connected to the laptop using a USB connection. Your laptop sits on it and is cooled from beneath by the several fans in the pad. They help to cool your laptop irrespective of the program’s intensity you are running on it. So, even if you’re gaming on the PC, you don’t have to worry about the heat.

Get a Laptop Bedside Table

You’ll have to part with some good money- but not too much, to get a laptop bed table, but it’s worth it. The table is portable and can easily adjust to fit any position you want to assume in bed. However, you have to put it close to the edge of the bed.

Some of the tables available contain additional space to carry other stuff like a coffee cup or an external mouse. Also, an edge prevents your laptop from falling, irrespective of how you wish to position the laptop. Many of these tables have built-in cooling fans that can substitute for a cooling pad.

Some tables are made with aluminum, making it easy to transfer some of the heat generated from the laptop. You can also find these tables made with plastic materials if you prefer them that way. You can buy these tables in online stores like Amazon for as low as $50.

Laptop Bed Stands

Laptop bed stands are another great alternative that allows you to conveniently and comfortably use your laptop in bed. They serve as the closest alternative to your lap since the laptop might heat too unbearable temperatures for your comfort.

They come in different sizes and shapes and are suitable for use, even outside your bed. Some of the laptop bed stands are adjustable and can be adjusted to take any height that feels comfortable. They work by elevating the laptop from the bed and allowing free circulation of air within the laptop.

By elevating the laptop, you prevent the fabric of your bedsheets from clogging the air vents at the bottom of the laptop, allowing the fans to blow out hot air from the laptop. Some of the best laptop bed stands are available on amazon.

Use Any Hard Surface as A Platform on Your Bed

Many people place their laptops on their laps while using them, which is better than putting the laptop on the bed since you still have a few open vents for ventilation. Also, your laptops can heat up to harmful temperatures on your laps.

Have you ever wondered what the rubber stickers at the bottom of your laptop are for? They protect the surface from scratches and provide a slight separation for ventilation purposes.

Placing your laptop on the mattress or pillow totally blocks the ventilation spaces underneath the laptop. So, we recommend that you place the laptop on a sturdy surface like a book or magazine to maintain the separation.

What Are the Disadvantages of An Overheated Laptop?

Harmful Effect on The Processor

Your overheated laptop heats the processor, resulting in the laptop’s overall performance being reduced. That’s the more reason why the cooling fans are programmed to activate when the processor gets overheated.

Reduced Battery Life

The batteries in most laptops are made with lithium ions which can be badly affected by high temperatures. However, the interaction of the anions and cations in the battery cells makes it possible for the battery to save current.

An increased temperature accelerates the rate of these ionic reactions. When such high temperatures prolong, it reduces the time the battery stays charged. Therefore, continuously exposing the battery to such conditions reduces the battery life span and eventually renders the battery useless.

At extreme temperatures, the lithium-ion cells in the battery might release flammable gases. Eventually, these gases can lead to a fire explosion.

Damaged Motherboard

You can consider the motherboard to be the skeletal frame of your laptop because all the crucial components of the laptop, including the processor, are connected to it. And several interconnected wires carry current through the laptop.

The high temperatures can reduce the efficiency of the current flowing through the laptop and further affect the laptop’s output.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can an Overheated Laptop Catch Fire?

An overheated laptop can catch fire only in extreme cases. This usually results when the battery reaches very high temperatures. The lithium-ion cells in the battery get thermally unstable at temperatures above 302 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, they start releasing flammable gases.

Why Does My Laptop Get Hot when On the Bed?

When you place your laptop on the bed, the mattress covers the air vents at the bottom of the laptop. Doing this will reduce the expulsion of hot air from inside the laptop and the entry of fresh air. This usually happens if you’re using it or charging it simultaneously.

How Do I Stop My Laptop from Overheating in Bed?

If your laptop is heating in bed, you can control the process using a bedside table or a bed stand. Moreover, many people prefer a cooling pad because it is more efficient in cooling the system with its in-built fans.

Conclusion

Many people are fond of using their laptops on their beds. After all, who wouldn’t want to do anything from where they feel comfortable? Moreover, this could be after a long and stressful day at work or school. We know that feeling of tiredness, so feel free to do your thing.

However, this isn’t a healthy practice as the laptop gets overly heated up. As a result, you may damage some of the laptop’s hardware components. So, if you are uncomfortable with the overheating laptop, you may want to consider the alternative solutions above.