Laptop Trays: Lapinator and Laptoptray

[hifive]

I've been on a crusade lately to find the perfect laptop tray for portable, car, and home use. I'm not so worried about the laptop's heat as I am about comfort. Checking out ebay, I found acouple that fit the bill. I decided to order the two most popular: the lapinator and the laptoptray, which doesn't seem to be listed as of right now.

First, the Lapinator:

With all the plaudits for this thing, I just had to order it. Not to mention, it was pretty much risk free because of the incredible refund policy. It's a nice tray. It does what it's advertised to do: keep the heat out. Using it is more comfortable than placing it on my lap. The cushions on the bottom do a good job of dissipating body heat and keeping the laptop's inferno at a distance. But the platform for the laptop doesn't seem perfectly even. Not all 4 corner bumpers on my laptop touch down completely, so the laptop will slide at times. It might just be because my tray is defective..? Or maybe my laptop's bumpers are placed incorrectly. But that's not major worry because the Lapinator comes with extra bumpers just in case. I never bothered to attach them, so I can't give a good testimony as to how well they work. The platform is also pretty slippery which makes the laptop slide even more.

All in all, it does a good job of keeping you cool and comfortable. But, I'll be returning it to the seller. He offers an awesome return policy and replies to emails extremely quickly; a very pleasant guy to deal with. I'm not returning it because of the product's drawbacks, but because of its size. It fits a 15" laptop perfectly but doesn't leave much room. I asked about a larger ~ 23" tray and he said that it might happen in the future. I need to use a mouse when using my laptop as the touchpad is too unintuitive for games.

If you're out for a small, lightweight tray to keep you cool, then this is perfect. It'll fit in the tightest of places, and is easily portable: just keep it in your laptop case. But if you want a larger tray for a mouse or extra keyboard, look elsewhere.

LaptopTray

I decided to buy this one capriciously. I just couldn't stop. This one is much larger than the lapinator; with plenty of room for a 15" laptop and mouse. The legs are made out of sturdy aluminum and the platform, a durable slab of wood with a smooth veneer. Upon first opening it, the tray seemed like a conundrum. It took me a good 5 minutes to understand how to operate it. First the legs, which are stuck in place using magents, are folded up. Begetting that, a proper angle can be set up. The platform can be set to be flat or at an angle. There are many notches in the legs so a variety of angles can be achieved. The tray is mostly meant to be used while reclining or lying down.

The LaptopTray is a durable commodity. It's much bigger and heavier than the Lapinator so it's more transportable than portable. But it's very durable, and once properly set up, it provides superb comfort when using a laptop. Neither the laptop nor tray actually touches one's body so heat is not a problem. It's not as convenient as a pure tray because setup is required. But when the legs are folded down, the LaptopTray can be used as a normal tray as well, albeit uncomfortably: the aluminum legs don't provide much cushioning. Just imagine using a slab of wood. If you want a large, durable tray for use when lying down or reclining, and don't mind a bit of setup, then this is perfect. Oh, and it comes with an awesome leather case!

Just for the record, I've decided to keep the LaptopTray because I like its size.

Are laptop trays required? Definitly not. But they provide a level of comfort unachieved normally.

With the refund for the Lapinator, I've decided to purchase this too.

I'll add a review of that when it comes in.

Edited December 27, 2009 by hifive

[Banzai]

thanks, good review lots of pics