Burning Naughty Bits Syndrome is, well, a rather personal thing. You’re kicking back on your chaise lounge, bedecked in short pants with a MacBook on your lap, and within 10 to 15 minutes your ’Book’s legendary battery o’ hellfire is threatening to poach your eggs.

Yes, BNBS is something we suffer alone—often in shame and silence—so as “we” proceed to review the Chill Mat For Mac, please understand that our use of the first-person plural is somewhat of a sham. All Mac|Life reviews are written in first-person plural, but only one person in the office actually did long-term testing of the Chill Mat, and that one person is using it right now to write this review—and protect himself from the heartbreak of BNBS.

The Chill Mat's 17-inch diagonal surface accommodates MacBooks of any size.

Chill Mat operation is simple: Place MacBook on Chill Mat, connect Chill Mat to MacBook via a bundled USB cable, turn on both devices, and proceed about your business. Two 3-inch fans blow a cool breeze directly at your MacBook’s searing battery pack, neutralizing its BNBS potential. And thanks to a breathable construction—soft, stretchy mesh on the bottom, grippy Swiss cheese–style plastic on the top—the Chill Mat has no trouble dissipating heat. The Chill Mat just plain works, and we also appreciate the tilt it provides via its angled surface.

While the fans are remarkably quiet, they aren’t truly silent, so they could maybe, possibly, spark an OCD response in the most sensitive users. And, of course, the Chill Mat does draw power from your MacBook—we found it reduced battery run time by 18 minutes in our DVD video rundown test (2 hours, 39 minutes with the Chill Mat; 2 hours, 57 minutes without). But, seriously, what would you rather have, silent operation and extra battery life or a bad case of heat rash? We’ll take the Chill Mat, and kiss BNBS goodbye.

$49.99 is a small price to pay for comfort.

Chill Mat for Mac
COMPANY: Targus
CONTACT: www.targus.com
PRICE: $49.99
REQUIREMENTS: USB port, MacBook or other laptop
Effective. Quiet. Ergonomic.
Not completely silent. Reduces battery life.