Portable Folding Laptop Table with Dual Cooling Fans – Daily Steals.com
Today, I’ll be unboxing the aforementioned item and give you my opinion on whether or not this was a “Good Steal”, or a “Bad Deal”.
The product was originally available at the bargain site www.dailysteals.com. This site offers a wide variety of items for sale at bargain basement prices, and if you know what to look for, you can get some sweet deals. It also allows the shopper to purchase items without having to register an email or set up an account, which is something that some shoppers may appreciate. I do recommend creating an account, however, and signing up for their email flyer so you can stay up to date on the latest deals, as their inventory is constantly changing.
Shipping from this site is always free, and delivery time averages 7 – 10 days on most items.
This item listed on Daily Steals at $19.99, (75% OFF) with an original retail price listed as $79.99. and was listed to support laptop PC’s of 15.5” or less, so an average laptop.
I place the order on 6/16 and received the package on 6/22 – 6 days, so better than average for the turnaround between order and receipt. So good marks there.
The package was sent in an unpadded plastic shipping envelope and so, the exterior box was a little beat up when I pulled it out of the bag. (Image 1)
I’ve noticed that the shipping companies and postal service have gotten much harder on packages in general over the last few years. Am I the only one that’s noticed this?
Anyway, the box was generic, without manufacturer name. So even without the bold words in the bottom right saying “Made in China”, I knew it was made in China.
The item itself was packed in bubble wrap and also included a single sheet of instructions on how to deploy the table. Fortunately, the instructions were in English. (Image 2)
Unfortunately, this was also where I began to have my doubts.
The bubble wrap was very thin and didn’t offer a lot of protection for the table during shipping. Also, the table felt bulky as I pulled it from the packaging. It was heavier than I had expected.
It also had a textured feel that reminded me of the dashboard in my father’s 79 Buick. (Image 3)
Once out of the bubble wrap, I noticed my first issue. The table had been damaged before it had even been packaged, as indicated by a big scuff mark on one of the corners. (Image 3a)
This could have happened during shipping and handling, but I doubt it.
The listing had indicated that the item was made of “metal and plastic” which was technically true, but the majority of the product is molded plastic. The metal is in the screws and wire hinges that hold it all together.
The underside of the table is, again, all plastic components, injection molded, and fairly dense plastic material was used, but there was still a great deal of play in the primary supporting frame. Also, the individual pieces looked unfinished, with rough edges and left over flash still attached. (Image 4)
Additionally, the black plastic laptop support was two separate pieces, connected by a hinge to allow the whole table to fold in half.
While I like this design, which allows the table to be folded in half and stowed, the two halves were both warped, indicative of assembly before the parts had completely cooled after creation. The same can be said for the legs and locks that hold them in place.
The provided retractable USB cable was a nice touch, but the placement of the connection for the internal cooling fans should have been on the outer edge of the table, and not underneath, where it could snag on something and potentially cause damage. (Images 5a and 5b)
The fans themselves did function, though they could have been a bit more powerful. They were silent, as advertised, but that’s only because they were weak. I had to hold my hand over the top of them to be sure air was even moving.
Once set up, the table itself was very shaky, with great deal of flex in the center along the hinge line, once the laptop support was lifted into place, the table sagged even more noticeably, and that was without any laptop on it. One of the promotional images on the site showed this table with a glass of water sitting on it, but there is no way I would trust any glass of liquid next to a computer on this table, there was simply too much instability. (Image 6)
The stays at the foot of the laptop platform, also made of plastic, are tall enough to prevent most laptops from sliding off, but I fear that anything heavier than a light ultrabook laptop would probably be too much for them and they would give out. These are held by plastic “tab” hinges with simple plastic stops that didn’t feel all that secure given the amount of flex overall. (Image 6a)
And finally, the support for the laptop riser, also made of plastic was a pain to set up. The opposing end of the support is supposed to slide into a “plug” on the table frame, but if not seated properly can give way. I firmly believe a 3 lb laptop, if the support collapsed, would be enough to collapse the table itself, despite it being advertised with a maximum weight limit of 30 lbs. (Image 6b)
Additionally, the warping on the laptop platform was even more pronounced when lifted to this position.
I liked this idea. A laptop table that breaks down small enough to fit in your carry bag. It’s a great idea, but once everything was taken into consideration, the table’s lack of support within its main structure and shoddy molded plastic components were bulky, unappealing, and in the end, did not offer the support and stability that I would want when working on my laptop. In short, I just don’t trust this product to do what it is advertised to do.
The quality of the product was poor, with an unfinished look and an antiquated feel, never mind that the damaged edge made it past the QA department before shipping.
I feel sorry for the person who actually paid $80 for this item. At $20, I’m afraid to tell my wife I spent the money. Oh well, at least I got this cool retractable USB cable. (Image 5a)
DT Scale Rating: 3/10 – Bad Deal
Look for more product reviews in the future.