Yes laptop cooling pads do make a big difference when cooling your laptop especially when the room is a bit hot.
My laptop uses to get pretty hot and even shut down and then I decided to buy a laptop cooling pad for the laptop.
I'm glad I did buy a laptop cooling pad as it made it run cooler and also made the computer faster and my lap stays cooler as a result of using the laptop cooling pad with my laptop.
Also if your laptop does get hot make sure the cooling vents are clean and not clogged with any hair or other debris that could be clogging it.
But then getting a laptop cooling pad will certainly help with your cooling of your laptop and they're well worth it.