Today we’re looking at another roundup of fun and innovative gadgets. Today’s roundup focuses on Unique Smartphone Mounts. These are going to be different then your standard short arm windshield/dash mounts that you probably already own. Check out my short arm mount roundup here. Each mount I’ll show you is different enough that I can’t really compare, this will just be an informative roundup. No winners, just unique smartphone mounts.
Click here to see a video slide show of all these mounts in action.
Thank you again to all the companies involved today for supplying their product for review.
Arkon Water Resistant Smartphone Bike mount and case: $29.95 at Arkon.com
Only real thing to consider with this system is that the case itself won’t fit every phone. It will fit most phones though, and it comes with two different sized spacers that assure a tight fit for whatever phone you’ll pair with it. The gold colored security screw is a unique and very smart feature of the mount. The case attaches with Arkon’s standard dual T mount, but after attaching the case you thread the security screw in and the case can NOT come off of the mount unless you want it to. It’s not the quickest system, but it couldn’t be more secure. You’ll need a Phillips and a flathead screwdriver to install the system, but at the same time, it’s meant to more or less stay on your bike. It should be a one-time install. If you want quick and you don’t mind sacrificing some of the extra security features, you’ll need the next mount. The Quick release handlebar strap…
Arkon Quick Release handlebar mounting strap: TBD, not yet released
Think of a zip tie, now make it out of a durable silicon and polycarbonate materials and you have the basic idea behind this mount. It mounts tight and will not shake, even on the harshest of trail rides. It releases simply and reattaches without any tools needed. You can attach it to any bar really, hang glider, bike, motorcycle, etc. If you have a round bar, and the mount fits, it will tighten down and it won’t slip.
Joby GripTight GorillaPod Stand: $29.95 from Joby.com
Chances are good that you’ve seen one of Joby’s GorillaPod stands before. They dominate the market for the bendable go anywhere pocket sized tripod. There are plenty of imitators, but none I’ve seen can match the quality of the Joby stand. The bendable arms form to fit whatever you need to grasp, but more than that they hold. A great practical use for this mount is to wrap it around the handle on your refrigerator and having quick access to a recipe while cooking. The cradle expands to accommodate any phone on the US market and most will even fit with a case attached.
Mountek nGroove Universal CD slot mount: $24.95 from Amazon.com
If we were declaring winners, Mountek’s nGroove would easily win most unique. The nGroove directly mocks the tech it helps to replace. Imagine for a second, if cars ran on ground up horse parts. This is the idea with the nGroove. You actually mount the nGroove in the basically obsolete CD player of your current car. If you don’t use an iPod, iPhone, or smartphone to control media in your car these days, you should. Whether it’s Pandora, Spotify or your whole music library on a microSD card. The nGroove is truly innovative and it’s an idea that actually works in practice. It also has the added benefit of taking your smartphone mount off of the windshield and putting it within natural distance of your arm. If your cd player is gathering dust and silently mocking you from afar, consider the nGroove, it’s neat.
Exogear exomount 2: $29.95 from exogear.com
The mount anywhere portability of the Joby Grip mentioned above is given a healthy challenger in the exomount 2 from Exogear. It uses the more and more prevalent polyurethane suction grip. This means it grips securely to any flat clean surface. Whether your walls, your furniture, or the many parts of your car it will stick easily and hold strong. If the suction ever seems to lighten you only need to rinse the pad with a little tap water to fully restore its full suction. The exomount 2 uses a simple spring loaded clip to hold the device of your choice. It is universal and it will hold any currently available phone even in a case. While it grips tight, it isn’t the most secure. I didn’t have a problem personally but I can’t say you won’t. To reiterate, the suction mount was flawless, but the clip itself does have a little give in it.
If you haven’t already, please click here to see a video slide show of all these mounts in action.
ENJOY YOUR GADGETS!
@gadgetPOP
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