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Knowlege Bomb

macrumors G4
Original poster
Feb 14, 2008
10,286
8,975
US
The mount I've been using for a couple of years just broke. I've been trying to prolong it's life with electrical tape but I'm running low on that so figured it's time to find another. I tried a while back and ended up getting something cheap off Amazon and well, you know the rest.

What's everybody using these days? I had a windshield mounted one that sat up by my rearview mirror but thought I'd explore my options. I drive a Nissan Altima and the dash is all kinds of contours so dash-mounted ones are kind of off the table.
 
I’m a fan of Kenu’s Airframe line. Used the original for years with my 5S/6 and then a Plus model once I got the 7+

298e1365c4c6c4d77b8fcac92eecd17e.jpg


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LU5LWQK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_j-f8Ab477PKNN

Moved on to a PITAKA magnetic mount/case with my X that I love. They also offer a version with wireless charging.

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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071ZC1WTL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xcg8AbXB7P274
 
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ProClip definitely looks nice but at $80 for a working set of mount and holder, it's a little (read: A LOT) more than I'm going to spend.
 
ProClip definitely looks nice but at $80 for a working set of mount and holder, it's a little (read: A LOT) more than I'm going to spend.
Any of the magnetic ones out there. The one where the magnet part is mounted by 3M tape and then a small metal plate stuck to your phone or inside the case. The one I have is Mag-Tek. The metal plate is thin enough to fit inside my Spigen Hybrid case so you can't even see it. The mount I've got has been on the car for two years now without falling off once and that's even when the temperature has been nearly 50C inside the car.
Basically something like this https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Hum...44&sr=8-39&keywords=magnetic+car+phone+holder
 
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Any of the magnetic ones out there. The one where the magnet part is mounted by 3M tape and then a small metal plate stuck to your phone or inside the case. The one I have is Mag-Tek. The metal plate is thin enough to fit inside my Spigen Hybrid case so you can't even see it. The mount I've got has been on the car for two years now without falling off once and that's even when the temperature has been nearly 50C inside the car.
Basically something like this https://www.amazon.com/Magnetic-Hum...44&sr=8-39&keywords=magnetic+car+phone+holder

I bought one of those Scosche magic mounts at Walmart, and I've never been happier.
Link- https://www.walmart.com/ip/Scosche-MAGDM-MagicMOUNT-Magnetic-Dash-Mount-Moblie-Devices/37551986

I can use pretty much any case I want with it, and it'll just work. Kinda brings me back to the old Apple days. "It just works." For the price, I don't know why it was my second option. My first choice hardly saved me any money, and I wanted to find a new one within a day. The included mounting tape is insanely strong, by the way. I had to swap my mount into a different vehicle, and it took a solid 5 minutes of swearing before the damn thing gave way. This was also after one of the sticky sections was no longer sticking to the center console (I attempted to pull it off a number of times, and gave up, as I wanted it shifted half an inch). So, one could say I had 2/3's of the base attached to the car, and I never had a problem lol. I swore it would fall off while driving one day, but never had an issue with it. That mounting tape is outstanding. When I swapped out the car the mount was in, it was easy enough to use isopropyl to remove the old mounting tape, and I cut a new piece from a roll for the re-mount. Still loving it daily, and acts as a nice place for handy USB cable location.

I gave my roommate the one I had previously (like most, it clamps onto the phone), and as soon as he saw what I replaced it with he couldn't wait. We now both have the magnetic mount, and it's pure awesomeness for us. Mine is a write-off, but retail the thing is $15-ish at our local Walmart..... never seen more than 2-3 on the rack at any time, either. Oh, and even with the case on, the mount has a firm "grip" on my phone. Might take a second at times, as the case weakens the attraction, but unless I've really missed lining up the plate with the magnet, I've never had a real complaint while using it.

I think most magnetic mounts are going to be quite comparable. I prefer sticking with a brand I feel I can trust, especially when a no-name company will sell them for a similar price all over the internet. But realistically, I would say just grab a magnetic mount at your local store and enjoy it. The negative reviews seem to be much less frequent across the board (from what I've seen)
 
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It depends on the case and whether I want wireless charging.

First things first, my Jeep has a Wrangler specific dash mount with a ball. To that, I normally mount:

For just magnetic mounting (no wirless charging, not even at home):
Spigen Kuel (It's the only magnetic mount I've ever owned that can hold a Plus or the X securely):
https://smile.amazon.com/Spigen-Pre...F8&qid=1526068497&sr=8-1&keywords=spigen+kuel

If I'm magnetic and wireless charging, I use the Pitaka Qi Mag Mount (listed in a previous post), but you have to use the Pitaka case as well.

If I just want to wireless charge, no magnetic mount:
I had to buy an iOttie mount itself (more on that later):
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0754NDNT8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't like the spring-loaded slam that iOtties have, so I opted for the following gravity-based mount:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B079HRVQM3/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This set up gives me 90% of the convenience of magnetic mounting, without having to carve out the insides of cases for a steel plate while still letting me charge wirelessly.
 
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