Fidlock makes a range of nifty connectors with magnets. You may well have experienced its water bottle holders or helmet strap clips and be familiar with the magnet guided clunk that comes with a successful connection. For this range, magnets join vacuums, to provide a range of phone holding devices.
- Brand: Fidlock
- Product: Vacuum Phone Holder System
- Price: See details in the review below
- From: Fidlock
- Review by: Hannah for 2 months
The phone case
- Phone case: €29,99
- Uni phone patch €14.99
The phone case is internally lined with a soft fuzzy material, and has a rubbery outer edge rim and plastic back. The case sits slightly proud of the screen, which should provide some welcome protection, but there’s nothing by way of bulky reinforced corners. I have managed to nick the rubbery edge (with a pedal, I think, or maybe a rock) but otherwise it seems durable enough.
On the back there’s a dimpled circle which contains a magnet. I’ve found that this has the handy bonus of making it possible to stick your phone to various metallic surfaces, saving you having to prop it up everywhere. It turns out the metal tea caddy in my kitchen is perfectly placed for watching a spot of Netflix while cooking. Who knew?! However, if you like to keep your phone in next to your bank card, maybe it’s not such a great idea.
The phone case is available at €29,99 to fit a wide array of iPhone and Galaxy phones, and there’s also a stick on version so you can put it on your existing phone case (though not if it’s silicone or textured).
The mounts
- Car Vent Base: €29,99
- Handlebar Base: €29,99
- Ahead Cap Base €29,99
The magnetic circle on the back of the phone mates up with a mount – or ‘base’ – that comprises a magnetic surface plus suction cup. Once the phone is in place, you have to pull back a tab to release the suction and pull your phone off the magnet. It’s pretty secure, and I’ve only ever accidentally knocked my phone off once without releasing the suction – I’d given the phone a pretty substantial wallop with my knee while on the mount. The mounts are indexed, so you can rotate the phone on the mount 360 degrees, to any position you want.
The mounts come in a range of fittings. There’s one for the car – which I wish I had – plus one for handlebars. This needs an Allen key or cable tie to fit it, and I think something like a rubber strap would be more useful – handy for when visiting cities and using bike share schemes, for example. On my daily driver I’ve fitted the suction cup which fits on the stem cap. This puts the phone quite neatly out of the way of your knees, leaving room on your bars for lights or luggage, but still in easy viewing should you want to follow directions. I’d not be inclined to you this fitting for gnarly mountain bike rides, but for touring, commuting or even gravel rides it’s really handy.
The tripod
- Mini tripod base €34.99
I’m almost embarrassed to admit how often I use this. It folds up super small, making it easy to carry on the trail for getting those instabangers or filming yourself while doing skills practice. Fully extended, it’s a little bottom-light and precarious, but keep it on the short setting and there’s usually a rock to balance on somewhere. You can also use it as a handle, or even a sort of selfie stick – useful for videoing over the heads of a crowd, or for getting smoother footage than holding the phone in your hand. Like the mounts, it’s indexed, so you can rotate the phone to any angle, and using the ball and socket joint of the tripod you can adjust the tilt of the screen too.
As well as being useful for photography purposes, in this age of video calls, it’s also super handy as a stand so you don’t have to hold your phone or prop it awkwardly against your empty mug while you’re chatting, or watching Netflix.
Overall
As a phone holding ecosystem, this seems to have most bases covered. It’s something of an investment, but if you’re the kind of person that uses your phone for everything and takes it between trail, commute, car and office, then I think you’ll appreciate how easy it is to place your phone where you want it, neatly and securely.
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