Arkon Handlebar Mount for Most Smartphones - Retail Packaging - Black
- Fits handlebars up to 33mm diameter
- Easy to Install
- Compatible with most straight drop trekking and touring size handlebars
- Water resistant protective case
- Features transparent touch through lens, water resistant zipper, and a cut-out at bottom for charging cable access
- Also other apparatus having cylinder-shaped frames or posts
- Compatible with most straight, drop, trekking, and touring size handlebars
- For use with bicycles, motorcycles, golf carts, ATVs, snowmobiles, wheelchairs, hang gliders,
- For use with bicycles, motorcycles, golf carts, ATVs, snowmobiles, wheelchairs, hang gliders, or other apparatus having cylinder-shaped frames or posts
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Pleasantly Surprised,
I ended up buying this on whim while looking for other accessories for a long motorcycle trip I’m taking this weekend. This was the best find of all the things I bought. Maybe I’m rating it high because my expectations were so low, but the following come as a total shock:
(1) it actually holds my phone just fine (Motoral Droid). It comes with some extra foam pieces because the case itself is fairly deep. Unless you’ve got a really thick cell phone from 1990, you’ll probably want to use one or both of the foam pieces to ensure the phone screen is flush with the plastic screen.
Once I did that, then I was surprised to find out that…
(2) the touch screen actually works. Well at least as well as any iPod I’ve used in an arm band with the same plastic screen. Sure its a lot more finicky but then again, I wasn’t expecting it to work at all. Just by making sure I was deliberate with my presses on the screen, I was able to launch Google Maps, click search, enter a few letters of my name and have it navigate me back to my house. And all of that while it was mounted on my motorcycle handle bars.
Which leads me to my next surprise…
(3) the mounting setup is actually pretty secure. First of all, the piece that connects to the handlebars includes some rubber strips that prevent it from slipping/rotating. Second, the case mounts onto the other part by sliding in a downward motion. I can’t tell you how many other similar products I’ve owned over the years that slide up. The problem with that is the weight of the device working gravity eventually cause it to come loose. But the real clincher for me was the extra little screw in the back that holds everything in place. Sure its a PITA when you are in a rush, but with that screw in place, there is no way for the case to separate from the mount.
***Update 1***
I realized that once the mount is inserted and the screw has it locked in place, there is never a reason to mess with that part again. Its far simpler to just remove the plastic locking ‘nut’ that holds the case onto the ball mount. A few quick turns of the nut and you can pull the whole case including the mounting plate off the ball. Screw the nut onto the case and throw it in your bag.
***End Update 1***
The only other thing I want to add is that I’ve read at least one other review that claims this device isn’t water proof/resistant. While I haven’t yet tested it for myself, I want to point out that the material the case is made out of surrounds the zipper (extra flaps). Again, I’ve owned other similar products in the past that claimed to be water resistant but there was nothing stopping water from seeping in through the zipper. At least the designers thought of that problem and tried to do something about it.
***Update 2***
I can say that I have tested the water resistance now. I got stuck in some pretty nasty thunderstorms. Even with the power cable routed out the side of the case (with the two zippers closed tightly around the cable) there was absolutely no water on the inside of the case. Maybe the fact that I was moving the whole time helped wick away the water before it could really soak in, but my phone came out dry.
***End Update 2***
Oh last point about the zippers…
Its a double-zipper case. If your phone (like mine) has the charging port on the side, you may not be able to route the cable out the side of the phone and down through the case and out the opening in the bottom. I tried that first and even bending the heck out of the USB cable, it still didn’t really fit. So I compromised and ran the cable directly out the side and just closed both zippers around the cable. Not sure how ‘water proof’ that setup will be, but with the extra flaps of material, I can’t imagine its going to be an issue. And if it starts raining hard enough to become an issue, you can be sure I’m taking a break from riding my motorcycle.
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|Overall great for iPhones,
I bought this to mount my iPhone to my bike. I almost crashed a few times using an arm band holder while riding and so I needed something that was safer. I use a GPS exercise tracking app as well as my iTunes and the timer app. while riding. (I ride on a trail so listening to music while riding is not unsafe like it would be on the road) The Arkon holder turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. It’s solid, well-built and holds its position very well, even while riding over bumpy, rocky trails. This morning I ended up getting caught in a strong down pour of rain and when I got home, the holder did exactly what it was suppoed to do and my iPhone was dry as a bone.
I have two minor problems with the holder which prevent a five-star rating:
1. It uses a brass screw to keep the plate of the case from sliding off the mount. This is a good design except for the fact that the plate is just a tiny bit too big for the screw. Two minutes with a half-round file and I had filed a tiny arc into the side of the plate and it fits and works great.
2. The opening for the headphone cord is placed dead center while the iPhone needs it to be on the left. There’s enough room for my iPhone 4 if I could find a headphone cord that comes out at a right angle. Until then, I just flip the case around, putting the opening on the bottom, and zip up the water-resistant zipper right up to the cord. This works quite well and even in this morning’s rain it works just fine.
The case is deep enough that I use the included foam insert to keep my phone up against the clear plastic. I also keep my emergency info on a card below the foam. It’s works great.
Summary: A solid, well-built holder that works great for what it is designed for. I definitely recommend it.
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|Droid X almost fits,
At this time, there aren’t many water-resistant handlebar mounts for the Droid X phone. Recent word was that this holder would actually handle the phone. The price was right, so I ordered it.
Actually, the Droid X is just a little too tall to fit flush against the front half of the case. Also, the clear section isn’t as tall as the display, so pressing the top bar is not easy.
Overall, it will work ok for navigating and seeing who’s calling you. A little bigger and this would get 2 more stars.
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