Car and Home Mounts for the LG G Pad F 8.0 Tablet

The LG G Pad F 8.0 was released in the summer of 2015 (also known as the LGV480).  It’s an economically priced tablet with good performance.  I recently saw these being given away at no charge from a major carrier with a smartphone contract.  Can’t get any cheaper than this.

The LG G Pad F 8.0 has an 8″ display similar to an Apple iPad Mini.  A 5MP rear camera and 2MP rear camera makes an adequate entry for video conferencing and photos that don’t require extreme detail.  Running Android 5.0 and sporting a Quad-core, 1200 MHz, ARM Cortex-A7 processor, this tablet will provide good performance for most apps.

Before selecting a mount, be aware of the measurements of the LG G Pad F 8.0.  This tablet is similar in size to an Apple iPad Mini measuring 8.29 x 4.89 x 0.35 inches (210.6 x 124.2 x 8.9 mm).  These measurements are important in selecting a properly sized mount.  There aren’t any custom holders that we know of for this tablet, so you will likely need to select a mount with a universal cradle.  Be sure it will open wide enough to fit this tablet.  Adding a case is always recommended to keep your tablet safe so be sure to add the dimensions of the case or skin into your size calculation.

Now on the mount discussion.  Tablets provide a unique mounting challenge versus a GPS or smartphone.  A tablet is larger than these devices so you may not want to mount it on your windshield, which is typical for a smartphone or GPS.  A large tablet can take up valuable real estate and block more of your view.

If choosing to mount an LG G Pad F 8.0 on your windshield, select a mount that is long so as not to block your view.  the Arkon Extendable Midsize Tablet Mount is an excellent choice for the car or truck.  The cradle is spring-loaded and expands to hold your LG G Pad F 8.0 with or without a case or skin.  The mount itself has a metal arm that can extend from 14.5 to 18.5 inches.  The cradle rotates 360 degrees so your tablet can be in portrait or landscape mode.  Lots of room between the tablet and windshield.  The suction cup has a vacuum lock to maintain a secure connection.  The metal arm will keep the tablet very steady in normal environments.

A spare cup holder makes a great place to mount your tablet.  If your cup holder is smaller than a 7-Eleven Big Gulp, most cup holder bases will fit fine.  The iKross Tablet and Cell Phone Cup Holder Mount is an excellent choice for your cup holder.  There are a few nice advantages with this mount.  It comes with two cradles.  One to fit your tablet and a smaller cradle to fit your phone.  The tablet mount expands from 7 to 10.2 inches.  If a case or skin is present then you will use the arms on the shorter dimension (landscape).  The cradle can swivel 360 degrees into either orientation.  The mount has a 10-inch arm that can be adjusted at the base and tip.  These fit cup holders to 3.75 inches.

What about for use at home?  Nothing worse than shaky video.  Use a mount versus holding the tablet with your hands.

The CTA Digital Floor Stand for Tablets is an adjustable mount for using your tablet at home.  A hands-free home mount is useful if using your tablet in the kitchen for recipes, living room for video conferencing or bedroom for watching videos.  This beats laying down with the tablet sitting upright on your chest.  This stand includes an adjustable cradle that opens from 6 to 8 inches which means that it will hold your LG G Pad F 8.0 tablet from the short sides (landscape).  The cradle can rotate so you can use it in landscape or portrait mode.  The overall height is adjustable from approximately 3.5 to 4.6 feet with a flexible 15 inch steel gooseneck.  This is going to fit the 9.7″ tablet real well and the smaller 8.0″ if it has a thick case or skin.

A clamp mount is great for attaching your LG G Pad F 8.0 to a table, desk or chair. Consider The Joy Factory Unite Universal Carbon C-Clamp Mount for Tablets which features a cradle that accommodates tablets with 7″ to 11″ displays.  The mount uses a 6″ carbon fiber arm with a ball and socket connection for adjusting the angle.  As delivered, the clamp opens to 2 inches to fit most spherical or flat surfaces.  If you need the clamp to open wider than 2 inches, it can be extended by unscrewing the bottom of the clamp and re-attaching to relocation holes located further down on the top part of the clamp.

Coupling a good mount with your new tablet will add a huge amount of usability to your device.  Keeping your tablet on your lap while driving never works well and holding it while watching a movie gets tiring real fast.