Car and Home Mounts for the Apple iPad Pro

Car and Home Mounts for the Apple iPad ProToday we are talking about the Apple iPad Pro.  This is the mother of all iPads.  This is the iPad that serious tablet users have been waiting for.  The display is Apple’s best to date.  We’re talking about up to 5.6 million pixels on the screen (compared with 3.1 million on the iPad Air 2).  For sound, we have four speakers on the top and bottom versus the one or two on the bottom of the other iPad models.  The iPad Pro features a new chip that is the fastest yet.  Apple also announced some nice accessories that will work with the iPad Pro like the Apple Pencil and Apple Smart Keyboard to give the iPad Pro some capabilities for artists and professional power users they can’t get on the iPad Air or iPad 2.

Let’s jump to the mount discussion.  The iPad Pro – it’s big.  Real big.  So big that there aren’t too many mounts to fit it.  Many universal tablet mounts are too small.  The tablet sports a 12.9 inch screen size versus the iPad 2’s 9.7 inches.  The physical size of the Apple iPad Pro is 12 by 8.68 by 0.27 inches.  That’s a lot larger than an iPad 2 which is 9.4 by 6.6 by 0.24 inches.  The iPad Pro isn’t light either.  It weighs in at a little more than 1.5 pounds.  I offer these key metrics because the size and weight is important in choosing your mount.

Before we dig into mounts, a word of advice.  You just paid around $800 for this tablet.  Dropping this tablet is going to be a financial disaster so buy a good case.  The Otterbox line is excellent and I have a lot of experience with their top of the line Defender model.  Buy a good case.  It’s important that you don’t break the glass because that’s going to be expensive to fix.

Step one in determining the proper mount is deciding how you wish to use it your car and where you wish to mount it.  As already mentioned, the iPad Pro is a large tablet and it’s heavier than most so for that reason, I’m not recommending use of a suction cup mount.  It’s simply going to block too of the driver’s view for me to recommend that mounting location.  If it’s for entertainment for backseat passengers, a headrest mount is going to work best.  If you are using it as a GPS, the seat bolt may work best, perhaps a cup holder mount.  If you just want to keep it off the seat, the seat bolt or cup holder is good for this too.  I wouldn’t recommend the air vent as this is too heavy and large for an air vent.  If using the tablet at home, a clamp or flat surface mount is going to work best.  We will cover each option in this article.

As already mentioned, iPads are great for entertaining backseat passengers.  If that’s the case, the best location for your tablet is the headrest as it puts your tablet far enough away so your kids can’t grab it yet close enough so that they can comfortably view it.  The iPad Pro is going to be great for playing cartoons and videos.  The Arkon Centered Headrest Mount fits the iPad Pro.  This mount is different from other headrest mounts because it attaches to two headrest posts then extends into the middle between your seats.  This means two or more passengers int he backseat can watch the action.  The cradle is going to fit the short ends of the tablet and the mount can swivel into any orientation although cartoons call for landscape.

The Arkon 22″ Seat Bolt and Floor Mount for Large Tablets is a perfect choice for the Apple iPad Pro.  This is the extra long version of Arkon’s popular seat bolt mount and because of the large size of the iPad Pro, the longest size mount is going to work best.  It’s a flexible gooseneck and can be bent out-of-the-way when not in use.  Attaching to the seat bolt is simple, but check to make sure the bolt can be easily accessed before looking at any seat bolt mounts because some model cars cover the bolt.  If your seat bolt is easily accessible, attachment is real simple.  Just use a wrench or some pliers to loosen and tighten.  The number one reason for problems with a seat bolt mount is using your hand to tighten and not using a wrench or pliers.  The seat bolt needs to be tight.

On many occasions, I have mentioned amazement at the number of cup holders that are placed into vehicles these days.  You can’t possible need that many drinks for your drive, so go ahead and use one for a car mount.  The Arkon Car Cup Holder Mount for Tablets is a nice choice for an Apple iPad Pro.  There is an adjustable arm that permits angling.  The cup holder mount fits up to 3.5 inches diameter, so be sure to measure prior to looking at cup holder mounts.

A mount for home use of Apple iPad Pro means using your tablet without using your hands.  Works great for video, cooking or watching videos.  The Arkon Clamp Mount for Large Tablets is another entry that features a cradle large enough for the iPad Pro.  The clamp opens up to 2.25 inches.  There is a 12 gooseneck that can be bent to position.  This is an ideal mount for attaching the iPad Pro to a counter top, tripod or desk.

If you are looking for a serious heavy-duty tablet mount, the RAM Mount Universal X-Grip Cradle for 12 Inch Tablets is a good start. Couple this any of dozens of RAM flat surface or clamp mounts that will attach to the back of these cradles using the round adapter. I would recommend the 1.5 inch ball mounts since this is a heavier tablet and would go with one that has a longer arm. The size of this tablet dictates a longer arm versus the standard size. This combination would be best in commercial environments. An example which I have seen with other tablets would be a restaurant environment.