Arkon MAG179 Magnetic Windshield and Dash Mount Product Review

Arkon MAG179Today, we take a detailed look at the Arkon MAG179 Magnetic Windshield and Dash Mount.  I’m a big fan of magnetic mounts because of the ease in attaching the device to the mount.  It’s a simply matter of just placing the device against the mount and you’re done.  I was always puzzled by the lack of magnetic mounts available.  My earliest exposure to the magnetic line was a company out of Italy called Tetrax.  They made a low profile adhesive and vent mount with small disks that would attach to the back.  For whatever reason, they are difficult to find and the pricing seems a bit high for what is provided versus alternatives.

Introduced in early 2015, Arkon will be rolling out a complete line of mounts that feature a rare earth magnet for attaching your device to the mount.  They plan to introduce mounts for the vent, dash, windshield and car lighter.  The mounts used are the standard Arkon bases and the magnetic adapter has the 17mm socket on the back that will attach to many other Arkon mounting bases as well.

The way these work is pretty simple.  You receive a round and rectangular metal plate within the bundle and these have a 3M backing which will attach to the back of your phone.  The metal plate is very think and you will get used to it pretty quickly.  If you have a case or skin on the phone, this provides a challenge which you can get around.  If the skin is a thin membrane, you can still place the metal plate on your phone then put the skin over it.  A case / skin combination like the Otterbox Defender would require you to remove the skin, place the rectangular plate on the plastic case then place the skin back on.  The magnets are extremely strong and in my opinion much stronger than the Tetrax variety.  While I didn’t open up the adapter to check, I suspect it has a larger magnet in there versus the Tetrax which I am familiar with.  I have not found any interference or issues resulting from the magnet being attached to the metal plate on the back of the device.

The mount that is included with the MAG179 is a solid one that includes several options.  As a simple windshield mount, it can be attached to the window then kept in place by pressing down on the lever to create an air lock with extremely firm hold.  The suction cup is interesting as it has a feature that permits attachment to a textured dash without any adhesive.  The suction cup has a sticky surface which attaches to your dash directly and can be easily recharged by washing in warm soapy water if the stickiness ever disappears.  Arkon also provides a round adhesive dash disk in case there are issues in attaching the suction to the dash.  You can attach the suction cup directly to the dash disk.  Be sure to clean any area with the included alcohol wipe prior to attaching the mount.  A clean surface is going to give you the best hold as any oil or residue will compromise the hold of any suction cup or adhesive mount.

I used the Arkon MAG179 with my iPhone 5S on my recent 60 mile jaunt down the New Jersey Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike and it held up real well without a single problem.  It didn’t budge from where I put it and I appreciated being able to simply take it off the mount without having to open a cradle or snap it out of a bracket.  This is a good mount and I’m a fan.