I’m a big fan of magnetic car mounts. It’s so much easier than using a cradle. Familiarity with the TechMatte name started with their CD player mount. I recently picked up one of their vent mounts. It’s called the TechMatte MagGrip Car Air Vent Smartphone Mount.
I have found that all magnetic mounts are not made the same. Some have very weak magnets that do not work well through a thick case. Other mounts may not hold onto a vent well. A good magnetic car air vent mount isn’t going to drop your device when you hit a bump.
The photo that accompanies this article shows the parts that comprise the TechMatte MagGrip vent mount. There are three parts. The mount itself accompanied by two metal plates. I like using the larger plate which provides a larger area for magnetic attachment. I’m a little perplexed as to when the small metal plate would be deployed but I’m sure there’s a good application for it that’s unknown to me.
The larger metal plate attached readily to the back of my Otterbox plastic case which reminds of how to do this. Never attach the metal adhesive plate to the back of the rubber case. Always attach it to the back of the plastic case then place the rubber (or silicon) cover over the plastic case. The metal adhesive plate is sandwiched between the outer and inner case. Place the metal plate on the lower third of a larger smartphone. It will balance out better. I learned this while using magnetic mounts for my large Apple iPhone 6s Plus.
The TechMatte MagGrip has a magnetic surface about the size of a US half-dollar. There are four prongs on the back that attach to the vent slats. Align a vent slat between the vent mount prongs and push forward. I prefer vent mounts that use a vice type of grip, but I haven’t run into any issues yet with this type of design.
A major disadvantage of almost any magnetic mount is a lack of pivot. You will likely use your device in portrait mode. That’s not optimal when using a GPS app such as Waze. GPS apps just work better in landscape mode. Portrait works well for streaming and some other apps. It all depends upon the app and your personal preferences.
A major advantage for this mount is portability. It’s a small mount that is easy to install and remove. That makes it easy to take with you when traveling.
I have this mount attached to the vents in a Kia Sorrento and it’s held up ok. Attachment is quick and simple. Although it hasn’t fallen off, I have concern that it might if I hit a good bump. The adhesion strength is hampered by my big thick Otterbox case. If you have a thin case, it probably won’t be an issue.
Smartphone functionality has not been effected by the magnet placement. Since I have an Apple iPhone 6s Plus, there is no wireless charging. However the manufacturer recommends removal of the metal plate on Qi-enabled phones as it could interfere with wireless charging.
This mount should work well for a GPS as well as most smartphones. Anything that’s flat and not too heavy. I would avoid using this type of mount for a tablet. It’s too large and heavy in my opinion. And as I said, big thick cases like an Otterbox Defender may affect adhesion strength.
The TechMatte MagGrip Car Air Vent Smartphone Mount is worth a look. It’s inexpensive, highly portable and easy to use. The mount comes in black, blue and red.