It’s been a long time coming, but after fumbling around for countless years with my phone between my legs, I finally felt it was time to pony-up and buy a car mount. Why did it take me so long? Well, with so many car mounts on the market, my issue with car mounts has long been that they either obstruct my view when driving (suction cup mounts), or they take my eyes way off the road (DC mounts).
A few days ago, a friend of mine turned me onto a type of car mount I never knew existed — the Mountek nGroove universal CD slot mount. This mount utilizes the space left over from an ancient form of media: the CD player. Simply slide the mount into your dusty old CD player, and you’re good to go. The nGroove keeps your phone right along side the rest of your car’s controls, the spot where it’s most convenient. Let’s do a quick review, shall we?
Build Quality
Overall, the build quality is nice. Nothing too premium here, but I suppose it’s more about function over form. The plastic used to form the mount is rough, and feels durable enough, and attaches very firmly into the CD slot. When it comes to the arms of the mount, you wont want to get too rough with ‘em (really, why would you?) and are lined with a cheap foam used to hug your device and hold it in place. The more you squeeze, the more it locks into place. Overtime, I can see the foam becoming deflated, possibly losing some of it’s hold in the process but that’s just me worrying. Also, rotating the mount is rather lax, and I also worry it can loosen over time. The best part about quality of the mount is that nothing rattles — not a screw, hinge, arm, nothing — ensuring a quiet drive to wherever you’re going.
Form Factor
Probably the biggest issue I had with the mount is it isn’t the prettiest way to mount your phone. A huge screw juts out from the top or bottom of the mount (depending on orientation) and it’s so big it can even slightly obstruct view from your radio or nav unit. Not to mention — it’s just a huge screw staring at you in the face. Always there. I can’t help by wonder if there was some other way Mountek could have streamlined this a bit more, possibly even place the screw hidden behind the rest of the mount (see pictures).
Execution
Of course, a mount is only as good as it can hold onto your device and the nGroove does a great job with that. Whether you have a case on your phone, a phablet, or a tiny-phone, the nGroove will keep it in place and easily accessible while driving. Once secured, you wont have to worry about the mount slipping out from the CD player, and it’s rather difficult to remove your device without first pressing on the release mechanism along the top of the mount. I found that you could even mount your phone completely upside down, provided you lock the arms tight enough on you device. I wouldn’t recommend it, but it is possible (see pic below). The only real negative I could find was that there isn’t much tilt in the mount, meaning it’s pretty much going to be facing directly out from the CD player in your dash. While it is possible to rotate your device 180 degrees into landscape mode, heavier devices like the Note 2 will continue rotating with the forces of gravity if you ever come across a bumpy road.
Value
At $25, I was more than pleased with the nGroove universal CD slot mount. While it’s not exactly the prettiest (or cheapest) mount you’ll come across, it’s the wonderful combination of a unique, universal design, as well optimal placement that make this one a winner. Although certainly not for everyone, it’s definitely worth a buy for anyone who has been looking for a quality mount and no longer using their car’s CD player. Still, I feel like a $15 price point would have been a bit more fitting, but again, it’s hard to beat that CD slot design. Whether for yourself, or as a gift this holiday season, you can find the nGroove by Mountek via the link below.
[Amazon]
