In this article I’m going to discuss what I believe to be the best mountain bike phone mount, which is the LifeProof Bike + Bar Mount.
I’ve been using LifeProof cases for as long as I have an iPhone. And though their first offerings were far from perfect, with my iPhone 4 LifeProof case disintegrating on all sides, their latest line of cases are almost bombproof.
My current phone is an iPhone X and I also bought a LifeProof case for that one. And just as with my iPhone 4 I bought their product to attach the phone to my bicycle.
Video
Lifeproof mountain bike phone mount
front view with magnet ball joint with nut
The bike mount from LifeProof is called the Bike + Bar Mount with Quickmount. It consists of a strong encased magnet on a ball joint. The encasement can be screwed tight onto the ball joint with the help of a plastic nut.
The ball joint is attached to a handlebar mount which in turn allows it to be attached to bar-like objects with a diameter ranging from 20.3 up to 32.5mm. The bike mount comes with rubber strips you can place into the mounting ring to decrease the diameter.
Quickmount Adapter
LifeProof case with Quickmount Adapter
The Bike + Bar Mount also comes with a Quickmount Adapater. The Quickmount Adapter is a piece of steel attached to nylon with 3M adhesive tape.
You can put this adapter on any flat surface of something you want to attach to the bike mount. The case of your smartphone being a logical choice of course.
You can buy loose adapters to be able to swap out devices.
lever that locks the device into place
The steel of the adapter fits snugly onto the encased magnet of the bike mount. Once snapped into place it’s impossible to loosen it.
You loosen the device by turning it 90° counterclockwise. To prevent your device from accidentally being released, the side of the bike mount has a small lever that prevents it from rotating.
Why the LifeProof version is the best mountain bike phone mount
So why do I feel the LifeProof Bike + Bar Mount is the best mountain bike phone mount money can buy? Let me give you the pros and cons of this product.
Device agnostic
The first iteration of the bike mount was case-specific. Meaning the clamp system of the iPhone 4 LifeProof bike mount was meant only for the iPhone 4 LifeProof case.
The ability of the Quickmount Adapter to attach to any flat surface means the bike mount has become device agnostic.
User-friendly
Easy to mount and easy to use, the LifeProof Bike Mount requires no technical knowledge whatsoever and is extremely user-friendly. The tried-and-true mount to attach it to either a handlebar or a stem ensures you can place it the way you like.
Built to last
I’ve used mine for over a year and never had any problems with it. The mechanism is simple and straightforward, which means there are hardly any parts that can wear out, if at all.
Cons of the LifeProof phone mount
Even though it’s a very solid product, it can still be improved in the following areas.
- The plastic lock nut that tightens onto the ball joint is still too loose. If you’re going downhill or across very rocky terrain the weight of your Phone will cause the case too move. It’s probably because it’s cheaper this way, but I wish this mechanism could be tightened into place using a metal bolt which can be tightened using a tool instead of your hand.
- I had to place the Quickmount Adapter on a brand-new LifeProof case. The 3M adhesive is meant to never loosen. My case is black, but for the more fashioned-minded people with sparkly cases be aware of the fact you have this black square sitting at the back.
- The adapter juts out from the bottom, so make sure it’s in the middle of your case or your Phone will rest on both the adapter and one of the edges.
- At one time a bike of mine fell over with my iPhone on the bike mount. The sudden jolt and sideways force applied to the phone in its case was enough to let it pop out of the bike mount. That means that the locking system isn’t foolproof.
- The locking lever is so stiff you cannot easily flick it, especially not since it’s obviously located underneath your device on a, in my case, crowded handlebar with a dual headlight setup.
And that’s my top pick for the best mountain bike phone mount. If you like this article give it a thumbs up. If you have any questions or suggestions for new articles, let me know in the comments below. Cheers.
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