Universal car holder for tablets 9 10 inches. Tablet brackets

A modern person and gadgets that perform various functions have long been going through life hand in hand. So, tablets and smartphones provide all possible assistance to the driver, acting as a navigator or brightening up the time spent in traffic jams. For passengers, especially if there are children among them, tablets will help to have a fun trip.

The only question that needs to be addressed first is choosing mounts and holders for tablets in the car. There is a wide choice on the market, and you can easily find the car holder that suits your needs. The package and type of attachment for the tablet in the car allow you to separate all the holders into several large groups.

1. Pay attention to the set of holders with the ability to place the gadget in the most convenient place for you. For example, the Vertex holders allow you to install a glass mount using a round suction cup that holds the device very firmly without showing any play, or organize a headrest mount for the convenience of rear passengers.
2. The original solution is a mount for an iPad or tablet in the form of a telescopic rod, which is attached between two headrests, allowing the gadget to move freely along it (eXtremestyle).
3. A glass-mounted holder, but with a rigid placement of the device, for example, at the level of the multimedia system or in another place convenient for the driver on the dashboard. This type of holder can act not only as a mount for a navigator or phone, but even a netbook (LaZarr Net Holder).
4. A telescoping bracket that attaches to the front passenger's seat sled. This type of holder allows all people in the cabin to use the gadget (Daystar DK-1).

The most convenient, of course, is to purchase holders that allow you to install the mount both on the dashboard for the driver and on the head restraints for the rear passengers.

Car holders allow you to use your smartphone while you are driving. They fix the phone in a fixed position, which allows you to use the navigator or make a call at any time. The communication device is always available and does not interfere with driving. Holders are attached to the windshield or dashboard. For convenience, some drivers place them directly on the dashboard.

The smartphone in the car is used as a navigator, video recorder and for making phone calls. According to the rules of the road, it is forbidden to talk on the phone while holding it in your hands while driving. Holders allow you to talk while leaving your hands free.

Types of car holders

Holders for all phone models are now available. Universal car holders are designed for several types of gadgets. When you change your smartphone, you do not need to buy a new accessory for it. Universal car holders are in the greatest demand. Users who prefer a certain brand can choose from the popular brands of Apple, Sony, Samsung, etc.

These auto accessories differ in the way they are mounted in the car interior. The protection of your smartphone from falling depends on the reliability of the fastening of this device.

Phone holders with deflector mount

They are attached to the air ducts with clothespins, clips or special paws. With this arrangement, the phone does not block the view, and is available to the driver and passenger. Strong clamps will hold the device when driving on rough roads.

Most of these holders allow you to rotate your smartphone 360 ​​degrees.

Suction cup holders

This mount allows you to choose a place to install the holder to your taste. The reliability of such a device depends on the tenacity of the suction cup. Inexpensive models can peel off when shaking.

Smartphone holders for CD slot

This accessory will hold any telephone weighing more than 200 grams and will not release it even on serious bumps.

The price depends on the manufacturer and configuration. Some devices are very massive and block the view. The safety of your gadget depends on their reliability.

The tablet in the car is usually given two main roles: a driver assistant and an entertainment center for passengers. In the first case, it serves as a navigator, newsreader, and some manage to work a little in traffic jams or surf the Internet. In this case, the tablet is placed next to the driver - on the windshield or above the central panel. True, when placed on the windshield, it blocks part of the view and collects the views of neighbors downstream from everywhere. And when it is above the center console, it usually blocks access to the car's multimedia system, but does not interfere with the view, and you don't have to reach so far for it. There is another method of fastening, which is devoid of all the above disadvantages, and which we will also talk about.

As for the role of the multimedia center for passengers, this topic is even more relevant. Those who have children and who have to be on the road with them for a long time will definitely approve of it. It will also appeal to ordinary travelers who are forced to spend several hours in a car.

In this review, we tried on six different types of car mounts and tablet holders, having purchased four sets from different manufacturers in Moscow online stores. With their help, we will try to evaluate the convenience and practicality of a particular method of attachment. In the role of a "tablet carrier" we will have a small urban SUV. The tablets that will assist us are already well known to our reader: this is an 8-inch Prestigio Multipad 4 Ultimate 8.0 3G(209×155×9mm, 447g) and 9" Pipo Max-7 Pro 3G(218×161×9 mm, 485 g). Actually, there is almost no difference between them in terms of dimensions and weight, and we will use the Prestigio more often (especially for photography), because it is white and can be seen better against the black interior of the car.

So, we will start the story about the holders in random order, and for dessert we will leave the most “fancy” solution. Here is a complete list of individual models and kits:

Perhaps this is the most classic option among those selected by us. Vertex iTab 3 is not a holder, but a set of holders, which involves attaching the tablet both to the windshield and to the headrest of the front seats. If you consider such a set to be superfluous, then the iTab and iTab 2 options are at your service. In the first case, in addition to the cradle, you will find only a mounting bracket for the windshield in the box, and in the second - for the headrest. Accordingly, they will cost you less than our version of the iTab 3.

Characteristic table

* declared by the manufacturer and (in brackets) our recommended value

On its website, the manufacturer claims that the design of products is being developed by the Italian design bureau Alessandro Bellini. Whether it had a hand in this device, we do not know, but we can say that the holder is made very carefully and tastefully. The cradle is equipped with a special rather hard cushion covered with leatherette. Adjustment of the position of the holding tabs with soft rubberized edges is carried out by rearranging them into a set of grooves, where they hold firmly enough.

The powerful 90mm suction cup holds the whole structure very firmly. The clamping force can be controlled using the foot, which has several fixed positions. If necessary, the clamping force can be increased. The bracket has two adjustment nodes: a toothed one that adjusts the angle of inclination near the suction cup, equipped with a convenient clamping foot, and a ball joint near the cradle holder, equipped with a large fixing plastic nut. The ball adjustment mechanism has total stroke angles of up to about 90 degrees (45 in each direction), which is quite enough. The design has no backlash and holds the tablet very securely.

The mounting option on the headrest is also quite simple and reliable. The bracket is equipped with plastic hooks, which have nut handles on the back side of the bar, providing a tight clamp. The bracket has two articulated gears that can adjust the position of the tablet in only two planes, i.e. adjust its height relative to the passenger and the distance from the seat back.

The hinge mechanisms also share a common clamping handle. The fastening is secure. There are no loopholes. The only drawback of this design is that it moves the tablet away from the back of the seat by at least 10 centimeters, which may not be very convenient in a cramped car interior or when using child seats. However, in our case, we did not experience any inconvenience, but at the same time, the length of the bracket was always set close to the minimum (in the photo above, it is in the position of almost maximum distance from the seat back).

But this whole set has one drawback - a very tight mechanism for attaching the cradle to the brackets. Putting on the cradle is easy, but removing it later to rearrange it to another bracket requires a fair amount of effort.

Advantages

• Reliable fastening, no backlash
• Sufficient adjustment ranges both on the windshield and on the headrest
• Nice look and build quality

Flaws

• Very tight mechanism for attaching the cradle to the brackets

A very original and unexpected solution for passengers in the back row! The design principle is simple: a small telescopic rod with a tablet holder is fixed between the two front seat headrests, after which the two rear riders can enjoy watching videos or surfing the Web together. The holder can move along the bar, so that any of the rear passengers can move the tablet closer to themselves if necessary.

Characteristic table

The bar is made of aluminum alloy. The length of the two telescopic sections of the rod and the position of the cradle holder are fixed with clips, like the telescopic legs of tripods for photography. The bar itself has two deep grooves, as a result, the whole structure has no backlash, nothing scrolls, everything is fixed on it securely and neatly. The holder for the cradle has a ball joint clamped with a nut. The range of positions it sets is not very large (in any case, the rod will interfere) - it will allow you to rotate the cradle in two planes by about 15 degrees in each direction.

The cradle has a relatively soft center pad and two levers on the back for adjusting the position of the upper and lower legs, which also have rubber grips for holding the tablet.

Advantages

• original design
• High quality and reliable performance

Flaws

• Not detected

Perhaps the most practical solution if the user of the tablet is a person sitting behind the wheel. The advantage is that, thanks to the long and flexible arm, the tablet can be placed on top of the center console without restricting visibility and not particularly attracting the curious looks of downstream neighbors. And the main drawback is that everything that will be under the tablet will be hard to reach.

Characteristic table

*depends on the used nozzle on the bracket

A relatively small suction cup securely attaches the bracket to the windshield. The "leg" of the bracket is rigid, but it will not be difficult to give it the necessary shape. The cradle is very massive. The side grips are spring-loaded and controlled by a lever in its lower left side. There are two small rubber feet on the back of the cradle, and they are there for a reason. The fact is that the rigidity of the structure is definitely not enough to ensure that the cradle with the tablet does not hang out not only while driving, but also from simply touching the screen. Therefore, he needs at least one more point of support. In our case, we positioned the structure so that the base of the cradle rested on the edge of the torpedo. In this position, he is no longer afraid of any chatter, but other shortcomings of such an arrangement have appeared.

The main one is that the tablet is forced to be located almost parallel to the plane of the center console. As a result, both the driver and the passenger look at the tablet screen from a large angle - with all the ensuing consequences. In addition, this place is usually well lit, since it is located near the windshield.

Of course, it would be more correct to rest the cradle not on the edge of the torpedo, but on the very rubber legs that are located below. But in our case, it was somewhat difficult to do this because of the head unit screen and its control buttons.

However, if for some reason the first type of attaching the cradle to the bracket did not suit you, the kit includes a second nozzle that holds the cradle not by the top, but by the center. The nozzle is equipped with a ball joint that allows you to rotate it at small angles.

In addition to tablets, according to the manufacturer, this holder is also suitable for netbooks. We checked this statement on an old Acer Aspire One (screen - 10 inches, weight - 1 kg) and we can confirm it: when opened, the netbook is securely fixed in the cradle, and it is quite possible to use it. One "but": all the side connectors of the netbook will be blocked by the side holders.

Advantages

• Robust design
• Thoughtful design
• Ability to work with netbooks

Flaws

• For reliable fastening of the cradle, you need to look for an additional point of support on the dashboard or the center console of the car

So we got to the promised dessert. He can immediately be awarded the title of the most advanced solution for placing a tablet in a car.

Look at the official photo on the box! In an Aston Martin with a beige leather interior, the holder looks very harmonious and not at all alien.

In the box you will find a complete set of two holders. The first is a three-knee bar that is attached to the front passenger seat sled with the same bolt with which the seat itself is bolted to the body. And the second holder is designed to be attached to the headrest of the front seat.

Characteristic table

So, with the installation of the main holder with the bar, there was only one difficulty: the tip of the fork, which is attached to the front seat slide, had to be turned 180 degrees by loosening the mounting bolt. If this is not done, it would not be possible to place the entire structure next to the central tunnel in the car due to the dimensions of the gear hinge.

After that, the installation went almost like clockwork. The two pole arms, as well as the cradle locking tip, can be rotated. It is also not difficult to control the angles of inclination of the gear hinges, which are clamped with screws. As a result, the bar can be given almost any desired shape. But here, too, we were a little disappointed: installing the bar as in AstonMartin did not work out due to the fact that the central tunnel in the experimental car begins to expand towards the engine compartment (oh, they took the wrong car for the test), and the lower hinge allows you to adjust the position of the bar only in one plane. In other words, the first knee of the bar cannot be lowered down - it rests against the expanding central tunnel.

As a result, we had to assemble just such a “snake”, which would have pretty much hampered the front passenger.

Further more. After fixing the cradle and placing the tablet on it, it became clear that each touch of the tablet with your finger makes it oscillate with an amplitude of 1-3 centimeters. In other words, the design turned out to be too shaky. An attempt to tighten all the nodal connections firmly did not give any effect, but after it the main culprit became visible - this is a fork that is attached to the sled. And if the bar is fixed securely and firmly enough, then the fork, made of soft metal, bends for nothing, and it is she who is the source of vibrations of the entire structure. After dismantling, our version of the soft metal was fully confirmed: the fork noticeably bent from tightening the mounting bolt. Yes. A truly Chinese approach (may the Chinese, for whom he has the warmest feelings, forgive the author).

Update as of 02/04/2014: as forum users rightly noted, in our case, the fork had to be driven into the space between the floor and the skid. This would significantly increase the rigidity of the structure, but you still cannot do without a second point of support for the rod. In other words, it was desirable to rest the bar, for example, in a dashboard.
Another important addition concerns the bar itself. It is very likely that the center knee of her can be removed, thereby reducing the space occupied by the bar and reducing the leverage on the fork.
Alas, at the moment we cannot check these two versions, but they may be useful to those who still decide to buy this holder.

But the second holder, which is attached to the headrest, we liked more. Firstly, there are no screws here, and the bar with the cradle holder is fastened with special fasteners. Secondly, the tablet installed in the cradle is close to the back of the seat, which is a plus in a small car interior. However, there is also a drawback here: the swivel lock screw has become difficult to access, because almost “drowned” between the seatback and the headrest. But in general, the solution seemed to us quite practical.

Advantages

• original idea
• Robust and thoughtful boom design
• Very presentable appearance
• Convenient headrest attachment

Flaws

• Very soft metal of the yoke attachment to the sled, which makes the whole structure extremely shaky
• Hard-to-reach clamp at the ball joint of attachment to the headrest

General impressions

Having got acquainted with six different variants of tablet mounts, we can definitely say that we have no particular claims only to those designed for rear passengers. Probably, this is also due to the fact that the tablet looks much more appropriate there. No, we don’t mind at all if the driver has a large map or convenient Internet access at hand, but the interior design of modern cars somehow opposes this very much, therefore third-party solutions also have their pros and cons.

We will not definitely recommend anything for the driver - let everyone look at our description of this or that holder and draw their own conclusions. But we advise you to treat the Daystar DK-1 with caution - at least until the manufacturer replaces the “plasticine” fork that attaches the bar to the front seat skid.