It's rare to be totally satisfied with something; especially when that something is a combination of product, customer service and efficiency.
Like so many people these days, I carry around an expensive smartphone. I look after it, making sure that is kept away from pockets full of keys and change; ensuring that when I'm using it, I reduce the chance of dropping it onto concrete or asphalt to the absolute minimum. I keep it clean - polishing the glass, front and back, after almost every use. Then, I jump into my car and put it in a flimsy, light weight, poorly designed windscreen mount. It wobbles around in a ratchet adjustable cradle (the ratchet failed within weeks of buying it), on the end of a 9 inch (23cm) flexible arm that holds the phone in exactly the right position, except when driving on anything other than a perfectly smooth road. More often than not, it just bounces around, with at least half an inch (12mm) of travel in any direction.
About fifteen months ago I was listening to the MacBreak Weekly podcast from Leo Laporte's TWiT network. At the end of each show, the contributors recommend a product, service or piece of software. On this particular edition, Andy Ihnatko talked about the trials of mounting tech in his car. His solution and recommendation was Ram Mount.
Ram Mount produce an incredibly diverse range of products, designed to connect any device to pretty well any surface. You can create your own custom mount, by selecting the device holder, the mount and, if necessary, an extension arm from the vast catalogue of parts available.
Late last week, my Kensington car mount failed completely. I was in my car and away from home. I loaded the Ram Mount site on my iPad and decided quite easily which mount and device holder I wanted, but I was struggling to find a suitable extension arm.
I filled in and submitted a sales enquiry from the site, asking for help; explaining exactly what I needed. Within a couple of minutes, I had a reply, detailing the parts that I would need. I immediately set up an account and submitted my order. Confirmation came back within seconds, and within 15 minutes I got a notification email saying that my order had shipped.
The following morning, my order arrived. I connected the three parts and attached the mount to my car windscreen.
I can say without hesitation, that I regret buying all of the cheaper mounts over previous years. The Ram Mount is excellent. It is solid and stable. The suction cup is so much more substantial than anything I have used before and the X-Grip holder grips the iPhone easily yet securely. The extension arm is a two piece metal casting that clamps on to ball mounts on both the suction cup and phone holder, making precise positioning very easy, and once set and tightened, there is no movement of the whole assembly.
I am totally satisfied with my Ram Mount experience.
All Ram Mount products are covered by a lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.
Ram Mount is an American company (National Products, Inc.), based in Seattle, WA. I bought from the website of Ram Mount UK.