War of the Phone Mounts / Quad Lock's Comeback To Peak Design Magnetic Mount

I gotta say that this new battle between the phone mount brands is intriguing me day after day. After I wrote a piece saying Peak Design’s new magnetic phone mount is the best on the market, people notified me about the existence of a new Quad Lock case, built with a magnetic ring. Would it be enough though to dethrone the Californian brand?

Photo: Quad Lock

When I transitioned from the Quad Lock “twist top” mount system to the “plug-n-play” offered by Peak Design I was a bit worried about having my phone held solely by a magnet and two small clips. I asked myself, would this system be good enough to absorb all the vibrations, and would it be secure enough to withstand a full KTM Adventure Rally, with wheelies, jumps, rocks, dips and hours of vibration?

The answer to both questions was yes, since the phone was solidly anchored to the Peak Design magnetic mount for the whole duration of the event.

The smoothness of clipping my phone on magnetically, instead of mechanically groping for the edges, was a true advantage. And this mechanism smashes also all the other systems available on the market, proving once more that the magnetic-based is the best design for this kind of accessory. During the rally, I was able to take my phone with one hand, while riding, snap a quick photo and then return it to the mount without even looking and without stopping or using two hands. This kind of maneuver was impossible with the previous systems I used (RAM X-Grip, Quad Lock and Ultimateaddons).

So, the magnetic mount plus case worked like a charm for me. I’ve also read, from my other article, that several people preferred other systems. I’m not here to tell you which one I prefer, but which system is the most efficient and practical.

There are several other brands out there, suggested by you guys, which I’ll briefly comment on:

Rock Form Very much inspired by Quad Lock, but where is the shock absorber?
SP Connect Simpler and more street oriented, since there’s no vibration absorber. Definitely quicker to lock your phone in.
EDIT: There is a vibration absorber. It doesn’t show as recommended item, when you select the pro moto bundle mount.
Metal Crowfoot Similar to X-Grip but still needs two hands to lock the phone. Quite cheap though!
Cliff Top Seriously? you have to tight it every time you want to put your phone there?
Rocky Creek Design This phone mount is simple but only has a bottom holder and no vibration absorber.
Hondo Garage This product is simple and appears effective but it still needs two hands to operate and a very “odd looking” vibration absorber. Pricey too! $180
Tackform Still only two points of contact on the side of the phone; it may not be suitable for off-road.

Please bear in mind that all phone mounts without a vibration absorber will sooner or later knock your phone camera out. These aforementioned phone mounts may be good for street riding, but are a no-go for off-road. They almost all need two hands to operate which is what you don’t want, especially considering that most of the times riders wear thick gloves.

The phone was securely mounted on my bike even during 6-7 hours of off-road. Photo: Paolo

Let’s talk about some of the advancements that Quad Lock have implemented with the new case and sturdier new mount. Specifically, I’m talking about the Phone Mount Pro and the magnetic ring applied to its new phone case.

First of all, I really liked the fact that you could customize your magnetic ring color to match your bike, for instance.

: Photo: Paolo

: Photo: Paolo

Photo: Paolo

This new system provides a more stable connection between phone and mount then the old Quad Lock systems did, making it much much easier to secure your phone to it. With Quad Lock’s old system, I struggled to lock my phone to the mount after removal. The new magnetic ring is very handy to use with the wireless charger and other lifestyle accessories that the Australian brand offers, but it’s still sometimes difficult to find the right position while trying to attach the phone to the motorcycle mount.

Left is Quad Lock, right is Peak Design. Photo: Paolo

The new case is smoother than the old model, and they got rid of the protruding bump on the back. The case is thicker overall, but at least it looks good now

The new Phone Mount Pro is now in anodized aluminum, much better than the previous plastic one. In the phone mount market, Quad Lock is still leader in terms of accessories and customization, offering a large variety of lifestyle products that integrate with the magnetic phone case. Many people complain that Peak Design lacks a wireless charger, but it is available with Quad Lock. There are many other useful accessories that can expand your usage outside the moto world into the general world of sports and outdoors activities.