Scosche MagicMount XL Dash/Window car mount review

I’ve been searching for ways to attach my phone and tablet to the dash of my car.  Up until now, the options have been either destructive to the dash or I had to use a device that extended from the windshield.  Neither of these were satisfying, so the MagicMount from Scosche seemed to be a perfect solution.  Let me be upfront about this, I was  skeptical that the mount would not fall off the dash, but I gave the MagicMount a try anyway.  The idea behind the Scosche unit is that you attach the mount to your vehicle dash using a suction cup and then your phone or tablet snaps into place using an affixed high strength magnet.  The mount has a corresponding magnet.

Features:

• Larger, more powerful magnet to safely secure your tablet to your vehicle’s dash, windshield or other window
•  Flex-neck design gives you freedom to position at multiple viewing angles
•  stickGRIP material securely holds device and provides a strong hold to any dash or window
• Open design for full access to all controls and ports
• Large and small MagicPlate with 3M adhesive are included for iPad, iPad air, iPad mini, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Galaxy and other brand tablets and more
• Safe & Easy one-handed use
• Quick, easy & secure magnetic mounting
• Mount your tablet in portrait, landscape or any angle in between

Here’s what I got in the package.  This includes the suction cup mount; large magnet that attaches to the mount; both a small and large magnet plate that attaches to the phone or tablet.

A look at the suction cup of the mount.  It has a piece of plastic to protect the compound that is spread on the cup.

The magnet attached to the flexible suction cup dash/window mount.

In the use instructions, there are several ways illustrated that one can attach the thin magnets to the device you wish to mount.

In the case of my iPad mini, it was suggested that the magnet could be inserted between a case and the mini.  Here you see it laying on the removed case.  Unfortunately, this didn’t work for me, because the attraction between the magnets wasn’t strong enough mounted this way.  With a thinner case, it may have worked.

What I ended up doing was removing the protective film on the side of the magnet with the 3M adhesive and attaching the magnets to the outside of my phone and tablet cases.

Here I have the iPad mini attached with the magnets.

And here is my phone.  Before I used the mount in my vehicle,  I tested the holding capability by vigorously shaking the mounted devices over my living room sofa, to insure they wouldn’t detach.  Amazingly, they didn’t.

Following the instructions, I used the included wipe to clean off a spot on my dashboard.  I then removed the protective covering from the suction cup and pressed the mount to the dash.  Lastly, I flipped the mount holding lever to form a tight seal.

It’s easy to attach your phone.  Just touch it to the mount and it snaps in place.

The same goes for the tablet.

And your device can easily be presented in portrait or landscape.

I really wanted to give the mount a good test and as luck would have it, here in New Hampshire we’re in  the midst of frost heave season.  This makes the back roads feel like you’re riding on a washboard.  Needless to say, the mount got a good workout.

Thankfully, over a period of 2 weeks, there were no failures of the mount disconnecting either from the dash or from the magnets..  Both my phone and iPad mini stayed attached.  For me there was an issue with my Moto G phone though.  When connected to the mount, sometimes I could not unlock the screen .  This was dependent upon the orientation of the magnets to each other.  If they were a little offset, then it worked fine.  Also, I could unlock the phone and then put it on the mount and it would stay unlocked.

My biggest concern was when I removed the mount from my dashboard to reorient it.  I cleaned a new spot on the dash and pressed the suction cup back down.  Unfortunately it didn’t hold and I was able to pop it off with very little effort.  I was concerned that the attachment to a non-smooth surface might be a one time event, because when I initially attached it, there was some goop (scientific term) spread on the suction cup, but on the second try, this was all gone.

We reached out to Scosche for an explanation, but haven’t received a reply yet.  (Update: While writing the review I received  the following from Scosche)

“We are assuming that this is a suction cup mount sku with adhesive?  If so, that is simply a reality of the adhesive with the suction cups.  It’s not meant to be removed and reapplied repeatedly.   They can try rinsing It off and letting it dry. That sometimes does the trick”

I left the mount in place and after a couple of days, it seems to have adhered to the dash and is working fine.  My concern is that at some point the mount lets go, and I wind up having a device with a broken screen.  It’s happened to me before, with a different mount, because the gear shift is right in line with a falling object.

I like the idea of a mount that doesn’t require one to either screw into the dash or use adhesives that are hard to remove.  The MagicMount XL is a good mount, but I wouldn’t go moving it around.  Although not tested, it should work fine attached to the windshield.  Take some time and position your mount before removing the protective shield on the suction cup.

Updates 03/08/16

After I removed the mount to relocate it, it doesn’t hold to my dash any longer. It’s currently sitting in my garage waiting for a use as a windshield mount.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Scosche. For more information, visit  http://www.scosche.com/