Scosche MagicGrip Wireless Charging Auto-Grip Mount review

REVIEW – Recently, Indiana passed a stricter hands-free law making it illegal to hold your cell phone while driving.  Knowing that although I am very safe when it comes to not using my phone while driving, there are times when I’m using GPS or other apps that I do hold my phone.  To remove the temptation of holding my phone and not face being ticketed, I have been looking for a car mount that is both easy to use and stylish.  When the opportunity presented itself to review the Scosche MagicGrip car mount, I said sign me up!

What is it?

The Scosche MagicGrip Wireless Charging Mount is a mount for your mobile phone that can be used in your home or vehicle.  It is available in five mounting options.  For this review, I will be reviewing the Scosche MagicGrip Window/Dash Double-Pivot Mount.

What’s in the box?

• Qi Wireless Adjustable Arms Mount
• 12V Car power adapter
• 2 Wire clips
• USB-C charge cable
• User manual

Design and features

The Scosche MagicGrip Window/Dash Double-Pivot Mount is easy to use and convenient charging mount to display and charge your mobile phone.  The mount can be positioned in various places in your vehicle or home and with its double-pivoted base design offers multiple adjustments and numerous viewing angles.

It is Qi-certified to fast charge your Apple, Samsung, and Google devices.  The unit also incorporates a special thermal management channel between the charging head and phone to allow for a cooler, safer, and more efficient charging experience.

The MagicGrip mount offers its patented StickGrip™ suction-cup base.  The suction cup is removable and reusable.  The user manual does warn that the suction cup can leave residue or discoloration on some surfaces, as well as a ring of residue on the dash.  With my experiences so far, I have had no residue or discoloration issues using this product.

Setup

I was trying to decide where to put the MagicGrip mount in my vehicle and opted for the dash mount over the window option.  As you can see, my car has a softer padded curved surface.  Following all the included directions, I cleaned the surface, peeled off the wrapping from the bottom of the base, pressed down on the base applying it to dash, and then pressed down the lock on the suction lever to attach.

After a little over a day around town in my locked up and warm vehicle, I came out to find the unit had fallen off.  I tried a few more days to make it work and it just did not work for my vehicle.  Knowing this now, I would opt into trying the vent mount option for this specific vehicle.

The manual does state that you want to place the unit out of direct sunlight, which is a little difficult with a window/dash mount.  I do believe the suction just does not work with the padded and curved nature of my dash.

That being said, I then installed the unit in our other vehicle.  Unlike the first, the surface is hard and flat.  The special Stickgrip™ suction-cup base of the Scosche MagicGrip mount faired a lot better for this vehicle.  We have not had any issues with it falling off yet after several weeks and having the mount in direct sunlight.

Performance

The Scosche MagicGrip Window/Dash Double-Pivot Mount plugs into your car’s 12V socket using the included USB-C cable and 12V power adapter.  If you don’t like the pesky cord moving or hanging in a strange way in your car, the kit comes with two adhesive clips to secure the cables to your console.

The unit also includes double pivot arms on the mount, which allows for a full 360^o rotation of the phone when mounted. It is easy to move the phone from portrait to landscape view and to adjust the position for the best viewing angle. I have had no issues with the mount staying secure to the dash, with the Stickgrip, during the twisting and moving of the phone on the mount.

One of my favorite features of the Scosche MagicGrip is the sense and grip technology. You simply place your mobile device against the charging pad and when it is aligned with the MagicGrip pad, the support arm will sense contact and close automatically.  The only issue that I have had is that the device has a hard time sensing and gripping if you use a case with a finger ring or Popsocket on the back.

To remove the device, you gently pull the device away from the charging pad and the MagicGrip will sense when contact with the charging pad is broken and the support arms will open automatically.

Here is a quick video demonstrating all these functions I described above.

Another unique feature that I like is that the MagicGrip mount features an LED indicator band around the edge of the mount which illuminates blue to indicate your phone is charging, so there is no doubt that your connection is solid.

Unfortunately, due to the current environment, I have not had the opportunity to use the device for a long car drive yet. The longest a phone has been charging on it is about 15 minutes. In that time, my XR charged 10%, which in my experience seems fast for a car cell phone charger.

What I Like

• One hand operation- sense and grip
• Secure grip to phone while charging
• Sleek look

What needs to be improved

• Suction on softer and curved dash surfaces improved
• Ability to use the mount with cases with PopSockets or ring holders attached

Final thoughts

Although I am bummed that the Scosche MagicGrip Window/Dash Double-Pivot Mount did not work in my vehicle, my husband is excited to be able to use it in his.  I would recommend this mount if you are looking for a reliable and easy to use mobile phone mount, while just keeping in mind the limitations to curved and padded dashes.

Price: $69.95
Where to buy: Scosche.com. You can also buy it at Wal-mart and Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Scosche.