If you have a portable GPS unit, do you suction-cup it to your windshield? Do you worry that the mounting arm left on your windshield – or even the suction cup marks left on the glass – advertise to thieves that you have a portable GPS unit?
If you do, the Nav-Mat Portable GPS dash mount may be what you need. The Nav-Mat by Bracketron Inc is a weighted bag that conforms to the shape of your car dash. It has a non-skid bottom and a shiny round plate in the middle of the top. You simply stick the mounting arm that came with your GPS unit to the shiny top plate and set it in the center of your dash. It works with devices up to several pounds.
We have one of these Nav-Mats that we use with our portable Tom-Tom GPS unit. The mounting arm suction cup holds tight to the mounting plate, and we simply throw the Nav-Mat into the tote bag along with the Tom-Tom when we leave the car. It works great and doesn’t leave any of those telltale “expensive electronic equipment in here” signs in your car window.
It’s $39.95 directly from Bracketron, and it can be found at other retailers, such as amazon.com for as little as $12.40.
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I keep meaning to buy one of these for my car…it’s less the “look! gps!” issue, and more that my car’s windshield is too sloped to comfortably mount a GPS. Thanks for pointing out that Amazon is cheaper, my big beef has been how damn expensive a beanbag with a non-stick bottom is at retail!
I use something similar for a completely different reason: A sunshade. I live in Texas where it is hot for a majority of the year and requires the use of a sunshade. I found that taking the suction cup on/off was becoming the bane of my existence whenever I needed to leave the car. This way, I can grab the electronics off the dash and go. I’m honestly surprised I haven’t read more on the advantages of using a dash mat for this reason.
These are great, US hire cars use them a lot if you hire a SatNav. I’ve got one as it’s great for swapping between my car and my wifes, and I’ve had too many of the “suction cup” devices fall off my windscreen.