What's that there then?
So you’ve seen our Sygic Review and have bought the app, but now you need a car holder for your iPhone to make viewing the directions easy. Well here it is, the DLO Vent Mount.
DLO (owned by Philips) have been making these since the first generation iPhone and they now do this holder for the 3G/3GS and the iPod Touch. The DLO Ventmount is simply a mount for your iPhone that clips onto the blades of any air vent inside your vehicle. The vent clips on with two rigid ‘hair clip’ style pins that slot onto a blade near the top of your vent and one adjustable angled wedge that keeps the mount stable in your chosen position.
The mount can swivel 360 degrees so that you can have your iPhone mounted in portrait or landscape aspect, which makes looking at Maps/Music etc on your iPhone really easy. It also has access at the bottom and top for you to plug your headphones/dock connector in.
When I first got the Vent Mount I couldn’t wait to get it open and installed in the car (sad I know), but I had been looking for a good mount for ages and thought I had finally found one. But no, I hadn’t found a ‘good’ one, I had found an excellent one.
It is designed to fit the iPhone perfectly, and it does. Your iPhone actually ‘clips’ into place and when I first got it I was concerned it may damage the iPhone with constant use, however after about a year of use my iPhone 3G had not a single mark on the corners. There is one pitfall to to this, if you have a case or clear protector on your iPhone it won’t fit. Originally I used an InvisibleSheild and I had to remove it, so snug is the fit.
The vent mount works really well but you have to keep in mind that since it is “VENT” mounted, you loose the use of the vent it is mounted to. On cold mornings when you want to warm up your hands, you can’t blast the heat without blasting your phone with said heat. On occasion I have forgotten and ended up with an overly warm iPhone. On some cars this can be an issue if you can’t switch off individual vents, however on many vehicles you can usually switch off individual ones.
Also keep in mind the angle and placement of your vent. If your vent is angled a little awkwardly, you’re not going to get a very good angle of your phone. You also want a place where you can easily access your phone while driving and probably in the vicinity of the cigarette lighter (for your car charger).
DLO say this is a three in one device but *really* it can only be used for 2 purposes. Let me explain…its primary focus is a Vent Mount and it does the job brilliantly. Secondly the mount itself is detachable and as such it doubles as a Desk Stand by using the clip on the back and thirdly you could use it as a belt clip. Now what’s wrong with that you may ask, that’s three uses isn’t it? Well technically yes it is, however I don’t want to EVER see anyone using this as a belt clip, okay? Therefore this becomes a 2-in-1 product!
Big NO NO
Overall it is a fantastic mount and holds the iPhone securely on your vent. I prefer this over a windshield mount as it keeps it much closer to hand and is more secure than a suction cup. While the mount is discrete in that you barely see it once the iPhone is in place, it is very sturdy and never feels lke it’s about to give way. It’s perfect for using with GPS apps or even to just control your music within an easy reach. For $39.95 you can’t go wrong with this, just make sure your vents have room for it.
DLO VentMount is available from MagnumMac
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- What's that there then?
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- Big NO NO
I think the DLO VentMount is another must have accesory for the iPhone.
One of the reasons I brought the 3GS iPhone is I wanted to use maps and navagation in the car when travelling and getting about in Auckland and have been looking for a secure way to mount the iPhone in the car and the DLO VentMount would also be awsome as now I would have a secure way to mount the iPhone and use hands free.
I thought I wouild have to wait for Tom Tom kit, Also a great review.
(mobileguy has made 3 comments)
I have just ordered one of these mounts from Magnummac
(psychrn has made 92 comments)
Hi, where can we purchase this iPhone mount ?
(Curly has made 7 comments)
@Curly – MagnumMac, but it is not on their online store
I think I want a TomTom car kit since I got TomTom map. Also I’m not a big fan of using google maps or other maps. Belt holder? I have Speck ToughSkin and I find that having clipping the iPhone to belt holder feels too uncomfortable, because of worrying breaking the iPhone.
(MX28080 has made 29 comments)
Installed the DLO Vent mount. Easy and quick to install, but depending on your vehicle it has limitations in positioning, and angle is not good for driver.
Quality of unit is not great. On hot day, the fingers that hold the unit must have warped as they curved like bananas and would no longer hold. Have since replaced and have in two vehicles but looking for more reliable solution. Already these look to have come loose in a couple of weeks.
Biggest problem is that they do not hold too securely, and restrict control of vent and also airflow of aircon for summer. Also my wife has to remove her shell cover each time need to place in car.
Seemed to be good value when it was half price, but now not
Just bought the Alpine CDE-103EBT headunit for my wife’s car with iPhone integration and built in Parrot, so looking for car cradle for iPhone that allows passthrough of cable so can use the iPod speedcable from headunit. Open to suggestions
(MattD has made 27 comments)
I have since ” upgraded” to the Tom Tom Car kit.
Its very nice indeed
(Psychrn has made 92 comments)
I got a suggestion MattD get a Kensington car mount, way better than DLO Vent Mount. Do need to remove any case and stuff just clip and go.
(MX28080 has made 29 comments)
I would love to take the upgrade to the TomTom Care kit, however it would not support the passthrough to support the iPod integration with stereo. (Also already have a TomTom Go 930)
(MattD has made 27 comments)
Hold My Phone have some great cradles with invisible mountings, so not stuck with suction cup and phone obscuring the windscreen
http://www.holdmyphone.com.au/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=2607&option=com_virtuemart
also shown here in clip and owner has the same Alpine HeadUnit!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2anAevRdq4
http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii66/davidhes/IMG_0056.jpg
(MattD has made 27 comments)
I really want this kit though Magellan car mount http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/17/magellan-debuts-gps-app-car-kit-for-iphone-and-ipod-touch/
Does that car mount actually fits on stock iPhone? Instead of in a case?
(MX28080 has made 29 comments)
MX28080 – looks like it will fit a ‘naked’ iPhone as well as cased.
” the cradle is fully adjustable to accommodate a range of sleeves or cases” and the picture shows sans case
(MattD has made 27 comments)
The Magellan is not available here and when we spoke with Magellan about it they said they (at the time of speaking with them) had no plans to make it available and that it would need to be ordered via the US.
Thanks MattD, I might considered about that later.
@Dan, yeah should have bring that up here, sorry.
(MX28080 has made 29 comments)