Today we’re looking at another mobile accessory from Just Mobile. This time, it’s the Xtand Vent, an air vent car holder for smartphones. Let’s take a look!
Thanks to John S. for providing the photos and notes that informed the writing of this review. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Features
- Vent attachment fits almost any air vent
- Ball-joint swivel mechanism adjusts viewing angle
- Patented tightener prevents sagging over time
- Works with devices from 2.1in/54mm to 3.6in/91mm wide
- Rotates 360 degrees for portrait and landscape view
- Mini and featherlight, fits in your pocket
- Durable aluminum ball joint and quality material
Design
The Xtand Vent has a similar design to other vent-mount car holders: a tubular expanding bracket that holds onto your smartphone, attached via an aluminium ball joint to a rubberised four-fingered prong that latches onto your car’s air vents.
On the back of the unit, you can find a tightening wheel that is designed to prevent the holder from drooping.
The bracket can accommodate phones between 54 and 91 millimetres wide; for reference a Galaxy S8+ is 73mm wide and an iPhone 7 Plus is 78mm wide, so almost all smartphones on the market should fit just fine. You should also be able to use your smartphone in a case without issue.
In terms of adjustability, the Xtand Vent can rotate a full 360 degrees, allowing portrait or landscape use. It can also swivel 104 degrees and tilt 136 degrees. This should allow you to find a convenient position, no matter where your air vent of choice is located.
Testing
In general, we found no major issues when testing the Xtand Vent. The Vent held our phone in position without issues, with the locking mechanism on the ball socket allowing us to ensure our phone was resting at the correct angle; without this the phone would have been angled down. The additional ability to adjust the horizontal plane allowed a better angle for the driver.
We also found that the finer points of the design were well implemented. For example, the choice of two sizes of gap on the prongs ensured compatibility with both vertical and horizontal air vents. The rubberised prongs are also less likely to cause damage to the fins therein.
The sheer amount of force was also impressive, holding up a large smartphone firmly while only having a contact area per side of at most 20 millimetres across.
The appearance of the car mount was also appreciated. The muted colours of the Xtand Vent allow it to blend into most car vents, while the aluminium construction provides a touch of modern style. The small size of the unit also ensures it is fairly portable, so you can take it on holiday without a second thought.
Wrapping up
The Xtand Vent does exactly what it says on the tin, and for a reasonable sum. For that reason, we’re happy to give it our full recommendation.
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