Joby GripTight Bike Mount Pro
MSRP: $59.95 (BUY IT NOW for LESS!)
WEIGHT: .69 lbs
FITS PHONES: 2.2″ to 3.58″ wide
FITS BARS: 22.2 to 35 mm diameter
I’ve been in search of a quality smart phone holder that could not only handle the large iPhones (6s+ and 7+), but could be used a a variety of ways; most importantly for navigation on a motorcycle, fitness tracking on a mtn bike and photo and video work on a tripod. That is a tall order, with only a few options on the market. I’m pretty sure the Joby GripTight Pro, with the bike mount kit, is the best balance between durability, security, versatility and price currently available on the market.
Let me first tell you that I put this product through the extreme ringer, and used it beyond its advertised capacities. My main use for the Joby GripTight Bike Mount Pro was as a handlebar mounted iPhone 6s+ holder on my KTM 950 Adventure. My recent trip took me over 5,000 miles of terrain, nearly 2,000 of which was off pavement, all with this mount on the handlebars. The mount held up really well, and most importantly didn’t fail once, keeping my phone securely attached whenever I asked it to, no matter the riding conditions. It was also crazy easy to mount and unmount the phone, which is vital, as I use my phone a lot as a camera, and need quick access.
With all that said, the Joby GripTight Pro isn’t meant to be used on a motorcycle. It is specifically for use on a bicycle. Due to it’s broad range of bar diameter mounting options, it’s durability and secure mounting mechanism I’m sure it would EASILY work well on a variety of bicycle applications.
Do be aware that depending on where and how you bar mount this phone holder, the vibrations from the vehicle you are mounting it to can do damage to your phone. After thousands of miles of on and off road travel I did have my vibration reduction/focusing mechanism in my iPhone 6S+ fail.
I did try to use a Lifeproof case with the Joby GripTight Pro, which did not work well at all. The hard square corners on the Lifeproof case did not mate well with the triangular griping mechanism on the Joby. The Tech21 case that I use regularly worked exceptionally well, as the rounded soft rubber edges provided a solid grip in the Joby mount. This is less of an issue with Apple’s new iPhone 7/7+, as they are waterproof already, where the older iPhones were not.
Besides bar mount it has a 1/4-20 standard tripod mount that works with most tripods. This allows you to quickly and easily convert this little tool into an smartphone holder anywhere, which works great for both phone photography and videography. This was a key feature that I was looking for, as I regularly travel solo and use my phone quite a bit to shoot photos for my social media channels. The design of the Joby GripTight Pro also allows it to swivel, making it easy to switch between landscape and portrait orientations.
PROS: Lightweight, Secure, Durable, Versatile
CONS: Not inexpensive, Vibration on a moto can effect the phone, Does not work well with Lifeproof phone cases
In the end I was quite happy with the Joby GripTight Bike Mount Pro. I’ve now used it a bit with the new iPhone 7+ as well, with no issues. If you’re looking for a versatile phone holder for your outdoor adventures, which can also be a great tool in your smartphone video/photo quiver, than look no further.
(Disclaimer: Joby provided Exploring Elements a sample product for review consideration.)
