I have never written a product review. After my experiences with Tackform and its device mounting products, the time has come to write one.
Here are the highlights. Tackform products are superior in every way, from the thoughtful designs, to the quality of the materials and manufacturing, they are best in class. I wholeheartedly recommend them.
Here are the details.
My needs were modest, but I nonetheless received excellent assistance and follow-up. I ordered a cell phone cup holder with the magnetic head for the newer MagSafe cases. I had a cup holder product from another company that was good. However, I didn’t like that it rocked a bit in the cup holder and required a rubber sleeve around the base to steady it. The sleeve helped, but it was not ideal. I often had to adjust its position.
A Google search of cell phone holders revealed the Tackform offerings. What attracted my attention was that the base of the holder (that part that fits into the car’s cup holder) was designed to expand to tightly fit its enclosure. The base was in two parts that expanded outward by twisting a thumb screw. I had not seen this before and instantly thought that it offered an effective solution to the rocking problem.
I coupled this base with a round magnetic head that held the MagSafe phone case firmly to it. Between the expanding base and the magnetic head was an arm that could be purchased in various lengths to place the phone at any height preferred by the driver. The extension arm itself had several thumb screw adjustments to angle the phone for best viewing.
The modularity of the parts gives the customer great flexibility to order whatever it is he needs to solve whatever device mounting issues he might be facing.
The quality of the parts received was amazing. I’ve never seen better. There is a combination of nicely machined metals and hard, durable plastics. They all fit together flawlessly leading to the firm mounting solution I sought. A big extra: the quality of the parts enhanced the appearance of my car’s interior and the high-end cell phone I was mounting on it.
I was so impressed with the Tackform products, I returned to purchase an additional cell phone head, this time a cradle to hold my phone when I had non-MagSafe cases on it (my phone is an Android that does not have the magnet in the phone itself, only in the cases). All I have to do is swap the magnetic head for the cradle head and I can accommodate any of my several cases.
A word about price. Comparing Tackform products to competitors’ products makes Tackform appear expensive. There are always cheaper ways to design and manufacture products. However, as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. You won’t find a better device mounting solution than Tackform. It is well worth the prices they charge. They have my business from now on.
Here is a final word, this time about Customer Service. My first order appeared to be missing a key part, the extension arm that connects the cup base to the magnetic head. I called and had a representative on the line immediately, no navigating through a long list of recorded messages. I explained the situation and was assured that the missing part would be on its way the next day. It was, and I received it earlier than the anticipated wait time. Clearly, their Customer Service is excellent, and I much appreciated the personal touch in this age of detached machine interaction. I detected that the representative cared about what he was doing and wanted to make the situation right as quickly as possible. (A footnote: I discovered upon receiving the part that I had had it all along; the part was in the original shipment. I just didn’t recognize it for what it was. I was not charged for the extra part.)