nymosis
iPF Noob
- Joined
- May 23, 2011
- Messages
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I recently bought a Padholdr iPad car mount to use with my original iPad in the Otterbox Defender Case. After watching numerous DIY YouTube videos regarding car mounts and other online research, Padholdr's solution was really the only option that I found for my case.
Their website is easy enough to use, I selected my car (1998 Nissan Altima) and the model for the Otterbox case and placed my order. The total cost was $164 after tax and it took a little over two weeks to arrive. I initially felt this price was a bit steep, however it really was the only solution, and as I've heard other say, you pay a few hundred dollars for the iPad, and there's no reason to be cheap while buying accessories.
Anyway,when I received the Padholdr kit, it came with easy-to-read instructions and all the necessary hardware except for a Phillips head screwdriver and hook tool which I had. The instructions made sense, the installation process was straight forward on my car, I just had to remove the frame around the climate control and radio, which comes out just by pulling with the hook tool. Some of the screws were very difficult to get off, but once you do, all you have to do is attach Padhodr's bracket under two Philips screws that are already there, easy enough.
The next step is to attach the six-inch arm connector with a provided Allen wrench, this was very easy and the entire thing probably took 20-25 minutes. I have taken it on a two hour road-trip, and it was a good experience over all, but here are my pros and cons.
Pros:
- Easy to take the iPad out and it fits in easily
- Easy installation, good tools and manuals
- Build quality seems pretty good
- Looks nice
- Easy to move around
Cons:
- To be able to play music you have to slide the iPad in with the headphone jack on the upper end, this is fine, however it becomes a real pain to adjust the volume control buttons. Essentially they are pushed against a bar at the bottom of the Padholdr case and you have to use both hands to push the iPad up about an inch and then adjust the volume buttons, very difficult to do while driving. This isn't an issue if you're using the iPod app, which had a touch volume controller.
- My biggest issue, and this really seems to be a pain is that the Padholdr just isn't all that stable while driving with the iPad. I have everything tightened pretty well and the Padholdr stays pretty still while driving if the iPad isn't in it, but when you are driving with the iPad it just bounces quite a bit, and often becomes to slump to one side which you have to push it back up, this doesn't happen all the time, but does seem to occur maybe twice daily. Ultimately, I think the issue is that the Padholdr is only attached from one side to your car, and if it had two brackets on either side of the radio (at least in my car), it would be much more stable.
If anyone else has used a Padholdr, let me know what you think.
Their website is easy enough to use, I selected my car (1998 Nissan Altima) and the model for the Otterbox case and placed my order. The total cost was $164 after tax and it took a little over two weeks to arrive. I initially felt this price was a bit steep, however it really was the only solution, and as I've heard other say, you pay a few hundred dollars for the iPad, and there's no reason to be cheap while buying accessories.
Anyway,when I received the Padholdr kit, it came with easy-to-read instructions and all the necessary hardware except for a Phillips head screwdriver and hook tool which I had. The instructions made sense, the installation process was straight forward on my car, I just had to remove the frame around the climate control and radio, which comes out just by pulling with the hook tool. Some of the screws were very difficult to get off, but once you do, all you have to do is attach Padhodr's bracket under two Philips screws that are already there, easy enough.
The next step is to attach the six-inch arm connector with a provided Allen wrench, this was very easy and the entire thing probably took 20-25 minutes. I have taken it on a two hour road-trip, and it was a good experience over all, but here are my pros and cons.
Pros:
- Easy to take the iPad out and it fits in easily
- Easy installation, good tools and manuals
- Build quality seems pretty good
- Looks nice
- Easy to move around
Cons:
- To be able to play music you have to slide the iPad in with the headphone jack on the upper end, this is fine, however it becomes a real pain to adjust the volume control buttons. Essentially they are pushed against a bar at the bottom of the Padholdr case and you have to use both hands to push the iPad up about an inch and then adjust the volume buttons, very difficult to do while driving. This isn't an issue if you're using the iPod app, which had a touch volume controller.
- My biggest issue, and this really seems to be a pain is that the Padholdr just isn't all that stable while driving with the iPad. I have everything tightened pretty well and the Padholdr stays pretty still while driving if the iPad isn't in it, but when you are driving with the iPad it just bounces quite a bit, and often becomes to slump to one side which you have to push it back up, this doesn't happen all the time, but does seem to occur maybe twice daily. Ultimately, I think the issue is that the Padholdr is only attached from one side to your car, and if it had two brackets on either side of the radio (at least in my car), it would be much more stable.
If anyone else has used a Padholdr, let me know what you think.
