Lazy Cell Phone Holder product reviews

When I first unpacked this unit, I was surprised to see how similar it was, structurally, to my desk lamps. This immediately reassured me that I would be able to use it without having to think about it too much - muscle-memory is a wonderful thing. What also surprised me was how different the clamp was to the illustrations - the one in the box was a large, solid C-shaped billet of extruded aluminium rather than the discrete clamp shown on the website. If anything, this turned out to be far better than I could have hoped for, as I ended up mounting this on the headboard of my bed so I could watch TV at night without having to twist my head and get a sore neck.

I loved how firmly the phone-bracket gripped my phone, keeping it firmly attached and the soft, rubbery lining meant no scratches or dings on my phone. This was amply illustrated the first time I found myself wildly grabbing for it when my phone rang at an ungodly early hour, and I ended up whacking it with a back-hander swing instead of grabbing it. The arm swung around a bit, but the phone stayed secure in the cradle and I was eventually able to take the call then go back to sleep... all while staying cosy and warm.

The springs, that provide the tension that keeps the arms in whatever position you put them, are quite sturdy and strong too, which is also something I will be watching with care, as the very-similar design of my desk lamp has resulting in me having to try all sorts of tricks to add tension back into the old springs that have stretched and become loose over the 6 months since I bought the lamp. These springs are much 'firmer' than the lamp ones, so I am anticipating a long period of minimal-if-any maintentance.

For less than $25 this is a remarkable bit of kit, and I suspect that I will soon be looking to buy one or two more to place around the house - probably in the kitchen so I can keep my phone up and away from the water as I watch TV while cooking and doing dishes, and probably another one to throw into the 'roadtripping kit' so I can use my phone while I am using the car as my mobile accommodation. The joys of converting a people-mover into a camper!

Would I recommend this to someone else? Certainly would, and done so a few times already. It has a lot of potential and the only thing that really surprised me was that I haven't seen these around earlier! Overall, a great bit of kit and glad to now have one, and know where to get more.

It took me a little while to figure out how to assemble this item because the supplied documentation was not in English and although there were diagrams, they were quite small and there were a couple of essential steps not clearly shown. In the end, I put the instructions away and figured it out for myself. Once I realised that the ball-ending on the mount housing had to click into place (I thought I had been putting it in the wrong place as it did just not slot in) it was easy to organise the rest.

The arm-stem holder can fit on to the clamp either horizontally or vertically; that is useful for times when the phone needs to change angle. Relocating it is simple as there is an adjustable screw fitting which can be moved from one position to the other as required. I tested it in the kitchen while I was working; it was great to be able to listen to a talking book on my phone without worrying about it getting knocked over or damaged by dust particles. The phone was held securely by a spring clip, and could be angled to whatever position I chose so as to maximise the sound volume.

Something I had not realised at first was that the spring clip is much more versatile than the picture on the instructions might indicate. I was able to load my tablet into it: it was too tight with the leather case left on, but when I removed it and put the plain device in, it slipped easily into place. That will open up a whole world of streaming videos and live television no matter where I am working. Such a useful application, and one which I will be using frequently. It also means hands-free phone calls are now a possibility, of course. Both ends of the spring clip have an opening to ensure the speaker is free so there is no loss of sound quality.

I am not sure how safe it would be in a house with young children. Pulling on the arms to access a device could result in the clamp becoming disengaged, and if it happened to be attached to a lightweight table rather than a shelf, the whole table could be pulled over. This problem could probably be averted if due care is taken to put it where children cannot reach it. There are no young children in my house, but if anyone visits with a pre-schooler I will make sure the holder is well out of reach!

I am interested to see how durable the phone holder is. It appears to be quite sturdy, and with minimal movement so it should last for years. I am looking forward to getting plenty of use out of it; it will make doing repetitive jobs far more attractive when I can watch tv or listen to a sound file at the same time.