Garmin Portable Friction Mount
by Garmin
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List Price: Our Price: $17.69 You Save: $22.30 (56%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin Portable Friction Mount
Customer Review: For me, it works as advertised
Summary: 5 Stars
The friction mount bag is shaped like a "plus" sign with ballast in each "foot." It is not nearly as flexible as I had expected. The slide mount for the arm that supports the Garmin unit is fastened to a metal plate inside the bag, so the "feet" can only flex a little bit. The arm locks into the mount and is easily released for stowage via a tab. In addition, the mount can rotate via a light ratcheting mechanism, or be locked into a particular orientation. The Garmin bracket snaps on a ball joint at the top of the arm, enabling easy orientation of the GPS unit. But the ball joint has plenty of friction to keep the Garmin from shifting while on the go. The bottom of the bag is covered with a thin layer of foam that provides a lot of friction, and it has not slipped at all while in use. If the bottom of the bag ever gets slippery, then I'll find a way to add another thin layer of material to it.
To stow the assembly, remove the Garmin from the bracket and unplug the power cord. Then slide the arm out of its mount on the bag and put everything in the glove box. If you have enough room in your vehicle, you might even be able to leave the arm attached to the bag.
The Garmin portable friction mount works great in both our Honda Odyssey minivan and our Honda Fit. It holds the GPS unit in the perfect viewing location and just below the windshield line (we are both fairly tall), so there is no blockage. It seems a bit expensive for such a simple device, but it performs its advertised job well. And we no longer have to find a place to wedge the Garmin - the convenience is worth the price. If we could get rid of the power cord, then our Garmin would be nearly perfect!
Customer Review: Buy it....really!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this for my Nuvi because I was going to California and you cannot use the windshield mount (suction cups, etc, that attach to the windshield, I was told, are illegal and you can get a ticket). I hated having to spend the extra money on it, but after using it the first time I was very impressed. This is much better than the suction cup. It never fell off and never moved. On the way back from Las Vegas, where people routinely seem to approach triple digits, the mount never moved! We did not drive that fast, but even around corners it stays in place. It is really easy to use, and I once had to stop short and still, it did not move. It is easy to place my Nuvi and adjust its placement. It is not as heavy as I thought it would be, and I actually did not think it would work well, but I was pleasantly surprised. I never use my windshield mount anymore (I am tired of it falling off while I am driving). This is so much safer to use than the suction cup mount. I would recommend this to everyone, and wish that Garmin would use this instead of the suction cup, as its standard, included mount.
Added July 26, 2008
A couple of weeks ago I had a problem with the gooseneck, so I emailed Garmin. The CSR who wrote to me asked me to be more specific about which part I had a problem with (she replied on a Sunday). I emailed back and told her it was the gooseneck. She emailed me back saying that a new item would ship out ASAP. I received the part within 5 days. No charge. I have to say that kind of customer service is not seen very often anymore and am glad to have it. Just another reason to be happy with this product....btw, the problem I had with the part was my fault. :-)
Customer Review: Fabulous Device!
Summary: 5 Stars
Garmin Portable Friction Dashboard Mount for Nüvi Series and StreetPilot C5XX Series GPS Navigators (C530, C550 and C580)
We recently bought our Garmin GPS unit; I didn't want a windshield mount (too tempting for thieves). Ideally, I wanted something for the dashboard but didn't know anything like that existed, so when I saw this, hubby and I decided to get it. We were on a 1400-mile journey and had never used a GPS unit before.
This dashboard mount is fantastic. Once we placed it on the dashboard, it never moved, even around sharp turns. It was easy to adjust so that both of us could see our GPS unit. The entire unit was easy to hide if we were going to be out of the car for just a couple of minutes; it was also easy to remove our GPS unit from the dashboard mount when we wanted to take everything out of the car. When we left the car, there was NO evidence that we even had a GPS unit, which is exactly what we wanted.
We couldn't be more pleased. This mount enabled us to have our GPS unit exactly where I (the driver) wanted it without obstructing my vision in any way. And hubby could make slight changes if necessary so that he could see the unit as well. In addition, if hubby wanted to program in a new destination or check for gas prices, etc, he could easily take the unit off the dashboard to do so. This made for a pleasant driving experience all the way around.
We also got (locally) a carrying case for our GPS, and the dashboard mount fits into it too.
Highly recommended!
Customer Review: A must for your portable GPS unit
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this item for my Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS. I wish I would have bought it sooner. I remember the days of struggling to get my suction cup mount to sit tight against my windshield. Cold windshields don't work well. Warming up the car just to mount the suction cup was a waste of gas, but not anymore. I checked out this wonder last night while my wife was driving. We stopped in a empty parking lot to put this item holding my GPS to the test. It passed with flying colors. We made very sharp turns, fast starts and stops and did just about everything we could to get the mat to move. All of our attempts failed. This mat stayed put like super glue and fits nicely under a seat.
If you are using a suction cup with your GPS whether on the dash or windshield, this is the best solution to avoid all of that hassle. Just pop this mat on your dash and go. No more worries that your GPS will fall anymore.
Aside from convenience, this mat will also solve the possible theft of your GPS unit. Thieves will look for the suction cup residue left on your windshield as well as your attempt to wipe the residue clean. They also look for GPS suction cup disks left on your dash. Don't let a $25-$30 investment in this product ruin your day. Theives will pass on your vehicle and focus on other's that don't have this product. Get this item and have peace of mind.
Lastly, if you get this mat or not, take your GPS unit with you when leaving your car unattended. Extremely hot or cold tempatures is not good for a portable GPS unit. They don't have any insulation to protect them unless you don't mind thieves keeping the GPS unit warm for you.
Customer Review: Great match-up for my nuvi 660 and new Prius!
Summary: 5 Stars
We have had our Garmin nuvi 660 for over a year now and simply can't go anywhere without it. Our Pontiac Aztek (Yeah, the funny looking one) was where we used it most. Up high in the SUV, the windsheild mount worked fine. It did drop a few times, usually at the most inopportune moments. Then the skyrocketing fuel costs forced us to consider an alternative vehicle with much better fuel efficiency.
Our new Prius is the new home for our GPS and the deeply sloping windshield made it a slight effort to mount and dismount the standard sucction mount. In addition, as city dwellers, we were cautioned about leaving the windshield mount attached. The bad guys would break into cars with empty mounts and rummage around for the absent GPS. It got to the point that in some areas the police advised motorists to clean the tell-tale ring on the windshield left by the sucction mount because even that would prompt someone to take a shot at finding a GPS in the vehicle.
Well the dashboard friction mount solved a few inconveniences. The GPS now sits on top of the dash whenever we drive. It's at a better level for viewing and doesn't block any portion of the windshield. It's also easier to reach when using the Bluetooth connection for hands-free phone calls and to listen to Audible Books. When we park the car the fricton mount slides easily out of sight under the seat and there's no tell-tale ring on the window. It stays rock-steady in place and has never moved while driving. We take it whenever we travel and use it on our rental cars.
My wife says that the nuvi 660 and friction mount combo is a better traveling companion than I am.