Belkin, known for the accessories that it makes for Apple's devices, recently announced its first MagSafe products, the Boost Charge Pro MagSafe 3-in-1 Wireless Charger and the Car Vent PRO. The wireless charger isn't out just yet, but the Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO with MagSafe has launched.
The Car Vent PRO is, as the name suggests, a mount that's been created for use in the car with a design that attaches to a car's vents. Priced at $40, the Car Vent PRO is not a charger and has no charging capabilities.
The accessory is a simple magnet-based mount that attaches to MagSafe devices that include the iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max, adhering to the MagSafe magnet built into those devices. It also works with MagSafe cases attached to iPhone 12 models.
I'm not entirely sure why the Car Vent PRO has "Pro" attached to its name because it's a fairly simple mount. It's made from a lightweight plastic material that's designed to look like aluminum with a softer material on the mount portion of the accessory to ensure an attached iPhone isn't scratched or otherwise damaged.
The lightweight design is nice because it's not putting unnecessary weight on the car's vents. There's a silicone prong on the back of the Car Vent PRO that grabs right into a car's vents, with about an inch and a half space between the vents and the front of the mount. The grip is tight enough that I'm confident it's not going to come loose from the vent.
I'm not often in the car these days so I haven't been able to do extensive terrain testing on how well the magnetic connection works. With my iPhone attached, if I give the mount a good shake I can dislodge my iPhone, but I do have to put a decent amount of effort into it.
I suspect that there are situations where a huge bump could dislodge the iPhone from the mount, but for day to day smoother driving, it feels well-adhered. I took several trips on a fairly bumpy road and had no problems with the magnetic connection with an iPhone 12 or a heavier iPhone 12 Pro Max even at fast speeds and during turns.
While there's no built-in charging, you can attach the Vent PRO to an in-car Lightning cable if you already have that setup, which makes it more useful. There is a spot for routing a cable around the back if you do want to use it with a charger. My car's charging ports are located in the center console under a lid, so it's not a convenient setup for my situation and I wasn't able to test it with a cable attached.
The Car Vent PRO can be used in either portrait or landscape mode with an attached iPhone, so depending on your in-car setup and how you prefer Maps to look, you can get it working the way that you like. To facilitate use in either orientation, the Car Vent PRO itself rotates thanks to an adjustable ball joint that can also change the angle of the phone as needed.
Bottom Line
Belkin's Car Vent PRO does what it's supposed to do - it successfully provides a way to mount your iPhone in the proper position for using apps like Maps while in the car. The magnetic connection held up well in my testing, and the adjustable ball joint allows the mount to work in most vehicle setups.
Compared to other mounting options, it's simple because it requires no extra hardware or magnets, and it's basically the only MagSafe mounting option at the moment. If you need a mount for the car and have an iPhone 12, Belkin's option is worth checking out.
How to Buy
The Belkin Car Vent PRO can be purchased from Apple for $39.99.
Note: Belkin provided MacRumors with a Car Vent PRO for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
Top Rated Comments
Maybe have somebody who does drive review it then? lol
I would rather Belkin had focused their efforts on releasing their 3-in-1 MagSafe charger before Christmas. That’s a far more enticing release.