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Shapeheart Smartphone mount for bike

4
£29.95

VERDICT:

4
10
The magnetic mount and touchscreen are good, but we broke it during testing and it got wet inside in heavy rain
Powerful magnet is secure
Touchscreens work well through front
Silicone strap is short and fragile
The mount twists if you prod the phone
The back of the case soaks up water
Weight: 
85g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Shapeheart Smartphone Mount for Bike has a powerful magnet that holds your phone securely – in fact, you might have trouble getting it off again! Unfortunately the sleeve isn't all that 'weatherproof' and the bar mount part is not up to the job for a couple of reasons.

Does Shapeheart's magnetic phone holder keep your expensive tech safe, secure and dry? In brief, the answer is no.

That's not the fault of the magnet though, and if you're concerned about the effect that a powerful magnetic field might have on your phone, there's no need to worry. Shapeheart says the magnet is mounted between two iron plates that 'cut the magnetic field to the phone,' and while it's not actually possible to block a magnetic field, you can certainly redirect it with shielding like this. My phone worked perfectly.

> Buy this online here

It's very quick and easy to mount, though you need some strength to get it off again. Do NOT do what I did and put it down on a steel workbench...

The sleeve itself is a simple affair; a neoprene-like back bonded and stitched to the touch-sensitive, transparent front. The stitching was rather untidy on mine, with a few loose threads, but it stayed intact for the duration of the review.

2022 Shapeheart Smartphone mount for bike - into case.jpg

The box has a handy full-size outline for a size guide on the side... except it isn't that handy because, while my phone fitted into the outline with or without its protective case, your phone would have to only have two dimensions for it to be accurate. In reality it was a tight stretch if I left the case on.

If your phone/case is within a few millimetres of the outline, consider going up a size. You can get M, XL and 2XL, but weirdly not L.

2022 Shapeheart Smartphone mount for bike - case back magnet.jpg

I had problems with the silicone strap that secures this to the bars. I had to stretch that strap very hard to try to get it around my perfectly normal (31.8mm) bars, and before I succeeded, it tore. Don't even think about trying to get it around a stem.

2022 Shapeheart Smartphone mount for bike - mount on stem.jpg

After this I had to resort to the rubber o-ring (pictured) instead, but this doesn't hold the mount nearly tight enough on a bar. With a fair amount of leverage available given the length of most phones, the whole shebang twists on the bars if I tried dabbing my iPhone 12's screen at the top or bottom.

You can get this with either a topcap mount or a bolted bar mount instead, but it's then £10 more.

The touch-sensitive front of the case is responsive, though I did have some trouble getting into the corners of the screen, and the camera is blocked. Apple's facial recognition would not work, though Shapeheart claims the Android version does.

> 29 of the best cycling apps for iPhone and Android

The sleeve is variously described as 'water resistant,' 'weatherproof' and that it 'fully withstands rain,' and while that may be true of the front, the neoprene back soaks up water pretty readily. I put a kitchen paper inside (rather than risk billing road.cc for the death of my phone) and took it out in heavy rain, and the tissue was wet within minutes.

2022 Shapeheart Smartphone mount for bike - landscape.jpg

It doesn't help that there's just an unsealed flap to cover the entrance, and a slit at the bottom to allow a charger cable through. There's no separate access for a headphone jack plug, though.

Value

While parts of the design work well, those that don't are pretty major – the bar mount and the weatherproofing. Consequently it's hard to say this is good value.

If you have space on your stem, Zefal makes a couple of secure cases that are tailored to a range of smartphones. A couple of years back we liked the Z-console for the same price as the Shapeheart, and the current version – the iPhone 11 Pro Bike Kit – is still £29.99. It's not entirely waterproof either, but works just fine in real life and real rain. In theory you could mount it on the bar instead of the stem, too.

Meanwhile, the Zefal Z-Console Dry is £24.99 and promises to be waterproof rather than weather resistant.

Overall

I found the mount secure enough so long as I wasn't trying to use the phone, and the screen worked well through the cover. However, the short strap quickly failed, the backup o-ring is less secure and the case itself is vulnerable in rain – overall, this is not a reliable way to protect your phone.

Verdict

The magnetic mount and touchscreen are good, but we broke it during testing and it got wet inside in heavy rain

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Shapeheart Smartphone mount for bike

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

According to Shapeheart, "The Shapeheart bike (and scooter) mount allows you to attach your smartphone to your handlebars in a few seconds and be guided by your GPS. No need to take your phone out of your pocket to find your way around ... the magnetic system withstands up to 50 times the weight of your smartphone."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Shapeheart says:

Compatible with almost all handlebars and stems (round / square) up to 60mm diameter

3 sizes of sleeve compatible with all brands of phones without removing its protective shell

Perfectly touchscreen sleeve

Weatherproof

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
4/10

The transparent cover is thick and well secured, but the stitching had a few loose threads. The silicone strap was too short to go round my handlebar, and tore when I tried to stretch it further.

Rate the product for performance:
 
4/10

The magnetic part sticks firmly and did not come loose in normal use, and touchscreen use is good. However, the silicone strap broke and the rubber band also supplied couldn't stop the whole thing rotating round the handlebar. Also the 'weatherproofing' is more showerproofing, really, and the back soaks up water.

Rate the product for durability:
 
4/10

As mentioned, the strap broke.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
3/10

Gets wet inside and doesn't hold stable on the secondary mount (the main mount broke).

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Not so great, really. The main strap broke, the alternative strap is too weak, and the sleeve soaks up water.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Good touchscreen sensitivity, and the magnetic part works well.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The neoprene section gets waterlogged, the short silicone strap snapped when stretched, the mount tends to slip if you press the phone and it's expensive.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

If you have space on your stem, Zefal makes a couple of secure cases that are tailored to a range of smartphones. A couple of years back we liked the Z-console for the same price as the Shapeheart, and the current version – the iPhone 11 Pro Bike Kit – is still £29.99. It's not entirely waterproof either, but works just fine in real life and real rain. In theory you could mount it on the bar instead of the stem, too.

Meanwhile, the Zefal Z-Console Dry is £24.99 and promises to be waterproof rather than weather resistant.

Did you enjoy using the product? Not really

Would you consider buying the product? No

Would you recommend the product to a friend? No

Use this box to explain your overall score

This offers not-bad shower protection, the magnetic mount works fine and the sleeve's touch sensitive front works well, but to score higher some significant issues need fixing – the neoprene part gets waterlogged, the strap is too short and ours snapped, and the alternative strap is too weak. There are better-looking clamps such as a steerer cap fitting available, but they cost extra.

Overall rating: 4/10

About the tester

Age: 54  Height: 6'2  Weight: 73kg and holding steady

I usually ride: Cannondale CAAD10   My best bike is: Tomassini Prestige

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: touring, sportives, general fitness riding, mtb,

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