Review: Kenu Airframe Plus
I drive a Camry. I’m not proud of it. I’m not embarrassed. It’s fine. That’s what owning a Camry is. However, there IS one thing that Camry owners have had to deal with, and that is horrible AC power outlet placement and no large suction-cup-able flat surfaces for mounting our iDevices. All solutions that I HAVE found have suction cups just a little too large, and the seal always fails. Cupholder solutions are equally bad, and too low. Well, I am hear to tell all my fellow Camry owners that OUR DAY HAS FINALLY COME!! Behold the Kenu Airframe, the little mount that could!
Yes, it doesn’t look like much, and yes, it is $25 for one of the smallest accessories you will buy, but it actually WORKS where so many $15 car mounts have failed.
The Airframe is just a very nicely designed spring clip that fastens onto your car’s air vent, allowing you to finally use Maps to get directions without looking down to your lap or balancing your iPhone precariously behind the steering wheel. Now, before you go and say you’ve tried other vent clips, let me just stop you and say I have too. The last one I tried cracked off and the plastic clip got stuck in my air vent which was not fun. But the Airframe is built differently, and that can’t happen. The Airframe has a rubbery 4 pincer clip that will let you orient it vertically or horizontally, and when pushed in firmly (at first push I thought I had it all the way in, but you need to push firmly) it is a very secure mounting solution.
It comes in two models, the regular old Airframe for reasonably sized phones, and the Airframe+ for people like me who embrace the phablet-sized phones.
You may notice I have mine mounted upside down. That’s just because when I remove my iPhone, I like to pull it to the left to expand the spring and remove it with one hand. I found going the other way would almost pull the AirFrame out of its position. But that’s another genius thing about the design, it is as versatile as you need it to be.
As well thought-out as it is, there IS one minor issue with the AirFrame that its designers could not avoid, being a vent-based clip, and that is in cold weather if you have your heat blasting out of those vents, you COULD overheat your device. It’s getting cold here in the Northeast right now, and I get around this by setting my heat to the “defrost and legs” setting. So if you’re the type who needs to hold their hand in front of the vent while driving in cold weather, maybe get a pair of gloves. But I find that to be a small tradeoff to finally be able to have my iPhone giving me directions up near eye level. And it really makes it much easier to play Clash of Clans while driving.
KIDDING!
Price: $24.95 to $29.95
Pros: IT WORKS!! And odds are it will work in YOUR car too!
Cons:If you are blocking the vent in cold weather, the heat from your vent COULD overheat your iPhone.
Within 6 months of purchasing this expensive device, it was in the garbage. The plastic coated metal pincers that grip the vent fins actually split and frayed. The result was that the fins were heavily scored by the metal component, and the grip was lost. Don’t waste your money.
Got mine delivered in Holland Doc, hope it will do as well on my little hardressers-car..
I love mine. Its been over a year and all 4 of mine are still going strong. Its been a great gift to give as well. I was worried about the switch from my iPhone5 to the 6, but no problems. But I can see where a larger version for the 6+ and other larger android phones would be better. I even have one in my travel bag for rental cars. 😉
Love this device. Regarding the phone getting heated during the colder months (I’m a New Englander), I just closed that particular vent so that nothing came through. The rest of the vents did the job of keeping the car warm.