[REVIEW] LooKbad - "Airholder" and "Handy" hands free holders for Android Tablets
NOTE: I'm a Nexus 10 owner with no affiliation with LooKbad Limited
Airholder:
Pros
- Hands free tablet viewing is both relaxing and comfortable even after several hours reading or watching videos
- The Airholder is made of high quality materials and appears to be of much better construction than alternate products
- Allows for endless adjustments providing almost any viewing angle you could want when sitting up or fully reclined
- The MultiCase accommodates both microUSB and Pogo plug charging cables
- When not in use folds into a compact non-obtrusive form factor
Cons
- The included USB connections do not support OTG devices (e.g. USB hubs, SD card readers ... etc)
- Support arm needs to be anchored (wood, cement or dry wall)
Detailed review:
Using a Nexus 10 in bed while fully reclined can be uncomfortable in less than 40+ minutes (a single TV show). Even a dock sitting on your chest can be a pain as it is difficult to maintain optimum viewing angles.
After researching several alternative hands free holders, ranging from music stands to converted desk lamps, I discovered the best ones were mostly made for the iPad.
That is until I stumbled upon the "Airholder" by LooKbad Limited. Their web site says the Airholder supports "iPad/Android/Windows Tablet". Although the devices is fairly expensive ($118 USD after applying a $10 discount code), I had the need and enough spare cash to take a chance, so I bought both the Airholder and added a "Handy". It did not hurt that their web site had pictures which displayed the AirHolder and a Nexus 10.
Shipping from Hong Kong was on the high side at $38 USD but I ordered on a Friday and it was delivered on the following Tuesday (Canada). There was no additional duty charges but your mileage may vary.
After the unboxing my first impressions were that the arm, joints and swivels are very well made and will likely be durable over the long haul. Different than the iPad Airholder version, that snaps on like a hard shell cover, the "MultiCase" is a generic tablet holder adjustable for tablets from 5.5" to 11". The MultiCase locks into the AirHolder and has an additional lock-switch for extra safety. Of note is that 7 inch tablets can be held in both portrait and landscape positions while 10 inch tablets (e.g. Nexus 10) can only be held in the landscape position.
After adjusting the MultiCase to accommodate the Nexus 10, I realized that this holder would not prevent the Nexus 10 from sliding sideways if the holder tipped unexpectedly. That initially worried me but after using this product for a while the concern was unfounded. In fact the lack of tight fit proved to have a number of benefits.
First, a TPU case on the Nexus 10 could be left on and it looks like the MultiCase could even accommodate a flip cover. The other benifit is that you could make slight adjustments like tilt left/right/forward/back without changing the MultiCase's overall position. Unless you have the Airholder you cannot fathom how useful that can be.
LooKbad has recommendations on the position you should mount the Airholder and I highly recommend you heed their recommendations. As I did not want to make mistakes and drill unnecessary holes in my bed room wall, I initially mounted the Airholder on a 2x4 piece of wood then temporarily proped it up, to give it a test run for few nights. I'm glad I took that approach as I ended up finding that I preferred the mount 3 inches higher than LooKbad's recommendation just so I had additional elbow room.
The Airholder includes USB connectors with the wires hidden inside the main arm and includes a male to male USB cable. I envisioned attaching a powered USB hub to one end and get the benefits of both OTG Devices and changing from the one USB connection. Nice idea but I discovered that the Airholder USB connections do not support OTG USB devices, just power for charging. Still nice but OTG support would have been even better.
Adjusting to your preferred position whether sitting up or fully reclined is very easy. The arms and their adjustable joints are well thought out. After making your adjustments you can lock the position in and it is secure enough that touching the tablet surface does not cause distracting jiggling.
At night, when the lights are off, it is both cool and a little disconcerting having your tablet appear to float in the air. I particularly liked being able to position the tablet so that I could look straight out to the center of the screen no matter how I laid in bed. Something that was not as easy when resting a dock on your chest. Also no more juggling a tablet and a cup of tea while reading an ebook. There is a lot to be said for hands free reading.
After two weeks using the Airholder I feel I got my money's worth. Sure I could have taken a chance and saved money but I got what I wanted with a product that will likely be used with my next generation tablet.
Handy:
Pros
- Convenient for attaching to kitchen cabinets, desktops, music stands ... etc
- Utilizes the Airholder's "MultiCase" so two different tablet mounts did not need to be purchased
Cons
- The Handy is very short so in all but mounting to a kitchen cabinet you'll likely need an additional component (e.g. music stand) to position the tablet for easy viewing
Detailed review:
At $16 USD the "Handy" was a through-in item when the Airholder was purchased. Adding the "Handy" meant no additional shipping charges. Unfortunately I had not thought things through so did not fully realize that the very short arm would mean that I could not get the tablet close enough for my tired old eyes to read text. This is my issue not LooKbad's.
The Handy works great in the kitchen where cabinets have a natural position for viewing. So far I have not settled on how I will use the Handy day-to-day, but have jury rigged a short rod to a camera tripod while I contemplate a music boom mike stand purchase.
So far the camera tripod has been very successful as its stable and can be adjusted in multiple ways (swivel, height, tilt). In fact I suspect it is more stable than any cheap music stand. Manoeuvring the tripod with Handy/tablet attached, to a viewing position for my easy chair, works surprisingly well. Although it doesn't have a high WAF (wife acceptance factor).
Of note is that when attaching the Handy to any smooth round surface the downward torque caused by the weight of the MultiCase and tablet is significant so the grip tends to slip. I ended up positioning the Handy with the Handy's arm already pointed straight downward. I only mention this as it meant I had to adjust the height of the camera tripod a few inches higher.
I am not disappointed that I spent the additional $16 for the Handy and do use it daily with my easy chair and occasionally in the kitchen.
Independent review of the Airholder.
AirHolder on Youtube:
The basic functions of an AirHolder
A tip on using the AirHolder
AirHolder as your furniture
Related
Hi,
I have very problem for discovered in web this specified case outdoor for mountain for my Athena, because Athena exceed the dimensions internal of this otterbox models:
http://www.otterbox.com/products/pda_cases/3600/
You have others links or products?
Thanks!!
for the large dimensions of athena I found this case:
http://www.ram-mount.com/aqua_box_mount/aquabox_mediumwide_mount.htm
is made for the gps tomtom stand alone and is a little 'deep but enters perfectly.
hours do outdoor compegpsland with the program and is wonderful to see the map raster in the large screen!
or mountain trekking i'll use a simple air tight sealed bag, that sells cheaply, those works better than the hard cases
and bring a log a Solar power charger, or any manual crank torch with charging capability.
for skiiing.... i'll never bring it, don't want to break it, for those ocasions, i usually fall back to my cheap Sony phones.
I've got a GoKart golf trolley and I have a Golf GPS program for my HD2, so firstly I need to find a holder for the phone but the question I have for you chaps is,
As I'm running Android on my HD2 and this eats batteries - can any of you recommend a good portable charger that works for the HD2? I'm thinking one of those battery packs that has a usb connetion - then I just plug in my standard lead......I may look to see if I can wire up a usb socket from the carts battery via a cig lighter type setup.
The reason why I think I need one is that a round of golf can be 4 hours long and I'd need to have the screen set to full brightness and always on so I can easily see the golf program.
any help would be great
cheers
As you're using a cigarette lighter would a generic car charger do?
Sorry to flag this up after so long.
Do you really need to see the program all the time? I use GolfGPS when im playing and have the screen turned off except when im stood over the ball ready to take a shot and need to know the yardage. Turning the screen off when not needed will save you loads of battery. My HD2 easily gets round a course with 50% or so to spare on battery life. I think GPS can be set to run in the background but even if not, it doesnt take more than a few seconds usually to figure out where you are!
As for holders, i dont know if you sorted it but have a look at http://www.pdahut.com/herbert-richter-holders-and-mounts/ , id imagine the bike handlebar one would probably fit onto a golfcart resonably well!
This site also has a good collection of bike mounts that may well be compatible with Golf cart. Holders and Mounts
Bike Mount from Ebay
Esspee_London said:
This site also has a good collection of bike mounts that may well be compatible with Golf cart. Holders and Mounts
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have bought this bicycle mount from ebay and wanted to share my overall positive opinion on it. It is quite cheap, 3,77$ including shipping to Taiwan, but well built, durable and functional nevertheless. It truly is designed especially for HD2.
Pros:
*really universal(up to 1 inch), it was easy to mount and dismount,. no hassle.
*Sturdy fixation on the steering bar.
*360 degree swirling ball-head joint, very easy to tilt.
* not covering any important part of the phone.
* the holder is cushioned wherever touches the plastic of Phone to reduce possible wearing. inserts.
Cons:
* Was rather hard to pull the phone off the mount,the battery cover tended to come off too. But i guess it is reasonable, otherwise the phone would snap off on every bump and jump. I just think that there might be another fixation mechanism, that could be both reliable and easy-releasing..
* no instruction or manual on how to mount/use the holder.
* it is even harder to pull the holder out from the fixed part. I imagine there would be cases when one would try to briefly release the phone out of holder (to make a call for instance) and put it back. Well, with current design it is rather hard. Me maybe I am doing something wrong. Or some parts need to work a couple of times back and forth until they get to the necessary usable condition? I will see..
* The plastic phone holder has a hole for camera, but i would rather prefer if it would have another hole for the LED light, to use it as an emergency blinking light in cases my bike light is damaged/dead.
Conclusion: I recommend - very handy accessory for frequent bikers, but more suitable for outdoor "sunny" biking, where one would not need to take the phone out and back frequently.
P.S. If there was a nice and cheap waterproof case (to drive in rain) i would have gone for it, but couldn't find any, so ended up with this
NOTE: I'm a Nexus 10 owner with no LooKbad Limited affiliation
At the end of my review of LookBad's Airholder is a section on their "Handy" accessory. This post is a how-to make a "DIY Portable Airholder" using the "Handy".
Pros:
Portability, can be used in any room, out on the deck or even camping
Assemble/Disassemble with only a flat head screw driver
Once disassembled it is easy to pack away (closet, trunk ... etc)
Many different adjustments can be made to accomodate your preferred Tablet viewing position
You may already have some of the required components gathering dust in a closet (I did).
Except for a small block of scrap wood none of the components are damaged so they can be reused for their original purpose
Significantly more stable than a music microphone boom stand
A music microphone boom stand is more expensive than most adjustable camera tripods
Cons:
When located indoors it has a low WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor)
With most camera tripods the DIY Portable Airholder will function best only on the left hand side of your sitting position due to the tripod's handle location
Components:
Lookbad: Multicase $32.99USD and Handy $16USD
Flat head screw driver
Two steep clamps they need to be long enough to encircle the tripod camera base and wooden block. Easily located at any hardware store or plumbing supply. My steep clamps are #24 11/16 2" (26.9 - 50.8mm).
Adjustable camera tripod (this is just an example tripod)
Weighted practice golf club. There are many alternatives for this component. It so happens that this is what I am using as it was gathering dust in a closet. The component should have a counter weight and be around 27" (174cm) long. A rubber grip is important to counter the tablet's downward torque while providing a firm grip for the Handy.
Tablet: Any 5" to 11" tablet (e.g Nexus 10)
Optional components:
Charging cable and charger
A Velcro cable tie for securing the wall charger to the tripod
Two common wire ties to secure your tablet charging cable to the weighted golf practice club's shaft
How-To:
The majority of effort is to groove the block of scrap wood. This implementation used:
A scrap 1-1/2"x3/4"x4-1/2" (WxHxL) piece of Poplar. Many other wood alternative can be substituted also adjust size to fit tripod camera platform.
The groove was cut with a table saw. Many small cut where made until the practice Golf club metal shaft fit snuggly into the resulting groove. A snug NOT loose fit is essential so the shaft does not twist due to torque when the tablet is attached. A snug fit avoids the need to use glue.
A wood chisel was used to remove the excess wood where the steep clamps are anchored
A wood rasp was used to smooth out the wood where the steep clamps are anchored
A hole was drilled into the groove to accomodate the tripod's camera fastening screw. The hole is slightly larger than the fastening screw.
View the labeled pictures to see how all the components are assembled
NOTE: Using the Camera Tripod's handle to swing the tablet away or back is much safer and easier than pushing/pulling the shaft holding the tablet.
This was a Father/Son joint project with Son creating the prototype and Father converting that prototype into a production model. Thanks Dad
Images left to right:
Disassembled components (excluding Tablet, charger cable, charger and extention cord)
Side and top views of camera platform/wood/shaft/clamp assembly
Multiangle view of grooved block of wood
Assembled DIY Portable AirHolder:
Assembled components with no Tablet installed
Handy and Multiholder Side view
DIY Portable Airholder with Tablet
Optional charger with velcro cable tie, pogo plug and earplugs
that's interesting. Too bad none of my use can use this.
Nexus 10 accesories
I am waiting for Zerolemon if they can release DOCKS for Nexus 10. I am very much impressed with their batteries and cases.
I was thinking of using the phone when cycling to track my route and so that I can see my position. I will not be going off-track often and I don't expect to be falling off the bike often . Could you recommend some good case? Thanks
I'm using this one for the past 2 years and it's really great:
http://www.topeak.com/products/bags/smartphone_drybag_5_wt
It hosted my Nexus 4, then my Z1C and now my Z3C . The great thing is that it has a clip on the back that you can attach to the regular clothes too, so I can use it also if I go hiking or rowing.
You will have to use a bluetooth adapter during those times because the phone will be enclosed 100%.
super cheap yet very solid and functional:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hot-Phone-H...896?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa4bf55a8
I'm a bike commuter and like to have my phone on my handlebars every day either as speedometer, clock or music player. I've used a number of different mounts with varying degrees of success.
Right now, I'm a huge fan of QuadLock (quad lock case dot com) . For the Z3c, you'd need to get a secure 3rd party case case (not sure which would be the most secure, maybe the Ringke Fusion? or Terrapin? I dunno), then get the Bike Kit which includes the bike mount and the universal adapter. I've used this setup with three different phone/case combo's thus far and each has been rock solid.
I can't comment on the earlier poster's ebay mount, but I can offer some advantages of the Quadlock over the Topeak bag. A huge benefit of the Topeak is that it's a dry bag, protecting your phone from the elements. But, that's not a concern with the Z3c since it's water/dust proof. And, the downside of the Topeak is that it can overheat, they warn about this on the Topeak site, and I've experienced it with other enclosed mounts. Also, with the Quadlock, you will still have access to charging (depending on your case) either from a battery pack or a hub gen if you have one - I've done both.
The downside of the Quadlock is that it's $40 USD. But, being the most reliable one I've tried thus far, I don't have a problem with that cost.
HTH,
Jack
Hey Jack, I'd like to get your opinions after using Quadlock after a year. I'm looking for most robust option. Quadlock has dedicated products for iPhones and some other devices but they recommended universal adaptor for Z3C. But I don't trust the adhesive that will be mounted on Z3C case. Have you had any issues with this? I suppose you have used Universal adaptor as well.
I can also buy a more up-to-date and compatible product that supports charging while using the device. I have a Roswheel front bag on frame for Z3C. Basically I'm not happy with using it. But I can use it to house my charger and from there an extension of charging cable to Phone at handlebar could do the trick. What do you think? Of course this is a rare case scenario. I'm not a great fan of cycling. Only joining weekend activities. Usually they take only 70 miles.
I would also appreciate a little update. I also have something similar to the bag mount. Quadlock looks really cool, but I can't justify the price.
Sent from my D5803 using Tapatalk
If your headset stem is square-section, the easiest way to mount your phone is with a simple loop of elastic. Starting with the loop under the stem, pull up loops along the left and right sides of the stem. Then thread your phone through those loops so it's sitting on top of your stem. Our phones are waterproof, so no need for a case. They also have those tiny wrist-band strap holes at the bottom which you can use to make a secure back-up to stop the phone hitting the floor if the elastic fails.
I cycled across Europe like this last summer - absolutely perfect tool for the job.
Pictures of mod items down below.
Back to the topic of modding the IE Gear VR for the note 4:
I just received my IE unit days ago and had a look at the various modding attempts be it on this thread, youtube or google altogether.
Some do look clean enough still I was pondering the idea of the cleanest sleekiest modding design, while keeping costs to a minimum.
After about 3 days of hectic googling, I came up with the following:
1- 8000mah Note 4 extended battery:
Link: http://www.ebay.de/itm/391342722159?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&var=660582850100&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
As opposed to the many more or less higher capacities at about 9000mah up to 10000mah which cover more width area of the phone. This piece at 8000mah has the same proportions as the original battery, only two times thicker.
That should be taken into consideration as the heating parts on the phone when used with the VR are usually around the back camera upper area. Having a normal sized extended battery should leave free room for air-cooling later on. As opposed to the wider kind at say 10000mah (Wink Wink Zerolemon ) that unfortunately cover the heating-up back side of the phone, theoretically causing the air-cooling mod not to work.
Last but not least, this battery at its offered capacity roughly costs 10 bucks. It should be a steal, once I'll confirm it is indeed offering a close enough performance to its claimed 8000mah capacity. More on that soon.
2- USB Cooling Fan
Link: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/1Pcs-Cool-Cooler-Cooling-Fan-USB-Foldable-Folding-Pad-w-2-Fans-for-Laptop-Notebook-Free/32435788330.html
Now to the main course, the cooling!
Most mods I've seen use an elaborate approach based on adapters and long cables.
Now I have found this piece, two fans already USB'ed and sized at :
167*66*20mm (respectively: Length*Width*Thickness)
These proportions should easily fit my rough calculation of the VR removable Front cover which more or less are:
180*80*18mm
USB is a 5V DC easily powered by any powerbank.
Price is just about 3 bucks. well 2,36 euros for me.
More on that after I receive my order and see to it.
Plan is double sided tape. More on that later.
3- Powerbank for the USB Fan:
With portability always in mind and me not willing to give up any aspect of that portability. Mods I've seen around just velcro-strap a sizeable powerbank on the headstrap or backstrap then call it a day. That is neither cool nor comfy. It is of course a matter of opinion and that was mine. Anyhow, here is the link of the smallest powerbank I've seen.
Link: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/keychain-Mini-Powerbank-1800mah-5V-1A-Mobile-Phone-Power-Bank-Mini-usb-Universal-Portable-External-Battery/32585393797.html
proportions: 51.5*41.5*17.5mm
weight: merely 70g
These proportions perfectly fit the left side of the VR where the GEAR VR OCULUS logo is.
It is planned to be installed by surrounding the edges and corners of that logo with thin double-sided tape/Velcro. That should keep the logo visible, harm the appearance as little as possible and hold the 70gram powerbank just fine.
Also more on that when I receive the goods.
The powerbank has a decent 1800mah for something the size of a key (designed as a keychain). That should be enough to run the fans for two days at least, again theoretically.
The price is an alluring 10 bucks or less if site's discount is applied.
Edit: If all works according to calculations, this mini powerbank would be sprayed white so it would fit with the IE Gear VR colors, and not stand out with its gold finish.
Conclusion:
My note 4 with the original 3220mah holds about 3h to 3h30 inside the VR without mods.
With the 8000mah it should hold up double the time or if conservative then a decent 5 hours. Again without cooling.
Double Fan cooling should be extreme as most of the seen mods report no heating whatsoever with just one fan, still lets see if double fans might be the new standard !
The Powerbank is to be installed as plug and play (with velcro) on the side. Just press it in or pull out from the left side. Easy.
The powerbank's own proportions are fitting the left side, so neither appearance nor design are compromised.
At 23 bucks, this is the lowest cost/design mod seen yet.
Well not seen it perse, I have to make it :laugh:
Pictures down below.
Actual DIY mod
Update 07-05-2016
I recently received my orders for the DIY and started working on it.
Challenges were met, but let's keep it brief.
My piece of advice on all this would be:
No matter how good your calculations are (for this particular kind of mod that doesn't involve damaging or altering the cover case but rather duct-taping your way around it):
Always make sure to double check your calculations as you will be working on a Millimeter -mm- basis here. . It literally took me tens of trial and error and loads of patience to find that particular right spot where the two fans don't hit on anything be it the camera or any part of the phone .The concave form factor of the protective cover definitely was of no help as only the center can be used, and that center hardly houses two fans.
So the fans had to be stripped down to the very bone, taking off every single part that had the potential of being removable. (used a heated knife and/or scissors)
The result can be seen in the video, where literally less than 5 millimeters separate the fan blades from the highest point of the phone, being the camera.
I did mention "this particular kind of mod" as not only does it not involve any cutting into the cover nor holes, but also it is built with completely removable material eg: Double-sided duct-tape and double-sided Velcro.
That provides two advantages: a clean design obviously as the title suggests and the possibility to keep your case undamaged and unaltered by simply scratching off all the Velcro and duct-tape at some point in the future, if you decide to.
I haven't received the 8000mah extra battery (mentioned above) yet so I'll update on that at a later date. Although now I highly doubt it would fit with the two fans, if one keeps the protective cover unaltered.
One last piece of advice: a 4mm wide double-sided duct-tape on the back of the battery is a good trick to keep it well snugged in the phone, not suddenly falling down, and still keeps the battery easily removable later on with finger pressure.
Pictures down below, and a short video made just after I finished the project (ps: humming is from something playing on the laptop, the two spinning fans don't make any noise).
Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXPEArWpgm0&feature=youtu.be
Shoot away your questions, I'll be happy to help!
This is my first attempt at any sort of DIY, and I'm glad it turned out just fine, and also happy I can give something back to this great community!
So much for trying to be brief ! Sorry !
Cheers.