Top critical review
2.0 out of 5 starsGreat Magnet, not so great mount ball receiver.
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2024
I bought this little guy after reading through loads and load of reviews in reference to magnet strength. They weren’t wrong, the magnet is great, much better than just about any other MagSafe mount I’ve ever tried. The ball mount receiver on the back of the MagSafe puck, well that on the other hand, leaves a bit to be desired. The entire ball receiver would wiggle where it mounts to the MagSafe puck. I tried to tighten the screw, but that just made it worse.
Upon disassembly, I found that the ball receiver part itself, didn’t have a flush base. Not sure if there was a problem with the mold, or it’s just a QC issue. Regardless, it wouldn’t sit flat against the MagSafe puck where they screw together. I sanded the back of the receiver piece flat, and did another test fit. Still a bit of wobble, but significantly better. The next issue was the tiny screw that was used to secure the receiver to the puck. Not sure if it was a cost saving measure, but the screw was honestly just too small. Any extra clamp force beyond that of the factory, would just push the screw through the plastic, as the screw head is too small for the opening. So, I sourced a new screw, that was tapered to fit well in the mounting hole of the receiver. I also added some craft/masking tape to the inside and outside edges of the puck and receiver respectively. Then I reassembled the mount, with the modifications I mentioned above, you can see them in the photos as well.
After the modifications, I’m very pleased. I eliminated the wiggle, which means it won’t shake so much while driving. Honestly, without the modifications, I’m not sure how long this mount would have lasted before it disassembled itself.
If it had come like this from the factory, it would be an easy 5 star MagSafe mount. However, having to disassemble, sand flat, line with tape/gapfiller, and use a larger taper headed screw… that’s gonna drop it quite a few stars.
If you’re ok with something that might need to be modified for safety purposes/ease of use, then no big deal. If you want a perfect out of the box solution, this might not be it.