Today, I am very excited to introduce you guys to a special guest writer, Donald Golden. He is a father of two sweet little ones, a husband to one awesome gal, and has been kind enough to help me do a little reviewing around here. Thanks Donald! You guys might be seeing him around here a little bit more. Welcome!

Check out his review for MobiGrip, a safety belt for your high tech gadgets

Never Jump to Conclusions
Upon opening the package containing the new MobiGrip Device Leash, that’s exactly what I did. I immediately thought of a few reasons this product wouldn’t work well for me and made a few more assumptions of what types of people it would work well for. After “test driving” it for a few days I was pleasantly surprised by how well I liked it. Follow along to see if this product is for you.

The reading material that came along with the MobiGrip contained sobering statistics on both the number of cell phones Americans damage every year and the corresponding dollar amounts spent to repair or replace those phones. My mind instantly flashed to my relatively new Apple iPhone and the fact that you cannot get insurance for it (or any other Smart Phone for that matter) through your cell phone carrier. The thought of it hitting the ground and shattering in hundreds of pieces had me reaching for the MobiGrip as quickly as possible!

One of my initial concerns was that, like most men, I carry my cell phone in a holster on my hip and feared that my phone would no longer properly fit inside it with the MobiGrip attached. As you can see by the picture below the fit is a bit snug, but very manageable (the brand of holster I have actually seems to be made with a product like MobiGrip in mind with the “cutout” on the backside). The holster still closes normally and releases the iPhone as easily as ever.




The MobiGrip was very easy to install, simply remove the piece of wax paper revealing the sticky circle underneath and press firmly onto the device of choice. A note of suggestion if you are installing the MobiGrip on a cell phone, I would recommend the “leash” portion face the opposite direction of the hand you use most often to talk on the phone. I am a right-handed talker and as the picture shows, I placed the elastic loop facing to the left. This places the MobiGrip and consequently, the iPhone squarely in the palm of my hand.




Another early concern I had was whether I would actually have time to get the phone out of the holster, place the leash on my finger and answer the call before it rolled to voice mail. Those concerns were soon calmed as it is very natural to slip the loop onto your finger after a few practice runs. The loop itself is very comfortable, but does tend to slip down your finger during horizontal use (for those marathon texting sessions!).

I think this problem could be addressed by a slight design change. By making the inner part of the plastic circle containing the elastic leash able to rotate, the loop would not be as apt to slip down your finger. This is, however, a minor flaw in an otherwise excellent device that provides that extra bit of peace of mind while handling your high-dollar toys!

One other design suggestion for future models of the MobiGrip, came from my natural desire to use products for purposes other than they were intended (aren’t most men that way!). While inspecting the back of the MobiGrip disk, I couldn’t help but notice a certain tackiness feel to the rubber. I have never owned one of those dashboard-type cell phone pads that hold your phone in place even while driving like your favorite NASCAR hero, but thought maybe the MobiGrip could do the same thing. Please note, the company never advertised the product to be used like this, and for good reason, as my precious iPhone slid all the way across my dash during a sharp turn! A little more tackiness to the rubber and MobiGrip could cover a whole new realm of possible accessories.

The only real problem I encountered while using the MobiGrip, is removing it from my phone. The enclosed literature says the device is removable and leaves no residue. It was very hard to pry from my iPhone and as you can see from the picture, there is quite a bit of residue remaining. In fact, removing the MobiGrip rendered it useless for future devices and for this reason I would consider the product to be disposable. That being said, the residue left behind did come off my phone pretty easily.




A quick review of the company website shows that the MobiGrip comes in a variety of colors and designs, including fully customizable options, and with a price tag under $10, you’ll find yourself wanting one for all your small, techy toys. People who carry their cell phone in a pocket or purse will find the MobiGrip invaluable as will those who take the time to see if it fits into their cell phone holster. I’m sure glad I did!

Thanks for letting all of us know about MobiGrip Donald! Now for some fun!

Win It!
Do you want to try it?! Well, We've partnered up with MobiGrip to offer 3 lucky readers one MobiGrip of your own! Hey! It's worth trying after reading Donald's review, right? All you have to do is tell me what gadget you'd use this on. Nintendo DS? Cell Phone? iPod?

Extra Entries

1.) As always, you'll receive 3 extras if you blog about this contest by linking back to this post.

2.) Grab up an extra if you give some feedback on Donald's review. Like having a guys point of view every once in awhile? Want to learn more about cool products for the men in your life?

3.) Add me to your Technorati favorite for one more (click on the green tag under stats, right there on the right).

Contest starts today December 15th-22nd Midnight Central Time and open to US residents only. You don't have to be a blogger to enter, but please leave a valid email address for contact purposes.

**Remember to leave EACH additional entry in separate comments for it to count**