kurt_g's Full Review: Bracketron UFM-100-BL Mobile Nav-Mat for GPS
Like many people, my wife and I have GPS receivers in our cars. My wife has a Magellan, I have a Garmin. Mine is still mounted to the original dashboard mount that came with it. Hers was not, and that had become a problem.
The dashboard of her minivan is curved in placed and the disk had not stuck well. Eventually it came off. My wife solved the problem by mounting the GPS to the windshield. This worked, but had two problems. The first was that in our state, attaching anything to your windshield is illegal and can get you a ticket. The second was that the suction cup didn't hold well to the windshield and often fell while driving. Not the best situation.
Well, I guess we're not the only people this has ever happened to, because at Target one day I saw the Bracketron UFM-100-BL Mobile Nav-Mat. Here seemed to a complete solution to the GPS problem. The price seemed a little high -- $40 -- but I decided it was worth a go.
The Bracketron UFM-100-BL Mobile Nav-Mat is a ballistic nylon bag filled with BBs or lead shot or similar material to give it weight. It's donut-shaped and about nine inches across. In the center is a large plastic disk, much like the mounting disk that it replaced. The bottom of the Bracketron UFM-100-BL Mobile Nav-Mat is covered with a nonskid material that's a little tacky and can help it grip.
Installation is about as simple as it gets. Stick the GPS's suction cup onto the disk in the middle, then place the mat on your dashboard. It's flexible and can move to adjust to uneven surfaces.
All seemed good. But was this really going to work? Was a turn going to send the Bracketron UFM-100-BL Mobile Nav-Mat and GPS flying? Would it fall?
I was quite pleased to discover that it would work and my fears did not come true. The Bracketron UFM-100-BL Mobile Nav-Mat actually works. It sat right there, with the GPS firmly mounted to it. It didn't budge. Not through turns, not through speeding up, and we were able to use the GPS's touch screen without tipping over the unit. The weight of the internal weights and the gripping surface on the bottom are enough to keep the unit from moving. It really does work. The only thing that did manage to move the GPS was my son.
The heavy nylon of the Bracketron UFM-100-BL Mobile Nav-Mat means that cleanup is easy. We haven't had it long, but it's made of quality nylon and it's pretty rugged. A lot of car accessories are made of cheap materials. Not this one.
Really the only downside is the price -- $40 is expensive. But it's made well and does the job, so you get what you pay for.
If you're missing a dashboard disk or just don't want to permanently stick the disk to your dash, the Bracketron UFM-100-BL Mobile Nav-Mat is a great way to keep your GPS in place.
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