How We Test

Our testing is designed to predict real‑world outcomes—how securely a mount holds, how clearly you can see your screen without blocking the road, how your phone handles heat while charging, and how much vibration reaches sensitive camera systems on bikes. We publish the measurements that roll up into our scores so you can see the trade‑offs.

GripScore (hold strength and docking ease)

• Clamp and Magnet Force: measured with calibrated force gauges for axial and shear pull‑off at 0°, 30°, and 60° on glass, painted metal, smooth plastic, and textured dash simulants.
• Cycle and Shock Durability: 1,000 dock/undock cycles, plus shock pulses (simulated potholes) to check latch and magnet stability.
• Case Compatibility: bare phone, MagSafe, and thick/rugged cases; with/without metal plates. One‑handed docking is timed, with glove tests where applicable.

VibeScore (vibration isolation and camera safety)

• Vibration Bench: handlebars (22.2/31.8/35 mm) and stem mounts tested on a shaker table across road/gravel/moto spectra. We measure acceleration (RMS g), resonant peaks, and damping.
• Camera OIS Risk: a proxy camera rig and smartphone OIS logs check for blur and OIS error events over standardized cycles.
• Hardware Resonance: arm lengths/joints mapped for wobble amplitude while filming.

ViewClear (visibility and legal sightlines)

• Sightline Mapping: occlusion area measured at typical driver eye points; compliance checked against common no‑obstruction zones and airbag deployment paths.
• Adjustability and Repeatability: angle range, joint torque, and the ability to return to the same framing for filming.
• Reflection and Glare: screen readability under daylight; effect of mount placement on vents and defrost lines.

HeatHold (thermal resilience and charging)

• Thermal Chamber: 20–70°C cycles with solar load proxy; time‑to‑slip for suction/adhesive; magnet/clamp derating at heat.
• Charging Stability: 7.5–15 W wireless and 20 W wired charge tests with airflow on/off; measure throttling onset and recovery.
• Materials Aging: UV exposure, humidity, and salt fog for corrosion‑prone hardware.

Installation and Longevity

• Install Time: tool‑free and tool‑required installs timed from unbox to safe use; QR‑guided setup is noted.
• Adhesive Prep: surface prep protocols tested with/without primer; residue and removability evaluated after cure.
• Endurance: joint torque retention after thermal/vibration cycles; spare pads/parts availability.

Scoring and Transparency

• Each category is normalized 0–10, then weighted by use case (e.g., higher VibeScore weight for motorcycles, higher ViewClear for drivers). We publish weights and raw measurements in summaries.
• Controls and Calibration: reference mounts are run each session to check rig drift; gauges and sensors are calibrated per manufacturer schedules.
• Versioning: Our current methodology is v1.3; material changes are documented in the test notes.

We design tests to be tough but fair. If a product fails a safety‑critical check (e.g., sightline or clamp integrity), we flag it clearly—no exceptions.