Arkon 18" Seat Rail and 22" Floor Smartphone / Tablet Mount Review ( Model SM688 and SM688L22 )

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received these products for free so that I could provide product feedback to the company and post a product review. I was not required to write a positive review and I do not rate products higher than they should have been. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's requirements.

I recently received two Arkon smartphone / tablet mounts ( Model SM688 and SM688L22 ) for a product review.  The two units came with the exact same hardware, and the only difference was the length of the gooseneck (one was 18" the other 22").  The kit includes everything you need - the gooseneck, the smartphone mount, two sets of support legs and mounting hardware (either under the seat rail bolt or another mount that you use 4 included screws to secure).

Major pieces with the 18" unit (smaller items like screws not shown)

Closeup of mounting gear

Closeup of the smartphone/ tablet holder and two sets of support legs

22" Top
18" Bottom

Bottoms of both the goosenecks, this is the part that mounts to the seat bolt

Since I have a large car, I decided to install the longer 22" unit.  I will admit, I was a bit nervous about unbolting the seat bolt ( what if the bolt doesn't want to come out etc ) but it was pretty easy to do.  Once I had the bolt out enough ( I didn't remove it completely, no need to ) I installed the mount under it.

First attempt to install, but this would have blocked my passenger seat from sliding forward all the way

The extra holes on the seat mount let you adjust the angle

Re-installed after adjusting the angle

I realized that the placement would end up blocking the seat from being able to slide forward, so I adjusted the mounting screws at the bottom and was able to get the mount at an angle that would avoid issues.  Once it was mounted again, it didn't block the seat from sliding forward fully.

Mount with cup holders and center console out of the way

Nexus 7 installed

Close up of the neck coming up between my front cup holders and the center console

Seat is able to slide fully forward

Once everything was secured, I put my Nexus 7 in and took it for a test drive.  The mount felt secure, it only had a little flex in the neck when the car would go over bumps and things.  Honestly I don't see that as a problem -- it has to flex a little, otherwise if it is too rigid something could break over time.

I didn't test the 18" gooseneck (it would put the tablet too low in my car) so make sure you think about how you are going to use your mount and choose the right product.  If you are using a smaller car, or plan to screw it into a center console or other location (and not use the seat rail) then the 18" gooseneck may work best for your installation.

Here are the main points I noticed about this product:

Easy to install: The directions were pretty clear, and with some basic tools the average person should be able to mount this without any problems.

Flexible install options: The two products have different length goosenecks ( 18" and 22" ) which is the first option you get to consider.  The simple installation is to use your seat bolt, however the mount also includes the ability to mount it with screws if you want that option.  If you do mount it with the screws, make sure you know what you are doing -- you don't want to damage anything or hit any wires.

Quality: The build quality on the components seems sturdy and Arkon has a 2-year warranty to show they stand behind their products.

Bottom line: The Arkon gooseneck mounts are great options if want a permanent / stable mount for your smartphone or tablet.  Arkon has other options ( cup holder, suction cup ) if you aren't comfortable doing the installation but it was fairly simple.  Shops that do custom installs can also consider this option for their customers, since it allows a solid/stable mount without having to rely on suction cups, vent mounts or cup holder mounts.

NOTE: I use this product as one of the options for my Nexus 7 install here:
http://bigboystoys13.blogspot.com/2015/02/nexus-7-in-car-setup-non-permanent-mount.html

18" Gooseneck
Arkon Product Page: http://www.arkon.com/Slim-Grip%20Ultra/slimgrip-ultra-car-floor-mount.html
Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00BJUE8BM

22" Gooseneck
Arkon Product Page: http://www.arkon.com/Slim-Grip%20Ultra/universal_floor_seat_rail_smartphone_tablet_car_mount_SM688L22.html
Amazon Product Page: http://amzn.com/B00EHQMZ6K