The Shapeheart Bike Smartphone Holder has a strong magnet that securely holds your phone – in fact, you might have trouble removing it again! Unfortunately, the sleeve isn’t that “weatherproof” and the bar mounting part is not up to par for several reasons.
Does Shapeheart’s Magnetic Phone Holder keep your expensive tech safe, secure, and dry? In short, the answer is no.
It’s not the magnet’s fault, and if you’re concerned about the effect a strong magnetic field might have on your phone, there’s no need to worry. Shapeheart says the magnet is mounted between two iron plates that “cut off the magnetic field to the phone”, and while it’s not actually possible to block a magnetic field, you can certainly redirect it with shielding like this -this. My phone was working perfectly.
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It is very quick and easy to put on, although it does take a bit of force to take it off. Do NOT do what I did and put it on a steel workbench…
The sleeve itself is a simple affair; a neoprene back glued and sewn on the front transparent and sensitive to the touch. The seams were rather messy on mine, with a few loose threads, but they remained intact for the duration of the review.
The box has a handy full size outline for a size guide on the side… except that’s not very handy because although my phone fits into the outline with or without its protective case, your phone would only have to have two dimensions for it to be accurate. In reality, it was a tight stretch if I left the box on.
If your phone/case is a few millimeters from the outline, consider upsizing. You can get M, XL and 2XL, but oddly not L.
I had issues with the silicone strap securing it to the bars. I had to stretch this strap really hard to try and get it around my perfectly normal (31.8mm) bars, and before I succeeded it tore. Don’t even think about trying to get it around a rod.
After that I had to resort to the rubber O-ring (pictured), but that doesn’t hold the mount tight enough on a bar. With a good amount of leverage available considering the length of most phones, the whole shebang twists on the bars if I tried to dab my iPhone 12 screen up or down.
You can get it with a top mount or bolt-on bar mount instead, but then it’s £10 more.
The touchscreen front of the case is responsive, although I struggled to get into the corners of the screen and the camera got stuck. Apple’s facial recognition wouldn’t work, although Shapeheart claims the Android version does.
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The sleeve is variously described as “water resistant”, “weather resistant” and “rain resistant”, and while that may be true for the front, the neoprene back absorbs water quite easily. I put a kitchen paper inside (rather than risking charging road.cc for the death of my phone) and took it out in the pouring rain, and the fabric was wet within minutes.
It doesn’t help that there’s just an unsealed flap to cover the entrance and a slot at the bottom for a charger cable to pass through. There is, however, no separate access for a headphone jack.
Assess
While some parts of the design work well, the ones that don’t are pretty important – the bar mount and the waterproofing. Therefore, it is difficult to say that it is good value for money.
If you have room on your stem, Zefal makes a few secure cases suitable for a range of smartphones. A few years ago we liked the Z Console for the same price as the Shapeheart, and the current version – the iPhone 11 Pro Bike Kit – is still £29.99. It’s not fully waterproof either, but works great in real life and in real rain. In theory, you could also mount it on the bar instead of the stem.
Meanwhile, the Zefal Z-Console Dry costs £24.99 and promises to be waterproof rather than weatherproof.
Globally
I found the stand secure enough as long as I wasn’t trying to use the phone, and the screen worked well through the lid. However, the short strap quickly failed, the backup O-ring is less secure, and the case itself is vulnerable to rain – all in all not a reliable way to protect your phone.
Verdict
The magnetic mount and touchscreen are good, but we broke it during testing and it got wet inside in the pouring rain
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Brand and model : Shapeheart Bike Smartphone Holder //check UK availability and price//
Tell us what the product is for and who it is for. What are the builders saying? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
According to Shapeheart, “The Shapeheart bike (and scooter) mount allows you to attach your smartphone to your handlebars in seconds and let yourself be guided by your GPS. No need to take your phone out of your pocket to get your bearings. . the magnetic system supports up to 50 times the weight of your smartphone.”
Tell us a bit more about the technical aspects of the product?
Shapeheart says, not always very clearly:
Compatible with almost all handlebars and stems (round/square) up to 60 mm in diameter
3 sizes of cover compatible with all brands of phones without removing its protective shell
Perfectly tactile pouch
Waterproof
Rate the product for build quality:
4/10
The sheer cover is thick and secure, but the seams had a few loose threads. The silicone strap was too short to fit around my handlebars and tore when I tried to stretch it further.
Rate the product for its performance:
4/10
The magnetic part adheres firmly and did not come off during normal use, and the touch screen operation is good. However, the silicone strap broke and the rubber band also provided couldn’t stop the assembly from spinning around the handlebars. Plus, the “weatherproof” is more showerproof, really, and the back absorbs water.
Rate the product for durability:
4/10
As mentioned, the strap broke.
Rate the product by weight (if applicable)
8/10
Evaluate the product for its value:
3/10
Gets wet inside and does not hold stable on the secondary support (the main support has broken).
Tell us how the product performed overall when used as intended
Not so great, really. The main strap has broken, the alternate strap is too weak and the sleeve is soaking up water.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Good touchscreen sensitivity and the magnetic part works well.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The neoprene section gets waterlogged, the short silicone strap breaks when stretched, the stand tends to slip if you press down on the phone, and it’s pricey.
How does the price compare to similar products on the market, including those recently tested on road.cc?
If you have room on your stem, Zefal makes a few secure cases suitable for a range of smartphones. A few years ago we liked the Z Console for the same price as the Shapeheart, and the current version – the iPhone 11 Pro Bike Kit – is still £29.99. It’s not fully waterproof either, but works great in real life and in real rain. In theory, you could also mount it on the bar instead of the stem.
Meanwhile, the Zefal Z-Console Dry costs £24.99 and promises to be waterproof rather than weatherproof.
Did you enjoy using the product? Not really
Would you consider purchasing the product? No
Would you recommend the product to a friend? No
Use this box to explain your overall score
This offers quite a bit of shower protection, the magnetic backing works well and the touch sensitive front of the sleeve works well, but to score a higher score some significant issues need to be addressed – the neoprene part is waterlogged , the strap is too short and ours broken, and the alternative the strap is too weak. There are better looking clamps, such as a steering cap fitting, but they cost more.
Age: 54
I usually ride: Cannondale CAAD10 My best bike is: Tomassini Prestige
I have been riding since: Over 20 years I ride: A few times a week I would classify myself as: Experimented
I regularly practice the following types of riding: hiking, sports, general fitness riding, mountain biking,
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