When traveling, as we know, practicality is essential, especially when traveling by bicycle. One of the most useful tools in this regard is a bike mobile phone holder, which allows you to reduce the equipment to carry with you, without limiting performance.

Personally, over time we have gradually abandoned using GPS during our bike trips and started to use the mobile phone more and more regularly to follow GPX tracks. The reason? We always had our phone with us anyway, and thanks to the many apps available, it was natural to start using it to find our way, with the advantage of having to carry and recharge only one device instead of two.

At this point, however, the fundamental question was: which smartphone holder should we choose? We tried several, and in this article we talk about the 3 main models on the market, comparing their features, advantages, and disadvantages.

Bike smartphone holders: models and features compared

Quadlock

This is an American system, among the most famous, which has been in the supports industry for years, not only for bikes but also for motorcycles, cars, and desks.

The system is based on a shockproof hard cover and a corresponding fast snap fit. To fix the cover, just place it on the holder, rotate it 90° and voilà - the phone is secure.

The holder, which is attached to the handlebars with elastic bands, is also designed to absorb vibrations, keeping the phone stable even on the roughest terrain.

#### Advantages

• It is the most stable system we have tried, perfect for off-road and therefore an ideal MTB phone holder, for those who love the adrenaline of MTB trips
• The holder is literally "cushioned," which allows for a clear view of the screen, because the phone stays still, even if the handlebars vibrate
• It attaches in an instant, making it perfect if you use your phone to navigate, but then want to detach it to take photos: you can easily detach the phone with one hand without getting off the bike
• The cover with the attachment is shockproof
• The attachment is universal, so you can, for example, position one in the car and one on the bike and, keeping the cover always mounted, you can attach it quickly to various supports
• The design is minimal and clean

#### Disadvantages

• The price: the complete system costs around €60 depending on the type of phone and includes the holder and hard cover
• If you change your phone model, you have to change the cover as well by purchasing a new one
• The cover does not offer screen support, so in case of rain, the phone gets wet. In fact, Quadlock also has a rain cover, but it is made of thick transparent rigid plastic and in our experience, it reacts very poorly to the touch screen, making it difficult to use the phone.

Magnetic holder Shapeheart

We found the French Shapeheart system to be very clever and it seems to overcome many of the limitations of Quadlock. The system is based on a soft case with a metal plate that attaches to a powerful magnet.

The magnet is attached to the handlebars with elastic bands, making it very solid and safe with the bike.

The same powerful magnet is also used on motorcycles, so you don't run the risk of losing your phone along the way, and the soft case has a metal plate that protects the phone from the magnetic field

#### Advantages

• The price: it costs €30.00 and guarantees the same safety and stability as Quadlock
• The soft case is universal, so there is no need to change it when you change your phone model
• The case is large enough to hold a credit card or some cash. It also allows you to insert the phone in a shockproof case
• The soft case has a transparent front part, so it protects from the rain and the touchscreen is very responsive
• In our opinion, the style of the holder is much cleaner, minimal, and elegant than that of Quadlock

#### Disadvantages

• The transparent cover is a bit annoying under direct sunlight and in some conditions the reflection makes it difficult to see the screen
• If you want to use your phone to take photos or make calls, you have to remove it from the soft case, so you have to stop
• The system is not cushioned, so it vibrates along with the handlebars on rough terrain, but on asphalt there are no problems,  if you are looking for a road bike phone holder, you can be confident

Decathlon Hapo-G

Decathlon has recently produced several handlebar phone holders, but the one we want to talk about here has a different philosophy, namely that of offering both a storage pouch and a bike phone holder.

Essentially, it is a frame bag that attaches to the central tube of the bike with a transparent pocket positioned on the top, into which the phone is inserted.

#### Advantages

• Price: it costs about €30.00 and considering it is also a small bag, it is definitely the least expensive holder
• The storage pocket allows you to conveniently carry a few items, it is spacious enough to put in a few bars, home keys and some other object, such as sunglasses
• By putting a battery pack in the bag and the phone in the transparent pocket, you won't have any battery life problems with your mobile

#### Disadvantages

• As it attaches to the central tube, it is not compatible with women's bike models, and the phone is in a very retracted position, forcing you to bend your head a lot to look at it. It is not ideal for routes where it is essential to keep your gaze straight ahead, like in traffic or on rough terrain
• With direct sunlight, it has the same reflection problem already encountered with Shapeheart
• In this case, in addition to the reflection, considering that the pocket is much smaller than Shapeheart's, there is no air circulation, so in cold weather or rain, an annoying condensation is created that makes it impossible to see the screen

Did you know that on many of our self-guided bike trips, in addition to the road book with the route description, we also provide you with GPX tracks to download directly to your phone? Thanks to this guide, you can now choose the holder most suitable for your needs, select on Life On a Bike your ideal trip and start with a click!