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Hello there fellow riders! Today I want to tell you a little bit more about my phone mount. I've had this mount for over a year now and I thought it would be time to give it a review on my blog. I'll tell you how I like it overall, what the pro's and cons are and if alternatives are any good. You can eighter read the complete review, just read the summary above, or check the price straight away by clicking the following link to the RAM Mount X-Grip on Amazon. This is a review of the Ram Mount X-Grip. https://youtu.be/X9oIsRvB1Oo Summary; my overall impression I realize that not everyone wants to read the complete review, so I'll start with a summary. A more detailed review can be found in the rest of this article. The biggest pro's for this mount are it's tightness, the flexibility of the ball mechanism and the high-quality materials RAM has used. The mount grabs your phone really tight and I've used it without the rubber tether at speeds up to 70 mp/h without a problem. It's connected to your handlebars by a ball mechanism, making it extremely flexible. You can move your mount in any direction, which makes the X-Grip suitable for almost any type of motorcycle. I personally have one con for this mount. It's the fact that the mount pushes the volume button of my Samsung Galaxy phone. I can prevent this by moving my phone up just a little, but it's quite annoying. I don't know if this is an issue with iPhones for example. The mount comes with a tether (the rubber band). I personally use the tether whenever I ride out of town. It gives me this extra safe feeling, knowing the tether will hold the phone in place whenever I hit a bump or anything like that. I've used alternative phone mounts before, but none of them were as good as the RAM X-Grip. It's really a unique product. Don't buy the Chinese replica's. They have the same appearance, but it's all about performance. Don't get your 900 dollar phone shattered on the highway, please! Are you looking for a high-quality phone mount that will hold your phone in any circumstance? Then the RAM X-Grip (Amazon) is the best option for you! The pro's; what I like about the RAM X-Grip mount Allow me to start with the things I like about this phone mount. I'll give you four reasons for me to like this phone mount so much. Tight grip The tight grip is the first and biggest pro for me. This mount is tight! It will grab your phone much tighter than you would do by hand. This allows you to drive at high speed without your phone moving a bit. I usually use the tether when I put my phone in the mount, but I also tested it without the tether. And trust me, it's tight! The tether just gives me this extra feeling of protection since my phone is quite an expensive piece of equipment. But I also drove over 70 mp/h on the highway, without the tether, and on a naked bike without a cockpit. The phone stayed right where it should. Ball mechanism and it's flexibility The X-Grip works in an extremely smart way. The mount is connected to the handlebar with a ball mechanism. How does this work? First of all, you attach the RAM bracket to your handlebar. I use an U-shaped bracket, but there are also options for a claw that's easily removable. The claw is a good option for those who are fortunate enough to ride more than one bike. The mount itself also has a ball-shaped attachment. A small connector connects these two balls. Why is this so smart? It's so smart because the two balls work as a double joint and allow you to move the mount in any direction. You can go left, right, up, and down. This makes the system suitable for any kind of motorcycle because you can simply move it to a direction that will fit your bike. You can simply disassemble the mount whenever you don't want to use it. I always take it off it when I need to park my motorcycle in a busy public place because I'm afraid it will get stolen. All that's left after taking the mount off is a little bracket with a ball joint. The image below shows what it looks like. High-quality materials Last and but not least; the mount is made out of high-quality materials. I've had other phone mounts before, but nothing feels as solid as this RAM mount. Most phone mounts are made out of plastic, are lightweight and tend to break. This mount is quite heavy, made from high-quality steel and rubber, and feels VERY solid. I've never experienced any other mount like this. The ball joints work fantastic! You are able to move your mount in any position and you can simply take the mount of when you don't need it. All that's left is a small ball joint. Cons; this could be improved Let it be clear that I like this mount a lot! However, there are two minor cons that could be better. Phone buttons get squeezed I use this mount for my Samsung Galaxy S8. It has 4 buttons on the sides. The right side has an on/off button. The left side has 2 volume buttons and 1 bixby button. The mount has a firm grip, but this also means it squeezes my phone a bit. The mount pushes my volume button all the time. So every time I put my phone in the mount, my phone volume will go to maximum. I can stop this by moving my phone up a little, but it's quite annoying. I don't know if this goes for any other phones, but if you have a Samsung you'll find out that the volume buttons get pushed. It's not a reason to no buy this mount, but it's something to keep in mind. The rubber wears off There is one thing that I've read, but haven't experienced myself. Some say that the rubber tips on the 'corners' of the mount wear off. Apparently, they slide off the mount itself after a while. I haven't experienced this. I think it might happen when you park your motorcycle outside in sun, rain, and snow. I only ride my bike when the weather is good and it's parked inside for the rest. I personally don't think this con is a problem for those who park their bikes inside. Should you use the tether on a RAM X-Grip? A common question on motorcycle forums is: should you use the tether on a RAM X-Grip? I personally use the tether 80% of the time. I first bought the mount without a tether. I had if from a weird seller that didn't sell the tether with it (It usually comes with the tether in the package). Back then, I would ride my bike with speeds up to 70 mp/h (130 km/h) and nothing would happen. I had it on a naked bike without a cockpit in full wind, but the phone would stay where it was. However, I was scared it would fall when hitting bumps on the way. It never did, but my phone is worth 900 dollars so I would be devastated if it would fall into pieces while hitting a bump on the highway. This was the reason to buy the tether and use it whenever I go out of town. It just gives that extra piece of reassurance that you phone will stay where it should, in the mount. RAM X-Grip holding my Samsung S8 on my Honda Hornet Alternative phone motorcycle mounts The RAM X-Grip isn't the cheapest motorcycle mount. In fact, it's one of the most expensive ones. What about alternatives? Other brands I haven't used any other know brands. I've had several phone mounts before, but the weren't from any big known brand like RAM. Why? I think it's because it is hard to create a reliable phone mount for motorcycles. Brands don't want to get associated with a product that drops phones whiles driving 70 miles an hour, so that's why they just stay away from it. The mounts that I've used came from Amazon and Aliexpress. Both of them failed, compared to the RAM mounts. There was loads of vibration, making it impossible to read your phone screen. They also felt very lightweight, were made out of plastic and two of them simply broke. RAM X-Grip mount replica's Another 'option' is to go for a RAM X-Grip replica. Some riders think they are smart and they buy a replica from China. I've got one piece of advice for you. Don't do it! I've seen several videos where people claim that the RAM X-Grip lost their phone. At least half of those videos have a fake RAM product in them. A mount that has the same appearance, is not necessarily a mount that has the same performance. It's not about the looks, it's about the performance! You think you can save 30 dollars, but you end up with a shattered 900 dollar phone. Should you buy the RAM X-Grip motorcycle mount My conclusion is simple. If you are looking for a reliable, high-quality phone mount for your motorcycle, there is no better option than buying the RAM mount X-Grip. I've never experienced a mount like this before and it's unique in its sort. Interested in buying one? Check out the price on Amazon and find out if you like it as much as I do. Ride safe!