Patia Accessories’s EZ-Flex Holder is designed to clamp to a surface and hold an iPad mini as easily as it holds any version of the iPad. There is a steel gooseneck arm that provides almost unlimited flexibility for positioning a tablet exactly where you want it. The product fastens to most any surface that will accept a clamp style fastener, including headboards.
EZ-Flex Holder
The mount surface is adjustable to accommodate size. On one end are two padded steel holders and on the other is an attach/release clip mechanism. Think spring operated clip. It is easy to open and close, although users need to treat it with respect to keep it from closing too hard on their tablet.
Adjustable mount surface
The mount surface tilts and rotates 360 degrees. Perhaps the best thing going for this product is the gooseneck style of the arm that is easy to adjust to the exact position required and then stays exactly where it is placed.
The product has a one year limited warranty against manufacturing defects and available from the company website for US$79.95
Using the product
It is very easy to insert either an iPad or an iPad mini into the EZ-Flex because of the adjustable mount surface. The flexibility of the tilt and rotation options are also very easy to use and adjust and stay in place, once screwed in place with knobs that are easy to use.
I have used a similar device for over a year so I was interested to compare the two and I have to say that the availability of the gooseneck arm is a big winner for me. The one I had been using had two adjustable arms, but they did not bend so there was only so much adjusting possible.
With this product I was able to fasten it to my bed's headboard and adjust it to a comfortable position in less than five minutes. Although the steel arm is quite strong, it is flexible and all the parts seem to be well designed and well crafted so they did what they are designed to do without a lot of fussing.
EZ-Flex in use
In some ways my bed design lends itself to using something like the EZ-Flex, and others it does not. As you might guess from looking at the image, it is not particularly easy to make sure the clamp is secure and stays in place because I am attaching a clamp designed for a flat surface to a completely round surface. This has not been a problem in the two weeks I have been testing it. Nor has it shifted during use. Both the clamp and the headboard are made from strong metals which certainly contributes to that stability.
The web site notes that the EZ-flex can be adapted for wall mounting, but I would caution anyone who considers this to make sure there is a good strong stud or some other kind of reinforcement supporting a wall installment, because once an iPad is included, the EZ-Flex is heavy.
Do I recommend it?
I do. I think it is very well designed and is particularly good for bedtime reading, surfing, or gaming. It will also easily adapt to changing sizes and styles of iPads that may be released in the future -- and we all know that will happen.