TYLT VU Car Mount Review: A Quality Qi Enabled Car Dock

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Techaeris Rated 8.2/10TYLT has a very specific style: Sharp, angled design, bright colors, unusual spellings. Two of those three are on display in the TYLT VU Car Mount that I’m reviewing today (this mount comes in grey). Bright colors probably aren’t needed though, this is definitely a phone cradle that shines even without flashy colors. Read more in our TYLT VU Car Mount review.

Design

The TYLT VU dock is a standard rectangular dock with two gripping arms and an adjustable foot plate. The dock has a button on top to release the arms, and a port on the bottom for the charging cable. The arms and foot have sufficient padding to hold your phone securely without any risk of scratching.

TYLT VU Dock

The foot is adjustable, allowing for taller phones, or fine adjustment to ensure that the Qi charging makes contact, or that the power/volume buttons on your phone aren’t pushed by the mount’s arms. The TYLT VU actually comes with two different feet: A standard full foot, and also a forked split foot. As long as your phone supports Qi charging, the standard foot should be all that you’ll need. The forked foot would be helpful in instances where you still need to plug your phone into a different source and the USB port is on the bottom of your device.

The mount is cone-shaped and includes a micro-gel suction cup. When attached, the release lever for the suction cup sits flush with the rest of the mount, which is a nice aesthetic. The mount features a standard ball and socket attachment, which I was pleasantly surprised to see was compatible with other car docks that I’ve tested.

Performance

The TYLT VU Car Mount will hold your phone securely, whether in portrait or rotated to landscape orientation. The arms grip securely, and there is plenty of padding on all surfaces that touch your phone. The arms of the dock extend and retract with a gear system. They are simply pushed closed, and the button on top of the dock releases the arms. This system works well, but for what it’s worth in cold weather the gears moved a bit slower.

TYLT VU Arms
Arm mechanism, and foot adjustment button

The mount is nice for the fact that it will stick to anything. The micro-gel suction cup is suitable for nearly any surface in your car. The only complaint that I had was that in order to use the mount on my windshield (which is my preferred location) I had to position the mount higher than I would have liked, which caused some obstruction of my view. Your mileage may vary, my issue was due to the slope of my windshield. You can alternately simply attach the mount to your dashboard if that positioning will work for you. For the reasons I mentioned above, my testing was done with a different windshield mount, however in the right circumstances, you will not have any issues with the included TYLT mount. It fastens securely and remains secured.

TYLT VU Mount
TYLT mount

The Qi charging on the TYLT VU Car Mount works flawlessly. TYLT uses a 3-coil system to provide a larger potential charging area, but as mentioned earlier you can still adjust the foot of the dock to ensure that everything lines up where it should. On the default position my Nexus 5 would begin charging immediately upon being placed on the dock, and I didn’t notice the phone getting any hotter than usual during normal operation.

My only minor issues with the Qi charging on this dock are that the power adapter plug is just very slightly thicker than other plugs, and the power adapter on the dock is not micro USB. The thicker adapter simply meant a very snug fit, and a little bit of difficulty inserting and removing the power adapter from my car’s power port, and I’m maybe just spoiled by most everything including micro USB for charging. Otherwise, the adapter works very well, and even includes an additional USB port for charging whatever else you might like. My only concern would be replacing that adapter if something goes wrong.

Ease of Installation

The TYLT VU Car Mount is exceptionally easy to install. The dock secures to the mount with a ball and socket connection, and the mount secures to nearly anything with its micro-gel suction cup. You’ll probably want to clean whatever surface you plan to use for the mount, but otherwise you can simply place the mount and depress the lever to provide suction.

TYLT VU Dock and Mount
TYLT VU dock and mount

Difficulty/Ease of Use

TYLT touts the VU Car Mount’s one-hand operation, and it definitely works well. You simply place your phone on the dock, pinch the arms closed and you’re on your way. Removing the phone is just as easy: push the top button, remove your phone.

Price/Value

With a list price of $79.99, the TYLT VU Car Mount is slightly more expensive that some of the other Qi enabled car docks on the market, but it also offers some features you won’t find on other mounts. The arms open to hold larger devices, with an opening of 3.6” which is slightly larger than other docks. TYLT’s 3-coil charging system gives a bigger target for your phone to hit, making charging easier, and the way that the lever sits flush with the rest of the mount really provides a look without anything sticking out, which may be appealing to some. All in all though, the TYLT VU Car Mount does more than enough to justify its price.

Wrap Up

TYLT has a reputation for creating quality products. That tradition continues with the TYLT VU Car Mount. The dock is solid and will hold your phone securely, the mount will stick to nearly anything and provides a strong base for the entire system. If you are looking for a Qi enabled car dock with easy one-hand operation that still holds your phone securely with padded arms, the TYLT VU Car Mount should be one that you consider.

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*We were sent a demo unit of the TYLT VU Car Mount for the purposes of this review.

Last Updated on June 23, 2021.

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