REVIEW – As a self-proclaimed gadget nerd, I surround myself with every possible gadget and embrace every convenience that they offer. These days where the phone is an integral part of our lives, it is very apparent that driving while operating a phone is a very bad idea and against the law at least here in the USA. Phone mounts for cars have almost become a standard accessory in every car, with some offering more convenience than others.  The Lynktec Bolt wireless car charger is a new addition to an already very crowded field of car charger mounts. However, it offers features that I know that I would like. Here is my review.

What is it?

The Lynktec Bolt wireless car charger is a wireless phone charger that can be mounted to the vent louver, windshield or dashboard. It includes a built-in battery that provides operational power even when the car is turned off.

What’s in the box

1 x Bolt Car Mount
1 x Air Vent Holder
1 x USB-C to USB Cable
1 x Dual USB Car Charger (3.0/2.1A)
1 x Instruction Manual

Design and features

This mount has a bottom rest and two side arms that open and close electronically when the top touchpad is engaged. In the middle where the back of the phone rests is the Qi wireless charger, and above is the Infrared Lock Sensor that senses when a phone is placed into the mount and engages the securing arms to close.

The vent visor clip is connected to the back of the mount via the supplied nut and you press the button above the clip to open the clip and slide it onto the vent louver.

At the bottom of the mount, there is a USB-C power port.

The USB-C to USB cable plugs into the power port on the mount and the other end into the 12V car adapter.

Performance:

Features:

• Automatic lock & unlock with one touch release
• Qi-certified fast wireless charger
• Adjustable stand for 4″ to 6.7″ devices
• Rotates from portrait to landscape mode
• 250 mAh backup battery operates mount when disconnected from the power

Below you can see how the mount connects to the vent louver.

The picture below shows the mount connected to the vent with my iPhone 10XS Max in the mount.

In the upper right-hand corner of the phone screen, you can see the icon that is green indicating that the phone is being charged.

The car adapter power plug has the capacity to accommodate 2 USB cables. Only the one labeled 2.1A will work for the wireless charging feature.

The picture below on the left shows the red wireless charging indicator which is on the bottom right side of the mount. The picture on the right shows the blue power indicator that is on the opposite side.

At the top of the mount, there is the touch control that opens and closes the securing arms by touch.

What I like

• The Qi wireless charging capability
• Can be used in both portrait and landscape mode
• The build quality
• The electronic arms that hold the phone
• The touch operation

What can be improved

• Based on the cost of this device, both the air vent mount and the dash/windshield mount should be included

Final thoughts

Not too long ag0, I reviewed a dash mounted phone holder that included arms that operated electronically but did not include Qi wireless charging. While it was a sturdy mount, I had to keep plugging in a separate cable into my iPhone for charging. I remember thinking how great it would be if wireless charging was included. This mount includes that great feature. Since the electronic arms on the mount that I previously reviewed mount began to fail after a few months, time will tell whether this device will do the same or stand up to the daily abuse. While I do think that for the price, the windshield/dash mount should be included, I will still give this Lynktec Bolt wireless car charger two thumbs up for now!!

Price: $49.99 (A telescopic Dash & Windshield suction are sold separately for $9.99)
Where to buy: Lynktec website and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Lynktec.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Batteries and Chargers, Car Gear

Lynktec Bolt wireless car charger review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 5, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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REVIEW – To say I am a fan of Kenu products is an understatement.  Look here, and here, and here.  I give them as gifts, I have them in every vehicle, and they are one of the only gadgets I use literally every day.  So when I saw the Kenu Airframe and Airbase Wireless Car Mounts I didn’t hesitate to jump and get one of each.  I love Kenu.  I love car mounts.  And I love wireless chargers.  So let’s go.

What is it?

The Kenu Airframe maintains the functionality of the Kenu you love that clips to your car vent, and adds in a Qi charger that includes the Qi 3.0 high-speed functionality.  The Kenu Airbase provides the same thing except it utilizes a suction-cup base that attaches to either your dashboard or windshield.  In both cases, the Airframe/Airbase uses a USB-C cable from the Kenu to the 12V DC charging connection in your car because the mounts don’t have built-in batteries like a power bank does.

Product specs

Airframe Dimensions:  H 3.2″ x W 2.8″ x D 3.2″
Airframe Weight:  3.6 oz
Airbase Dimensions:  H 4.2″ x W 2.8″ x D 4.5″
Airbase Weight:  5.0 oz
Output:  9V 1A / 5V 1A
Transmission:  10W/9W/7.5W/5W
Transmission Efficiency:  81%
Operating Temp Range:  40°F-86°F
Spring-loaded clip:  stretches from 2.34 inches to 4.3 inches

12V DC charger specs:
Input: 12V-24V DC
Output: 5V 2.4A + QC3.0 (5V 3A / 9V 2A / 12V 1.5A)
Overload protection

Qi-Compatible phones:

What’s in the box?

You get the Kenu Airframe or Airbase, a 12V DC car charger that has 2 ports (Qi 3.0 quick charge port & a USB 2.4V port), and a Type-C to Type-A USB cable that is 3.9 ft long.  You also get a simple user’s manual.

Design and function

If you are used to the spring-loaded arms that hold your phone on other Kenu products, then you’ll be at home with these car mounts.  In fact, the Airframe Wireless mount has a new mechanism for attaching to the car vent.  Previous Airframes had a rotating set of rubberized fingers that slid onto the car vent slats.  The Airframe Wireless has buttons that you press with your fingers that open up the rubberized fingers that then attach to the vent slat.  It makes for a much more sturdy attachment to the vent clip.  Very sturdy in fact.  You have to put a good amount of effort into removing the Airframe Wireless from the vent without depressing the buttons to release it.  So I never had any issue with the Airframe Wireless falling off the vent.

The Airbase Wireless attaches to the dash/windshield via a suction cup that is quite effective.  After attaching it to my dashboard I couldn’t remove it at all without releasing the suction latch on the back and pealing it off the dash.  So again, I never had any issue with the Airbase Wireless falling off my dashboard.  In both cases, sliding my phone into these Wireless mounts was as effortless and fluid as all the other Kenu products I have.  True Kenu functionality!

Also built into both of the mounts are specially placed fan-less vents that help keep the mounts cool while charging.   And like most wireless chargers, you can use your phone with a cover as long as the cover is less than 3 mm thick.

Admittedly, I despise mounts that attach to my dashboard or windshield, but I wanted to give the Airbase Wireless a chance.  I used it daily and exclusively for several weeks in my car, and it functioned as an excellent Qi wireless charger.  But I couldn’t get over it sitting up on my dash, in my view looking out the windshield, which is the main reason I don’t like these kinds of mounts.  So when I switched over to use the Airframe Wireless mount, I decided to not go back to the Airbase mount.

As mentioned, both mounts do not have a battery inside, so you have to plug them up to the power in your car via the USB-C cable that attaches to the back of the mounts and then you plug up the cable to the 12V DC charger that plugs into the DC outlet in your car.  As an added feature, the 12 DC charger has 2 ports… a regular 2.4V USB port and a Qi 3.0 Quick-charge USB port.  So you can charge another device at the same time as using these mounts.

As an aside, in my car I have used a 15,600 mAh Choetech power bank for over 3 years now.  It has 3 ports and it has a Qi quick-charge capability, which is why I love it because I can get a big charge quickly even on short trips across town.  And multiple people can use it at once.  I have used it in conjunction with my old Kenu Airframe pretty much daily.  So I decided to test the charging speed with that setup compared with these Wireless mounts.

Here are the results:

• My phone was at 60% full and I used my old setup of the Kenu Airframe and the Choetech power bank (using the quick charge port). It showed 52 min until a full charge.
• Then I used the Kenu Airframe Wireless mount plugged up to the Quick Charge 3.0 USB port in the 12V DC charger plug. It showed 1 hr 16 min until a full charge.
• Then I left the phone in the Airframe Wireless mount but moved the USB cable to the 2.4V USB port in the 12V DC charger and it showed 1 hr 19 min until a full charge.
• Then I left the phone in the Airframe Wireless mount and but move the USB cable to the USB port built into my car dash. It showed 1 hr 18 min to a full charge.
• I got the exact same results using the Kenu Airbase Wireless dashboard mount when I repeated the steps outlined above.

The bottom line:  as expected, using a wireless charger will always provide slower charging than using a wired USB connection.  But I was surprised to learn that there was no significant difference between using the Quick Charge 3.0 port and the 2.4V port in the 12V DC charger, or using the USB port in my car dash.

Final thoughts

I am torn about this product.  I have been so enamored with the products from Kenu that I find it hard to say this, but I don’t think this product is for everyone.  For those folks who simply don’t like the kind of car mounts that hang off the windshield or the dash, there isn’t enough reason here in my opinion to overcome that.  If, like me, you love the car vent functionality of the Kenu Airframe products, or you don’t mind a dashboard mount, then this might be a product for you.  Maybe.  For me, my daily life in the car is a series of short drives around town every day… 10 min here, 20 min there, 8 min over to there.  So because I don’t get that true high-speed charging with the Airframe mounts like I do with my Choetech power bank, I found myself taking the time to plug up the Choetech to my phone.  I would rather go through the hassle of doing that to get a quick charge to fill my phone up than utilize the more convenient Airframe Wireless charging mount.  Now, if I was in my car every day for an hour or two, then yeah, I would probably use the Airframe Wireless car mount because I would have time to fill my phone back up.  And for a long trip in the car I probably will use the Airframe Wireless mount.  But for my daily use now I am going back to my trusty old Kenu Airframe and will use my Choetech as-needed.

Price: $59.95
Where to buy: Buy on Amazon or buy from Kenu.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Kenu.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: Batteries and Chargers, Car Gear

Kenu Airframe and Airbase Wireless car mounts review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 28, 2018 at 11:00 am.

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