<\/p>\n
I tested Peak Design’s Mobile case, tripod, wallet, and bike mount across hikes, bike rides, and everyday use.<\/p>\n
Alisha McDarris<\/p>\n
These days, your phone is more than a phone; it\u2019s a camera, map, wallet, and entertainment center in one. But carrying it safely through activities can be awkward, and outdoor tools are often bulky and don\u2019t work seamlessly with your case and other accessories. Fortunately, Peak Design<\/a>, a brand renowned for well-designed, highly functional camera carry gear and accessories, tackled the problem and crafted a suite of mobile phone accessories to make adventuring easier. I tested several to see if they lived up to the hype.<\/p>\n Peak Design Mobile Accessories \u2014 $50\u2013$70<\/p>\n Photographers know Peak Design gear integrates seamlessly across the brand\u2019s entire product line. Straps work with bags<\/a>, attachment clips, tripods, etc. But the brand didn\u2019t stop with photography equipment: they released a full line of phone accessories that let just about anyone head outdoors with little more than their phone and obsessively engineered accessories that help it perform like the workhorse it is.<\/p>\n That includes gear from car and motorcycle mounts to cross-body straps and detachable wallets. But does the system make your phone more useful for travel, cycling, photography, and daily life, or does it mainly lock users into an expensive accessory ecosystem? I tested the phone case, tripod, bicycle handlebar mount, and mobile wallet to find out.<\/p>\n Specs + features<\/p>\n Peak Design’s Mobile Wallet holds up to 7 cards and magnetically attaches to a compatible phone or case.<\/p>\n Alisha McDarris Peak Design’s Mobile Tripod folds flat for travel and uses a micro ballhead to adjust the phone’s shooting angle.<\/p>\n Alisha McDarris Peak Design’s Out Front Bike Mount V2 securely attaches a compatible phone to a bike’s handlebars.<\/p>\n Alisha McDarris<\/p>\n First impressions<\/p>\n Right off the bat, I loved the quality of the whole suite, which won’t surprise anyone familiar with Peak Design. All their gear is impeccably designed from top to bottom.<\/p>\n The SlimLink phone case (there\u2019s also a more rugged SlimLink GNAR case<\/a> for newer phones) was sleek and attractive, with excellent button usability and easy access to ports and speakers. It felt slim but still plenty protective, especially around the camera lenses. The SlimLink attachment point felt sturdy and reliable, yet it stayed as slim and lightweight as most other cases.<\/p>\n The mobile wallet<\/a> adheres to the back of the case (or any MagSafe-compatible phone) via magnets and holds securely. It felt more secure than my previous Otterbox case and wallet. It was also easier to get cards in and out: open it, pull up the little magnetic closure flap to extend your cards, then push them back down and close the flap when you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n The tripod<\/a> also connects via magnet, and it felt secure. I had no qualms about using it to prop my phone up for photos on rocky surfaces. The arms moved smoothly and seamlessly thanks to a tiny ball head, so I could fine-tune the phone’s position with ease and turn and tilt it into just about any position needed to get the shot.<\/p>\n The Out Front bike handlebar mount<\/a> felt solidly built, too, and I was glad it came with several sizes of adapter rings to ensure a solid fit on any standard handlebars. It was also easy to install and use: I just made sure it was snugly mounted on my mountain bike bars with the included Allen key, then slotted the square opening on the back of the phone case over the attachment point. Magnets helped it snap into place, and removing it required a simple squeeze of two buttons on the back of the mount. I was stoked to use it on long bike path rides that require frequent turns and map-checking, so I could see directions without stopping to pull my phone out of my pocket.<\/p>\n The Out Front Bike Mount V2 uses Peak Design’s SlimLink connection to hold a phone securely on a bike’s handlebars.<\/p>\n Alisha McDarris<\/p>\n Performance<\/p>\n I found the phone case a pleasure to use. It slid in and out of pockets easily, was a breeze to grip, though the edges may be a bit smoother and slicker than other, more rugged cases, and it felt plenty protective during fumbles. After several drops on dirt trails, it sustained not a scratch. Importantly, neither did my iPhone 14 Pro. The buttons were still easy to depress, and I appreciated the extra lip around the camera lenses.<\/p>\n As for the mobile wallet, while ease-of-use was top\u2013notch, mobile wallets are notoriously finicky when adding and removing cards; I still didn\u2019t love that it attaches via MagSafe. Often, I shoved my phone into my pocket haphazardly or dropped it, and the wallet popped off. This has happened plenty with other brands\u2019 magnetic wallets, but I wish Peak Design had utilized the actual SlimLink connector for a more secure hold. That said, it holds everything I need, including several cards and even some cash.<\/p>\n The tripod was just as easy to use. On one fall mountain hike with my husband, I popped off my wallet when we reached an alpine lake and slapped the tripod on in its place. In a few seconds, I deployed the tripod legs, leveled my phone on the uneven, rocky ground, and easily took a timed self-portrait with us and the scenery. Thanks to its slim design, it was just as simple to fold back up and slide into a shoulder strap pocket.<\/p>\n The bike handlebar mount in particular far exceeded my expectations. I tested it on pavement first to make sure small bumps and potholes didn\u2019t knock my phone off the SlimLink connector. When it held firm, I graduated to mellow dirt trails with small rollers and bumps. When it stayed put through that, I left it on the mount for an entire 13-mile mountain climb and subsequent descent. Despite very rough, rocky terrain, including a few small drops, the phone stayed securely in place, and I was impressed.<\/p>\n Pricing<\/p>\n Peak Design accessories might not be the most budget-conscious options, but with these kinds of cases and tools, you often get what you pay for, and these are high quality, durable, and will absolutely last longer than your current phone model. On the upside, if your phone is older than about two generations, you can often get a great deal on at least the phone case.<\/p>\n The tools do all come with a robust warranty, which the brand stands behind (I can personally attest to this).<\/p>\n Drawbacks<\/p>\n There were surprisingly few drawbacks with any of the products, but like with many MagSafe accessories, attachment isn\u2019t as secure as built-in or strapped-on storage or tools.<\/p>\n For example, while the bike mount was never an issue because it locked in via SlimLink, I wrestled my phone, complete with case and attached wallet<\/a>, out of a tight pocket several times during testing, and the wallet snagged, fell off, and ended up on the ground. It\u2019s a fairly universal issue with these accessories, but it’s worth being aware of.<\/p>\n Pros<\/p>\n Universal SlimLink adapter available for any phone case Cons<\/p>\n Cases only designed for iPhone, Pixel, and Galaxy phones Peak Design’s SlimLink case uses a magnetic-and-mechanical locking system to connect a phone to compatible Mobile accessories.<\/p>\n Alisha McDarris<\/p>\n Final thoughts on the Peak Design Phone Accessories<\/p>\n Bottom line: I\u2019m a fan of the accessories I tested and will likely end up with more. They are all well-designed, ruggedly built, and more functional than I anticipated. For adventurers who rely on their phone as a multi-functional workhorse, these tools can handle whatever you throw at them and are a genuine pleasure to use.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, while the accessories work perfectly with the phone case, you don\u2019t have to use only Peak Design accessories. Sure, the SlimLink phone case<\/a> offers the most integrated usability across the line, especially if you want to use it with tools like the Creator Kit<\/a>, but even without the case, any MagSafe-compatible phone works with magnetically mounted items like the wallet<\/a> and tripod<\/a>.<\/p>\n So while Peak Design accessories may work best together (and some products, like the bike mount<\/a>, only work with the compatible case), you\u2019re not locked into buying from just one brand, though you might soon prefer to.<\/p>\n For more gear\u00a0for your next adventure, check out our guides to the\u00a0best bike bags<\/a>,\u00a0best hiking daypacks,<\/a>\u00a0and best hiking shoes<\/a>. We’ve also tested a range of outdoor gear to help you find products worth bringing along.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I tested Peak Design’s Mobile case, tripod, wallet, and bike mount across hikes, bike rides, and everyday use.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":929398,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[496269,221733,221734,496267,496268,64,63,203,221737,221736,105,221735],"class_list":["post-929397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mobile","tag-aff-hiking","tag-aff-hnp","tag-aff-national-evergreen","tag-aff-spr","tag-aff-travel","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-mobile","tag-sfgfreelance","tag-sfgshopping","tag-technology","tag-thebuyarea"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=929397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929397\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/929398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=929397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=929397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=929397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n
<\/a>
\nAvailable for multiple phone brands and generations
\nPhone case comes in nylon, vegan leather, and cow leather options
\nFair Trade Certified & guaranteed for life
\nConnects to all Peak Design Mobile mounts & accessories
\nCompatible with MagSafe accessories & chargers
\nBuilt-in magnetic\/mechanical locking technology (called SlimLink\u2122) is ultra-secure
\nSuper-slim profile
\nRubberized full-surround shock-absorbing bumper
\nProtective lip around screen and camera lenses
\nRugged 2m (6ft) drop protection
\nBuilt-in strap attachment points for Peak Design Mobile straps and 3rd-party straps
\nLightweight polycarbonate body
\n<\/a>
\n100% recycled weatherproof Bluesign-approved nylon canvas fabric
\nHigh-temp neodymium mounting magnets
\nTop flap allows you to pull up cards with ease
\nHolds up to 7 cards
\nMagnetically sealed top flap
\n<\/p>\n
<\/a>
\nMachined\/anodized aluminum body and legs
\nGrippy silicone mounting pad
\nPVD-coated stainless steel hardware
\nHigh-temp MagSafe-compatible neodymium mounting magnets
\nMolded TPU anti-slip, vibration-damping feet
\nMicro ballhead smoothly adjusts your shooting or viewing angle
\n<\/p>\n
<\/a>
\nMachined\/anodized aluminum mounting head & arm
\nGrippy silicone mounting pad
\nPolycarbonate bar sizing collars
\nPVD-coated stainless steel hardware
\nHigh-temp neodymium mounting magnets
\nSnaps securely in place
\nRemove with the push of a button
\nIncludes GoPro-style accessory mount
\n<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\nDurable products
\nSolid warranty
\nFunctional accessories
\nLots of compatible accessories available
\nSleek and understated design
\nEasy to use<\/p>\n
\nCases not always available for older phone models
\nMagnetic-only attachable accessories can pop off under moderate force
\n<\/p>\n