Joby FreeHold Universal Kit Review Finger Grip Phone Stand Tripod

Anyone who owns a phone has likely, at some point, experience the surreal feeling of butterfingers when the phone inexplicably melts through your fingers! This is one reason why using a phone case is advantageous, especially with newer phones and their fragile screens which are so easy to smash. If you aren't into phone cases, there is another way to keep your phone in all its glorious nakedness and still fairly secure in the hand by using a phone grip like the Joby FreeHold Universal kit.

The Joby FreeHold Universal kit is one of many phone grip solutions available on the market but, it differentiates itself from the competition via add-ons that make the Joby FreeHold solution more versatility for everyday use. Joby FreeHold Universal Kit contains three separate pieces that you mix and match together to assemble a total of three functions, prop up stand, finger grip, tripod head and flexible wrap around mount.

The main bit in the kit, it's the Joby FreeHold, which is a finger phone grip with a sticky side on one end and a pass-through sleeve on the other side for looping your finger through. The sleeve is made of elastic fabric and, it's designed to accommodate one finger (or two small fingers); hence you won't be able to use the Joby FreeHold as a hand grip for your phone.

The sticky side can adhere to the backside of a phone, protective case or anything with a flat smooth side as long as the surface is made of hard plastic. It doesn't stick as strongly on rubbery or hide materials, which is worth noting if the protective case of you phone is made of leather, silicone or PU leather. The Joby FreeHold will not stick to phones with glass backs.

When stuck on a hard plastic surface, the Joby FreeHold holds well and securely and will not unstick under normal use. The Joby FreeHold uses a re-usable type adhesive, which does not create a permanent bond like certain 3M type adhesives used for mounting a dash cam to a windscreen or dashboard. Because the adhesive doesn't create a permanent strong bond, it will unstick when shaken vigorously. At the same time, the Joby FreeHold adhesive does not leave any type of residue after removal; hence you won't have to scrape off or use isopropyl alcohol to remove any foamy gunk like you do with permanent 3M adhesive.

While the Joby FreeHold adhesive is re-usable, it is not designed to be removed repeatedly. In fact, the sticky adhesive has a short lifespan of up to 3 uses, after which the stickiness loses bonding strength. Before sticking it anywhere and to maximize the bonding contact, you want to wipe the area with isopropyl alcohol prior to applying it. 

The Joby FreeHold Universal Kit doesn't come with any type of alcohol wipes, which would be a good idea since alcohol does wonders for creating a better adhesive bonding. Isopropyl alcohol is inexpensive, leaves no oily traces, doesn't smell and, it also evaporates quicker (within one minute) than any other cleaning agent.
Despite being non-metallic, the Joby FreeHold finger grip holder has the same drawback as other similar solutions like metal ring finger holders, which block induction charging; hence you won't be able to wireless charge your phone while the Joby FreeHold is stuck onto the phone. This is likely to be a deal breaker for those with a phones that supports wireless charging. The Joby FreeHold finger grip holder measures 9cm long and 3cm wide. The elastic fabric sleeve measures 6cm long and 1.8cm wide. The thickness of the entire contraption is 1cm thick; hence the Joby FreeHold adhesive unit creates a slight bump on the back of the phone.

The other two accessories included on the Joby FreeHold Universal kit are a tripod head and bendable legs, which is made of a single piece of silicone rubber that is designed to let you wrap around the Joby FreeHold onto things or use it like a prop up holder for video calls and watching videos. The bendable silicone tube measures 20cm long and has a quick release clip shoe that easily slides and clips onto the Joby FreeHold grip holder.

The tripod head adapter is also made of plastic and, it's also designed to mount onto the Joby FreeHold so, you can use it on a tripod. The tripod adapter uses a standard 1/4-20 inch female thread and weighs 7 grams. The bendable legs weigh 14 grams, while the Joby FreeHold finger grip holder weighs 14 grams, which is substantially lower than a phone case, which on average weights 110 grams.You can buy the Joby FreeHold Universal Kit from amazon. Check out the review of the Joby RangePod Smart tripod and the Joby Griptight Pro Telepod