Disclosure: This product was sent to us free of charge for the purpose of this review. However, as per my PR Info page, this review represents our honest opinion of the product. This post may contain affiliate links.
Product: PITAKA MagEZ Grip 2 – Amazon UK
Price: £25.99
Manufacturer’s Description: The thinnest and lightest MagSafe compatible aramid fiber phone ring.
Rating: (4/5 stars) Review: PITAKA sent me a MagEZ Grip ring holder to try out with my iPhone 12, which has MagSafe so can be used out of the box with the wide range of MagSafe compatible accessories there are these days. The MagEZ Grip can be used with both iPhones with MagSafe and various phones using PITAKA’s MagEZ cases including the Google Pixel Fold and the latest Samsung Galaxy models. I love to use slim and lightweight cases with my iPhone, and with a MagSafe charger I always choose a MagSafe compatible case. This rules out using any of the cases with built in rings, as they get in the way of wireless charging and so on, so I do tend to keep a MagSafe phone ring in my bag. This lets me pop it onto the back of my iPhone when I want a ring grip on my phone – usually when I am out of the house, taking photos, or want to use it as a kickstand. The MagEZ Grip is thinner and lighter than my current ring grip, and the magnets are definitely stronger which makes it feel a lot more secure on the back of my phone. At a depth of only 4.3mm and a weight of 30g, it doesn’t add too much bulk and can easily stay on my phone when it’s in a pocket. The ring is a tiny bit difficult to pull out with short nails like mine, but I’ve got the hang of pulling it out with a little pressure & my fingertip. This grip has a really comfortable to use ring that folds out up to an angle of 110°, with what feels like a sturdy hinge that is stiff enough to stay at the angle you want, but not so stiff it is hard to fold in & out. You can rotate the grip 360° which lets you shift how you are holding your phone easily. The ring is a nice size too; the one I have is a bit too big and has sharper edges, both of which makes it much less comfortable to use than the MagEZ Grip. As well as using the MagEZ Grip to hold your phone more securely, you can use it as a horizontal phone stand. The variable angle of the ring lets you adjust the stand to suit your needs fairly well, and it feels pretty stable when in use. The slightly odd but cool feature of the MagEZ Grip is the addition of an NFC tag built into the grip. You can tap your phone against the grip to activate an automation in shortcuts on your phone, before you attach the grip to the back of your case. This seems a bit gimmicky but I have thought of a number of ways I could use this. If you prefer one of the camera apps that gives you more functionality than the built in one, this would make it super easy to launch it as you prep your phone for secure one handed photography. Or, if you use your phone for handheld walking directions you could set it to launch an app like Citymapper and then have the grip on while you hold it & walk. You could also use it to start your favourite playlist, play your audiobook, or start a type of workout. The only feature this ring grip adapter loses out on in comparison to the one I already have is that my existing one folds out to allow it to prop up the phone at a larger range of angles, and vertically as well as horizontally. However, it can be annoying to use that kind of design as it sometimes folds out when you just want to use the ‘ring’ part of the grip, and using just the ring is a smidge less secure as a result. I will be switching to using the PITAKA MagEZ grip from now on as the only thing I’ll miss from my current one is the extra angle for taking time delayed photos, and you could just pop something underneath the ring to increase that angle enough to use it. To be fair, I’ve only used my old grip for that purpose once since I got it months ago, so I definitely prefer the more comfortable & secure ring grip over the versatility of the fold out type – the pros of one outweigh the cons of the other. It is a little expensive compared to some of the other options on the market right now, but the superior build quality and added NFC functionality justify the additional cost in my eyes. PITAKA don’t recommend using the grip on an iPhone without a MagSafe case on and the cynic in me thinks it’s either because they want to sell their (admittedly gorgeous) MagEZ cases, or because there is a tiny risk that it will scratch the back of your phone, especially if some ‘magnetic dust’ gets caught between the phone and the ring. I never use my iPhone naked though, so this isn’t really a concern for me. I give the PITAKA MagEZ Grip 2 four stars – and I’ve given my old grip to one of my kids! I’ve got two PITAKA iPhone 15 ultra slim cases to give away that they sent to me in the parcel with the grip, so do check out my giveaway post if you use an iPhone 15!
