I Tried an Airplane Phone Holder and It Revolutionized My In-Flight Streaming Experience

First thoughts on the Perilogics Universal Travel Phone Holder

Ready to use. Photo: Tim Wenger

I ordered the Perilogics Universal Travel Phone Holder at the recommendation of a colleague. I’m typically not one to immediately order something without first taking the time to thoroughly research it, but because this device cost all of $9.78 on Amazon, and I already had a few things in my cart to qualify me for free shipping, I ordered it straight away. It arrived a few days later in a small box that actually fit inside my PO Box.

This airplane phone holder is pretty straightforward, but I recommend taking it out of the box and doing a test run at home before heading to the airport. I failed to do so and spent the first moments of the flight clicking and clacking the holder as if I were playing with a Rubix Cube, trying to configure it into shape. Included in the box with the airplane phone holder is a quick instruction sheet that outlines how it’s supposed to open – note, remember to twistthe arm out like a clock arm, rather than yaking it up, otherwise it may snap. When contracting the device to put it away, simply follow the reverse of what you did to set it up — rotate the arm back inside the body, and push it all together. The phone holder expands to the size of all smartphones — I use an iPhone 14 and it could fit a phone much wider or thinner with ease.

The airplane phone holder operates in vertical and horizontal mode. It can clip onto edges and is therefore useful for much more than plane rides. For example, you could clip it onto the edge of a restaurant dining table so your kiddo can watch a movie while you eat. It also can be a selfie-stick or headphone stand.

Selfie-stick mode. Photo: Tim Wenger

Its primary use, though, is to hold your phone stable on the seat back tray while in-flight. It does this by fastening onto the back of the tray. To fasten efficiently there’s a small lever I’d pull to open the clamp, and then release slowly to tighten the clam onto the back of the seatback tray. I never noticed any sliding of the screen or other distractions while watching. In fact, the airplane phone holder made the viewing experience much better than when I hold the phone in my hands – it eliminates shaking and vibrations much like a tripod does for photography.

Photo courtesy Amazon

It’s possible to use the airplane phone holder either with the seat back tray down (by clipping it onto the back of the tray, near the seat in front of you) or with the seatback up (by clipping it onto the top of the folded tray). Both work just as well.

I’d never thought to use an airplane phone holder because I tend to use my laptop for movies on planes — but this is far more convenient if I’m also eating or drinking, or have my daughter with me and need to entertain her. I also found it to be better for watching a movie with someone in the next seat over because you can elevate the phone holder on the back of the folded-up seatback tray, preventing either person from having to crink their neck to view a laptop sitting on the other person’s tray.

The Perilogics Universal In-Flight Airplane Phone Holder is designed for hands-free entertainment during air travel. Here are some of its key specs:

• Offers 360-degree rotation on two axes, allowing for flexible viewing angles in both portrait and landscape orientations
• Features a strong clamp that can securely attach to various surfaces, including tray tables, luggage handles, and even gym equipment.
• Lightweight and easy to pack, making it convenient for travel.
• Designed to accommodate a wide range of smartphone sizes.

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What could be better about this airplane phone holder

I took my phone out to take some notes, and the airplane phone holder remained in place while I ate a meal. Photo: Tim Wenger

The Perilogics Universal Travel Phone holder is effective – but it’s also quite noisy when putting it together. Each part makes a “snap” as it twists into shape, which isn’t a big deal but it caught me off guard initially.

During the flight the person in front of me got up multiple times for either himself or the person next to him to go to the restroom. When this happened, the stand would shake a bit – not fervently. This never caused playback to skip or otherwise impaired my media consumption, rather it was simply a slight annoyance. Really, I couldn’t expect a sub-$10 piece of plastic to perform any better than it did. Due to its small size, their airplane phone holder has secured itself a permanent spot in my travel pack, so it’s always there when I need it.

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