I'm Stuck Up! (You Should Be, Too!)
Written: Apr 03 '06 (Updated Aug 27 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Simple, inexpensive solution to an annoying problem.
Cons: Not for all dashboard materials. Not as effective when hot.
The Bottom Line: When it comes to reaching things while I drive, this inexpensive item solves my problem.
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| ladyconsumer's Full Review: HandStands Sticky Pad |
Have you ever noticed that when you're driving your car, it seems that there are just not enough convenient places to put everything? OK - maybe it's just me, but I have two cars. One is a huge minivan, the other a tiny little convertible. In the minivan, because of my short stature, I can't safely reach into the glove compartment while I'm driving. It's simply too far away. And the little convertible has practically no storage areas. So - no matter which car I'm driving, I can't find convenient places for all of my stuff.
Luckily I found Handstand's Sticky Pad. What a clever idea! This little device provides a sticky surface to hold my cell phone, sunglasses, spare change, etc. Best of all, there's no glue, tape, or Velcro involved. It's completely movable, washable, and reusable. There's also no magnet to wreck havoc with your ATM card. It's like a magical sticky surface that holds your stuff in place. Once you place objects on it, those objects will stay there. No matter how quickly you take those rights and those lefts. (Trust me, I tried!)
What Kind Of Material Is It?
Well, I'm not sure what material it's made from, and the package doesn't say, but it looks like a rectangular piece of black leather. It measures 6 3/4" x 4 1/8" x 1/32". It feels slightly sticky to the touch, but doesn't leave any kind of sticky residue on your hands. If you've ever seen one of those permanent lint brushes - not the kind with the roll of tape - but one that stays permanently sticky after rewetting - this pad feels like the same material. In fact you treat this sticky pad the same way you do the lint brush. When it gets covered with dust, it loses its stickiness. At that point, simply wash it off with soap and water. When it dries, it's "magically" sticky again.
So Where Do You Place It?
When you first purchase this product, there's a paper backing that has to be peeled. After peeling, you simply place this product anywhere on your clean (dust-free) dashboard. Note that it should ONLY be used on a soft vinyl dashboard. If your dashboard is made of material other than soft vinyl, this product is not recommended, as it can cause damage to the dashboard's material.
Once the pad is placed on the dashboard, you'll notice that it won't move. It stays put. You can, however, easily pick it up, and place it elsewhere. In fact, you should periodically change its position on your dashboard. This way, you won't be left with an un-faded rectangle where the sticky pad protected the dashboard from the sun's rays.
Note, also, that this product is designed to be used on horizontal surfaces. Or even slightly angled surfaces, but NOT on vertical surfaces.
Also take care to place the pad in such a manner that it is not interfering with your car's airbags, and not covering your audio system's speakers.
OK - I Placed The Pad On My Dashboard... Now What?
Now, place objects on the pad, and note how they won't move. What kinds of objects? Cell phones, loose change, sunglasses, pens, lipsticks, and tollbooth transponders all stay perfectly. Why? Because the surface is that "magical" sticky stuff. Sticky enough to hold those objects despite my various attempts to dislodge them. ("Really, Officer, I'm not drunk, I was just testing my sticky pad!!!... The Epinions Community depends on these tests!!!")
What kinds of things DON'T stick? Well - the stickiness depends on surface area. The more surface area that touches the pad, the better it works. Objects that are more tall than wide won't stay put. So you can't stand your cell phone up on its end and expect it to stay that way. Also, if your pen's cap keeps most of the pen from touching the pad, it won't stay. Obviously, you can't pile up your change, each coin has to lie flat on the pad. Note that this pad is NOT designed to hold your coffee cup! Interestingly, paper doesn't seem to stick to it. I tried to get a coupon to stick, making sure I pressed it down flat to the pad, and it wouldn't stick at all.
How Sticky Is It? Or - How Do I Pick The Stuff Back Up Again?
The stickiness is the right amount to hold objects in place no matter your driving style, but not sticky enough to cause a problem when you want to pick the stuff up again. It's similar to how a Post-It note will stick easily, but also come up easily. I just grab my phone or my loose change, and go. The only time I have any trouble is when my car has been baking in the sun all day long. When that happens, the pad gets very hot, and doesn't stick too well to the dashboard anymore. It's sticky enough so that it stays put while I drive, but when I go to pick up my cell phone, the pad comes with it. In those cases, I use the two-handed method. One hand to grab the phone, the other hand to hold down the pad. As stated, this is only a problem when the pad is really hot. When it's cool, it stays put, even as you grab the objects from it.
If You're Interested In Purchasing
I thought I'd let you know that the company makes two different styles. The one reviewed above comes in black, and looks like leather. They also make a slightly smaller one out of a gel-like substance. That one comes in blue, black, and red, and measures 5 3/4" x 3 3/4". I paid $4.99 for mine at Office Max. See www.handstands.com for additional information.
Recommended?
Definitely! I love tossing my phone and my sunglasses onto the sticky pad, knowing they'll be there when I need them.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ladyconsumer
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Member: Mona
Location: Sunny South Florida
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