Satechi R1 Arm Hinge Holder, fantastic design and even better Funtionality

There are products out their by companies that few have heard of or ever seen. Satechi is one such company. Until very recently, I had never heard of them or anything about their products. In a nut shell, they are an accessory manufacturer with a wide array of products under their belt. They have Bluetooth speakers, FM transmitters, camera accessories and various cradles and cases to name just a few. We were able to get our hands on a few of their products for review, the Satechi R1 being one of them.

The R1 is constructed out of solid aluminum which makes it fairly light weight, coming in at only .78 pounds. Don’t let that fool you from thinking that it will break easily or fall over often, because it won’t. The inner arms and back have a grippy rubberized coating to help protect your devices. You will also find the same rubber material on the pad underneath the R1 to keep you surfaces free from scratches or marks.

Where this stand really ‘stands’ out isn’t with its weight or rubber protection, but more so for its versatility. The hinge aspect of R1 is its greatest feature. Instead of being a solid stand that places your tablet or device at a set viewing angle, the R1 hinges allow for multiple angles. The upper hinge can be manipulated 270 degrees while the base hinge can swivels 180 degrees. Giving you full control over the viewing angle and many other applications. Seriously, take a look –

With the hinge system that is capable of supporting a heavier tablet with out drooping, you might think that moving the hinges will take some major muscle. That isn’t the case though. Manipulating the hinges is very easy to do with or without a device in the arm rests. As you saw in the pictures that they provide, there are plenty of uses for such a stand in your life. Some of them I never would have even thought of. The Satechi R1 is a pretty amazing compact stand with more usability than a Folio case or other traditional tablet stands on the market.

The Good

The R1 is lightweight yet strong. It easily supports any 7 to 10 inch tablet and is adjustable to any angle you see fit, some exceptions to the rule of course. The rubber on the arm where your tablet goes is soft and safe. Adding the rubber to the bottom plate keeps it from sliding and protects your furniture. The R1 folds down to a more compact travel size and they include a bag to slide it into for just that purpose.

The Bad

That’s a hard one. I have been using the R1 for various tablets and phones for the last couple of weeks and have yet to have an issue. As long as you don’t just toss your device on it and expect it to stay you are fine. You still need to understand the basic principle of the center of gravity. Placing your tablet on it with the bottom hinge to far forward will make it tip over. Basic common sense will be needed to operate the stand.

Overall

The R1 looks great and it works as expected. The accessory is pulling a solid 5 star rating from 27 customers on Amazon right now, they all can’t be wrong, can they? As far as tablet and phone stands go, you can’t go wrong with picking up an R1 by Satechi.

Below is a photo tour of the R1. If you are looking to order one today, which you should, then hit the link after the gallery.

You can snag a Satechi R1 directly from Amazon. They sell for $44.99 currently, which is $35.00 off the suggested price of $79.99. Hit the Amazon image below to head on in and pick one up.