My Holding Cell

So, a holding cell sounds like a place the police put you, but that's not what this is about.

It started when a company contacted me about how I could use my iPhone more easily in the kitchen.

"Sorry," I said, "I don't have an iPhone. Mine's Android."

They said, oops, this works with Android or any phone. It's great. You can use it in the kitchen to use your phone without getting it dirty. It's great.

So I told them to go ahead and send it. I don't use my phone in the kitchen a lot, but it might be useful to have a way to prop it up.

When My Holding Cell arrived, I saw that it was promoting how easy it is for use in the bedroom. You slide part of it between mattress and box spring and then you can use the phone or fold it against the mattress to keep it out of the way.

I can't tell you if that works or not. First, I don't use the phone in bed. I sleep in bed. Second, I have a platform bed, and there's no possible way it would work, even if I wanted it to. So ... to the kitchen I go.

It suggests that for kitchen use, you should screw the holder to a wall. Oops. Slight problem there. The only available walls in my kitchen are under the cabinets, and that would be less than useful for trying to read what's on a phone screen. And if I am working with my phone in the kitchen - to read a recipe perhaps,or to monitor a lively Facebook conversation - I'd want it to be able to move around. Have it near the stove if I was busy stirring a risotto, or over by the food processor if I was tossing things in there. Having it hanging in one place might be convenient if I had one workspace. But, again, that's not going to work for me.

So, I tried figuring out if I could use it to hold the phone while it was sitting on the counter.

Maybe it's because I have a larger phone and it made the whole shebang top-heavy, but the only way it was stable was to put something on the "foot" so it didn't tip, and it didn't hold my phone very securely in that position. I have a little folding gizmo that works better in the kitchen.

Honestly, this thing is designed for that use in the bedroom, and maybe that's where it should stay.

Who's it for: People who use their phones in bed. Or who have one place in the kitchen where they want to attach their phone to the wall.

Pros: I can see how it might solve a problem.

Cons: I'm not sure how comfortable it would be using the phone in bed the way they suggest. If you give it a try, let me know.

Wishes: Would have been cool if it could have held the phone securely on the counter.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.