Review: Naja King Form (iPhone, iPod stand)

You may have seen tripods for your ipod (catchy, huh?), but this little gadget makes a tripod look like starch at a spandex convention. Is this little iPhone stand really as cool as thoughtout.biz makes it seem? Aside from a few drawbacks, this simple setup has all the makings of a borderline brilliant product. When I first saw images of the Naja King Form iPhone and iPod holder I was intrigued. I was looking for a tripod that would support an iPhone or iPod well enough to take advantage of apps like HDR Pro and SlowShutter for the built in camera. I had trekked to the Apple Store, only to be told they did not carry anything even close to a tripod. Aside from a few “charger” stands the Apple Store was sadly lacking in the area of tripods for iPhones and iPods, so, I went online. I did find some cool tripods, such as the Joby Gorillamobile, Xshot, and Dobi Design Ultra Compact, but there were some drawbacks associated with most of them, such as:

• Many of them either require you to use their special case or no case at all–I already liked my case
• Some of them are still very limited when it comes to the angles you can tilt them
• Most of them require a flat surface (notable exception is the Joby Gorilla)
• Ok, at the risk of sounding geeky, they were mostly boring and normal compared to…

Enter the Naja King Form iPhone stand. No, it’s not a tripod technically because it only has one “foot”, but it qualifies as a stand, and works as a tripod in most cases. When I saw it I was instantly impressed by the simplicity and versatility of the design. I had to try it! Which of course I did…hence this review. Here were some things I discovered when the box arrived.

The Naja King comes in 2 pieces; the actual form holder for your iPhone and the “base” or tail of the stand. You connect the two with a simple rubber holder design that at first looked a little iffy, but I have appreciated its ability to hold and swivel the device and it hasn’t let me (or the iPhone) down yet.

THE HOLDER: Adjusting the form is as simple as bending the metal fingers to the desired position. The Form holders are custom fit for either an iPhone with no case or an iPhone with a case (two separate products). After positioning the Form fingers I was able to snap my iPhone in and out of the holder without ever readjusting it. The holder allows for easy access to the charging port, the front and back camera, as well as the sleep/wake button, volume control, and mute switch. I used an iPhone 4 on Verizon for this review. The Form holder attaches to the base via a rubber cylinder which allows seamless rotation of the device at any time and in any position. The holder I purchased allows me to leave my own personal iPhone case on the device when I am using it with the Naja King.

THE BASE: The snake like base attaches to the holder by the aforementioned rubber piece (as shown in images below) and is quick and easy to disassemble if needed. The base is really the brilliance of this product. The 3 foot steel coil is covered in a soft baked exterior for comfortable movement and easy bending. The coiling capabilities are surprisingly easy but hold very well. I found that if the base is not supported well enough or close enough to the device that the holder slowly sinks until it reaches a supportable position. One complaint I have is that within 24 hours of pulling it out of the box the soft rubber tip on the tail of the coil vanished (Edited to note that since this post the company has contacted me and is graciously sending a replacement part). It is still usable, but for the tip to fall off so quickly was a bit disappointing. All things considered, the coil is what makes this product unlike anything else you are likely to find for your iPhone or iPod and I think it was worth the money. I have had endless fun playing with it since it arrived in the mail, and I am still discovering uses for the versatile holder. Below are some images of how I have used it so far:

I set it up next to my laptop while I worked. It was easy to talk on the phone, view emails, and listen to Pandora Radio at the perfect height while I worked.

The Form holder allows easy access to all the buttons including the charger port on the iPhone and iPod. Make sure to order the holder that fits your device

The visor in my car made for a useful hand hold for the coil. I was able to position the device for GPS usage in an easily adjustable location at just the right height, and you can move it between vehicles!

If you don't want your iPhone hanging, you can find something like the parking brake to secure the coil to. NOTE: I am not responsible for any idiot who attaches it to their gear shift or other essential part of their car while driving!

It may not be the latest fashion statement, but it can be easily slung around your neck and used for those moments when you have both hands occupied but still can't seem to put your phone down

The coil can be hung practically anywhere. Hooks, door handles, relatives, or unsuspecting pets can all be hugged with this simple setup

The rubber attachment piece allows for easy swivel or removal

BOTTOM LINE: The Naja King Form is a unique item that will allow you to use your iPhone in ways you probably haven’t even imagined yet. It is a good product. Little things like the rubber tip falling off the first day disappointed me, but it didn’t leave me any less impressed with the overall product and it really didn’t effect the usability much. After posting the review, I was impressed that the company took time to contact me and arrange for a replacement tail cap to be sent. The customer service has been great from my experience. I would recommend the product. I have enjoyed it, and I am confident that for the moment there is nothing else like it out there. If you are looking for a standard tripod, move on, but if you want something that could be used to secure your device in many different circumstances and is just plain fun, this might be the thing for you.

EDITED TO NOTE: All of Thought Out Company’s products are 100% made in the USA, so Americans can be proud and the rest of us can be jealous