Review / Rokform Rugged Phone Case And Mounts

The Rokform Pro Series mount has everything necessary to attach the mount to your handlebars, including the mount, spacers, lanyard, and tool. Photo: Mike Botan

You have probably already seen a slew of phone mount reviews here on ADVRider. And it appears that other phone mount companies have as well. So it wasn’t surprising when Rokform contacted me and asked whether I would be open to testing and reviewing some of their phone mount options. The mounts would be provided free of charge, and Rokform did not put any restrictions or conditions on my testing, so I agreed. Shortly thereafter, I received a Rokform case that fit my phone and two different phone mounts.

You will need a Rokform case to use their mounts. Like many other dedicated phone mount manufacturers, their mounting systems only work with their cases. I’m OK with that, provided the cases are sturdy, provide some drop protection and securely hold the phone on my bike. Ultimately, I received a Rokform Rugged phone case that is a dedicated fit to my Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The case is undoubtedly a rugged and hefty design. It is somewhat heavy, so you get the feeling that the case will provide good protection from drops and falls. Rokform says the case has a “Slim design with 6-foot Military Grade drop protection.” But from my perspective, the case is thicker than the ones I have received from other manufacturers. In fact, it’s probably the largest dedicated phone mount case I have used thus far.

The ruggedized Rokform camera case is big, sturdy, and feels beefy. Photo: Rokform

That said, I believe their claim that the case will protect your phone from a 6-foot drop. Although I was unwilling to drop my phone from a six-foot height purposely, I accidentally dropped it from about 4 feet high with no damage. The case does indeed look rugged and attaches easily to your phone. If you are still concerned about your phone’s security, Rokform supplies a lanyard. Frankly, I don’t think it’s necessary. But their “belt and suspenders” approach is admirable.

On the right side of the case, you will find three covers surrounding the phone’s buttons. They are large and work well, making your phone’s input easy without additional pressure.

Key to securing your phone to the mount is Rokform’s patented “twist lock system.” The system uses a four-pronged opening in the center of the phone case’s back. To mount the phone to your mount, you line up the openings on the case with four prongs on the mount and press down. The phone then slides into the mount. Then you twist the phone to the right, and it locks your phone in place.

Rokform’s phone cases also have two powerful magnets incorporated into them. Along with the twist lock feature of the case, these magnets serve as an extra layer of protection to ensure your phone stays in place. Moreover, the magnets also have other practical uses. The magnets will hold your phone in place on any magnetic surface. It’s a nice feature for when you need to see your phone when your hands are busy doing other things.

The Rokform S23 Ultra case has two magnets that firmly hold your phone to any magnetic surface. Photo: Rokform

Rokform claims that the magnets in the phone case will not affect GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, payments, or data transfer. I can say that it doesn’t affect any of the first three, and the phone works as expected. I did not try to send payments or make data transfers with the case on the phone.

My Samsung S23 Ultra phone also features a writing implement called an “S Pen.” The pen lets you write directly onto the phone screen and save the writing. While using the case with the S Pen, the magnets did cause a problem. It worked fine on the top two-thirds of the display, but if I were writing on the bottom third of the screen, the S Pen would not record my writing. While this was a bit inconvenient, it was easy enough to scroll the screen upwards with my finger and continue writing. It’s a minor issue, but I wouldn’t say it’s a big deal.

As I mentioned earlier, Rokform sent two different mounts. In this review, I will test Rokform’s “Pro Series Motorcycle Bar Mount” and its Universal Ball Mount Adapter Phone Mount.” As you might imagine, the bar mount mounts to your handlebar, while the ball mount is made to be used in conjunction with RAM-type mounts. Let’s start with the bar mount.

The Rokform Pro Series mount has everything necessary to attach the mount to your handlebars, including the mount, spacers, lanyard, and tool. Photo: Mike Botan

The mount is designed to fit many different brands of motorcycles. This mount will fit securely onto your handlebar if it has handlebars between 7/8 and 1¼ inches. Depending on your handlebar size, you may have to use one of the supplied rubber inserts. Installation is a two-bolt affair with a single bolt securing the collar of the mount to your handlebar. The second bolt is located at the base of the mount’s phone holder.

The Rokform Pro Series (L) and Universal Ball (R) mount on my Norden 901. Photo: Mike Botan

The first bolt secures the mount to your handlebar and is designed to let you rotate the collar 360 degrees. The second bolt secures the arm that holds your phone. The arm can also rotate 360 degrees and, at the same time, provide pivot angles (i.e., standing up or laying down) for -20 degrees and +55 degrees. The pivoting features allow you to adjust the mount for the best phone visibility. That said, once secured to the handlebar and at the selected angle, you’ll need a tool to readjust the mount if desired.

The head of the mount is also adjustable. It offers 360-degree range of motion so you can secure your phone at any angle. But for most people, the portrait and landscape positions will be all they need.

Installing the phone onto the mount is a relatively straightforward affair. You line up the four prongs on the mount with the opening in the case, press down slightly and turn the phone to the right. When the phone is locked to the mount, you’ll feel it click into place.

The Universal Ball Mount is attached as you would attach any RAM ball mount. To mount the Rokform Universal Ball Mount, you insert the ball into a RAM-style holder and tighten the knob. The setup allows for excellent adjustability and makes finding the correct position for your phone easy. Installing the phone is the same as for the Pro Series mount; line up the four prongs on the mount with the opening in the case, press down slightly, and turn the phone to the right. The phone is securely locked once you feel it click into place. To remove the phone, press the lever at the side of the mount and twist the phone to the left. It’s an easy operation.

The Rokform universal ball mount fits any RAM-like mount. You detach your phone from the mount by pressing down on the lever (bottom left). Photo: Rokform

So let’s get down to using the mounts and find out how well they performed. The TLDNR is that they performed admirably.

Getting down to details, in each mount, the phone was always securely held. This includes while riding on pavement and some bumpy, rutted dirt roads. Never was the phone’s security ever in doubt. And the phone was quite readable, with no jiggling or movement. So both mounts score an “A” in phone retention and visibility.

Here’s my S23 Ultra mounted directly in the center of the handlebars. When I was seated, all of my bike’s displays (phone, TFT display, and GPS) were completely visible. Photo: Mike Botan

Here’s the Rokform ball mount attached to a RAM arm. Photo: Mike Botan

When it comes to mounting the phone to the mount, it takes a bit of getting used to. Learning how to make the prongs line up takes a bit of time. It’s a bit of a “fiddly” operation, but the built-in magnet helps you line it up correctly. And once you get the feel of it, attaching your phone to the mount becomes easy.

Both of these mounts do not come with a dedicated vibration damper. For those with phones that use optical image stabilization, the vibrations that motorcycles develop can be hazardous to some phones’ cameras. As a result, many moto phone mount makers make vibration-damping mounts. Rokform does as well, but unfortunately did not send one for review, so I can not comment on how they perform. But if vibration is of concern to you, they are available.

All of the items reviewed here come with a two-year warranty and a 60-day money-back guarantee.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra magnetic Rugged Case has an MSRP of $69.99, while the Pro Series Motorcycle Bar Mount carries a price tag of $119.99, and the RAM Universal Ball Adapter comes in at $49.99. As a result, depending on your mount setup, you can get a complete Rokform mount and case for less than $120. But if you want to go with the all-metal mount, expect to pay about $190. That pricing seems reasonable, considering the mounts are made in the USA.

The Rokform mounts offer secure mounting. Their ease of use is good, especially after you have used them for a while. And they are quite adjustable, so you can find just the right position to offer maximum visibility to your phone.