Elecom MAGKEEP Review: Can It Stop a MagSafe Ring Sticking to the Car Mount?

This is the English edition of a review from my Japanese YouTube channel, iestaLife. I review gadgets from my home studio in Japan, so product links go to Amazon Japan.

Quick take

If you use a MagSafe ring or grip on your iPhone and a strong MagSafe car mount, you may know this annoyance: you pull the phone off the mount and the ring stays stuck to the mount. I tried to fix it by sticking an Elecom MAGKEEP magnetic pad onto my car mount to tone the magnet down a little. It helped only slightly. Twisting the phone as you slide it off works more often, but what really decides the outcome is how strong your case’s own magnets are.

Elecom MAGKEEP magnetic pad unboxed — Elecom MAGKEEP, black

What I tested

Elecom MAGKEEP magnetic pad, black: ¥964 at the time of recording (white ¥1,055, grey ¥1,090). It is actually meant for sticking your iPhone to a wall, mirror or kitchen surface
UGREEN MagSafe car mount (air-vent type), my everyday mount, with the MAGKEEP stuck onto its magnetic face using the thinner adhesive sheet
An iPhone with a MagSafe ring attached, tried with a pile of cases from my collection: Peak Design, ESR, TORRAS (ultra-thin case plus a stick-on MagSafe ring), PITAKA, MEMUMI, Apple’s own case, NIMASO and SHIELDON

What I found

The listing can make it look like a four-pack, but there is only one magnetic pad. The four pieces are adhesive sheets: two 0.2 mm and two 2.0 mm. The thick ones are there so the pad sits higher than the iPhone’s camera bump when you stick it to a flat wall. On a car mount with a raised round MagSafe face, the camera does not get in the way, so I used the thin sheet.
It looks good. The matte black surface blends in with the mount, so the whole thing looks tidier.
On the first try, the ring still stayed on the mount. Pulling straight off is not enough, because the mount’s magnet is still very strong.
What worked better was technique: grip the iPhone, hold the ring down slightly and twist the phone as you slide it off, rather than pulling it straight away. With the MAGKEEP fitted, the magnet feels a touch milder, and this trick worked much more often.

I then checked which cases keep the ring on the phone with the MAGKEEP-covered mount:

Case	Result
Peak Design	Ring stays on the iPhone. By far the strongest magnets I tested, so it works even without any technique
TORRAS ultra-thin + stick-on MagSafe ring	Ring stays on the iPhone. The stick-on ring holds very firmly
ESR (with stand)	Ring stays on the mount
PITAKA (aramid fibre)	Ring stays on the mount
MEMUMI (0.3 mm ultra-thin)	Ring stays on the mount. Weak magnets
Apple, NIMASO, SHIELDON and other typical MagSafe cases	Ring stays on the mount

The honest conclusion: the strength of your case’s magnets matters far more than the MAGKEEP. With a very strong case like Peak Design, or a strong stick-on MagSafe ring, the problem goes away. With a typical case, you will still need the twist-and-slide technique every time.

Who it’s for

If you want your MagSafe car mount to look neater and are happy to use the twist-and-slide trick, the MAGKEEP is a cheap thing to try. Do not expect it to fully solve the problem. If you already use a case with very strong magnets, such as Peak Design, you probably do not have this problem in the first place. For its intended use, sticking your iPhone to a wall in the kitchen or bathroom, I can recommend it without reservation.

The video is in Japanese.

Limitations

I tested with one car mount (UGREEN) and the cases I happened to own, and judged the results by hand, not with a force gauge. Results with other mounts, rings or cases may differ. Elecom is a Japanese brand, and the MAGKEEP may be hard to find outside Japan. Prices are from Amazon Japan at the time of recording.

Products

Elecom MAGKEEP magnetic pad: on Amazon Japan

UGREEN MagSafe car mount (air-vent type): on Amazon Japan

The Amazon Japan links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Check the listing for the exact model, current price and shipping availability in your region.

More reviews in English