Zéfal Z Console Lite iPhone 6 and 6 Plus

If you baulk at paying for a Garmin when a modern smartphone can do the same job, albeit generally with less resistance to the weather, then you'll probably want the means of fixing one to your handlebar. There are lots of options out there, from the hyper-minimal to military-spec ruggedness, and Zéfal's Z Console Lite does the job reasonably well, firmly holding your phone where you can see it and offering some optional rain protection.

The Lite is a simpler, lighter system than the previous Z-Console for iPhone 4/5, which gave full water-resistance and some shock protection from a well-sealed case. What we have here, by contrast, is a tray that clips to the back of your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus and fixes to a simple plastic bar-mounted bracket. There are versions available for Samsung Galaxy S4/S5, and iPhone 4/5 phones as well, but that's as far as the range extends at the present time.

Find your nearest dealer here

Buy this online here

‘How can it be used with both an iPhone 6 and an iPhone 6 Plus?’ you’re probably wondering. The answer is simple – in an apparent bid to keep the product range as small as possible, Zéfal puts two trays in the box, one for each version of the latest iPhone. You get the same with the Samsung Galaxy model – two clips in the box – which is handy if you liked your GS4 as you'd be all set should you choose to upgrade. But it's more an either/or with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The mount fixes to the bike with a plastic worm-screw mechanism, tightened with a 6mm Allen key. The strap is amply long enough to fit any bar or stem; you'll probably want to trim it once fitted. It works better on a handlebar than it does the stem, though, as the mounting boss isn't central. On the bar, the phone sits a little further from your knees, but on the stem it sits off to one side, looking a bit odd and putting it more at risk from a stray knee.

The plastic tray holds the phone firmly – I tested it on a bumpy canal path with inappropriate tyre pressures and a brand new iPhone so that you wouldn't need to, dear reader. The tray fixes to the mount via an eighth-turn mechanism, meaning you can fit it landscape or portrait. It's reminiscent of the Quad Lock, in fact.

Whereas the Quad Lock uses a sliding collar to prevent unintentional phone release, Zéfal opts instead for a couple of buttons that you have to squeeze together before twisting the phone off. If that's not enough security for you, there's a further sliding button that you can use for an additional lock. This seems pretty unnecessary to me – I can't conceive of when the two buttons wouldn't suffice.

One-handed operation may be just about possible for those with large hands, but it's not as easy as a Quad Lock. If you're used to the ease of removal of a Garmin, you might find the two-stage release here irritating and fiddly, but iPhones are a bit more fragile than Garmins so it's probably no bad thing that it can't be knocked off.

The tray is fairly unobtrusive and allows unobstructed access to the buttons, connectors and camera. The plastic used is strong but doesn't have the more appealing rubberised finish of the Quad Lock tray, and the looks and feel are in direct contrast with the high-end iPhone. I certainly wasn't tempted to leave it on the phone when it wasn't attached to the bike.

As with the Quad Lock kit we reviewed, there's a rain cover that fits over the phone and mounting clip. Operation of the touchscreen and buttons is pretty straightforward even with the cover fitted. There are sealable openings at the bottom for the headphone and Lightning power connector, although you'd only want to use them somewhere dry, for obvious reasons.

With the phone mounted on the bar and at relatively low speeds, the rain cover does its job, but the mounting tray has a hole around the camera lens, and at speed water will get onto your phone through here. There are also holes in the mounting recess on the back, so plenty of ways for water to get in if it's not just gently falling on the front of the phone. Following a wheel at speed on a wet day, your phone will get a soaking that it might not survive.

I found it annoying not to be able to chuck it in a back pocket safe in the knowledge that my phone was properly protected from the elements. Put simply, the rain cover is better than no rain cover, but I'd be much happier on a wet day with either a fully sealed cover or – my preference – a waterproof phone like a Sony Xperia or Samsung Galaxy S5 and the patented road.cc Garmin hack.

All in all, the Zéfal Z-Console Lite can be summarised as a half-price Quad Lock alternative. It's inelegant, but it holds onto the phone well. The rain cover offers some limited protection from the elements, but you won't want to go too far or fast on a wet day.

Verdict

Holds your iPhone firmly but doesn't match it for looks and feel, and rain cover offers only basic protection from the elements