Bluelounge’s Milo is an angled L-shaped plastic stand designed to hold your iPhone or iPod Touch (or other mobile device) at a perfect height and position for quick and easy access.
The first thing you’ll notice is how light the thing is, making you wonder if it can really hold up your phone. Spoiler Alert…IT DOES! The build quality is actually quite good and the height and angle are conducive to movie watching, game playing, cover flow, surfing or using your device as a clock. It also keeps your iDevice up off your desk and away from the dangers of spilled drinks and/or food.
Perhaps the stand’s biggest limitation is what also makes it so unique…it’s micro-suction pad. You really need to have a naked iDevice to take full advantage of its features. That’s because the micro-suction pad (which holds your device in place) fails to adhere to many cases. The micro-suction technology “will not hold strongly onto textured, perforated or rubberized finishes”.
Although when it does adhere, ADHERE IT DOES! I placed my naked iPhone 4 horizontally on the rear pad, gave it a firm push and that thing stuck like an Olympic gymnast! It stayed in place all-day long with no slippage. Manually repositioning it was easy, with a tug to pull it off and a firm push to put it back in place. Your heart may skip a beat as you relinquish your beloved iPhone to the micro-suction pad’s voodoo magic, but it will hold. Over time the pad does collect some dust and lose a little of its grip, however this can easily be fixed simply by using a piece of packing tape to pull off any dust on the surface of the pad.
There is a second micro-suction pad on the bottom of the Milo which allows it to stick to a desktop or tabletop surface as well. Because the stand is so light, you really need to use this pad, otherwise when you try to use your device while it’s attached to the Milo, the stand will slide a bit. My Milo has been stuck to my desk for several weeks and it hasn’t budged a bit. While I’m quite happy with the performance of the micro-suction pad on my laminate desk, I am a bit concerned what it might do to the finish on my bedside table (which came with a warning against long-term exposure to rubber or synthetic materials), so I have not attempted to use it there.
If you insist on using a case, then it’s likely that you will not be able to use Milo’s micro-suction technology to keep your device in place, unless it has a really smooth surface. However, Bluelounge does offer a contingency plan for people who prefer to have their device protected by a case that has some grippage. On the bottom front edge of the Milo there is a little lip, which allows you to lean your device on the micro-suction backrest instead of being suspended by it. Unfortunately, while in this position, you will not be able to have your docking/charging cable attached (unless your iPhone is upside-down or sideways). This also results in your device standing in a lower position than if you had used the micro-suction pad.
In Conclusion
I have used the Milo every day for nearly a month now and (despite its limitations due to the fact that my iPhone 4 is not case-less), it has worked out quite well and I have been rather happy with it. It is one of the less expensive and most solidly built stands of this type that I’ve come across. If your iDevice is not case-less, then as long as you are aware of the micro-suction caveats the Milo brings with it, you will not be disappointed. At just $15, the Milo would be an ideal stocking stuffer for a loved one with a naked iPhone. It is available in both black and white to match your iDevice (or decor) and also makes a nice travel companion for keeping your iPhone safe from being knocked around or stepped-on in a hotel room.
