Allen Smart Suction Snap camera mount review: this thing sucks, in a really good way!

Unless you're a keen cyclist, you may not have come across the Allen brand before. It specialises in making suction-cup bike mounts for car roofs, which is no easy feat.

Bikes aren't the only thing that people want to mount to cars, though. If you're filming documentaries, short films, or even YouTube vlogs, there's a good chance you'll want to mount a camera to your car at some point.

That's where the Smart Suction Snap camera mount comes in. It's designed to securely attach heavy payloads to either the interior or exterior of a car, and it's so advanced that it even has built-in Bluetooth.

The question is, does this suction mount offer real advantages over no-name options? I've been testing it for the past week to find out.

Specifications

Price

The Allen Smart Suction Snap camera mount retails for £69.99/$69.99, which puts it in the middle of the spectrum of suction cup pricing. You can spend a lot more for the type of mount used on Hollywood productions, or you can spend way less on a similar option from the likes of SmallRig.

That said, the Allen Smart Suction Snap mount stands out as a unique offering. It's the only mount I have come across that offers Bluetooth suction detection, and if this feature appeals, it may be the only way to get it. It also comes with a lifetime warranty, which is quite rare for this type of product, and should also be factored into the price.

So, while this mount isn't an outright bargain, it seems very fairly priced considering what's on offer.

Design & Handling

The Smart Suction Snap camera mount looks like most other heavyweight suction mounts on the market. It has a 6-inch diameter rubber sucker on the base, with a cylindrical plastic housing on the top.

There's a plunger on one side, which you'll use to remove air from the cup and create a vacuum seal. On top, there's a 1/4-20 threaded hole.

The mount comes supplied with a short friction arm and a 1/4-20 to GoPro-style action camera mount. The friction arm is made entirely from metal, while the GoPro tabs are plastic, but they both feel extremely sturdy and high-quality

Where this suction mount differentiates itself is with its Bluetooth connectivity. It sounds like a crazy addition, but it makes sense in practice.

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The Smart Suction Snap mount has a pressure sensor and a Bluetooth module inside, and when combined with the Allen app for your smartphone, it will confirm whether or not you have a good seal before you go ahead and attach your camera to it. It may seem like overkill, but cameras are expensive, and this extra peace of mind goes a long way.

The Bluetooth functionality is powered by two AA batteries, which can be inserted by removing the top of the suction mount. You'll need to remove four Philips head screws to do so, which is a bit of pain, but since this is how the camera mount attaches to the suction cup, those screws are all very necessary.

On the side of the mount, there are two rubberised buttons. One turns the device on and off, while the other enters Bluetooth pairing mode.

Performance

Setting up the Smart Suction Snap mount is pretty straightforward. Slap it on any smooth, non-porous surface, like a car window or body panel, then press the little pump repeatedly until it's securely suctioned on.

Then you attach your camera of choice using the friction arm mount, which effectively has a ball head on each end. It's plenty adjustable, and it's strong enough to keep a full-frame camera in place without sagging.

The Bluetooth functionality is very basic, but it's useful. Once paired to your phone, the app will tell you whether you have good suction or not.

This feels somewhat redundant, as the built-in pump button has a red mark on the side, and once you've pumped enough, the red mark is no longer visible. Plus, you can just yank on it and immediately tell whether it's properly affixed.

What's more useful is the fact that the app will play an alarm sound and notify you if it detects a loss of suction. This could be really handy if you have an action camera on the outside of your vehicle, for example, as if you can't see it, you won't know that it's coming loose.

Thankfully, throughout my testing, the suction cup has remained firmly affixed, and I haven't needed this functionality. But it's that peace of mind that might be worth paying extra for.

I tried the Allen Smart Suction Snap mount with my GoPro Hero 11 Black for exterior shots, and used my Lumix S5II for interior shots.

Given the size of this mount, it's no surprise that it keeps a GoPro in place, even at 60mph+ and while traversing bumpy, pot-hole-laden country roads. It doesn't seem to mind whether you use a body panel or a window; the suction is always as strong as can be.

I was a little more cautious with my mirrorless camera, hence why I only mounted it inside the car, but the Allen suction mount had no trouble keeping it secure, either.

It's quite impressive. The camera, with its mounting plate affixed and the Sigma 24mm f/2 lens, weighs in at 1.2kg. Combine that with all the road vibrations and bumps, that's a lot of force yanking on this vacuum seal, but the Allen mount took it in its stride.

What's even more surprising is how easy it is to remove when you're finished. There are two tabs sticking up from the rubber seal. Just pull up on one of those, and the mount pops right off without leaving so much as a mark.

Verdict

If you're hunting for a suction mount to affix cameras to your car, boat, or whatever else, there's no shortage of options to choose from. The question is, which of these numerous options can you trust to keep your precious camera safe?

Allen, with its years of expertise in sucking bikes onto the roofs of cars, seems like a safe bet. Add to that the Bluetooth functionality, which not only provides reassurance that the mount is properly attached but also notifies you if that changes, and you've got a very compelling option.

At $69.99, it's not the cheapest mount, but it's also not dramatically more expensive than the competition. It's the only version I've come across with the nifty Bluetooth notification feature, and it has a lifetime warranty, which should certainly be factored in.

In my eyes, these features are worth the premium. This product works exactly as advertised, and you don't want to be skimping when it comes to securing your cameras.

Alternatives

SmallRig 6-inch Suction Cup Mount

If you want a similar product, but you can do without the Bluetooth features and lifetime warranty, SmallRig's version might be worth a look. It's significantly cheaper, but advertises the same maximum payload of 3kg.

Ulanzi SC-02 4.5-inch Suction Cup Mount

Ulanzi's SC-02 also claims the same 3kg max payload, but has a smaller footprint and lots of mounting options. Again, it's cheaper, but of course, there's no Bluetooth or lifetime warranty on this one, either.