Creating a makeshift iPhone stand out of an old credit or store card is a cheap and cheerful way to support your phone while watching a video, but the cards never last long if you fold them in and out of shape a lot or, as I have found, you want to use it on a flight, as the slightest movement can cause your iPhone to slide out and clatter across the foldaway table!

Looking for something purpose-made for the job led me to the iBend, a simple, cheap alternative that would be easy to store.  The iBend is a very thin piece of flexible plastic which is bent in the center to create a plinth, complete with two front ‘feet’ with curled tips holding your iPhone in place.

Setting it up is a two-handed operation, but once sat on top, the iPhone is solid and planted, resisting plenty of movement before becoming detached from the iBend.  In fact, the whole thing provides enough support to adjust the volume rocker with one hand, plus operate the touchscreen without fear of it toppling over.

The angle doesn’t quite reach 45 degrees, making it perfect for viewing at a desk, but perhaps slightly too advanced for a more relaxed situation.  The inability to adjust the viewing angle is one of the iBend’s only disadvantages, but it’s only to be expected given the no-frills design and low price point.

Anyone who keeps their iPhone in a case will also likely encounter a problem.  Using the iBend with a naked iPhone presents no problems, but when tried with a case on the phone – in this instance, an iFrogz Luxe – the iBend couldn’t support the extra weight, causing the front feet to collapse.  Although the phone didn’t actually fall off, a small nudge would have done it.

As far as longevity is concerned, the plastic still springs back into an almost flat form even after a week of use, plus you’d have to make a real effort to rip it in two, so there is no chance of this happening unintentionally.  It’s also easy to store in a regular wallet of alongside your phone in a pouch.

Seeing as only $4.99/£4.99 buys you a pack of two iBends, the minor issues are nothing more than that, and the iBend’s tough nature should see them last a good while too, providing decent value.  The iBend is a good product that performs well, but beware if you don’t like to remove your phone from its case.

Rating: 4/5

Visit iBend’s site where various designs are available, or Firebox.com for orders outside the USA.