Hands-On with the Drinkclip Belt-Mounted Cup-Holder
Posted in: Accessories and Peripherals, Today's Chili
The Drinkclip/Beltclip is a combination plastic cup-holder. The twist is that you clip it to your belt for on-the-go slurping of the day’s coffee ration. Over the last week, I have been testing it out in a variety of unsuitable situations. But first, a brief recap.
Almost three weeks ago, I gently mocked the clip as being both dorky and dangerous, inviting spillage of scalding-hot coffee directly onto your body. Readers agreed: “Imagine the fun when the crowd surges and the hot coffee is squeezed out of the squashed cup!” wrote ka1axy in the comments (somebody else tried to co-opt the thread with a fundamentalist anti-coffee screed: “coffee is bad for you anyway, stop drinking it and you wont be temped to buy this stupid thing.”)
The Drinkclip people got in touch and issued a challenge to test their device. I accepted. So how did it do?
Pretty good, although as ever I tried to abuse it beyond necessary limits. The clip comes in two parts. A strongly sprung clamp like that found on a workshop inspection lamp, and a detachable belt-clip-able section that does the cup-holding. When used together, the hinged joint lets the cup stay more-or-less upright as the clamp section sways.
The clip works great as a low-slung desk-bracket that keeps your coffee below notebook level for safer spills. And the detachable clamp is strong enough to grip even the thinnest surface safely. But that’s not the point. This is a clip to be used on the move.
I avoided coffee, mostly due to a Starbucks allergy which kicks in every time I see a children’s milkshake packaged for adults. Instead, I chose beer, and slipped the can into the included “koozie”, a neoprene sleeve which both insulates the can and keeps it firmly in the clip. Mounted directly to the belt, it is surprisingly spill-resistant and frees you hands for essential tasks like flipping steaks on the grill or making a turn signal as you cross four lanes of traffic on your bike. In fact, get the clip to sit upright when you’re in the saddle and it is rock-solid, mostly because your waist doesn’t move much as you ride.
Stage two was a stress-test for the full clamp assembly. Again on the bike, but not just rolling down the street. This needed to be brutal. I took the clip and a six-pack to Friday-night bike-polo and clamped the Drinkclip to my handlebars, ready for the full stop-start, herky-jerky ride ahead.
The result? A partial success. The clip did indeed stay put, but inevitably drooped down out of reach, although the can stayed upright thanks to the hinges. Worse was the thrashing around of the beer in the heat of play. As I dodged nimbly across the court, my handlebars were flung from side to side. The can was whipped back and forth like the head of a dropped fire-hose. I lost a lot of beer (although the wet patches did cause some opponents to skid and fall, a definite benefit).
Should you buy it? Sure, if you’re a pro-barbecuer then $15 is a steal, and the Drinkclip is certainly tough enough to last. If you’re looking to carry coffee across the city as you walk, don’t. Take a break, stop pretending your time is so damned important and stop off in a non-chain cafe for a real espresso, not some turgid, watery brew or creamy mocha-choca-fluffball.
Beltclip [Drinkclip]
Photo: Charlie Sorrel
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