Make Your Own Portable DVD Player Holder for Your Car
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I was riding in the back of a friend's SUV the other day and spotted an amazing hack he had done. He made his own contraption for holding a portable DVD player to the back of the car seat. Way a clever way to have the function of a built-in system without the high cost. And the bonus is that it's quick and easy to remove and replace as needed. I just love it!
All you need is a couple of reusable rubber twist ties. They are like long, thick, foam-covered sticks with wires inside that bend and hold their shape around gear or equipment. They are sturdy and durable, yet soft enough to not damage anything. So versatile, and perfect for this hack.
To start this hack, get in the back seat of the car and put a twist tie around the head rest in front of you, as if you were going to strangle the person in the seat (eep!). Pull it back snugly between the seat and the head rest, then pull the ends straight down. Bend the very tips back up to form little hooks. The edge of the player will sit down in these hooks.
Now open up the DVD player so it's flat, and nestle the bottom edge in the hooks that you formed with the twists. Be sure that the hooks don't obstruct the disc door or the buttons — just spread them out to make room. And be careful here as you'll probably have to keep a hand or an elbow on the player if it won't stand up in the hooks by itself.
Take the second twist and wrap it in the opposite direction as the first, bracing the center of the player with it and folding the ends towards the front of the car, and around the head rest in front of you.
Then just tuck any extra length at the ends between the head rest and the seat for a snug fit. If there's a lot of excess, bend it back around to keep it from poking the person who will be sitting in the front seat.
But here's the best part... since these reusable rubber twist ties are flexible and hold their position, you can grab the sides of the DVD player and move it around a little to get it lined up straight. This is a great way to adjust for the heights of your different kids (or adults!) in the seat.
41 comments so far:
This is great! We have a Pilot and did not pay the big bucks for the entertainment system. And the dvd player we have doesn't sit well on the center console and I keep knocking it over. So I went on line and found this site with your idea from the Kwik Twists. So I will give it a try. Thanks for the idea! Bob
That's great, Bob. Let us know how it goes!
Love the idea! I just did this in my car, and now I hope it works. We have a very long, long car ride ahead of us (vacation). To those that have done this and used this setup in their car... any changes, drawbacks, or advice? Thanks!
You know they sell something just like that in the stores? (part that go around the head rest is a hard part but the rest is soft) Cost about $6 and its made just for portable dvd players like that. You can either have it flat or have it at a 90 degree angle....not saying that your idea is not a good idea but I thought that everybody had those in the stores around them. It would save you a few bucks too.
Readers, please let us know if you have seen something like this online or in your local store. Email us a picture because we can't seem to find them!
Hi Jason,
Nice Idea !!! Wanna try this...
thats great now we need something for those that have a one piece high back seat like on my 2001 expedition.
Hey, I was doing a search on my competitor Kwik Twist and came up with your site. Great ideas you have.
remains available.
I read your entries about the Kwik Twist product and wanted to let you know that the Kwik Twist product is rapidly disappearing from the marketplace. The original patented product, Grip Twist,
Thanks a lot.
I've used these flex ties for a while and they became hard to work with they way we had it set up. I just found a carry case from NextBase on eBay. It's made for a NextBase player, but I bought it for our Sony 8" and it works fine. Has 2 straps that go around the headrest and clip to themselves. Very easy, but it may be tough to shange the disc. Of course, it was difficult using these flex ties, too but now, no bouncing around or kicking from my son.
YOU ARE A GENIUS. THANK YOU
Don't want to be a party pooper but there is an article on a German safety org. that did crash tests and in a (as little as 18mph) rear hit the velcro type holders broke and struck the test dummy child in the head and would cause serious injury or death. Don't know how strong the wire quick ties are but, maybe an additional velcro strap is called for or perhaps a center mount is safer. The factory option is expensive but they meet safety standards. Not likely but a possible danger to your kids. Sorry
This is awesome! Thanks for posting this, I've had a really hard time finding a good way to attach the player to the seat!
Glad it helped you out, Chrissy. It is hard to find something that works just right but this really does the trick!
So, I actually tried this over the weekend... and it was the most AWESOME idea!!! I will never use a DVD case again, it worked perfectly. Thanks again for putting this on the net! LOL
Yay, Chrissy! So glad you loved it :)
This sounds like a good idea, but how sturdy is the dvd player? Will it move when riding and hitting big bumps or lots of little bumps? Did the dvd skip at all?
You can cinch up the twists as much as you want to hold it more firmly. I've got it down to an art where it doesn't move much, and actually I think it is better to have a little play in the twists to absorb the shock of bumps. We don't have any problems with skipping.
On a recent (very long) road trip we used the Kwik Twists to hold our DVD player - they worked perfectly! What a great idea - thanks for the help Jason! No skipping at all.
Came acrosss this site with this problem of mounting DVD. This idea works AWESOME!!!! Thank you Chica!!!!!!!
I just purchased at walmart a over the seat organizer for $22.96. It has a little shelf that holds your dvd player and sides to block the sun. It also has cup holder and other gadgets. Easy to install. Found it in automotive.
Check out First straps. They sell online for 14.99 but they look super easy to make. I'm going to attempt it once I get my dvd player (just ordered). I will let yall know how it goes.
I just use velcro. Make sure there is a lot of overlap on both ends. Place the velcro on the hinge area of the dvd player and around the posts of the headreast. Works like a charm.
Just wanted to say thanks for saving me a bundle of cash. I used the idea posted on your site regarding making your own portable DVD player holder for my car. Great stuff, worked like a charm. Thanks and thanks to Jason for coming up with such a simple yet affective mounting system.
That's awesome, Robert. Thanks for letting us know the technique worked so well for you!
Would like to know if there is a way to hook it up between the 2 seats,(over the arm rest) so both my kids can watch the player?
Found this neato trick before and didnt use it but now I might need to. We bought a kinda stand/table thingy and it hooks into the bolt of the seat. I like it but dont love it being in the way. It seems to me that these twists come in two kids.. one you can hook them together to make longer twists and the other not? I would have to order from the states to Canada and hope to confirm which you used?
Two.. 32 inch would be enough for a car install (outback)?
Going on a 15000 km road trip with our 4 year old this summer and need a plan
YES I SAID 15 000 km. all across canada and usa!
I found your solution awhile back and tried it out in all our vehicles. Worked great! I love a cheap solution. We have a Ford F150, Pontiac Vibe & Toyota Highland, and worked the same in all. Just used the standard size with the 2 pieces. I see Kathy had a good idea using velcro also!
Just installed it in my minivan. Awesome thanks!
You're very right! Your blog is very good! I very much support!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!
Heading out tonight to get the Kwiktwists so we can mount the DVD players for our trip to CA this weekend! I like the fact that they can be taken down without any damage to the headrests or players, since we only put the players in the car for long rides. Thanks again!!
I just installed this in my Chevy Traverse for our road trip tomorrow---THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! It worked like a charm and I found the Kwik Twists at Lowe's for $5.99!!!
The idea works great!! The hardest part was convincing the staff at Lowes they actually had the KwikTiwsts on hand. (KwikTwists are also available at Tractor Supply Co.)
KJ, don't you just hate it when a clerk doesn't know about something they sell? Sometimes it's easier to just find it yourself! :)
Worked great for our trip! Thanks for sharing. Also had an issue with convincing Lowe's that they sell the KwikTwists. The guy knew what they were but didn't know the brand name.
Thank you for this great idea. I've been searching for a year now for a way to get my DVD player to stay up in my car. My son keeps dropping mine when I put in on his lap. I will check the Tractor Supply Co which is about 2 minutes from my home.
I absolutely love this idea. We just purchased a 2014 Honda pilot and didn't want to spend extra for the entertainment system. I travel back home to visit family often with our almost 2year old and it can sometimes be as long as 8 hours in the car. This is a great idea I can't wait it try it!
Thank you for posting this awesome idea!!! I just received a portable dvd player and I was searching for a mounting system online and found this. I'm going to Lowe's tomorrow to get some quick twists and try this for our trip tomorrow.
What length are the kwik twists you used? I realize the link was posted years ago and now it takes me to a pack of 32 or 34 inch kwik twists. I can't imagine they need to be that long. Do you think 24 inches is enough?
Shannon, the length you need may depend on how your car seats are set up and how wide your player is. Maybe get a piece of ribbon or rope and go practice the technique on your car seats and see how long you think you'll need it?
"...First, take a twist and put it around the head rest in front of you like you are going to strangle the person in the seat..."
That made me laugh.
This is awesome. I would love to use the strap that originally came with the dvd player, but the part that holds the strap on the dvd broke and can not be fixed. Great idea.