Customer Reviews

Fit System RM011 18" (17.75" Viewing Area) Clip-on Wide Angle Rearview Mirror

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was very pleased to find that this mirror does not suck. At 18 inches, it isn't monstrous but it is definitely much bigger than most if not all stock rear view mirrors. In my 4 door sedan I can see out not only my rear window but also the entirety of the left and right back windows (granted a passenger's head isn't in the way). You can easily look at people in your back seats and the person in the passenger seat with this mirror, which can be fun but perhaps a little distracting and dangerous :)

The quality of the mirror is very nice - it doesn't feel cheap in the slightest. It just clips right on to your existing mirror. I didn't need any instructions to do this... it was really a no-brainer.

What I was most amazed at was that this mirror completely negated the usefulness of my other side rear-view mirrors. I get more viewing angle out of this one mirror than all of my stock rear-view mirrors combined! I am waiting for some convex blind spot mirrors to arrive so I get more utility out of those side mirrors.

They don't tell you that the mirror distorts the image, much like the right hand side mirror on most cars -- objects in mirror are closer than they appear. So the trade-off is that you do get a much wider field of view, but you may not like the distorted image. We didn't, so we aren't using it.

The worst problem, though, is that the packaging clearly states "For off-road use only", which is not how this item is being sold. I'm not sure why they would say this unless there is a legal issue in some states, but I can't verify this.

Bought for hubby's truck. He has some problems with turning around in the seat to see the blind spots behind him. This solves the majority of that problem. Coupled with a pair of convex mirrors on the sides, he has it made. Putting the visors down does block the mirror but he rarely uses them so the trade-off was fine. I wish I could find one I saw in 1970 that goes from the middle of the windshield all the way over in stepped segments to the passenger side of the windshield. This is the next best thing and it is quite good so he's happy.

Pros:
1. eliminates the blind spots in my car
2. very easy to clip on to current mirror

Cons:
1. makes things look small (not really a bad thing, just something to get used to)
2. I can't put down the visors all the way with this on (I can put them down enough to block the sun, but not enough to secure my sun shade when the car is parked).

Overall, a very good product for the price.

This thing is great, it does exactly what you think it will do. The only two minor things I can think of to complain about are how it makes it difficult to use a flip down sun blocker (the mirror gets in the way), and when it gets hot in my car the ball joint holding the mirror up expands and gets too loose to hold the mirror up.

Besides those two things, it's awesome.

This item is fantastic!
When I purchased it, it had a different brand-name "K-Source". This "Fit System" item being reviewed appears identical in every way, even to the model number.

PROS:
For the main purpose, 5 stars. I am using it in a standard small sedan, and in traffic, I can see everything behind and to the rear-sides, perfectly. It is a simple, cheap, well-done product.

I don't have much call to use the side mirrors anymore, as I see the whole panorama behind me at all times as one continuous panorama. It makes driving easier and safer.

As a bonus, reaching up and adjusting the angle back and forth, you can scan across EVERYTHING in the back seats, even right behind the driver. If you have kids, this alone is worth it. The mirror hold securely when I do this.

Once I securely clipped the 18" mirror over my stock mirror it has stayed on firmly for 1.5 months. It is light and flexible.

I am shopping toady to buy another for my mother's PT Cruiser. That car has the *worst* rear window and mirror arrangement I have ever driven.

CONS:
While it is true that the 18" mirror distorts, but MUCH LESS than other reviews may lead you to believe. It is perfectly acceptable and understandable.

Secondly, it DOES shake badly at certain RPMs (mine only shakes when I'm stopped), but I bought some thin black foam padding (the perforated no-slip foam for the bottom of kitchen drawers = $1). I placed it on the mirror where the clips would grab, and just slid the mirror over this black foam, no glue or tape or mess. This immediately and significantly reduced the shaking, and from the outside of the car, it is not ugly - it looks all-black. If you have an older car with a big engine, you likely have bad shaking, and on my mirror, there is not much room to put thicker foam.

It is a bit bright at night, so if you really value the very useful flip/dimming feature found on most stock mirrors, then consider this a slight drawback. My eyes are extremely sensitive to light at night, and I really depend on the stock dimming feature myself. This 18" mirror seems to have some built-in dimming coating or backing (it works at about 50% as stock flip dimming). So, it is totally workable for me.

I just received it. Being foreigner and use to the proper metric system, I still do not get a clear picture of how big things are when expressed in inches.
In clear, this thing is about 46cm. This is as big as from my elbow to my extended fingers.
Needless to say that this mirror is taking a huge place.
I love it for the following reasons:

- No more blind spot.
- For those with children, you can check on them without any difficulty.
- No need to turn your head anymore.

Beware though that with the bigger mirrors that some cars come equip with, the clipping on may be be a bit more difficult.
I am also losing the auto-dimming of my original mirror.

In resume, excellent but ridiculously huge!

It takes about a week of driving to adjust to it. What I mean by that is the transition between looking at the road and looking at the mirror there is a big focal difference. Once you have the muscle memory, it'll feel just like looking at the factory mirror. Only difference is you can see EVERYTHING behind you. I drive a 4 door sedan; I can see the part of the driver windows, myself, the passenger, part of the passenger window, both rear passengers & windows, and of course out of the back glass.

I was also worried about night driving with a huge mirror... no sweat. Due to the curvature of the lens, only a small portion of light reaches your eyes, unlike a flat mirror were most of the light hits your eyes. For the non-believers, take a flat reflective surface and reflect the sun directly into your eyes. Hurts don't it? Now take a convex reflective surface and reflect the sun directly into your eyes... welcome to physics 101.

When I drive a car with a factory mirror, I feel like I'm half blind now. The only down side is people making fun of you for having a school bus mirror.

Big size that's great for trucks, but hard to see out of at night since the mirror is dark.

I am using this as a rear view mirror mounted to the top of my monitor at work. Looks silly but works great. No more people sneaking up behind me.