Keeping your phone secure and accessible while driving is essential for navigation, hands-free calls, and music control. A quality Phone Holder For Car makes this possible, but with so many options available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. This guide breaks down the different types of car phone holders, highlighting top picks based on mount style and features.
Dash and Windshield Mounts
Dash and windshield mounts offer versatile placement options, adhering directly to your car’s dashboard or windshield via suction cups or adhesive.
The iOttie iTap 3 Magnetic Flush Mount utilizes strong magnets for a secure hold, ideal for flat dashboard surfaces. However, like many flush mounts, its adhesive base is designed for a single application.
For a balance of ease and reliability, the iOttie Easy One Touch 5 provides a secure grip without wireless charging capabilities. It’s a straightforward and dependable option for various phone sizes.
Alt text: The iOttie Easy One Touch 5 car phone holder, featuring its signature one-touch clamp mechanism, mounted on a car dashboard.
The Scosche MagicMount Charge mount stands out with its fast charging, Android-compatible MagSafe-like ring, and robust suction for dash or windshield mounting. Despite these features, its MagSafe magnet strength may be insufficient for landscape orientation, potentially causing phone detachment.
The Loncaster Silicone Car Phone Holder is a simple, horizontal silicone mold that sits on your dash. It offers easy phone placement and dash attachment but has a less refined aesthetic, obstructs parts of the screen, and can attract dust.
Models like the ESR HaloLock Dashboard Wireless Charger with Low-Profile Mounting Arm and the Qifutan Car Phone Mount Long Arm offer excellent grip and flexible long arms. However, their extended arms can introduce unwanted bounce during drives, particularly on uneven roads.
For a budget-friendly option, the ZeeHoo 15W Wireless Car Charger provides functional mounting and wireless charging. Note that it requires a separate 12-volt lighter charger for power, which is not included.
Air Vent Mounts
Air vent mounts integrate with your car’s air vents, offering a compact and often less obtrusive mounting solution.
Mophie’s Magnetic and wireless charging vent mounts offer simple installation and strong magnets, similar to top-rated picks. However, their vent attachments may not be universally compatible, potentially leading to insecure mounting in some vehicle vent designs.
Alt text: The Mophie Magnetic vent mount for car, showcasing its compact design and magnetic phone attachment.
Belkin’s BoostCharge features a strong magnetic MagSafe mount but may struggle to securely hold larger phones like the iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 15 Plus, or Pixel 7 Pro when attached to the vent, especially during drives.
The Kenu Airframe Magnetic provides a strong magnetic hold for your phone. However, its vent clamp may not maintain a firm grip once mounted, potentially resulting in phone shaking while the car is in motion.
Scosche’s MagicMount Pro2 4-in-1 Phone Mount combines a strong magnet with easy installation. Despite these positives, it may not consistently keep your phone stable while driving, especially on bumpy roads.
CD Slot Mounts
CD slot mounts utilize the car’s CD player slot as a mounting point, providing a stable and centrally located option without obstructing vents or dashboards.
The Scosche MagicMount CD is comparable to the recommended CD slot mount, the iOttie iTap 2 Magnetic CD Slot Mount. However, the iOttie iTap 2 Magnetic CD Slot Mount features a more appealing design and simpler installation process overall.
Alt text: The iOttie iTap 2 Magnetic CD Slot Mount, inserted into a car’s CD player slot and holding a smartphone magnetically.
Ticilfo’s CD-slot mount is a basic plastic model enabling one-handed phone mounting and removal. It can exhibit some shaking when driving over uneven surfaces.
The Apps2Car Universal Magnetic CD Slot Car Phone Mount effectively secures phones. Its tightening mechanism, using a screw and washer nut within the CD slot, is considered somewhat unconventional.
While the iOttie Easy One Touch 5 also offers a CD mount version allowing for one-handed operation, the iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 CD Slot Mount is a more space-saving alternative, offering comparable secure phone holding.
MagSafe Mounts for iPhone
MagSafe mounts are designed specifically for iPhones with MagSafe technology, offering seamless magnetic attachment and often wireless charging.
The iOttie Velox Mini Qi2 Dashboard mount simplifies setup with an adjustable, telescoping arm for customized viewing angles. Its charging speed may not be as rapid as some competitors. The vent version of the iOttie Velox Mini Qi2 offers strong magnets, but its ball joint can be too stiff for easy adjustments.
Peak Design’s Qi2 vent mount boasts a premium aluminum build and faster charging speeds among tested mounts. However, it comes at a higher price point, and its installation can be more complex than other options. The dashboard version of the Peak Design mount may also have adhesion issues on some dashboards.
The Pitaka MagEz Pro 2 Qi2 vent mount provides a more robust ball-head setup compared to other tested mounts. However, it exhibited the slowest charging speeds among the Qi2 mounts evaluated.
The GloPlum Magnetic is a MagSafe air-vent mount with a strong magnet and up to 15W charging. It lacks extensive support or a long warranty period.
The iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2 was a previous top MagSafe mount choice. While still a viable option, newer picks offer similar features in a more compact form factor.
The iOttie Velox Mini includes a built-in ventilation system to help keep iPhones cool during charging. It features one of the strongest magnets among car mounts tested. Its ball joint, while robust, can be slightly stiff to adjust compared to top recommendations.
The Belkin BoostCharge Pro, a more expensive option, primarily excels in fast charging speeds. Top-rated picks offer better phone stability and adjustability.
Scosche MagicMount Pro is among the smallest car mounts available. It may not prevent iPhones from tilting downwards when driving over bumps or uneven road surfaces.
The Spigen OneTap Pro offers versatile mounting options, allowing use of just the vent clip or a combination of the vent clip and swing arm for greater positioning flexibility. The swing-arm setup can exhibit movement on bumpy roads. Top picks generally offer superior stability and magnet strength.
Conclusion
Choosing the best phone holder for your car depends on your vehicle’s interior, your phone type, and your personal preferences. Dash and windshield mounts offer flexibility, air vent mounts are compact, CD slot mounts provide stability, and MagSafe mounts are tailored for iPhone users. By considering these mount types and the reviewed models, you can select a phone holder that enhances your driving experience with safety and convenience.
