Our phones have a lot of great features which now allow us to use them as a multifunctional device such as a sat nav or speakerphone for taking calls in the car. A car phone mount is designed to hold your device in the optimum position for safe viewing of the screen while driving.
Belkin Car Vent Mount A low profile phone mount that leaves your windscreen clear of screens and smudges Specifications Best for: Subtlety Attachment: Air vent clip Compatible with: Smartphones up to 5.5 inches Adjustable: Yes Reasons to buy + Grips securely but gently + Low profile Reasons to avoid – You’ll need to switch the vent off if the car heating is running TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Amazon View at Amazon 566 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Kenu Airframe Qi Wireless Charging Car Vent Mount Support your phone and recharge wirelessly Specifications Best for: Charging Attachment: Air vent clip Compatible with: Both Adjustable: Yes Reasons to buy + Qi compatibility + Slim and well made + Dual QC 3.0 adapter Reasons to avoid – Not all phones are wireless charging TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Amazon 85 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
This sleek option from Kenu is just the ticket, with 10W Qi wireless charging built in, saving you from having to mess around with unsightly cables. Logitech ZeroTouch A voice assisted car phone mount for hands free navigation Specifications Best for: Hands free control Attachment: Air vent clip Compatible with: Android Adjustable: No Reasons to buy + Compatible with Alexa + No touching required Reasons to avoid – Need to download the app
There is no adjustment features on this mount, but the air vent clip is sturdy and allows your phone to be at the perfect angle for viewing. You’ll also get 360 degree ball adjustment which will allow you to find the perfect position and orientation of your screen, holding any smartphone up to 6 inches. Yosh Magnetic Car Mount A simple yet effective design for easily mounting your phone Specifications Best for: Design Attachment: Air vent clip Compatible with: All smartphones Adjustable: No Reasons to buy + Magnetic attachment + Can hold a tablet Reasons to avoid – Requires you to stick a sticker on the back of your phone TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Amazon 39 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ You do have to stick a magnetic sticker to the back of your phone in order for it to work, which can be a little unsightly if you have a pretty cover or coloured case.
Some had trouble initially sticking this mount to their dashboard, but found a little bit of water helps it grip nicely. Owners found this small mount to hold even larger phones very well, but some had trouble with the sticky pad staying put on their dashboard.
Mpow Grip Pro 2 This mount slots into your CD player for a secure hold Specifications Best for: Anti-slip Attachment: CD insert Compatible with: Screens up to 3.5 inches Adjustable: Yes Reasons to buy + Can still play CDs + Solid and sturdy Reasons to avoid – Can obstruct view in portrait position TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Amazon 665 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ If you’re not convinced by the sticky pads or suction clips, then this car phone mount is a sturdy and solid alternative. It is fully adjustable via swivel and tilt, although users with bigger screens have said that in a portrait position it can obstruct their view. The mount clips to most dashboard air vents and comes with a pair of magnetic plates (one circular and one square) for sticking to the back of your phone.
It’s True – A Magnetic Car Mount will NOT damage your Smartphone
From compasses to the incredible inventions of today, MRI body scanners, next-generation electric cars, even maglev floating trains and of course magnetic phone mounts, magnets have made our life more comfortable. As the expert from first4magnets, Matt Newby explained, why you might be concerned about magnets ruining your digital devices stems from an understanding of older electronic devices, such as CRT monitors (Cathode ray tube) and televisions, which were susceptible to magnetic fields. However, he then goes on to explain that, “most modern electronics, like our smartphones, are not going to be adversely affected by small magnets”.
Today, you will find a wide variety of different magnets used in many different situations, each one specifically designed for the task required—for example, the refrigerator and microwave oven.
The typical type of magnets embedded in a smartphone mount is usually tiny, discrete and not capable of interfering with your device’s signal or data. To make you feel even more confident that magnets will not affect your smartphone, check out this video.
The components or apps will not be affected if you don’t use your phone near a strong magnetic field. When it comes to magnetic interference, the speaker, the screen, the GPS module, the inbuilt compass, and the phone’s cell signal are most likely to be affected.
As I previously mentioned, the only time that the speaker would only be affected is if you were making a call otherwise, it has no impact. Back then, CRT monitors would generate a picture by shooting an extremely focused electrons beam at a phosphorous coated glass screen and bend the beam horizontally and vertically using magnetic fields. However, large obstacles like mountains and buildings can affect weak GPS signals and cause them to error. Within milliseconds, your phone converts the sound of your voice hitting the microphone into a digital signal which is then transmitted as radio waves across the cellular network.
At the other end, the signal is converted back into sound by your friend’s phone and played out through the speaker without any noticeable lag. In brief, your phone signal is transmitted through a massive network of cell towers, and these kinds of radio waves are immune to minor magnetic fields.
(though once you reach a specific limit, adding steel thickness won’t improve your shielding much.)
As you can see, apart from the fact that the compass was slightly affected (which we already know is temporary), the smartphone performed perfectly.
It has the security and simplicity of magnetic mounting along with the ability to wirelessly fast charge your phone at the same time; automatically aligning itself, all of which I have covered in another article Here are 5 Reasons why you really need a Magnetic Car Mount for your Phone. The testing of the MagEZ Mount Qi proves that careful and clever engineering ensures that the phone is secure and that all functionality works as expected.
Coupled with the PITAKA MagEZ Case and you have the perfect combination, the best-looking case and car mount, the strongest protection and secure connection between the smartphone and the mount, and no ugly stick on metal plates anywhere to be seen.
5 safe places to put your smartphone while driving
After moving to a new city and buying a new car to get around in, a close friend of mine found herself needing some sort of GPS navigation to guide her around her new hometown. The answer I received, “I didn’t want have to hold my phone while driving,” got me thinking about the many different in-car mounting solutions for smartphones that would have left my friend’s hands safely and legally free and on the steering wheel. Using a suction cup, this mounting option holds your phone securely in place on your car’s windshield.
This is a prime mounting location because it places the phone at eye level, meaning that you won’t have to look far to double check the map in your navigation app. However, the windshield-mounting position also blocks a bit of forward visibility (which can be critical in vehicles with gun-slit windshields like the Nissan 370Z). This windshield mount features a built-in smartphone charger and a Bluetooth speakerphone, allowing you to instantly tech-up any car with a 12-volt power point. In vehicles with steeply raked windshields, such as the Honda Civic, a glass-mounted phone can end up rather far away from the driver. A dashboard-mount places the handset closer to the driver, shortening the reach required to interact with the phone.
A quick Google search returns tutorials for fashioning DIY mounts for your smartphone out of everything from office supplies to old hard-drive parts to a toilet paper tube and duct tape.
Do you really need to watch a tiny map to respond to a spoken prompt to turn left on Mission Street?
It’s also much easier to ignore text messages, tweets, and status updates when you can’t actually see the nagging notifications. Your no-mount mileage may vary depending on everything from your phone’s software to your accent, but going eye-free is a free option that’s easy to try out.
The 4 Best Car Phone Mounts in 2021
Only the large 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max gave them some trouble when held horizontally, although the mounts were rock solid with a 6-inch Pixel 2 XL. And it can tilt a full 90 degrees back or to the sides, which makes it ideal for sloping or vertical surfaces. The MagicMount Dash’s magnetic attachment performed the best in our testing, holding even a large iPhone XS Max securely everywhere we drove.
The latest iOttie models offer the best combination of fast charging, serious stability, and easy adjustability.
Amazon.com: Customer reviews: [Holder Expert] andobil Phone Mount for Car [Safe Driving & Bumpy Roads Friendly] Easy Clamp Hands-Free Universal Dashboard Windshield Air Vent Phone Holder Car Fit for A
It grips the phone firmly and is easy to release when needed. Make sure the mountable surface is clean if you are using it as a Dash Mount. I even experimented it on my work-desk prior to mounting on my car dash.
A lot of people may prefer it as a Car Mount smartphone holder but I found it interestingly helpful as a desk mount for my iPhone using it for several days constantly.
As advertised, it does have a strong suction mount which I do not have to worry getting my phone knocked off accidentally. Unmounting the Andobil Car Mount is as simple as releasing phone from its hold.
You shift the dedicated tab over the mount and it is good to get out immediately from a car dash or from the office desk. Do I recommend Andobil Car Phone Mount over similar products in the same class?
The main reason is: the built quality and the purpose it meets up and even exceeds. 5.0 out of 5 stars Sturdy Smartphone Car Mount with Dual Functionality By Puru on February 22, 2019 Andobil Car Phone Mount is quite sturdy by design and quite flexible to hold iPhone XS Max down to iPhone 6 securely. A lot of people may prefer it as a Car Mount smartphone holder but I found it interestingly helpful as a desk mount for my iPhone using it for several days constantly.
As advertised, it does have a strong suction mount which I do not have to worry getting my phone knocked off accidentally. Unmounting the Andobil Car Mount is as simple as releasing phone from its hold. You shift the dedicated tab over the mount and it is good to get out immediately from a car dash or from the office desk. Do I recommend Andobil Car Phone Mount over similar products in the same class?
The main reason is: the built quality and the purpose it meets up and even exceeds.
Best Car Phone Mount (Review) in 2021
With decades of combined experience covering the latest news, reviewing the greatest gear, and advising you on your next car purchase, The Drive is the leading authority on all things automotive. Today’s smartphones pack over 100,000 times more power than the computers that guided astronauts to the moon and back 50 years ago. Read on for what we hope is at least a partial answer to the smartphone take on the space-age phrase: If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we make a car phone mount that works? THIS IS A DRIVE HANDS-ON REVIEW Mike Bumbeck When he’s not wrestling with one or more first-generation Mitsubishi Monteros and other fine ‘80s-era Japanese cars and motorcycles, Mike Bumbeck evaluates a constant variety of automotive products from The Drive’s clandestine Science Barn testing facility in New England. Why Trust Us Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, “wisdom of the crowd” assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. These fakes were surprisingly accurate, with metal frames, glass backs, and ports and controls in the right places, just like their fully operational counterparts. We used adhesive wheel balancing weights to hit the desired number, and even threw on a bit extra to account for cases and screen protectors. Mike Bumbeck Our heavyweight faux display phones tower over our daily driven Google Pixel 3A XL with cloth case. We know some new car dashboards are expansive enough to create their own mirages, but a long gooseneck with a heavy slab of metal and glass mounted on one end is going to wobble. We know some new car dashboards are expansive enough to create their own mirages, but a long gooseneck with a heavy slab of metal and glass mounted on one end is going to wobble. That mirror mount phone holder is all fine and good until the windshield adhesive or ball joint fails and drops the lot into your morning coffee. Besides, while laws against hanging things from rearview mirrors vary by state and are rarely enforced, you don’t want to give the authorities a visible reason to pull you over.
That mirror mount phone holder is all fine and good until the windshield adhesive or ball joint fails and drops the lot into your morning coffee. Besides, while laws against hanging things from rearview mirrors vary by state and are rarely enforced, you don’t want to give the authorities a visible reason to pull you over. Best Overall iOttie Easy One Touch Check Latest Price High-quality materials, a washable and reusable suction cup car mount, and an innovative snap-tight phone holder earned the iOttie Easy One Touch our best overall car phone mount pick. A quick cleanup, positioning, and one push on the locking lever fixed the suction cup firmly in place.
If the suction cup doesn’t work out, the vent-type car mount features a beefy wingnut with a threaded brass insert that cinches the jaws onto the vanes with authority. Squeezing the ratcheting side clamps secures the phone in the holder, and pressing a button releases tension for removal.
Adjusting the cradle for the right viewing angle was a cinch, and the padded jaws maintained a firm grip without fail. The faux carbon fiber finish left us wishing for a grippier material, but dual mounting options and stable operation make the Anobil Easy Clamp a secure and versatile choice.
This setup is far easier to adjust and tighten down than others that put the ball joint cup and threaded ring on the phone holder’s back.
The clip mounts seemed like an excellent idea for our application, but none of the rectangular dash shapes were compatible with the built-in curve of the top arm of the clamp. The tension phone holder worked well once we peeled off a metal logo plate inexplicably stuck onto the silicone pad. Despite our best efforts, we glued on the base in the wrong direction for vertical adjustment and ran into viewing angle issues.
The magnetic phone holders have a soft-touch plastic coating with a threaded ring collar on the back for adjustment. The machined aluminum alloy mount and magnet housing had a black anodized finish, and the steel ball joint allowed for 360-degree unidirectional adjustment.
Alloy construction gave the Coolpow mounts a premium feel, and the steel ball joint offered just the right amount of resistance during adjustment and held fast while driving. Powerful magnets underneath a soft silicone pad grabbed onto the steel plate and held onto the heaviest and largest phones without slipping over rough terrain.
Mike Bumbeck Our best overall car phone holder in action with an operational Samsung Galaxy Note 9 flagship heavyweight.
Best car phone mounts 2021: tested and rated
Finding yourself the best car phone mount can be the difference between making it to your destination in once piece and missing that concert you’ve been looking forward to since the start of the pandemic. That may sounds extreme, but being able to keep your phone, and the navigation app, in view isn’t as easy as you might have thought.
While they don’t tend to break the bank, the Black Friday deals season is here and offering discounts on all manner of products. The name is a mouthful, but it’ll fit in any car with a CD player and kept an iPhone 12 Pro firmly in place.
Not only does it work with pretty much every phone out there, it also comes with built-in cable management to help keep your dash board tidy. TOPGO Cup Holder Phone Mount For people who don’t want to stick something to their car. Using a cup holder isn’t the most obvious place to keep your phone mount, but it works surprisingly well. Thanks to its long neck and sturdy construction, this holder will position your phone high enough so it’s easy to see while keeping it out of your field of vision.
You’ll lose a place for your skinny latte of course, but that’s the price you pay for not being too hot or cold or worrying that your phone will fall at any moment.
2. iOttie Easy One Touch 4 CD Slot Mount Putting your neglected CD player to good use Specifications Price: $20 Wireless Charging: No Color: Black Orientation: 360-degree Type: CD Slot TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Amazon View at Verishop View at Walmart 11 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Reasons to buy + The mount can be rotated into portrait and landscape + Using a CD player slot means you don’t lose an air vent or have to make sure it’s mounted firmly on your dashboard + The mount is strong and doesn’t move when you tap or rotate your phone Reasons to avoid – Not all cars have CD players – People who need to use the included Bracket might have a battle on their hands – No charging capabilities Once set up, your phone isn’t going anywhere and the chances are good that your CD slot will be high enough that your screen is never more than a quick glance away. Specifications Price: $25 Wireless Charging: No Color: Silver Orientation: 360-degree Type: Vent TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Walmart View at Moment View at Crutchfield Reasons to buy + The mount can be rotated into portrait and landscape mode + Construction is solid and will stand up to daily use + Cable management is a feature other mounts don’t have + Nice soft grips mean your phone won’t be damaged Reasons to avoid – There are cheaper options – The mount doesn’t charge your device – Some larger phones might not fit if they’re wearing a case
Belkin included an area for you to keep your charging cable so it doesn’t fly around your car when you aren’t using it, and it’s surprisingly effective. Similar to the iOttie CD Slot Mount, the Belkin accessory is small and slim enough that it doesn’t stand out even when it isn’t being used.
4. iOttie Easy One Touch 5 Smartphone Car Mount Proving suction cups don’t have to be terrible Specifications Price: $30 Wireless Charging: No Color: Black Orentiation: Portrait and Landscape Design: Suction Cup TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Best Buy View at BHPhoto View at Verishop Reasons to buy + You don’t lose any air vents + Once attached it will definitely stay that way + Putting your phone into the holder is a cinch + The telescopic arm gives you more flexibility than other mounts Reasons to avoid – Getting the mount off the dash can be a real battle – Pretty big and can get in the way when not in use – As good as that suction cup is, you still need a surface to attach it to We’ll preface this by saying that a lot of people don’t normally rate phone holders with suction cups.
Like some of the best mounts, this one holds your phone rock steady when you’re driving around, and putting the device into the holder is a simple one-handed affair. Sandmarc Active Car Mount For the people who want magnetic charging Specifications Price: $60 Wireless Charging: Up to 7.5W Color: Silver Orientation: Vertical Type: Vent TODAY’S BEST DEALS Check Amazon View at Sandmarc Reasons to buy + Strong magnets to hold your phone steady + Charges your phone while you drive + Looks the part, unlike some cheaper options + Come with a charging cable in the box Reasons to avoid – Arguably on the pricey side – Works best with iPhone 12 and MagSafe, needs a magnet to use it – Clip mechanism means you need something to attach it to
YOSH Car Phone Mount Holder Magnetic Air Vent The cheap and cheerful option Specifications Price: $11 Wireless Charging: No Color: Black Orientation: 360-degree Type: Vent TODAY’S BEST DEALS View at Amazon View at Amazon View at Amazon 37 Amazon customer reviews ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Reasons to buy + The magnets are strong and your phone won’t budge from the holder + Almost invisible when you aren’t using it + Comes with multiple magnets in the box so you can use two phones with it Reasons to avoid – You’ll lose an air vent – The mount won’t charge your phone and magnets don’t support MagSafe The only potential issue with this holder is the fact you need to affix a disc to the back of your phone — something for the magnets to attach to, basically.
As you might expect, the PopSockets people have an answer to that in the form of the PopMount 2 Car Dash holder.
The PopSockets PopMount 2 Car Dash holder has a strong suction cup that should do the trick on most dashboards. You’ll also need to take your phone’s unique qualities into account, like if it has MagSafe or you need something that can accommodate a PopSocket or similar stand. Testing begins with making sure the holder itself is able to find a solid grip on whatever part of the car it’s supposed to attach to — windscreen, air vent, etc — and that it will hold a phone in place while driving.
From there, it’s a case of seeing how easily a phone can be inserted and removed, how well any movable parts work, and whether any additional features do their jobs well.
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