The Best Car Phone Mounts

Following directions or listening to podcasts can be essential to the success of a trip, but these tasks require using your phone while driving. Instead of fumbling around with your phone, use a handy phone mount to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.

Why buy a car phone mount?

Quite simply, using a car phone mount is a safer way of viewing and accessing your phone while driving. Without one, you either have to hold your phone in your hand or rest it on your dashboard. The former option forces you to keep one hand off the wheel and your eyes further off the road, and the latter runs a high risk of your phone either tipping over or sliding off the dashboard. A car phone mount solves both of these issues to keep you significantly safer!

Should you receive a call while driving, you’ll be able to answer calls on speakerphone with one touch of a button rather than holding the phone up to your ear for the entire conversation. A car phone mount also keeps your phone closer to or at eye level so you won’t be craning your neck or taking your eyes off the road for as long. This is especially handy for maps and navigation purposes. Many car phone mounts are adjustable to different angles, so they’re that much easier to position in just the right spot for maximum visibility.

Moreover, some countries and states have laws against holding your phone in your hand while driving, so a car phone mount can save you from fines and from life-threatening collisions.

What should you look for in a car phone mount?

Can you use a car phone mount in other places?

Many stand- or mat-style models are designed to fit a wider range of travel situations. They can be balanced upright on a tray table on an airplane or train. Even though you won’t need your phone for navigation in these circumstances, these stands are ideal for watching your favorite movies or shows, reading, or playing games on your phone to pass the time during your travels. They can take the place of a tripod or monopod, supporting your phone for tasks like displaying recipes while you’re cooking or propping it up close to eye level for video chatting.

A mount made to fit a variety of phones with a pivoting telescopic arm to help display your phone.

$24.99

Pros: There’s a lot to love about this car phone mount. First, it’s compatible with most smartphones. When you insert your phone and place it against the one-touch trigger on the back of the mount, the extendable sidearms will automatically close and adjust to your phone’s size to hold it. The stand itself swivels and pivots, so you have great flexibility. You can display your phone either horizontally or vertically and adjust the height as well, so you won’t have to be constantly craning your neck up or down to see your phone screen while driving. There are three different mounting options for your convenience.

Cons: Only phones (or cases) between 2.3 and 3.5 inches in width will fit in this car phone mount, which fits most but not all phones. The dashboard disc is really meant for single use only. If you ever need to remove the disc, the odds are good it won’t reattach as firmly or at all.

Bottom Line: Designed with a telescopic arm that extends and pivots, this car phone mount can hold your phone at almost any angle you desire. Featuring a patented easy one-touch setup to secure your phone, this mount can be placed on either the windshield or the dashboard. The suction cup is washable, and the arms can hold pretty much any phone and case combination. Overall, this is a solid car phone mount for most people.

This mount fits just about all phones and cases and can withstand weather fluctuations.

$28.99 $39.99 Save 28%

Pros: Don’t worry if you have a particularly bulky protective case or a larger smartphone. This car phone mount was designed to be as solid and heavy-duty as possible. The clip is made with a steel core for a firmer grip, the entire mount is made of weather-resistant materials, and the suction cup base supports an impressive 44 pounds of weight at once; plenty strong enough for even the bulkiest, heaviest phones and cases. It’s compatible with pretty much any type of phone case, including MagSafe ones, and can even hold wallet phone cases or cases with grips without issue. Since it has both a suction cup and clip, you can mount it pretty much anywhere on the dashboard, windshield, or vent, and the suction cup is reusable. As a bonus, the quick-release button allows you to simply and safely remove your phone from the mount, even one-handed.

Cons: When suction cupping it to your dash or windshield, you’ll have to make sure that it’s applied to a flat spot that’s been dusted and cleaned. It won’t stick properly to a curved or dusty surface, and you may have some trouble if your dashboard is textured. The clip may also prove an issue if your car’s vent slats are on the thicker side. As is fairly common with car phone mounts, there is a width limit to the phones and cases that fit in this model; anything narrower than 2.2 inches thick or wider than 3.8 inches thick will be too small or too big to fit inside.

Bottom Line: The simple design of this mount makes it friendly with most phones and cases, including grips and wallet attachments. This phone mount features fixed ultra-stable thick feet that won’t drop your phone, regardless of the vibration strength. The mount allows your phone to be mounted vertically and horizontally to the dash, windshield, or air vent. There is a genuine 3M gel pad for added stability that can withstand up to 44 pounds. The structure is made of durable stainless steel, and it can withstand both intense heat and extreme cold temperatures. Though it’ll work well for most smartphones, this car phone mount is an excellent choice for bulkier phones and cases.

These magnetic holders are designed to fit both thick and thin car vents and are easy to install.

$13.89 $19.99 Save 31%

Pros: If you find that dashboard or windshield mounts tend to block your view while driving, you’ll probably want to opt for an air vent model, and these magnetic phone stands are an excellent choice. You get a good bang for your buck since you receive two mounts for one low price and four metal plates and protection films. The mounts are nice and small, so they won’t clutter up your car, protrude too far, or obstruct the flow of air from the vent too much. And they swivel from side to side, so you can tilt your phone to whatever angle works best for your line of view. Thanks to the included metal plates, these mounts are compatible with almost all phones and cases. All you have to do is insert one of the metal plates into your phone case and it’ll magnetically attach to the mount. The mounts also have two different-sized grip slots on the back, one for thinner vents and one for thicker vents, so you should be able to attach them in just about any car.

Cons: The downside to a magnetic car phone mount is that you can’t use it in tandem with a wallet case. At least, not without removing your credit cards first; the magnet may ruin your credit cards otherwise. Some people with larger phones (like an iPhone Pro) or bulkier cases found that these mounts weren’t quite as effective at supporting them. These mounts only attach to your air vent, so they aren’t height-adjustable, at least not without fully removing and then reattaching them to a higher spot on the vent.

Bottom Line: These magnetic car mounts come with four metal plates and four protection films that stick directly to the back of your device to securely hold it in place while driving. The back of the mount offers a spot for both thicker and thinner vent blades, and it won’t disrupt your view while driving. If you want a car phone mount that takes up minimal room yet is still easy to see, this will be an ideal model for you.

This mount is extremely flexible with a 360-degree rotation and a telescopic arm.

$22.90 $35.99 Save 36%

Pros: One thing you won’t have to worry about with this car phone mount is the strength of its suction cup. The suction cup supports up to 52 pounds, so it should stick to your dashboard or windshield with ease. If you don’t want to place it in either of those spots, no problem; a vent clip is included with this model as well, allowing you to attach this mount just about anywhere on the car that you want. The stand-style body also ensures that it doubles well as a phone stand outside of your vehicle as well as in it. The arm is extendable, and the head rotates a full 360 degrees. Coupled with its height adjustment features, you shouldn’t have a problem adjusting it to just the right height and angle for your preferences. When the time comes to remove your phone, one quick touch with one hand will release it instantaneously.

Cons: Like many car phone mounts, this one does have some size limitations. It’s a great choice for bigger phones, but those shorter than 4 inches or longer than 7 inches won’t fit properly. Even though it’s suitable for bigger phones and bulkier cases, some really thick cases might not fit properly. The suction cup, as strong as it is, doesn’t always hold up well under hot temperatures.

Bottom Line: Available in both gray and black, this car phone mount can be installed on the dashboard, vent, or windshield. It offers extreme flexibility with its ability to turn a phone 360-degrees and the base mount 270-degrees, so it’ll be easy to get a comfortable viewing position for your phone. This mount is an especially great choice for larger phones since it can hold 52 pounds.

Designed with faster charging in mind, this holder clearly displays a range of voltage and charging stats.

$39.99 $45.00 Save 11%

Pros: Most car phone mounts have a slot or other ways to accommodate your phone’s charger. This model goes the extra mile and comes with the actual charger built right in—two, in fact. Since there are dual built-in USB charging ports, you can charge two different devices at once. The mount is compatible with pretty much all smartphones, and the neck is nice and flexible and bendy, easy to position at just the right angle and height for your viewing convenience. You won’t need to worry about your phone overcharging or overheating, either. The mount and charger will switch automatically between the appropriate voltage for your smartphone, which helps prevent overheating, short-circuiting, and overvoltage.

Cons: This isn’t a car phone mount that’s possible to place on your dashboard or windshield. You have no choice but to clip it to your air vent in order to display your phone properly. You also need to make sure your car has a cigarette lighter slot; the mount plugs into it to draw power from the car, and without this slot, you won’t be able to charge your phone during use. The convenience of the two built-in USB ports also makes it pricier than most models.

Bottom Line: Featuring auto-clamping and backup power, this phone holder has innovative positioning arms along with an infrared smart sensor. It’s designed with a 15-watt fast charge and displays vehicle battery voltage. The gooseneck can extend up to 8 inches and has a 360-degree rotation. This mount is designed to be compatible with all Qi devices to get the perfect charge. You won’t have to worry about getting caught without a place to charge your phone while on the go.

A strong yet flexible silicone mat phone holder that displays your phone to best advantage without slipping and sliding around on your dashboard.

$11.99 $19.99 Save 40%

Pros: This mat-style car phone mount breaks the classic car phone mount in many ways, but there’s a lot to love about it. It comes in several different color options, and it’s compatible with just about any smartphone on the market. Even smaller- or larger-than-average phones, like an iPhone Plus, will fit nicely. The soft silicone material won’t scratch your dashboard either, and it ensures that the mount can be cleaned with water if it ever gets dirty or dusty. The washing also helps this mount retain its stickiness; if you ever find that the adhesive isn’t sticking quite as effectively, just wash the bottom of the mount with water, and it’ll be as good as new. This also ensures that this mat-style mount is reusable. You can easily take it out of the car, use it at home or at work, wash it, then reattach it to your car without any worries.

Cons: You can only place this car phone mount on your dashboard. It won’t stick unless it’s on a flat part of your dash, which may place it back further than you’d like, and you’ll have to clean, dust, and dry the area before mounting it in order for the adhesive to attach with maximum effectiveness.

Bottom Line: This reusable car phone mount has a bit of an unusual design compared to most models, but it’s nice and stable, won’t scratch your dashboard, and is incredibly easy to insert and remove your phone. There’s even a little bit of extra space at the front to stash small items like hair ties, loose change, AirPods, and more. It’s not a great choice if you prefer a windshield or air vent-mounted model or if you have an extra curvy dash, but otherwise, it’s a great dashboard car phone mount that is especially useful for navigational purposes.

If you use your phone in the car at all, a car phone mount is a worthwhile investment. Even if it’s not a daily or regular occurrence, a car phone mount is a great way to keep your hands free and minimize the distraction of your phone while driving. Safety is paramount, and a car phone mount is possibly the safest way of using your phone in the car.