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A good car phone mount can minimize distractions while driving. Here are our favorite car phone mounts of 2024.
Written by Scott Tharler
We tested the best car phone mounts on the market; (photo/Scott Tharler)
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You need to put down your phone when you drive. There’s a reason why it’s illegal in 19 U.S. states to hold an electronic device while driving. The best car phone mounts help drivers everywhere follow the laws and stay safe, whether they want to follow a map, hold a hands-free conversation, listen to a podcast, or rock out to music.
Our experts have been writing about cellular phones, auto accessories, and safe driving for over two decades. Over the years, we’ve tried dozens of phone holders mounted to various locations inside countless cars. We’ve seen what happens to window-mounted suction cups in the heat of summer (and the dead of winter). And on multiple occasions, we’ve had to pull over to the side of the road to retrieve a phone that we thought was secure from wherever it tumbled onto the floor.
After vetting dozens from spec sheets and online reviews, we chose 11 phone mounts. These ranged in price from $14 to $100. A few were left out of this final guide for various reasons. Some were too difficult to use, failed to charge phones, or wouldn’t be released to the public for a while. The rest were evaluated in a variety of real-world road conditions to see how well the phone mounts held their own.
Below are the best car phone mounts based on our testing. To help you find the best car phone mount for your unique needs, we’ve included a buyer’s guide, a frequently asked questions section, and a comparison chart.
The Best Car Phone Mounts of 2024
- Best Overall Car Phone Mount: Peak Design Car Vent Mount
- Best Budget Car Phone Mount: Baseus Joyride Pro Series Car Backseat Mount
- Best Custom Car Phone Mount: ProClip Center Dash Mount
- Best Magnetic Car Phone Mount: Nite Ize Steelie Orbiter Plus Dash Kit
- Most Versatile Car Phone Mount: Scosche MagicMount Pro 2 4-in-1 Vent/Dash
Best Overall Car Phone Mount
Peak Design Car Vent Mount
Specs
- Attachment PointVent
- Attachment MethodRetractable hook, rubber brace on vent slats
- ChargingOptional
- MagSafe CompatibleYes
Pros
- Minimalist design with premium materials
- Easy to install and adjust
- Includes USB-C charging cord and 12V car adapter
- Routing clips minimize stray cords around dash
- Non-charging version available for $35 less
Cons
- Expensive
- May require a Peak Design case or universal adapter
Scott Tharler
Although we hesitate to describe any car phone mount as sexy, the Peak Design Car Vent Mount ($100) sure gets close. It sports a minimalist design. And despite its diminutive stature, it has a weighty, premium feel in the hand, thanks to its anodized aluminum construction.
Installation was a breeze. We hooked the retractable arm onto an upper vent slat and tightened the rear control knob as we slid the rubber brace onto a lower vent slat. That was pretty much it. The rubber brace can slide up and down, accommodating air vents with various spaces between the slats. But this system — as with most vent mounts — doesn’t work with curved or criss-crossed vent slats, or on the dental-floss-thin air vents found in Teslas.
Although this sturdy mount works right out of the box with MagSafe-compatible phones and cases, the magnetic connection is especially strong when using one of Peak Design’s cases with its proprietary SlimLink locking system, which was primarily how we tested this product.
If you love your current case but want that stronger magnetic sticking power, you can pop on Peak Design’s Universal Adapter (which we didn’t test). The caveat is that “wireless charging may not be possible or optimal.”
In terms of adjustability, both of the unit’s control knobs are easy to use, but they are so flush to the mount’s body that we almost missed seeing them. The forward knob adjusts the tightness of the arm, so that it can swing the mounting pad into an ideal viewing position.
When it comes to tilting, unlike other units this one does so without needing to loosen and tighten an awkward knob on the backside of the phone holder. Peak Design has apparently found the amount of tension necessary for the assembly to stay perfectly stable under the weight of a phone and still allow manual tilting as needed.
That may seem like a little thing, but it shows how much engineering went into the Peak Design Car Vent Mount. If you’re willing to pay the premium price for that level of thoughtfulness — whether for this or the less expensive non-charging version — this is the phone mount for you.
Best Budget Car Phone Mount
Baseus Joyride Pro Series Car Backseat Mount
Specs
- Attachment PointHeadrest
- Attachment MethodSpring-loaded
- ChargingNo
- MagSafe CompatibleNo
Pros
- Very inexpensive
- Super simple to install
- Accommodates a wide variety of device sizes
- Easy to angle and extend
Cons
- Can be hard to find online
Scott Tharler
At least among backseat denizens, the Baseus Joyride Pro Series Car Backseat Mount ($14) has the magical ability to create peace in the universe. It can deftly hold mobile devices with 4.7- to 12.9-inch diagonals, which covers most phones and tablets available today.
The word “installation” seems a bit strong to describe the setup process, which simply involves squeezing the spring-loaded holder and snapping it into the headrest bars. From there, you could lower the headrest to stabilize it, but it doesn’t need the help.
Besides its laughably low price tag, we were most impressed with how adjustable this mount is. It can slide side to side, pull forward or push back, and swivel 360 degrees (for portrait or landscape viewing).
Unlike the Peak Design Car Vent Mount, this one has the usual control knob in the back that adjusts the tension, allowing you to tilt your device in the stand. Once you’ve found that happy angle, it’s plenty stable. And easy enough to readjust.
We were already familiar with Baseus for its charging products but just happened to stumble onto this auto accessory. So, in a sense, it’s not surprising that its Baseus Joyride Pro Series Car Backseat Mount isn’t widely available. But if you’re looking for an easy, affordable, and competent way to hold a mobile device on a headrest, snag this one where you can.
Best Custom Car Phone Mount
ProClip Center Dash Mount
Specs
- Attachment PointDashboard
- Attachment MethodClips into dashboard seams
- ChargingOptional
- MagSafe CompatibleOptional
Pros
- Made for specific vehicle models
- Well-constructed
- Doesn’t hang off the vent slats
- Easily repositioned, removed
Cons
- Relatively expensive
- Base and holder are sold separately
- Requires assembly
- Non-charging version is portrait-only
Scott Tharler
Whereas most dash-oriented phone mounts attach right to the surface of the dash via adhesive or suction, the ProClip Center Dash Mount ($75) clips into the seams of your dashboard. In other words, it barely touches the actual dash.
Purchasing the product involves ordering two pieces: a base for your vehicle model and a holder for your phone model (based on the thickness of its case). When the pieces arrive, you screw the base to the holder, then adjust the holder to the width of your phone case. The rest of the installation is easy: Find the right place on the dashboard, with guidance from photos in the included instructions, and clip in the assembly.
Sidenote: ProClip makes bases that clip onto the left pillar (next to the left edge of the windshield), center console, and passenger side of the dash. Not all clips are available for all car models. The price quoted for this product is based on a $35 center dash mount for a Toyota 4Runner and a $40 adjustable, non-charging phone holder. They also offer wired and wireless charging holder versions.
During our several-week-long testing period, this became our go-to phone holder. It was super stable, positioned well, and easy to slip the phone into and out of. Though it does obstruct the vent a bit, it allows for way more airflow than typical vent mounts without putting any stress on the vent slats. And though we had the version without built-in charging, it was easy enough to attach a charging cord directly to our phone’s easily accessible charging port.
Universal car phone mounts can be fine. But now that we’ve been spoiled by the custom ProClip Center Dash Mount, we don’t want to go back. We’re willing to pay a little extra for something sturdily and elegantly made for our exact phone and vehicle.
Best Magnetic Car Phone Mount
Nite Ize Steelie Orbiter Plus Dash Kit
Specs
- Attachment PointDash
- Attachment MethodAdhesive to dash
- ChargingNo
- MagSafe CompatibleYes
Pros
- Minimal footprint on dash
- Super strong magnet
- Easy to tilt into position
- Part of an expandable ecosystem
Cons
- No charging
- Adhesive to dash, not easily repositioned
Scott Tharler
Most phone holders of yesteryear that attached to the surface of your dashboard or windshield took up an annoying amount of space and weren’t very secure. The sleek and modern Nite Ize Steelie Orbiter Plus Dash Kit ($50) fixes those problems.
The bottom of the base — which includes both the black part and iconic shiny metallic sphere — is only about an inch in diameter, so you can stick it to virtually any smooth vertical, horizontal, or angled area on your dash. Once affixed, the second piece — a thin MagSafe puck with a red center on the back — magnetically attaches to the base so intensely that our lead tester’s 7-year-old son physically struggled to separate the two pieces. (And he’s strong.)
In turn, your MagSafe phone attaches to the puck. Though the connection is not as foreboding as to the base, it’s plenty strong to keep your phone in place. If you’re rocking an Android or older iPhone, this kit includes a razor-thin MagSafe adapter ring that sticks to the back of your phone and case.
Ultimately, the beauty of this steel orb-based system is that your phone can easily swivel in a nearly endless variety of angles. That along with its minimal footprint are major selling points.
Another benefit to consider for the Nite Ize Steelie Orbiter Plus Dash Kit is that it’s part of a whole Steelie ecosystem. Nite Ize offers other holders and mounts not only for inside the car but also at the home or office. Plus the brand offers replacement adhesive pads for the base, a charging adapter, and other compatible accessories.
Most Versatile Car Phone Mount
Scosche MagicMount Pro 2 4-in-1 Vent/Dash
Specs
- Attachment PointVent, dash
- Attachment MethodRubber brace (vent), Adhesive base (dash)
- ChargingNo
- MagSafe CompatibleYes
Pros
- Simple installation
- Easy one-handed operation
- Multiple mounting options
- Relatively inexpensive
Cons
- No built-in charging
- Not as sturdy as other options
Scott Tharler
Although the Scosche MagicMount Pro 2 4-in-1 Vent/Dash ($45) is well-made, it’s not nearly as slick as our best overall pick. Although it’s relatively inexpensive, it’s not nearly as cheap as our budget pick. So it sits squarely in the middle of the road, as a solid choice at a decent value.
The mount itself doesn’t offer charging, but it’s just a convenient place to magnetically stick your phone so that it’s visible. The four options in the 4-in-1 moniker are that you can stick it either to the dash or vent, with or without the 3-inch extension arm. That three inches may not seem like a big deal, but it’s enough to swing the magnetic pad out of the way of the vent.
Speaking of which, when testing the vent attachment, we noticed it makes a huge difference in the direction the elliptical base is pointing. Initially, we assumed orienting the base vertically would be better, as it would need to be braced against multiple vent slats.
But then we noticed that the unit seemed loose while driving around. Upon further inspection, we discovered that with the base oriented horizontally, the rubber prongs on the back fit way more snugly.
It proved adequately secure after installing the mount by simply sliding it onto the vent slat, as described above. The tension in the ball socket behind the pad was enough to keep it steady when while driving over bumps, yet easy enough to tilt into a better position when desired.
The Scosche MagicMount Pro 2 4-in-1 Vent/Dash is a sensible, affordable option with all the little accessories you need in a vent-and-dash combo mount. And for what it’s worth, ProClip uses the exact same pad with the MagSafe versions of its highly regarded holders.
Best of the Rest
Pitaka MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 Qi2
Specs
- Attachment PointVent
- Attachment MethodRetractable hook, rubber brace on vent slats
- ChargingYes
- MagSafe CompatibleYes
Pros
- Fast 15W wireless charging
- Snazzy design
- Can trigger NFC shortcuts
- Version available specifically for Tesla models
Cons
- Feels plasticky
- Learning curve to make NFC shortcuts work
Scott Tharler
Clearly, some clever thought went into designing the Pitaka MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 Qi2 ($60). It offers some cool capabilities that set it apart. Plus, its carbon fiber-y face gives it a different look than most boring-looking phone mounts.
Aesthetics aside, this phone mount boasts the new Qi2 wireless charging, which is twice as powerful as the previous version. That’s important because wireless charging is handy but hasn’t always been so speedy. So, this is a step in the right direction.
It also offers NFC functionality. A switch on the front of the unit can be adjusted to one of three color-coded positions, indicating that it’s ready to launch an action you’ve previously set up. For instance, tapping part of your phone to the complimentary spot on the front of the mount could open up your mapping, music, or calling app. But it takes some finesse and a knowledge of how to program those NFC triggers in iOS (a little easier) or Android (a little harder).
In addition to a universal version that uses a retractable hook and rubber brace, which is similar to the Peak Design mentioned above, this phone mount comes in a version that works specifically in Tesla models 3/Y. That version snaps into place similarly to the ProClip, also mentioned above.
The problem is that despite its sweet looks and functionality, it feels pretty cheap in the hand. Unlike the (smaller) Peak Design, it’s light as a feather, with no heft. But if you want a nice-looking phone mount with good features at a reasonable price, the Pitaka MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 Qi2 is still a decent choice.
Scosche MagicGrip Double-Pivot Mount
Specs
- Attachment PointWindow, dash
- Attachment MethodSuction cup
- ChargingYes
- MagSafe CompatibleNo
Pros
- Automatically opens and closes
- Fast wireless charging
- Comes with an 18W USB charging adapter
- Highly adjustable double-jointed design
- LED intensity automatically adjusts to surrounding light
Cons
- Obstructs driver’s view
- Doesn’t work as well on textured surfaces
- Only auto-opens and closes when powered
Scott Tharler
As one of the phone holders in Scosche’s MagicGrip series, the Scosche Double-Pivot Mount ($70) cradle automatically opens its arms when powered on and automatically closes them when it detects a MagSafe device. More than just a cool party trick, it’s something smart that holds your phone securely.
Conveniently, the kit comes with an 18-watt USB adapter that enables fast wireless charging, a USB-A-to-C charging cable, and a pair of cable management clips. Sadly, if the unit isn’t plugged in for some reason, the magic disappears. It’ll keep holding your phone if it’s already in there. But you’ll need to manually move the unit’s arms — a two-handed operation — if you want to take out your phone or place it back in.
Just to clarify, unlike with the Scosche MagicMount mentioned above, your phone doesn’t attach to this mount via MagSafe. Your phone’s Qi (embedded wireless charging) area activates the cradle’s arms, which actually hold your phone in place. That’s why it won’t close on phones that don’t support wireless charging — or on other foreign objects, for that matter.
While the whole unit is both stable and adequately adjustable — thanks to its double-jointedness — mounting it on the window or dash means it’ll probably be in the driver’s field of view. At least it’s not very big. But still, the sticky suction cup works well on smooth surfaces. So if your window is hot or your dash is textured, it won’t work as well.
At the end of the day, the Scosche MagicGrip Double-Pivot Mount is pretty cool, especially if you happen to have a phone that isn’t MagSafe but does support wireless charging (e.g., many Android phones). Even better, we’ve seen this mount on sale recently for as low as $30, which is a steal.
Tackform Car Seat Phone Holder
Specs
- Attachment pointBetween car seat and center console
- Attachment methodSlides between
- ChargingYes
- MagSafe compatibleYes
Pros
- Unique placement next to seat
- Super sturdy construction
- Automatically closing charging cradle
- Phone screen is closer than in dash, vent and window mounts
- Integrated compartment holds small items
Cons
- On the pricey side
- Some assembly required
- Need to look down more to see phone screen
Scott Tharler
As opposed to every other car phone mount you’ve likely seen, the base of the Tackform Car Seat Phone Holder ($85) gets wedged in between your vehicle’s front seat — on either the driver’s or passenger’s side — and the center console. The main benefit of that location is that it places your phone screen significantly closer than if it’s mounted on the dash, vent, or window. But the tradeoff is that you must glance down more to see your screen.
The slats in the base can be positioned to make the wedge thinner (1 inch) or wider (2 inches) to accommodate a variety of vehicles. Working up from that heavy-duty plastic base, a seriously strong metal extension arm connects via ball sockets on both ends, ultimately terminating with the charging cradle.
Similar to the Scosche MagicGrip featured above, this one automatically closes its arms based on sensing a phone capable of wireless charging. But unlike the Scosche, it can mechanically open — even after being disconnected from its power source — by pressing a button on the side of the cradle. It also has adjustable support legs, which are handy when positioning your phone up or down for optimal charging.
Based on testing several other Tackform phone mounts, we know that they consistently use super high-quality parts. And that there’d be some assembly involved — although the kind that doesn’t require any tools or looking at the instructions. But something about this phone mount style, particularly, just caught our eye.
Though the Tackform Car Seat Phone Holder is a little offbeat and probably more expensive than other phone mounts you may be considering, we seriously doubt that you’ll find a better-made and more effective product to hold and charge your phone while driving.
Car Phone Mount Comparison Chart
| Car Phone Mount | Price | Attachment Point | Attachment Method | Charging | MagSafe Compatible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak Design Car Vent Mount | $100 | Vent | Retractable hook, rubber brace on vent slats | Optional | Yes |
| Baseus JoyRide Pro Car Backseat Mount | $14 | Headrest | Spring-loaded | No | No |
| ProClip USA Center Dash Mount | $75 | Dash | Clips into dashboard seams | Optional | Optional |
| Nite Ize Steelie Orbiter Plus Dash Kit | $50 | Dash | Adhesive to dash | No | Yes |
| Scosche MagicMount Pro 2 4-in-1 Vent/Dash | $45 | Vent, Dash | Rubber brace (vent), Adhesive base (dash) | No | Yes |
| Pitaka MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 | $60 | Vent | Retractable hook, rubber brace on vent slats | Yes | Yes |
| Scosche MagicGrip Double Pivot Mount | $70 | Window, Dash | Suction cup | Yes | Yes |
| Tackform Car Seat Phone Holder | $85 | Between car seat and center console | Slides between | Yes | Yes |
How We Tested Car Phone Mounts
During several weeks of real-world testing, we installed eight car phone mounts — usually with multiple units side-by-side. We stuck an encased Google Pixel 6 Pro and iPhone 15 loaded into one or more mounts. With those secured, we drove over curbs, speedbumps, and gravelly stretches of road (in addition to smooth pavement just around town). The aim was to mimic the conditions the average driver faces daily while bouncing the rides around a bit.
If a phone holder failed by not staying mounted or easily dumping the phone, it didn’t make our list. We rated the ones that did based on factors such as ease of installation, steadiness, adjustability, price, and special features. We’ll continue to assess additional phone mounts for future iterations of this guide.
Why You Should Trust Us
GearJunkie knows cars, and our staff knows their vehicles inside and out. Main tester Scott Tharler has been writing about car accessories for 25 of the 35 years he’s been a licensed driver.
In that time, he’s logged hundreds of thousands of miles behind the wheel, crisscrossing the U.S. in the early days and, more recently, taking his three kids to their daily activities. Along the way, Tharler has used and written about myriad devices, including third-party Bluetooth speakerphones, backup cameras, cellphone boosters, and many other gadgets that plug into audio jacks, USB, 12-volt adapters, and OBD-II ports.
Over that same span, car phones have gone from corded affairs built into automobiles to portable (but heavy AF) bag phones to the modern-day handhelds we know and love. Now that mobiles are pocketable, have screens, and can connect wired or wirelessly to bolster our navigation and audio experiences, they need to be securely affixed to the vehicle.
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Car Phone Mount
Selecting a car phone mount isn’t easy — or, let’s face it, fun. It’s one of those products that, when it’s doing its job, just fades into the background. Conversely, when it fails, the results can range from offputting to truly disastrous.
To make matters worse, seemingly every electronics, office supply, and grocery store carries phone mounts not to mention the many online retailers. You might even be tempted to walk in or click through and just grab the first one you see. But finding the right car phone mount for you requires some thought and research.
This handy how-to-choose guide has all the essential information compiled to find the best solution that fits your needs. We discuss why you should and shouldn’t consider particular types of phone mounts and which features matter most. Below, you’ll find everything you need to know to decide which car phone mount will work best for you.
Universal vs. Custom Mounts
Custom mounts are made for particular vehicles. For instance, a version of the Pitaka MagEZ Car Mount Pro 2 only fits the air vents of two specific Tesla models. And when ordering the ProClip USA Center Dash Mount, you indicate your vehicle’s make, model, and year, and they deliver a base that clips into a specific spot in your exact vehicle.
You might expect that custom mounts are prohibitively expensive, but not necessarily. For instance, the ProClip we tested was $75, and the Pitaka was just $60. They were a little more than some of the universal mounts we tested, but definitely worth it if you care about clean, purposeful design.
Window, Vent, and Dash Mounts
Although other mounting locations exist, these three are collectively the most popular, each with pluses and minuses.
Window mounts can’t help but be in the way. Even with a long enough extension arm, a phone mounted to the center of your windshield will significantly decrease your field of view. If you mount it a little out of the way on the left side, you’ll still need to wonder when it’ll simply peel off on a hot day.
Even if they stay stuck to your windshield with suction and/or stickiness, window mounts aren’t always very stable. They also put your phone in an exposed area where it can get so hot that it shuts down. So, needless to say, we’re not fans of window mounts as a rule.
Vent mounts are a mixed bag. As mentioned above, they tend to put your phone at a reasonable height. But the problem is how they attach. For instance, the alligator clamp style seems like a good idea. But the problem is the awkward dexterity; it can require pinching to open and/or tighten them. Either way, the phone’s weight in such a holder could close the vent, directly affecting your air circulation.
The Scosche MagicMount Pro 2 4-in-1 Vent/Dash‘s rubber prong style, which we tested, was fine. But we prefer the ones that also employ a retractable hook arm for extra stability, such as the Peak Design and Pitaka models featured. Just be careful not to overtighten the arm, lest the first big bump you go over pop the air vent slat right off.
Dash mounts, unfortunately, suffer from some of the same quibbles as window mounts in terms of visual obstruction and susceptibility to heat. On top of that, they’re even less reliable on a textured dashboard. But their saving grace, as with the Nite Ize, is that these mounts can be positioned on a smooth surface further from the windshield and even on a vertical/angled part of your dashboard.
Size
The small stature of the Peak Design and the Nite Ize was a big factor in our highlighting those mounts, but only in combination with how rock-solid they function. In other words, being a small phone mount doesn’t make it good. Be sure to check out how much metal (vs. plastic) is used in its construction.
Adjustability
Phone mounts can be adjustable in a few ways. For example, the Scosche MagicMount kit includes multiple mounting options on the vent and dash. The Baseus mount can be adjusted in several directions, sliding, pushing, pulling, tilting, and swiveling it into just the right position.
And the Nite Ize can be pivoted around that steel ball in tiny increments. But even the fixed, stiff ProClip could be slid left or right within the dashboard seams. Most car phone mounts are adjustable in some way, but some more than others.
Portability
Although a phone mount’s portability does have something to do with its size, it has more to do with how easy or painful it is to remove and reinstall. So if you get a phone mount that’s easy to uninstall, toss in a bag without it breaking or taking up too much space, and reinstall, that’s certainly a bonus.
It’s also another reason not to want to deal with the messy, sticky pads and suction cups found on dash and window mounts, even though they can sometimes be washed and reused.
Charging
Juicing up your device on the go seems like a no-brainer. But if you want a charging mount, there are a few things to consider.
Wired charging can happen in one of several ways. The mount can simply position your phone in a way that exposes your phone’s charging port, to which you can attach a cord and adapter you supply. Some phone mounts — such as the wired charging version of the ProClip — include those accessories and position the charging cord in a way that when you slide the phone into the mount, it goes right onto the cord and is ready to charge. We didn’t test any systems like this, so we can’t speak to how much finagling they’d take.
Wireless charging mounts are great for how easy they are to attach your phone and rotate it to whatever orientation you want. But you need to be careful about a couple of things. First, MagSafe doesn’t always mean it’s a charger, as with the Scosche MagicMount. Second, phones and cases vary greatly in their magnetic sticking power.
This means that although MagSafe is a convenient attachment method, your phone/case combo may not stick as strongly as others. For this reason, we appreciated being able to test the Peak Design in conjunction with one of their special, super magnetic phone cases. Similarly, if you rock an Android or older iPhone, to do wireless charging you’ll need a MagSafe adapter, ideally included with the phone mount.
Another key thing to look for with wireless charging is whether it’s the older, slower version (7.5 watts) or the newer, faster version (15 W). On product pages and websites, look for “Qi2” as a feature. And just like with the wired versions, it’s obviously nicer when the mount comes with a 12V adapter and charging cord.
Bonus points if the adapter offers more volts, the cord is USB-C and the kit includes stick-on cable guides to keep your dashboard as uncluttered as possible.
Design
The minimalist looks of the Peak Design and Nite Ize might speak to you. Or perhaps the carbon fiber-y look of the Pitaka matches your design sense. But beyond the aesthetics, how well-built the mount is matters. We’d go to battle any day with either the ProClip or the Tackform. They look and feel so well conceived with high-quality parts that are as heavy, durable, and reliable as the vehicles we drive.
Price
To some degree, there’s a correlation between price and build quality. The three highest-priced models we tested — Peak Design Car Vent Mount ($100), Tackform Car Seat Phone Holder ($80), and ProClip USA Center Dash Mount ($75) — are each superbly designed and constructed. But the opposite isn’t true of the least expensive models. The Baseus JoyRide Pro Car Backseat Mount ($14) has worked well and hasn’t given us any problems throughout weeks of testing.
So, you can use the $62 average of our eight tested mounts as a general guideline about how much you may want to spend on a great car phone mount. But price doesn’t necessarily dictate how well a phone mount will work for you, as effectively as the other factors listed above.
FAQ
What is the best phone holder for a car?
As discussed above, it depends on several factors, such as what kind of phone you have, whether you want to charge it in the holder, and how visible you need it to be. But the ultimate goal is to avoid — or at least minimize — distracting the driver. So, the most important thing is that the phone sits securely within the holder, which is, in turn, securely mounted within the car. Each of our selections listed above accomplishes that.
Where is the safest place to mount a phone in a car?
That’s a bit of a conundrum. The more visible the phone is (such as hanging off the rear-view mirror), the more it’s blocking the driver’s view. The less visible it is (such as in a cupholder mount), the more the driver has to focus away from the road.
So where it’s safest to mount a phone in the car is a balance between not blocking the view of the road, yet still being somewhere near the driver’s eyeline. That’s why phone holders mounted to the dashboard and air vent are so common. They allow the driver to see their phone screen by glancing their eyes, as opposed to turning their head.
But regardless of where a phone is mounted, the ideal is to give as little attention as possible to your phone while driving, in favor of concentrating on the road conditions and where you’re going.
What are the disadvantages of a car phone holder?
As discussed above, a car phone holder could be hazardous by obstructing the driver’s view — or even just by being a tempting visual distraction. Or to a lesser extent, it could make you uncomfortable by blocking the air vent and affecting the cabin’s climate.
Lastly, a car phone holder could give you a false sense of security. If the phone falls out of the mount and becomes a projectile or the whole thing crashes down, it’s more distracting than if you’d just avoided the mount altogether and left your phone in your pocket the whole time.
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Scott Tharler
6 articles
Scott Tharler is a Contributing Editor at Gear Junkie. He has covered technology, outdoor gear, skiing, hiking, camping and footwear for over 25 years. Before Gear Junkie, Scott authored several books and wrote columns for Business Insider, TechRadar, Dealerscope, Forbes Vetted, Fatherly, Newsweek, Maxim, Discovery News, Fodor’s Travel and other publications. Based in Waikoloa Village on the Big Island of Hawaii, Scott enjoys tennis, volleyball, hiking, camping, and many aquatic activities.
