Best car phone mounts 2024 (2024)

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  • Quick list
  • Best overall
  • Best for older cars
  • Best for vents
  • Best suction cup
  • Best MagSafe
  • Best magnetic mount
  • Best for Pop Sockets

Best Car Phone Mounts: Quick Menu

Best car phone mounts 2024 (1)

1. Best mount overall
2. Best mount for older cars
3. Best mount for vents
4. Best suction cup mount
5. Best mount for MagSafe
6. Best magnetic mount
7. Best for Pop Sockets

The best car phone mounts are fantastic accessories that should be in every car. Your phone can be a big help when you're driving, but it can also be dangerous if you don't treat it right. And the easiest way to avoid that is to make sure its mounted somewhere within reach — and not in your hands.

A good mount can keep your phone visible, and within reach, but in a spot that doesn't block your view of the road ahead. It's never a bad time to pick one up, and there's an incredible amount of choice with designs that will suit every car. But that choice means you hay struggle to pick the right one for you./

We've been testing them to help you figure out which mount is best for you.Here are the best car phone mounts you can buy right now.

The quick list

Here are the best car phone mounts you can buy right now, based on our own testing. You can scroll down the page to find more in-depth information about each model and what exactly makes them so great.

best overall

1. TopGo Cup Holder Phone Mount

Best car phone mount overall

Every car has a cup holder, and if yours isn't full of cups you can put it to good use holding up your phone. The neck is long enough to keep it in view, and sturdy enough to keep it all stable — without blocking any part of the view from the windshield.

Read more below

best for older cars

2. iOttie Easy One Touch 4 CD Slot Mount

Best car phone mount for older cars

Does your car have a CD player going unused because, well, you play everything from your phone instead? Lucky for you this car phone mount can give it a new lease on life, holding your phone in place while you drive. Just push the mount in, pop in a phone and you're good to go.

Read more below

best mount for vents

3. Belkin Car Vent Mount

Best car phone mount for vents

Sometimes the simple option is the best, and Belkin's Car Vent mount is a great example of that. You've got a no frills, minimalist design that holds your phone in place without taking up any dashboard space. There's little more you could ask for.

Read more below

4. iOttie Easy One Touch 5 Smartphone Car Mount

Best suction cup car phone mount

If you want an absurdly strong suction cup, attached to an extendable arm with a quick-release mount, this is the mount for you. That means you can place it just about anywhere in your car, and take your phone out with a single hand.

Read more below

best magsafe

5. Sandmarc Active Car Mount

Best car phone mount for MagSafe

Keep your iPhone locked in place and ditch the wires with this MagSafe compliant mount from SandMarc. It may only charge at 7.5W, but it's easy to install, has a discreet cable tidy, and has the aesthetic appeal to match your shiny Apple phone.

Read more below

best magnetic mount

6. YOSH Car Phone Mount Holder Magnetic Air Vent

Best magnetic car phone mount

If you need something small and discreet, then you can't go wrong with YOSH's magnetic air vent mount. You do need to stick a magnet on the back of your phone, but if you want something out of the way and virtually invisible then this is the perfect mount for you.

Read more below

What are the best car phone mounts?

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Best Car Phone Mount Overall

Best car phone mounts 2024 (8)

1. TOPGO Cup Holder Phone Mount

For people who don’t want to stick something to their car.

Specifications

Price: $33

Wireless Charging: No

Color: Black

Orientation: 360-degree

Compatabiulity: Phones up to 3.5 inches wide

Type: Cup holder

Reasons to buy

+

The mount can be rotated into portrait and landscape

+

Keeping the mount away from air vents is always a good idea, especially on particularly cold or hot days

+

It’s easy to insert your phone into the mount and just as easy to take it back out, too

Reasons to avoid

-

You’ll lose a cup holder

-

Some car layouts might simply make this mount impractical

-

This mount isn’t great to look at when you aren’t using it

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, we found this holder will hold your phone high enough that it's easily visible while also keeping it out of your field of view. In our testing we found that the holder can jiggle around a little when on bumpy roads, but that’s difficult to avoid given the way this thing works.

The benefits of putting your phone holder into a cup holder are obvious: You don’t lose an air vent or have to deal with suction cups, and damn near every car has cup holders as standard. 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.

Read the full TopGo Cup Holder Phone mount review

Best car phone mount for older cars

Best car phone mounts 2024 (9)

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

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

We’ve tested a lot of phone holders and the iOttie Easy One Touch 4 CD Slot Mount is one of our favorites for a simple reason — it takes that CD player that you likely never use and gives it a new lease on life. During our testing we found that installation of the Easy One Touch 4 mount is simple, and the holder almost completely disappears when not in use.

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. If you don’t use your CD player — who does? — you can leave the mount installed and you won’t even notice it’s there. Magic.

Read the full iOttie Easy One Touch 4 CD Slot Mount review

Best car phone mount for vents

Best car phone mounts 2024 (10)

3. Belkin Car Vent Mount

The simple option.

Specifications

Price: $25

Wireless Charging: No

Color: Silver

Orientation: 360-degree

Type: Vent

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's imaginatively-named Car Vent Mount isn’t the cheapest option around, but it does have something most of its competitors don’t: cable management.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 we found it to be surprisingly effective. There were no more stray cables blocking all those important buttons in our car

Beyond the cable management component, there isn’t an awful lot to the Belkin Car Vent Mount and that isn’t a bad thing at all. What it does, it does well and that’s to hold a phone steady while you drive.

Read the full Belkin Car Vent Mount review

Best suction cup car phone mount

Best car phone mounts 2024 (11)

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

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

The iOttie Easy One Touch 5 instils confidence in a way few other mounts do. That’s all thanks to its large suction cup that we found to be absurdly strong. Once mounted, an extendable arm means you should be able to put your phone where you want it, bringing it within reach. You can’t change the angle of that arm, so you’ll need to have the whole thing pointing in the right direction.

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. People with huge phones should be good to go thanks to the three-point mounting system that can be moved at will.

Read the full iOttie Easy One Touch 5 review

Best car phone mount for MagSafe

Best car phone mounts 2024 (12)

5. 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

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

If charging your iPhone while on the move is your game, the Sandmarc Active Car Mount is the place to look first. This holder is only compatible with Apple’s more recent iPhones, thanks to its use of MagSafe-compatible mount means it’s one of the better-looking holders we tested.

In terms of charging, the Sandmarc holder is limited to 7.5W, so it isn’t true MagSafe as such. The magnets are super strong, however, and I didn’t have any issues in terms of movement during testing.

Read the full Sandmarc Active Phone Mount review

Best magnetic car phone mount

Best car phone mounts 2024 (13)

6. 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

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

If the absolute smallest holder you can find is all you need, the YOSHI magnetic mount is for you. As small as a coin, this little thing is surprisingly powerful thanks to the magic of magnets. It’s one of the cheapest options we came across too. Sometimes cheap and cheerful is all you need and this YOSH holder is the epitome of that.

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, It can make the back of your phone look a little untidy, but the mount itself is more than good enough at its job to make that a minor issue. Despite being so small, an iPhone 12 Pro was kept firmly in place by the grip of the magnets — which is seriously impressive.

Read the full Yosh Magnetic Car Phone Mount review

Best car phone mount for pop sockets

Best car phone mounts 2024 (14)

7. PopSockets PopMount 2 Car Dash

The quirky option.

Specifications

Price: $30

Wireless Charging: No

Color: Black

Type: Suction cup

Reasons to buy

+

The only phone holder designed specifically for your PopGrip

+

You don’t need to remove the PopGrip to use your phone in your car

+

Works with just about any PopGrip on the market today.

Reasons to avoid

-

Useless if you don’t use a PopGrip, so you’re stuck in that ecosystem.

-

Some might prefer a different mounting method.

If you’re someone who uses a PopSocket to make their huge phone less unwieldy, putting it into a car phone holder can be an issue. 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. The angle of the phone can also be adjusted, and it’s a relatively good-looking bit of kit even when there’s no phone in it — plus its design means it can be folded away when not in use. If you use a PopSocket, this is the one for you.

Read the full Popsockets Popmount 2 review

What to look for in a car phone holder

What you need in a phone holder might be unique to you. But in its most basic form a phone holder needs to hold your phone in the right position and in a way that ensures it won’t move too much when you’re on the road. If it does that, it’s off to a good start.

From there you need to find one that fits where you need it to fit, whether that’s into an air vent, onto your windscreen or dashboard, or somewhere else. 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. This roundup covers all bases and there should be an option for everyone right here.

How we test car phone holders

Each car phone mount we've reviewed has gone through the same testing regimen, in the same car and (where possible) using the same iPhone 12 Pro. The process begins by making sure the holder can find a solid grip on whichever part of the car it's supposed to attach to — be it the windscreen, air vent, or something else.

It's crucial that this positioning not blocking the drivers' view of the road ahead, but also that the driver can see the phone screen at a glance. Otherwise the mount is failing at its primary goal.

From there it's a case of seeing just how easily a phone can be inserted and removed from the mount. This also involved checking how well any moving parts work, and whether any additional features can do their jobs correctly. This is especially important for mounts that support charging — wireless or otherwise.

Then it all comes down to the design and how conspicuous those mounts are when not in use. A car phone mount may not be essential on a quick local trip, and it's important to know if it'll be particularly cumbersome or whether it can practically disappear.

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Best car phone mounts 2024 (15)

Tom Pritchard

UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

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    Best car phone mounts 2024 (2024)

    FAQs

    Is it better to put a phone mount on the dash or windshield? ›

    Dashboard phone mounts are one of the most common types of car phone holders. They're a perfect middle ground between windshield and cupholder mounts, allowing you to keep your phone in an easy-to-access location that's not too far from your driving sight line.

    Do CD phone mounts damage CD player? ›

    Will a CD Slot Mount Do Damage? Nope! While it's a reasonable assumption to think something mounted in your CD player slot could do some damage to your audio system, they're perfectly safe.

    Are magnetic phone mounts better? ›

    The short answer is yes, absolutely. Your cell phone is completely safe mounted on a magnetic holder or inside a magnetic case. The magnets that are usually used for smartphone mounts are tiny and hidden from view, hardly the type of industrial magnet that can do damage.

    What are the disadvantages of a car phone holder? ›

    The disadvantages of a car phone holder are limited. They may block airflow from vents (for air vent mounts), obstruct visibility if improperly placed, and some designs might not work well with thick phone cases. If not securely attached, they can damage your phone or distract the driver.

    Where is the safest place to put a phone holder in your car? ›

    Windshield Mount

    Windshields are undoubtedly the highly favored place to put the phone mount in the car. You can use an adhesive or a suction cup to mount your handset onto the windshield and fix the device.

    Which is better suction cup or air vent phone holder? ›

    Cupholder mounts are super easy to use, but you need a vehicle with cupholders near the windshield—or an extender, such as on the WeatherTech. Vent mounts are great, but the phone blocks airflow from the vent it's mounted to.

    Where is the best place to put a mobile phone holder in a car? ›

    A popular choice among drivers, the windshield mount provides a clear view of your phone's screen, making it an ideal position for navigation purposes. Most windshield mounts come with a strong suction cup that adheres firmly to the glass.

    What should I look for in a car phone holder? ›

    Indeed there are many solutions, however the practical considerations dictate the trend:
    • the holder should be attached in a central place in the car,
    • it should be within the driver's reach,
    • it should be easy to attach in many places in the car, but match the model of the phone you use.

    Is it bad to leave a CD in your car CD player? ›

    If such a disc is left in an environment that allows direct sunlight and extreme heat buildup (e.g., on the dashboard of a car in summertime, or next to a heater by a window), the organic dye or phase-changing film that holds the data will degrade quickly, causing the disc to become unreadable.

    Do CDs sound better than phone? ›

    Most definitely. CD quality sound is full 44.1kHz uncompressed digital hi-res audio.

    Why do CDs go bad? ›

    The organic dye used in the data layer of R discs degrades naturally but slowly over time. High temperatures and humidity will accelerate the process. Prolonged exposure to UV light can degrade the dye properties and eventually make the data unreadable.

    Do magnetic phone mounts drain battery? ›

    No, magnetic phone mounts will not affect your phone's battery life. While magnetic force can be used to charge some devices, the magnetic fields produced by our MobNetic Maxx and other magnetic phone mounts are not strong enough to affect wireless charging on your device.

    What are the disadvantages of a magnetic mobile holder? ›

    Firstly, the magnetic field can blur your camera. In addition, your smartphone's compass may become out of alignment when you use a certain magnetic mount. This is caused by the presence of too large magnets that cause the compass to be out of alignment. The phone model must also be taken into account.

    Can magnet mounts damage phones? ›

    Magnetic phone holders, known for their convenience and use of neodymium magnets, have sparked concerns about potential phone damage. However, rest assured that using a magnetic phone mount is completely safe, contrary to popular belief.

    Where is the best place to put your phone in your car? ›

    The ideal mounting location should be in a place that does not require the driver to take their eyes off the road too far. For example, a location above the windshield or dashboard provides a direct line of sight, but should not block the view ahead.

    Do suction car phone holders work? ›

    All of the dashboard and windshield car phone mounts we tested had impressively strong suction cups. However, they won't stick well if the mounting surface is dirty or porous.

    Are dashboard phone holders safe? ›

    Using a dashboard phone mount is not only legal in most places when installed properly, but it's also highly recommended for safety reasons. A phone mount keeps your phone within easy reach and view, allowing you to make sure you're staying connected without having to take your eyes off the road.

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