It goes without saying, but leaving your smartphone on your lap or in your cup holder isn’t the safest or most convenient option when trying to listen to music, take calls, or get directions to your destination.
Fortunately, with car phone mounts, you can do all of these things while securely attaching your phone to your dashboard within your line of sight, keeping your hands and eyes where they need to be in order to avoid getting a ticket or getting in an accident.
With that being said, not all car phone mounts are created equal. With so many options to choose from it can be difficult to figure out which one is right for you and your car. To help you narrow your search, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite types of car phone mounts below!
The Best Car Phone Mounts Available
1. Jelly Grip Vent Mount (Square Jellyfish)
An excellent smartphone vent mount, the Square Jellyfish Jelly Grip Vent Mount uses an adjustable, solid metal hook to extend through a vent opening and over horizontal or around vertical louvers. If you have rounded louvers or vents outside the 0.5-1 inch depth range, this mount will unfortunately not work with your vehicle.
A spring-loaded side grip can tightly hold phones up to six inches in width, and also allows for you to slide the phone out for removal.
- Spring-loaded side grip
- Adjustable metal hook
- Does not work with vents outside the 0.5-1 inch depth range
2. iTap 2 Wireless – iOttie
A clever combination of phone mount and wireless charger, the iOttie iTap 2 Wireless offers 3 mount options for purchase; a vent-style mount, a mount utilizing the CD slot in your stereo or a standard dash mount.
All three versions are priced at $55 and will wirelessly charge your Qi-enabled smartphone. The included magnet was strong enough to hold an iPhone XS Max in place during our tests, however, the wireless charging performance ranked average to above average compared to other wireless chargers.
3. Universal Smartphones Car Air Vent Mount Holder (BE)
Click image for more info
The BE Universal Smartphone Car Air Vent Mount works well with vertical-slat vents by locking on with a small clip to secure a tight grip. No matter how you rotate the 360-degree ball joint, the mount maintains its grip. In over nine months of use, our tester has never had to readjust.
The overall construction is solid, consisting of a rigid, dense plastic lined with soft foam pads to cushion and protect your phone. Phones 1.9 to 3.7 inches in width are supported by this mount, which covers all current iPhones and most Android models.
4. Easy One Touch 4 Air Vent Mount (iOttie)
At a price of just over $24, this mount is a solid pick. The mount has two parts and is very easy to assemble by snapping the vent clip to the back of the phone mount and attaching the spring-loaded clamp.
Using a lock and release system, the mount keeps your phone in place with two arms that hug it tightly. The Easy One Touch 4 supports phones between 2.3 and 3.5 inches wide. Our tester had success mounting an iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X both with and without cases.
5. CD-Air Smartphone Car Mount (Koomus)
Koomus’s grip-style CD-slot mount phone holder is simple, utilizing one lever to lock the unit in place. The mount has a sturdy hold, and Koomus includes three rubber spacers to increase clamping force if needed.
The mount itself can be positioned in a variety of ways, its arm tilts up and down, and it can be inserted with the mount facing up or down. The grip-style clam has surprisingly light tension that allows for easy one-handed mounting.
It accommodates larger phones with bulkier cases. Our tester successfully used a Nexus 6P and a Pixel 2 XL in the clamp. However, the Pixel 2 XL in an Otterbox case proved to be a difficult combination for the mount to accommodate.
6. iTap 2 Magnetic Air Vent Mount (iOttie)
The iOttie iTap 2 Magnetic Air Vent mount slides easily onto horizontal and vertical slats and a clamp grips the rubber clip for a secure hold. This magnetic mount never budges when pulling off your phone.
The clamp fixes the major problem with most air vent phone mounts, and this model’s other features are equally well designed. Compact and unobtrusive, its 360-degree rotation accommodates custom phone orientations and allows for airflow behind the phone.
The magnetic surface provides a firm lock with the included metal plates. Our tester found no slipping issues while traversing bumpy roads with their phone in a thicker wallet-type case, however, using a case between the plate and phone can weaken its grip.
7. Kuel A200 Car Phone Mount Magnetic Air Vent Holder (Spiegen)
This $8.00 phone holder is the most simple, unobtrusive, and inexpensive mount on the market. Spigen’s Magnetic Air Vent Holder has a rubberized stem with slits to allow the mount to slip directly onto the air vent. The included metal plates attach to your phone or case offering superior holding power for even the largest phones.
8. Airframe+ Smartphone and Phablet Car Mount (Kenu)
Kenu’s vent style phone mounts are some of the best on the market. Known for their convenience as well as superior adaptability for use in most car models, they have the added bonus of keeping your phone from overheating during the hot summer months.
Minimalist in design, but heavy on durability, the Kenu mount has a spring-loaded side clip big enough to fit larger phone models like iPlus-model iPhones and Galaxy Notes. The vent clip can accommodate thick or thin slats and also allows you to rotate your phone, making this one of the most versatile mounts on the market.
For phones under 5 inches, be sure to purchase the smaller version of this mount.
9. Adjustable Dashboard Cell Phone Cradle (Dopobo)
A metallic hook grabs the lip between your instrument well and the top of the dash. A second grip holds the phone (up to 6.5 inches) like a pair of jaws. If positioned correctly, your phone becomes a type of HUD, making it easy to navigate. However, the effectiveness of the Dopobo’s mount is ultimately determined by the shape of your dash.
The hook is springy, but if the non-slip pad on the inside isn’t enough to keep the whole contraption from springing forward, a bit of double-sided tape should do the trick.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, a reliable car phone mount is one of those accessories that you simply can’t go without if you do a lot of hands-free tasks while you drive. Especially if your car doesn’t have a GPS system built-in to it.
You can do everything from taking calls, listening to music, and getting directions to your destination safely. We hope you enjoyed this list of our favorite car phone mounts available. Stay up to date with our blog for more tips on accessories for your car.