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The Best Phone Holders and Car Mounts for Your Devices

Keep your eyes on the road while still keeping your phone in your sightline

By Kathleen Walsh

Kathleen Walsh

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March 22, 2021

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Since our phones are where we store everything, from our maps to our music, they’re pretty essential in the car. But that doesn’t mean we should forget all of those don’t-text-and-drive PSAs from Driver’s Ed. A smart phone holder for the car will keep you hands-free and focused on the road like the responsible motorist you are, while still providing easy access to Waze, messages, and Spotify.

What Are the Best Phone Car Mounts?

The best phone car mounts attach easily to any dashboard or vent and will keep your device front and center, while locking firmly in place. Here are some things we look for in a good hands-free phone holder.

Mount: Holders come in a few different mounting styles. Often they attach to the air vents or cupholders with clamps, or stick to the dashboard using a suction cup. The best methods are mostly a matter of personal preference depending on your eye line, but we will note that suction methods can sometimes feel a little less secure.

Size and Design: We prefer a holder that can fit a phone with a case, but the most important consideration is simply that the device stays secure. We look for holders with one-button release functions for ease of use, adjustable attachment features to suit a variety of vent or cupholder shapes, and space for a charging cable.

Flexibility: While not a deal-breaker, we like mounts that can be reoriented according to preference. Many holders can be moved up and down, flipped, or turned to an angle best-suited for whatever you’re looking at, or to accommodate different driver sightlines.

1. Beam Electronics Smartphone Holder

Speaking purely in terms of security, we love this universal smartphone car holder. The mount attaches to the air vent, but unlike similar holders that weigh down the vent and begin to fall, this holder stays firmly in place.

It’s also reliable when it comes to keeping your phone securely fastened. We like the extended bottom edge, which keeps the phone from slipping, as well as the adjustable side grips which can accommodate devices up to 3.7 inches wide — meaning you don’t need to remove your phone case.

Other features we like are the 360 degree rotation, quick release button, and padded interior to protect your device.

beam smartphone car mount

Buy Beam Electronics Smartphone Holder $19.99

2. AUKEY Car Phone Mount

Our favorite thing about this case is how easy it is to use, from assembly to installation to removal, which makes it ideal when it comes to portability. So if you often travel and use rental cars, for instance, this is the holder we’d recommend.

This is another air vent-affixed holder, and the adjustable mounting grip is designed to work with a variety of vent sizes and types. People agree the holder feels very secure when attached and that keeps the phone in place even when driving over bumpy roads.

aukey phone car mount

3. iOttie One-Touch Car Phone Holder

This mount takes first place in the versatility category, both for its flexible range of configurations and its suction cup attachment ,which makes it suitable for use outside of the car as well.

The mount’s base and arm can be adjusted side-to-side and up-and-down, rotated, extended, flipped — you name it. And as the manufacturer notes (and we appreciate), it’s also useful outside of the car as a desk accessory, for example, to prop up your phone. We also like it against a window at home, for when you’re video chatting with someone but still want to free up your hands say, to make dinner or fold laundry.

easy one touch suction car phone mount

Buy iOttie One-Touch Car Phone Holder $22.73

4. Lorima Cup Holder Phone Mount

This phone holder attaches to the driver’s cupholder rather than a vent or dashboard, which has two advantages. The first is that the lower positioning means there is no danger of obscuring your vision while driving. This mounting placement can also feel a little more secure, for reasons having to do with gravity, mostly. Additionally, the base includes adjustable screw knobs to create snug grip on the cupholder.

While dashboard and vent holders put your phone directly in your line of sight, this holder’s flexible goose neck can also position your device to meet your field of vision, while remaining within reach. A bonus: it doubles as a phone stand at home or on the go, say, to keep your backseat passengers occupied with a movie, or to help read the map.

lorima car cup holder phone mount

Buy Lorima Cup Holder Phone Mount

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