A car phone holder is an essential driving accessory for hands-free calls and easier road navigation. It helps you avoid distracted driving, which leads to accidents and loss of lives on roads.
The best mounts can be attached to the windshield using a suction cup or on the dashboard with a vent clip or in a cup holder. Some also come with a telescoping arm for various viewing angles and adjustability.
Windshield Mount
This style of mount is simple, inexpensive, and works in almost any car. It sticks to the dashboard or windshield via an adhesive pad and doesn’t block vents or require any adjustment while you drive. It holds a wide range of phones, is stable enough to handle a bumpy road, and doesn’t cause the phone to fall or wiggle. It was a favorite among our testers.
It fits a variety of cell phones and case combinations, and its arm adjusts to find the perfect angle. It’s also one of the most stable models we tested, and it keeps your eyes up off the road for safety. It’s important to note that using a phone while driving is illegal in some states, and it can lead to crashes, even fatal ones. A good car phone holder is essential to safely use your device while driving. This model is available in several colors to match any vehicle.
Dashboard Mount
Many of the best car phone holders attach to the dashboard or windshield via adhesive, but some clip onto air vents instead. Which one you choose depends mostly on your preference and how easily you want to install the mount holder and remove it.
If you drive a truck or similar vehicle, consider the rugged and simple Arteck mount for its superior stability. This model features a gel pad for sticking to detailed surfaces and an arm that adjusts for the best view. It fits phones up to about 3.5 inches wide.
Many users note that the more versatile a car phone holder is, the less well it holds the device. This is because the handle must accommodate several different phone models in addition to various charger plugs, which adds mechanical complexity and increases the likelihood of something breaking. However, versatility is still an important consideration for users who regularly change cars — especially if they use company vehicles.
Vent Clip
While dash and windshield mounts get all the attention, vent clips are an easy-to-use option that works well in many cars. They’re also great for driving with GPS since they position your phone in front of the car’s display, where you can easily see it. However, one common concern with vent mounts is that prolonged heating from the vent will cause the back of your smartphone to heat up and damage it over time.
To address this, some manufacturers have upgraded their vent clip arms to offer stronger stability. Lamicall’s 2022 upgrade, for example, features a metal hook that catches strip blades of air vents more securely, and its sidearms have sponge pads to protect your phone from scratching.
Another good option is the TOPGO Cup Holder Phone Mount, which sits right in your car’s cup holder. It comes with attachments to help it fit snugly in different-sized holders, and its gooseneck provides multiple viewing angles and adjustability.
Cup Holder
Cup holders are a good alternative to dashboard and windshield mounts, which can block your view or car controls. They’re also a lot more convenient than holding your phone in your hand while driving, especially on long trips.
You can install a cup holder in your car using a clip-on design or one that attaches to the bottom of your dashboard. These types of cup holders are usually more secure than other mounts, and they can help prevent your phone from falling if you hit a bump or another obstruction.
Before the invention of the cup holder, people usually held beverages in their laps while driving. This was dangerous because it could spill and cause burns. However, the development of drive-in restaurants and cinemas led to the creation of built-in tray tables that allowed customers to eat or drink while the car was in motion. This paved the way for cup holders. Dorian Gibbs of Los Angeles, California received the earliest workable patent for a cup holder that attaches to a flat edge in the U.S in 1998.