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It’s unsafe and, in most places, illegal to hold your phone in your hand while driving. The solution is to invest in one of the many car mounts available today. A good phone mount holds your device securely, affixes reliably to your vehicle, and doesn’t block any ports or buttons on the phone. Some also offer additional features like articulating arms and even wireless charging.
Rules for where you’re allowed to attach a phone mount vary across different states and municipalities. Many prevent you from mounting anything to your windshield or dashboard to keep your line of sight clear. But there are plenty of alternatives. Manufacturers also make mounts built for CD player slots, air vent fins, and even cup holders. We’ve tracked down the most secure and reliable options in various formats and at a wide range of prices, capable of holding up today’s best Android phones.
The iOttie One Touch 5 is a highly refined option with a remarkably sturdy bracket and a mechanism that’s easy to use with just one hand. It’s resistant to fingerprints and isn’t very bulky, so it should look good in nearly any car. The most popular version is the one that affixes to the dash or windshield using an included adhesive sticker. However, the CD slot model might be a better option if you live in a hot climate. Unlike many other holders, the bottom bracket and the arm can be adjusted, with the arm extending up to 8 inches. In addition, the bracket can rotate 225 degrees to provide you with the angle that’s easiest to see.
- Attachment Method: Bracket installed to dashboard, CD slot or air vent
- Phone Size: Up to 4.2 inches wide
- Adjustable Angle?: Yes
Most phone mounts require you to physically manipulate a button to insert or remove your device. However, the Ainope Gravity’s novel gripping mechanism lets you place the phone downward into the arms to insert and gently pull it upwards to remove, eliminating the need for distracting button-pushing. Plus, it holds your phone higher than most other air vent mounts to help ensure your eyes stay on the road.
Its slight build won’t look bulky or in the way whether your phone’s in it or not. This recently refreshed version sports a CD slot holder in case you don’t have suitable air vents. Note that it only works with horizontal air vent fins, not vertical ones.
- Attachment method: Air vent fins or CD slot
- Phone size: Up to 6.7″ diagonally
- Adjustable angle?: Yes
The various versions of the Scosche MagicMount series use a powerful magnet in the mount itself, alongside a magnetite adhesive plate that sticks to your phone. Our favorite MagicMounts are the Dash and Flush variants, partly because they’re compact, rigid, and affordable. They also affix to a dashboard or other surface with a powerful adhesive sticker, which is more effective on textured dashboards than a suction cup.
To use your phone with one of these, apply the included adhesive sticker and magnetic plate to the back of your phone or inside your case. Then do the same to stick the mount to your dashboard — or insert it into your air vents if that’s your preferred model. Since there aren’t any mechanical parts, there’s no button to press and no need to take your eyes off the road for an excessively long time. As long as you carefully attach the sticker and plate underneath your device’s wireless charging coil, you should still be able to use Qi or other wireless charging (if your case allows it).
- Attachment Method: Magnetic plates and adhesive stickers
- Phone Size: All sizes
- Adjustable Angle?: Yes
If you want to keep your phone’s battery topped off while driving without having to plug it in, the iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2 should be on your list. It’s the top choice for wireless charging partly because it supports 10W wireless charging for the Pixel series, a rarity on most wireless car mounts. It’s also compatible with most other Android phones as well as 7.5W charging for friends with iPhones. While both dashboard/windshield and air vent models are available, the air vent model is strongly recommended if your air vents are strong enough to support it because the air from your AC can help keep things from overheating on those long summer drives.
- Attachment Method: Bracket installed to dashboard, CD slot or air vent
- Phone Size: Up to 3.6 inches wide
- Adjustable Angle?: Yes
iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2
The Kenu Airframe Pro is a marriage of compact design and high-tension springs that bounce back to open and close with a simple touch. It’s more compact than nearly all the competition and more refined than its smaller and less rugged predecessor. In fact, it’s big enough for pretty much every phone on today’s market. It also shines in terms of stability, as it stays in one place and resists wobbling, even if your air vents wiggle a little. Because of its minimalist design, it’s easy to use without blocking any buttons on your phone, and it’s ideal for regions where your phone mount isn’t legally allowed to obstruct your vision.
- Attachment Method: Bracket mounted to air vent
- Phone Size: Up to just more than 6 inches
- Adjustable Angle?: No
Unlike most popular mounting solutions, the Bracketron TripGrip uses a suction cup and lever to adhere to smooth surfaces such as a windshield. That way, you don’t have to apply any adhesive, which can be a pain to remove from the dash or your phone if you ever decide to switch mounts. Alternatively, you can use the included air vent mount that’s considerably more sturdy than many competitors due to a pair of fold-out legs that offer extra support. Possibly the most convenient thing, though, is the 9.5-inch gooseneck that allows for complete articulation as well as installation in the safest location possible. The bracket itself rotates 360 degrees for a portrait or landscape orientation and accommodates phones up to 3.5 inches wide.
- Attachment Method: Bracket installed via suction cup or air vent
- Phone Size: Up to 3.5 inches wide
- Adjustable Angle?: Yes, with flexible gooseneck
A little different from the rest, the PopSockets PopMount 2 is one of the rare phone mounts that work with the popular PopSockets attachments that stick to the back of your phone for easier one-handed use. To be clear, you do need a PopSocket or other compatible attachment to use PopMount 2. We’re highlighting it here because virtually no other mounts can accommodate these ergonomic phone grips. Also, depending on the retailer, you can find it in white or orchid, unlike nearly all competing mounts. Because of its simplicity and mostly proprietary design, it’s about as easy to use as a phone mount can be — place your phone’s PopSocket in the stand, and you’re ready to roll without messing with any magnets, control arms, or clips.
- Attachment method: Mount installed to dashboard
- Phone size: Any
- Adjustable angle?: Yes
If you’re particularly worried about obstructed vision, consider an option such as the Topgo TCZ1 Pro that mounts in a cupholder. Its base expands up to 4.5 inches to ensure a secure fit and the articulating arm uses sturdy fittings with wingnuts to greatly reduce wobbling. You can adjust the direction, tilt, and rotation of the phone to make certain you can see it easily at all times. The lower bracket provides plenty of room for charging cables to pass through, and the main bracket can expand up to 4 inches.
- Attachment Method: Cupholder and bracket
- Phone Size: Up to 4 inches
- Adjustable Angle?: Yes, with articulating arm
If you dislike bulky, cumbersome plastic cluttering up your dash, the Hussell Magnetic is right for you. There’s very little to it aside from a magnet and a clip that affixes to the vent fins. In fact, because it’s so tiny, it works with vertical vent fins significantly better than most other mounts do. To top it off, the $10 is almost impossible to beat. Note that it’s not absolutely perfect, as users with large and heavy phones report that it’s not the most stable (although it should work great with most smaller and lighter devices). It also does require you to stick a metal plate on the back of your phone, which precludes wireless charging. But if neither of those issues applies to you, this is one of the top low-cost options, and you can use it without obstructing your windshield.
- Attachment method: Air vent fins
- Phone size: Any
- Adjustable angle?: No
Deciding on a phone mount for your car
Windshield phone mounts are illegal in 21 states, with many counties and cities banning them in the remaining 29. The specific laws vary greatly from place to place and device to device — for example, some states let you mount a GPS on the windshield but not a phone. There’s basically zero chance of getting all these laws straight, especially for anybody who frequently travels long distances. Some places let you mount devices on the glass as long as it’s outside your line of sight, but make sure to clearly understand your local requirements before making a decision. Aside from the windshield glass, most effective phone mounts affix to your dashboard, air vent fins, or cup holder.
Air vents usually offer the best location for securing your device near your line of sight but not inside it. However, older or less premium vehicles might not have sturdy enough air vents and would work better with a CD player slot or cup holder attachment. Dashboard mounts can be particularly effective, but they’re easily thwarted by the heavily textured material that some automakers insist on using. In other words, a big part of getting the right one is figuring out which format plays nicely with your car’s interior. Cupholder-attached mounts, for example, aren’t incredibly popular or fancy-looking, but they’re the only effective option in some vehicles.
Another novel reason to consider an air vent mount is, well, ventilation. If you’re charging your device (especially wirelessly), having it sit in front of an active vent can lower internal temperatures and encourage battery performance and long-term health.
The best car mounts for you
iOttie makes some of the most advanced and feature-packed options, such as its Easy One Touch Wireless 2. Its smooth operation, remarkably durable build, and consistent wireless charging are basically at the front of the pack. The iOttie Easy One Touch 5 is every bit as well made, but lacks wireless charging.
For a more streamlined, budget-friendly option, it’s hard to pass up the Scosche MagicMount family. There are a few to choose from, but we’ve highlighted the Dash and Flush because they use high-powered adhesive stickers on both sides instead of sometimes unreliable suction cups. To avoid damaging interior panels, pay special attention to the material you’re sticking them to.
Finally, we want to highlight one newcomer to the list: the Ainope Gravity. Despite its use of mechanical gripping arms, it doesn’t require you to press any buttons or pry anything open. Instead, simply drop your phone inside, and it grabs it. Then, pull it upwards, and your phone will be released. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s barely more expensive than our current value pick.
One last note: if you want something more involved or tailored to driving than the standard Google Maps, you might want to spring for a stereo head unit with Android Auto. Unfortunately for the people who use and appreciate it on a smartphone, Google will soon drop smartphone Android Auto support.
