The Best Car Phone Holder
If you are driving with a phone mounted inside your vehicle for navigation purposes, you want something secure that doesn’t obscure your view but keeps it exactly where you need it. After considering the available options and how they fit into different layouts, I have found one specific model to be my top pick. However if space is limited or standard mounting points are absent then any of the others will do the job effectively for daily travel.
We don’t talk about car phone holders often mostly because they’re not an exciting topic but as our phones become our main source of navigation on a journey it makes one of them potentially essential accessories. So here is going over four types we see most with some pros and cons to help you decide which might be right for your specific vehicle setup.
Cup Holder Mount
If your car has a cup holder in between the front seats then this is one option worth considering. These types of phone holders typically have a chunky base which expands to wedge it nice and snugly into any size you encounter. They’re not the cheapest solution usually tending towards around £15 for purchase but they remain pretty solid once fitted properly.
Once installed in your cup holder, an adjustable arm allows you to move it so that the phone sits perfectly where needed without blocking traffic flow. You can adjust the fit easily whatever size phone or case you have currently using inside the vehicle and also slot a charging cable directly underneath if required for power during long trips.
Pro’s:Your phone doesn’t obscure your view of the road
Con’s:If you’re using it for navigation, make sure there is space to put it in your line of sight!
Vent Clip Mount
The next option available involves vent clips and these are probably the cheapest ones out there as well being pretty minimal which many people find nice. There are two distinct types here that you can choose between depending on how you want to attach your device in place.
Firstly, those where your phone clips into the mechanism directly or secondly, those with magnets so sticking something magnetic to back of your phone (or case) is an alternative approach. They’re very easy to fit because they slot into a vent which means you have plenty of available places across any dashboard design.
Pro’s:The units are really inconspicuous and discreet within the interior
Con’s:We occasionally find that they fall out mid-drive…which is definitely not fun!
Car Mount Clip
This device sits in the middle of the price bracket at around £8, it is my favourite but also quite niche so worth checking if you have a compatible mount point. It has a clip to attach somewhere on your car (mine fits nicely inside centre because I specifically have a ledge) and other pictures show installation just in front of steering wheel depending on preference.
The phone then slots into the clip-style mount which means when not using it, it sits safely out of the way so you can put dashboard back down. This specific design offers stability that others cannot match but availability depends entirely upon your car model having a suitable attachment point available for use during navigation needs or map usage.
Pro’s:The unit is solid…your phone is not going to fall out! Also, you can get it in the right line of site for good visibility
Con’s:It’s pretty niche and won’t fit all cars if mounting points aren’t compatible
Suction Pad Holder
This one is probably the most common solution available but often can be the ugliest appearance wise. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and vary massively in price although about £8 usually remains average cost for these models to find online or local stores.
They attach directly to your windscreen using a suction pad before you clip in phone onto stand mechanism so it can be placed anywhere needed on dashboard clear space. Some even come with bonus sticker options let you instead choose attaching unit to dashboard surface where glass is not available if required by interior design constraints within vehicle cabin.
Pro’s:Widely available and easy to find
Con’s:Sometimes some are super-ugly compared to others, They occasionally fall off once humidity changes significantly over time (probably about yearly)
Purchase Options
You can purchase similar units linked below for review if you want one or other. The specific links point to Amazon affiliate options including Cup Holder Mount: https://amzn.to/32DHfam and Phone Clip at https://amzn.to/2NdEyZl.
Vent Model is listed as Vent Car Mount here: https://amzn.to/2Q8TlXI plus Suction option found through this link: https://amzn.to/2NdwNCS. These should cover every scenario mentioned above depending upon space and preference for your next journey.
