The Best Car Phone Mounts to Help You Navigate Hands-free (2024)

The Andobil mount swept all of our categories thanks to its three installation styles: a suction cup and pad stuck on either the dashboard or the windshield or a click-on vent attachment. Once installed, the telescoping mount can be moved around to make sure your phone is within easy reach no matter your arm’s span. We attached it to the dashboard, and it didn’t move once, turning out to be super stable but still easy to adjust. When you need to free your phone, you can just use the quick release button rather than having to fight the mount with both hands. There’s also a space to plug in your charger so you don’t have to worry about running out of battery just as the chorus to your favorite song comes on. For everything from daily commutes to epic road trips, the Andobil is an ideal passenger to have by your side.

The Details: Clamp, dash, windshield, vent

The iOttie mount earned its best adhesive title with a suction cup that is incredibly sticky. Although that means you won’t have to worry about it budging, installation may be slightly tricky since you won’t have a lot of room to adjust after sticking it the first time. Once attached, you can switch the mount for a vertical or horizontal view and then adjust the telescoping arm to fine-tune your viewing angle.We've had no issues with it loosening up or losing grip on the phone, even on uneven and steep roads, and the build quality of the mount itself feels sturdy and tough. They didn’t try attaching it to their dashboard out of concern it might damage the finish, but it is designed to use there too.

The Details: Clamp, dash, windshield

If you need your phone to stay juiced up on long drives and don’t want to devote any brain space to it, a car mount with wireless charging is the best car phone mount for you. It was easy to install whether sticking it to the windshield or clipping it to the air vent, and it was very stable once installed, even across multi-hour drives. Though it’s more expensive than some competitors, the wireless charging feature gives it an edge, and it’s easy to mount and then operate, even one-handed. Keep in mind that the wireless charging is more useful on longer drives than shorter ones (unless your battery life is truly abysmal), and the charging and automatic arms need to be plugged into a USB port to work.

The Details: Clamp, dash, vent, windshield

We were impressed by how easy the Scosche mount was to install. It required less than five minutes to assemble, though the magnetic process wasn’t perfect. Your phone will have to connect to the magnet in the same spot every time; if it misses the magnet, your phone will slide around. The connection between mount and car is also strong, with a good adhesive and durable-feeling materials. We appreciated its efficient and sleek design and low price tag. We also appreciated how sturdy it was considering the petite size and that it still managed to stick through a phone case.

The Details: Magnetic, dash

If you prefer a more minimalist design, your best option is the Belkin. There’s a little finagling required to actually get it on your car’s air vent, and the instructions are in pictures only, so it can be a little tricky to install. The magnet also won’t work if you keep a case on your phone, which some may find frustrating in the long term. However, it stays put once you’ve set it up, and the build quality is solid. We think this is best for smaller phones since it’s so slim, and it won’t clutter your dash or fill your glove compartment with accessories.

The Details: Magnetic, vent

Sometimes you simply don’t want to fuss around with your gadgetry. When that's the case, the WixGear Magnetic Mount is the best car mount around. It magnetized to phones straight out of the box and there’s also a set of magnetic plates included if your phone doesn’t have magnetic capabilities. You can adhere the plates to your phone or a protective case, but we found the plate worked fine just placed in between the phone itself and its case. The rubber feels high-quality, but we were also concerned that the vent-mounted nature of it may cause degradation due to extreme temperature exposure over time. Still, it required minimal fuss overall.

The Details: Magnetic, vent

The Ainope’s design only has two pieces and a setup that’s easy once you look at the instructions. The hook that attaches to the vent is both adjustable and easy to use, and the mount sits far enough off the vent that it won’t interfere with the airflow. The hook clip was wider than the space in some car vents, so we had to place it in a farther location, but ultimately found a good spot. Getting the phone in and out of the mount was easy, with the weight of the phone automatically adjusting the clasps. The design is also accommodating to phones of all sizes; we used a thick case with a pop socket that fit right into the mount just as well as a thinner phone without a case. A rotating ball design makes it easy to adjust the angle, and you can check it easily while keeping your eyes on the road. It initially looks a little jiggly, but still felt stable while driving.

The Details: Clamp, vent

The Vicseed is so easy to use and set up, we didn’t even need to reference the instructions. And while the clip takes some strength to open up for vent placement and doesn’t rotate as freely as some of our other picks, that helps keep it stable while driving. There’s also zero noise while the car is in motion. We also dropped the mount twice but it sustained no damage either time. We removed the mount from our car every time we exited to avoid break-ins but had no trouble removing it or setting it back up and never felt that the phone was at risk of falling or even jiggling.

The Details: Clamp, vent

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will a magnetic car mount damage my phone?

  Almost definitely not. There is a slight possibility that some magnets may damage some rear iPhone cameras, but Apple itself uses magnets in their MagSafe chargers. You certainly aren’t at risk of accidentally erasing your phone’s memory.

• Are phone mounts in cars legal?

  Every state has its own rules for cell phone use, and many have banned handheld phone use, phone use by teen or novice drivers, and text messaging. Both the National Conference of State Legislatures and Governors Highway Safety Association offer state-by-state breakdowns of various restrictions.

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