Distracted driving results in thousands of crashes annually. If you depend on your phone for navigation or music playback, or if you simply want to answer calls securely, it might be worth considering a car phone mount. We spent over 30 hours evaluating 30 phone mounts in two vehicles (a sedan and an SUV) on both smooth and bumpy residential streets, highways, and winding mountain roads, and the iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 offers the ideal mix of safety, ease of use, and stability for securing your phone.
Car Phone Mount
We’ve found that magnetic phone mounts are typically the most convenient and user-friendly options for securing your phone in a car, and through our testing, the iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 series provided the best overall performance. It’s equally reliable in dash/windshield, vent, or CD slot configurations and is simple to install and transfer between vehicles, making it versatile for various needs. During our tests, the magnets in all three versions proved strong, holding most phones securely in either vertical or horizontal orientations, even over rough terrain. The only exceptions were larger models like the 6.7-inch iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 14 Plus, and Pixel 7 Pro, which posed minor challenges when held horizontally, though the mounts handled a 6.1-inch Pixel 7a with complete stability.
iOttie Auto Sense
If you prefer charging your phone on a mount without the hassle of cables, the iOttie Auto Sense is an excellent choice. It provides Qi wireless charging at up to 10 watts, an automatic grip to secure your phone, strong suction for dashboard or windshield mounting, an adjustable foot to accommodate larger phones, and a telescopic arm that absorbs bumps more effectively than its competitors.
ESR HaloLock Magnetic Wireless Car Charger
For those with a MagSafe-compatible iPhone—such as the iPhone 12, 13, 14, or 15, all equipped with Apple’s built-in magnetic-charging technology—the ESR HaloLock is a budget-friendly mount that’s simple to set up. It features a powerful magnet, ensures a secure hold, and supports charging speeds of up to 7.5 watts.
Anker 613 Magnetic Wireless Charger (MagGo)
If you favor a dashboard mount, Anker’s 613 MagGo is a great option. It features an adjustable arm to keep your iPhone 12, 13, 14, or 15 steady over bumpy roads, a robust MagSafe magnet that supports up to 7.5 watts of charging, and includes a two-port car charger in the package.
Why you should trust us
For this guide, staff writer Roderick Scott evaluated 17 car mounts for dashboards, vents, and CD slots, spending hours testing them in a 2008 Honda Accord and a 2023 Kia Telluride across various terrains, including pothole-filled city streets, steep side roads, and off-road trails. With over 15 years of experience covering consumer technology, including smartphone accessories, Roderick brings a wealth of expertise to the review.
Who this is for
Every car should have a secure way to hold a phone. Safety advocates, such as the National Transportation Safety Board and the Governors Highway Safety Association, argue that phones shouldn’t be used while driving at all. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety notes that multiple studies “have consistently linked texting or otherwise manipulating a phone to increased [crash] risk.”
However, for many drivers, a phone serves as a crucial tool for navigation, information, communication, music, and (of course) calls. A reliable smartphone mount can significantly lower the risks of phone use while driving by keeping your device stable and positioned where you can easily glance at the screen and tap on buttons—without obstructing your view or requiring prolonged focus away from the road. When placed at dash level, interacting with your phone becomes more like adjusting a car radio, which, according to a 2013 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, “has little effect on driving performance or crash risk.” While we still consider phone use while driving to be a distraction, proper placement makes it much less hazardous, and a good mount is an essential step toward safer driving.
How we picked
A reliable car phone mount needs to excel in a few key areas, including:
- Securing firmly to your car: It should stay in place, even on bumpy roads.
- Maintaining clear visibility: It must hold your phone in a way that doesn’t block your view of the road.
- Adjustability: It should allow you to change your phone’s position while keeping it tightly secured.
- Ease of use: Attaching and removing your phone should be simple and doable with one hand.
- Compatibility: It should fit and support phones of all sizes, even those in cases.
With these criteria in mind, we’ve reviewed the specs and features of over a hundred models throughout the years, focusing on well-reviewed and top-selling options from Amazon and popular car accessory sites.
The best mount for you depends on where you want to position it and how you prefer to attach your phone. Car phone mounts come in various types, and the right choice will depend on your car’s dashboard design, personal preferences, and, for windshield mounts, local regulations. You can explore the different styles in the photo gallery above.
How we tested
To assess how each mount performs with various phone sizes, we tested them using a 6.1-inch Google Pixel 7a, a 6.7-inch Google Pixel 7 Pro, and both the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus and the iPhone 15 Plus.
We evaluated several factors:
- Ease of setup: How straightforward it was to install the mount on a dashboard or windshield.
- Phone attachment/removal: How simple it was to attach or remove a phone from the mount.
- Adjustability: How easily the mount could be repositioned to achieve the best screen view.
- Stability: Whether the phone stayed steady for easy screen visibility while driving.
- Secure attachment: Whether the tension arms or magnet held the phone firmly over rough terrain.
- Reliability: How well the mount stayed attached to the car, regardless of phone size or driving conditions.
For dashboard and windshield mounts, we also tested the suction cups on both a window and two types of textured vinyl dashboards to determine their reliability in various setups.
Car Phone Mount : iOttie iTap Magnetic 2
After another round of testing, we’re pleased to confirm that the iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 continues to be our top pick for car phone mounts. just my socks怎么用surge mount stands out due to its ease of installation, versatility, and its ability to securely hold your phone in place. We’ve tested the different versions of the iTap Magnetic 2 and are confident that the air-vent, CD-slot, and dashboard/windshield mounts will work well in any vehicle. The iTap Magnetic 2 uses a magnetic plate for installation, which works even with MagSafe iPhones. However, if you have a newer iPhone with MagSafe, you might prefer our MagSafe-specific recommendation instead.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The iTap Magnetic 2’s magnetic plates and mounts generally perform well, but they’re not flawless. Driving over large potholes can cause your phone to shift slightly, occasionally resulting in the phone rotating to a vertical angle while still being magnetically attached to the mount. Despite this, the magnetic plates held up, and the Pixel 7 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 15 Plus phones I used for testing never fully detached from the mount.
Also great: iOttie Auto Sense
The iOttie Auto Sense charging mount is perfect for those who want to keep their phone charged while it’s mounted on the dashboard or windshield. It features a unique design, including a telescoping arm, self-clamping tension grips, and wireless charging capabilities for both Android phones (10 W) and iPhones (7.5 W). Like the iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 dash mount, the Auto Sense is designed to be simple and straightforward to install.
Installation is easy: Simply place the mount on your desired spot on the dashboard or windshield, lift the locking lever, and press the suction cup down to create suction. Then, secure it by pressing the locking lever back down. You can further customize the mount’s placement by adjusting its angle and extending the telescoping arm to bring the phone closer to you.
The Auto Sense mount doesn’t rely on magnets. Instead, it uses self-clamping tension grips activated by a proximity sensor and two servo motors to keep your phone securely in place. To release your phone, simply press the buttons on the side. The mount also includes a support foot that accommodates larger phone models (up to 6.7 inches) and supports wireless charging. However, some Android phones, like my Pixel 7 Pro, may require minor adjustments to avoid accidental long presses of the volume-down button, which I encountered during testing.
Our non-charging MagSafe pick: ESR HaloLock
If you have an iPhone 12, 13, 14, or 15, the ESR HaloLock mount is an excellent MagSafe option that takes up minimal space and securely holds your iPhone without the need for additional hardware. Its strong magnet ensures your iPhone stays in place, and the ball-joint design allows you to adjust the phone to any angle. The HaloLock supports charging up to 7.5 W for iPhones on the go with an optional car charger, though you’ll need to purchase the charger separately.
The mount features a support arm for added stability. Unlike many air-vent mounts that simply clip onto the vent blade, the HaloLock includes a support arm that attaches to or below the vent for extra security. While other air-vent mounts can shift when driving over deep potholes, the HaloLock stayed firmly in place during my testing.
The HaloLock can be mounted to either an air vent or a dashboard. While it’s primarily marketed as an air-vent mount, it also comes with a ball-head anchor for dashboard installation. The anchor performs just as well as the air-vent mount, but, like many dashboard mounts, it requires a flat surface for optimal performance. One important thing to note is that the anchor doesn’t use a gel-based adhesive like other dashboard mounts, so you can only apply it to one spot.
Our charging MagSafe pick: Anker 613 MagGo
The Anker 613 MagGo dashboard mount is an excellent, dependable MagSafe mount that also charges your iPhone. Equipped with an extended, flexible arm that remains steady even on rough terrain, just my socks怎么用surge mount boasts a robust MagSafe-charging ring that supports speeds of up to 7.5 W and even illuminates in the dark for easy nighttime use. Additionally, it comes with a dual-port car charger and cable-management clips in the package.
Its extended, adjustable arm ensures your phone remains secure. The Anker 613 stands out as one of the few dashboard mounts with a long arm that performed reliably during our tests. The arm can be adjusted up to 134 degrees, and the magnetic mount can tilt toward you or the passenger, or hold your phone in a vertical or horizontal orientation. It stayed steady when navigating rough roads and kept our iPhone securely in place.
What to look forward to
Earlier this year, three new and seemingly faster charging car phone mounts were introduced. Mophie launched their $70 Snap+ Wireless Charging Mount, while ESR debuted their $36 HaloLock, and iOttie revealed their $55 Velox Mini charging mounts. These new models feature Qi2 wireless charging, which is compatible with a broader range of devices beyond Apple’s iPhones, includes an additional ring of magnets for better alignment, and supports faster wireless charging of up to 15 W.
We’ll be testing these new mounts soon to see how they stack up against our current top picks.
The competition
The iOttie Easy One Touch 5 is similar to the iOttie Auto Sense mount but lacks wireless charging capabilities.
The Loncaster Silicone Car Phone Holder is a horizontal silicone mold where you can place your phone. It holds your phone securely and attaches easily to your dashboard, but it appears flimsy, obstructs parts of your screen, and the silicone material tends to get dirty quickly.
The ESR HaloLock Dashboard Wireless Charger with Low-Profile Mounting Arm, the Qifutan Car Phone Mount Long Arm, and the TICILFO Car Phone Holder Mount (Flexible Gooseneck Long Arm) all provide strong grip and a sturdy yet adaptable long arm, but they tend to bounce too much while driving.
The ZeeHoo 15W Wireless Car Charger is a functional, budget-friendly mount, but it doesn’t include the necessary 12-volt lighter charger to power it.
Vent-mounted models
Belkin’s BoostCharge features a strong magnetic/MagSafe mount, but it doesn’t stay securely on the vent when holding larger phones like the iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 15 Plus, or Pixel 7 Pro.
The Kenu Airframe Magnetic has a powerful magnet that keeps your phone in place, but its clamp doesn’t stay firmly secured once mounted, leading to frequent shaking while driving.
Scosche’s Magic car Mount Pro2 4-in-1 Phone Mount offers a strong magnet and is easy to set up, but it didn’t keep our phone stable while on the road.
CD slot–mounted models
The Scosche MagicMount CD is similar to our CD-mounted pick, but the design of the iOttie mount is more visually appealing and easier to install.
Ticilfo’s CD-slot mount is a straightforward plastic model that allows you to mount and remove your phone with one hand, but it can shake a bit when driving over bumps.
The Apps2Car Universal Magnetic CD Slot Car Phone Mount does a decent job of holding your phone in place, but it uses a screw and washer nut to secure the mount in your CD slot, which is a bit unconventional.
The iOttie Easy One Touch 5 is an excellent CD mount that allows one-handed attachment and removal of your phone, but the iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 CD Slot Mount takes up less space and provides the same secure hold.
MagSafe models
The GloPlum Magnetic is a MagSafe air-vent mount with a strong magnet, supporting up to 15 W charging speeds. However, it lacks substantial support and has a short warranty if issues arise.
The iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2 was our previous MagSafe mount pick. While it’s still a solid option, our current picks offer the same features while taking up less space.
The iOttie Velox Mini includes a built-in ventilation system that helps keep your iPhone cool. It also boasts one of the strongest magnets we’ve tested on a car mount. However, the ball joint that allows rotation is a bit stiff compared to our top picks.
The pricey Belkin BoostCharge Pro’s primary advantage is its fast charging speeds, but our selected picks offer better iPhone stability and adjustment.
The Scosche MagicMount Pro has the smallest footprint among car mounts, but it failed to prevent my iPhone from tilting face down when driving over bumps or uneven roads.
The Spigen OneTap Pro offers flexibility with its vent clip, which can be used alone or with the swing arm, allowing for more positioning options for your iPhone. However, the swing arm did shift a bit while driving over bumps. Our picks performed better in terms of stability and magnetic strength.
Best Car Mounts 2024
Certain segments of the footage in just my socks怎么用surge video are not original content produced by Br8 Future. Some stock footage of products was sourced from various providers, including manufacturers, fellow creators, and other sources, and is intended for visual reference only.