Wirecutter supports readers. When you make a purchase through a link on our website, we may receive affiliate commissions. Learn more.
We added thoughts about the status of the Apple MagSafe program in the What Are We Expecting section.
We have been driving for hundreds of hours and have installed more than 50 mobile phones in multiple vehicles-including 20 hours of Lyft drivers, picking up passengers on unfamiliar roads-we are sure that iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 has the best combination to take on the road The safety, convenience and stability of the mobile phone.
Whether it's on the dashboard or windshield, it is easy to install, firmly gripped, and has a powerful magnetic stand that can support most mobile phones in any position.
*At the time of publication, the price was $25.
It is easy to install or remove, firmly fixed to the ventilation slats of our car, and has the same strong magnetic bracket as the dashboard version.
*At the time of publication, the price was $25.
This mount can be quickly and securely connected to the CD slot of our car, and has the same magnetic mount as other iTap Magnetic 2 versions.
*At the time of publication, the price was $25.
We believe that the magnetic phone holder is usually the most convenient and easy-to-use option for placing the phone in the car. In our tests, the iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 series provides the best overall experience. It is equally sturdy in the dashboard/windshield, vent or CD slot mounting version, and is easy to install and carry around, making it suitable for many situations. In our test, all three versions of the magnet are very strong, even on the most rugged terrain, they can also support most of our phones vertically or horizontally. Although the stand of the 6-inch Pixel 2 XL is rock solid, only the 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max will cause them some trouble when placed horizontally.
Adhesive installation and adjustable design make it a good choice for places where suction cup installation does not work properly.
*At the time of publication, the price was $12.
If you want to place your phone on a vertical dashboard surface or a small area where iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 models cannot be used, Scosche MagicMount Dash may be a better choice. It comes with a small sticky pad, which fits the small corners and gaps of the dashboard more easily than suction cups. It can be tilted 90 degrees backwards or to both sides, making it ideal for inclined or vertical surfaces. The magnetic attachment of MagicMount Dash performed the best in our test, even if it is where we drive, we can safely fix a large iPhone XS Max. However, although this Scosche sticks firmly to smoother surfaces, it does not work well on textured surfaces. Adhesive pads are also difficult to remove, and you need a new one to fix the bracket to a new location or vehicle.
With the tension arm model, you don't have to place a metal plate on the phone, but it is not easy to put in or take off the phone. Kenu's is the best of this style, with the strongest grip and one-handed design.
This is the same basic mount as the Airframe Pro, but it is specifically designed for installation on the windshield or dashboard.
Mounting and disassembling mobile phones using tension arm mounts are not as easy as using magnetic mounts, but they do not require you to attach a metal plate to the phone or the case. If this is more effective for you, we recommend Kenu Airframe Pro with vents and Airbase Pro with dashboard or windshield. In our tests, although not as strong as iOttie or Scosche, these sturdy brackets firmly grasped the side of the phone and remained stable on every terrain we drove through. Using these two methods, you can easily open the stand and connect or remove the phone with one hand.
This model offers some of the fastest charging speeds among the models we tested, achieved the highest scores in terms of stability, and can easily install and remove the phone.
*At the time of publication, the price was $50.
Our other options are great for holding your phone, but still require you to plug in the charging cable. To wirelessly charge Qi-compatible mobile phones in the car while keeping them in a safer and more convenient place than the cup holder, please purchase iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2. (It can be installed in the dashboard/windshield bracket or vent/CD slot.) The latest iOttie model provides the best combination of fast charging, high stability and easy adjustment.
After testing 30 Qi-certified wireless mobile phone charging car mounts, we found the fastest and most reliable mount for most drivers. This is what we recommend.
Whether it's on the dashboard or windshield, it is easy to install, firmly gripped, and has a powerful magnetic stand that can support most mobile phones in any position.
*At the time of publication, the price was $25.
It is easy to install or remove, firmly fixed to the ventilation slats of our car, and has the same strong magnetic bracket as the dashboard version.
*At the time of publication, the price was $25.
This mount can be quickly and securely connected to the CD slot of our car, and has the same magnetic mount as other iTap Magnetic 2 versions.
*At the time of publication, the price was $25.
Adhesive installation and adjustable design make it a good choice for places where suction cup installation does not work properly.
*At the time of publication, the price was $12.
With the tension arm model, you don't have to place a metal plate on the phone, but it is not easy to put in or take off the phone. Kenu's is the best of this style, with the strongest grip and one-handed design.
This is the same basic mount as the Airframe Pro, but it is specifically designed for installation on the windshield or dashboard.
This model offers some of the fastest charging speeds among the models we tested, achieved the highest scores in terms of stability, and can easily install and remove the phone.
*At the time of publication, the price was $50.
The latest version of this guide was written by Thom Dunn. Since joining Wirecutter in 2017, Thom has worked on a wide range of guidelines, including Bluetooth kits for car audio, smart speakers, and hose end sprinklers. In this guide, he spent more than 20 hours as a Lyft driver, actively testing mobile phone holders while picking up passengers and driving on unfamiliar roads. His work has also appeared in magazines such as Upworthy, Motherboard/Vice, and Huffington Post.
Nick Guy, who wrote the early version of this guide, is a long-time Wirecutter employee who has researched and tested hundreds of car mounts. He also wrote guides about desktop Qi chargers, multi-port USB wall chargers, USB car chargers, etc. Before joining Wirecutter, Nick worked as an accessory editor for iLounge for three years, where he reviewed more than 1,000 products, including early wireless charging devices.
Using a mobile phone while driving can still be distracting-but obviously, placement is important, and a good installation method can reduce the risk of unavoidable mobile phone use.
Every car should have a safe way to place the phone. Some advocates (such as the National Transportation Safety Board and the Governor’s Highway Safety Association) say that you should never use your cell phone while driving. But in reality, for many drivers, it is a source of navigation, information, news, music, and (of course) phone calls. However, if you hold your phone in your hand while driving — or look down at the phone in a cup holder or center console trash can — it can also be a major distraction and safety risk. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety stated that “when operating a mobile phone, the risk of fatal crashes is 66% higher” and “is a contributing factor in more than 800 car accident deaths on U.S. roads in 2017.”
A good smartphone stand can greatly reduce these risks by keeping your phone stable. You can easily see the screen and access the buttons on the screen without blocking your sight or forcing you to move your sight off the road Open for too long. As the mobile phone is at the dashboard level, using it becomes more like operating a car radio. According to a 2013 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (PDF), "it has almost no impact on driving performance or collision risk." Will think about it a little bit-using a mobile phone while driving can still be distracting-but it is clear that placement is important, and a good installation can reduce the inevitable danger of using a mobile phone.
Any good car phone holder needs to do a few things, including:
With this standard in mind, we researched the specifications and features of about a hundred available models, searched for well-reviewed and best-selling models on Amazon and popular car sites, and talked to current and former drivers of Lyft and other services. To understand what they use and like. We also reviewed the 2017 survey of more than 1,000 Wirecutter readers, which gave us insight into how they use their phones in the car.
However, before choosing a mount, you need to consider where to place it and how to connect your phone to it. There are several different types, and the one that is best for you depends on your car’s dashboard design, personal preferences, and regional regulations for windshield brackets. To facilitate selection, we have broken down different types in the following photo gallery.
In order to understand how each model works with phones of different sizes, we use a 4-inch iPhone SE (about 4 ounces), a 4.7-inch iPhone 7 (about 4.9 ounces), and a 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max (about 7.3 ounces). Thom Dunn spent about 20 hours driving our 2006 Volkswagen Jetta in five days on highways, paved suburban streets, unpaved roads and cobblestones, spinning each phone on each bracket, and Observe the stability, suitability and general usability of each combination. We also retested our finalists on the 2006 Honda Civic and 1998 Ford F-150 pickup truck. Finally, we tested their choice again with the 6-inch Pixel 2 XL Android phone in the Google case.
We evaluated how easy it is to install the bracket on the dashboard or windshield, connect or remove the phone, and adjust the bracket to optimally position the screen. We also evaluated whether the phone remains stable while driving to easily read the screen, whether the tension arm or magnet attachment secures the phone firmly on rugged terrain, and whether the bracket is connected to the car under different phone and driving conditions. For the dashboard bracket and windshield bracket, we also tested the reliability of their suction cups on the windows and two textured vinyl dashboards, as well as the textured surface of the Marshall guitar amplifier.
Whether it's on the dashboard or windshield, it is easy to install, firmly gripped, and has a powerful magnetic stand that can support most mobile phones in any position.
*At the time of publication, the price was $25.
It is easy to install or remove, firmly fixed to the ventilation slats of our car, and has the same strong magnetic bracket as the dashboard version.
*At the time of publication, the price was $25.
This mount can be quickly and securely connected to the CD slot of our car, and has the same magnetic mount as other iTap Magnetic 2 versions.
*At the time of publication, the price was $25.
iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 provides you with the best combination of convenience, phone security and flexibility, allowing you to put your mobile phone in the car and use it conveniently. iTap Magnetic 2 offers three different bases: dashboard/windshield bracket, vent bracket, and CD slot bracket, which means that everyone should be able to find a model that suits their specific car and seat settings.
In our tests, all three versions are able to support mobile phones of various sizes and remain firm and stable even when driving on unpaved roads. All three bases are connected to the magnet holder via a ball joint, allowing you to rotate the phone 360 degrees from vertical/portrait to horizontal/landscape mode, and about 45 degrees to the side or 30 degrees up and back. This wide adjustability, combined with iOttie's mounting options, means you should be able to find the right setting for your vehicle. In other words, if you want to install the phone on a smooth vertical dashboard surface or a small area, we recommend using Scosche MagicMount Dash.
The iTap Magnetic 2 model is compact-the dashboard-mounted version is about 5 inches tall, while the vent and CD slot version protrudes about 2 inches from the dashboard. This makes them easy to fit in a pocket or purse for use in other cars.
Like all magnetic phone holders, these iOttie models require you to install a small metal plate on the back of the phone or on the case. This is safe for your phone. Although some people may be reluctant to change their equipment, we found that this detail is small, subtle, and attractive enough that we don’t mind. Usually, you can hide it completely by sticking the board inside the phone case.
The only problem we encountered in the test was the 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max; when placed horizontally in landscape mode, it sometimes slipped slowly while driving. Another tester who used the dash version for months holding his 6-inch Pixel 2 XL (a similarly sized device) said it was very safe.
Adhesive installation and adjustable design make it a good choice for places where suction cup installation does not work properly.
*At the time of publication, the price was $12.
Scosche MagicMount Dash's small adhesive pad is suitable for narrow corners and gaps of the dashboard where the suction cup cannot be fixed, and it can be fixed well even on a vertical surface. If you want to place your phone in one of these locations (iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 model cannot be used), we recommend that you use it. MagicMount Dash also has a very wide adjustment range, giving you greater flexibility in installation options. Even in all locations and on rugged country roads, it is the best choice to hold our largest mobile phone most safely.
Thanks to its adjustable ball and socket design, you can put the phone in almost any position, which makes it a more suitable choice for installation on vertical surfaces than iOtties. MagicMount Dash is also the cheapest model we have tested-about half the price of any other mount.
One trade-off is the sticky pad, which has limitations. In our tests, it can be safely fixed on a smooth dashboard, but not very safe on a textured surface (this is consistent with the experience of many Amazon users). In addition, the pad is difficult to remove. And you need a new cushion to connect the mount to a new location or vehicle-the iOttie mount is easier to transfer.
MagicMount can be used with other mounts, including suction cups and vent brackets, but we have not tested them yet.
With the tension arm model, you don't have to place a metal plate on the phone, but it is not easy to put in or take off the phone. Kenu's is the best of this style, with the strongest grip and one-handed design.
This is the same basic mount as the Airframe Pro, but it is specifically designed for installation on the windshield or dashboard.
It is not easy to install and remove the mobile phone using the tension arm mount, but if you do not want to stick the metal plate to the mobile phone or the case, we recommend using the vent-mounted Kenu Airframe Pro and the dashboard to install the Kenu Airframe Pro. The strongest and easiest-to-use tension arm models we have tested can hold the sides of the phone firmly, and in our tests, they can even support our largest phone while driving on rough surfaces.
Unlike many tension arm mounts, you only need one hand to connect the phone to the mount-just push the retractable right tension arm outwards until your phone fits, then release it. The tension arm will automatically close around it, holding the phone tightly in place. It is equally easy to delete it. After connecting to a mobile phone, Kenu model is easy to adjust, vertical and horizontal 360 degree rotation or back or side tilt about 45 degrees. This is similar to iTap Magnetic 2, but the scope is not as good as Scosche MagicMount Dash.
The Airframe Pro mounted on the vent is firmly connected to the vent slats of our test car; you only need to squeeze the sides of the bracket to open a pair of clips, and then slide them onto the slats. The compact size of the mount is also convenient for you to carry and use in different cars. Some of the tension arm models installed on the vents, such as Belkin F7U017bt, when we tried to remove them, the mobile phone was still connected and removed from the car, but we did not encounter this problem on any Kenu model.
In our tests, in addition to the Kenu Airbase Magnetic, the suction cups on the Kenu Airbase Pro models are also stable and are more firmly fixed to the dashboard and windshield for a longer period of time. Both Airframe Pro and Airbase Pro have a limited lifetime warranty, while iOttie and Scosche models only provide a one-year warranty.
Since its release in October 2020, Apple's MagSafe accessory standard has not made the meaningful progress we would like to see. There is currently no MFi MagSafe charging car holder, and the magnetic wireless charging car holder on the market does not support the 15W charging speed provided by MFi. That said, there are some interesting options out there, and we are currently investigating mounts to test future versions of this guide.
Our previous runner-up Kenu Airbase Magnetic performed well in our tests, although the staff who tested it for a long time said that his 6-inch Pixel 2 XL (in the case of Google) would gradually slip off the base during prolonged use.
The magnets on the original iOttie iTap Magnetic Vent Mount cannot support our phones as firmly or consistently as the newer iTap Magnetic 2.
The strength and stability of Scosche MagicMount Pro are similar to Scosche MagicMount Dash, but the suction cup base is small and not as good as Dash’s sticky pads or the suction cups on our other dashboards.
The Aukey 360-degree rotating dashboard/windshield car phone holder has a unique scoop-shaped gooseneck that connects the mount to the base. Although the plastic itself provides more stability than the retractable neck on other dashboard-mounted models, it cannot tighten the neck at the bottom like our previous top iOttie Easy One Touch 4, which results in an elastic screen. That being said, we do like the silicone pads in the cradle, even though the tensioning arms are a bit slow to open.
Our previous first choice iOttie Easy One Touch 4 has some convenient features, such as a bracket that can automatically close the tensioning arm when the phone is pressed on it, and a neck that can be extended to 8 inches for additional adjustment. It worked well in our tests, although some Wirecutter staff complained that during long-term testing, it sometimes caused the phone to hang down. We recommend the wireless charging version in the car wireless charging mobile phone holder guide.
Vava E-Touch Mount has electric tensioning arms. When they sense that the phone is in the holder, they should be gently opened and automatically closed. But it requires a fee to make it work, and there is no manual override. It does not always respond to touch or the presence of a mobile phone, and what is worse is that once the automatic opening mechanism is triggered, the adjustment base will drop our mobile phone.
We have previously recommended Ram Twist-Lock suction cup holder, also known as Ram X-Grip, and Ram Universal X-Grip large mobile phone/tablet holder. However, compared to the latest designs, we now find that they are bulky and some people cannot open the solid spring arms.
In our test, the performance of Kenu Airframe Magnetic is similar to iOttie iTap Magnetic 2. The reliability of the magnet grip is slightly worse, but we still think that if the pick is not available, it is a good substitute.
The magnets on iOttie's iTap Magnetic Vent Mount are even less reliable, even for medium-sized phones such as iPhone 7.
Logitech ZeroTouch is small, rugged, and reliable enough, but it does not provide adjustability. Unlike any other mount we tested, it does provide Amazon Alexa functionality when used with the ZeroTouch app on an Android phone. We have tested this feature before, but found that its appeal is limited, especially because you can get the same basic functionality through the Google Assistant on your Android phone.
The vent-mounted Aukey car phone holder is basically the same as the dashboard mounting model that we also rejected, but it will not encounter the same stability problems because it does not have the same gooseneck settings. In fact, in our tests, it performed almost as well as the Kenu body. We especially liked the firm grip of the padded tension arms; unfortunately, they also took a long time to open. If there is no Kenu body, this is still a good choice.
iOttie Easy One Touch 4 is the previous product of choice. It is the vent-mounted version of the aforementioned Easy One Touch 4 dashboard installation, although it does not have a retractable neck.
Belkin F7U017bt is generally stable in our tests, and we found that it is easy to connect and remove our phone. However, you can only rotate the phone between portrait and landscape positions, and you cannot tilt it up, back, or down and to the sides. It is also not connected to the vent slats like Kenu does. Whenever we try to remove the phone, Belkin tends to follow.
Our previous first choice for this market segment, iOttie Easy One Touch 4, is the CD slot version of the aforementioned Easy One Touch 4 vent model.
We have previously recommended iOttie iTap Magnetic as an alternative to CD slot picks, but the magnets on the newer iTap Magnetic 2 are much better, especially if you have a larger phone.
The ExoGear ExoMount Touch CD installed in the CD slot is good, but a bit cumbersome. The tension arm works very well, but the knobs and dials can be difficult to adjust, including several full rotations.
TechMatte’s MagGrip CD Slot Car Mount is another previous choice, but it’s harder to install than other CD slot mount models. Some people reported in Amazon reviews that the rubber melted into their CD players, even though we didn’t experience it ourselves. this problem.
We noticed that readers seem to be interested in the horizontal dashboard bracket, so we tested several best-selling or other interesting models. Although they are very stable on different dashboards, it turns out that they are very difficult to use in their own unique way. The Loncaster car phone holder may be the best in this batch we have seen; unfortunately, the lightweight silicone base does not support the phone well to resist the pressure of tapping your fingers. If you just want to view the horizontal map, that might be great, but any other interaction with the phone is basically impossible. The iPow non-slip silicone instrument panel pad has also encountered a similar problem-although it comes with some custom rubber bracket options that you can adjust to suit different phones, they turned out to be too unstable. The Boysnoy Dashboard car phone holder is the only horizontal model that we have tested that does not bend under finger pressure. However, it also restricts access to the side buttons of the phone. However, what is even more annoying is that the non-slip rubber pad at the bottom is constantly separated from the rubber base. The rubber ring still sticks firmly to the dashboard, but other than that, the soft rubber pad can hardly stick. We cannot recommend building such a cheap thing.
We also tested the HengBeng multi-function phone holder, which is essentially a holder for your phone and also (supposedly) suitable for your vent slats. As a cheap plastic phone stand, it works very well. As a car holder, it just allows the phone to hang softly on the vent. No thanks.
The Amayga Air Vent universal car phone holder has a unique installation system, which is basically a foldable holder. When you put the phone on the peg, it will unfold and fix your phone like a wire harness. It really works! Except that it cannot hold the phone very steadily, every time you step on the brake, you have to double-check to make sure that the phone does not fly off the base. When you want to leave the car, you have to take your phone out of the seat belt, which is also annoying.
We also tested the Weathertech CupFone installed on the cup holder, which became popular after being advertised during the 2019 Super Bowl. It is stable and has an interesting (if troublesome) wedging system to adjust the stacking cup base. But because it is located in the cup holder, you have to lower your head to see the phone, which will make your eyes longer away from the road compared to other types of mounts.
Thom Dunn is an assistant writer for Wirecutter, covering HVAC and other home improvement topics. Sometimes his curiosity takes his best place, such as when he plugs the space heater and Marshall guitar amplifier into the same power strip. Pro tip: don't do that.
Nick Guy is a senior writer at Wirecutter, responsible for Apple and accessories. Since 2011, he has been reviewing iPhone, iPad and related technologies, and stopped counting after testing his 1000th case. It is impossible for him not to mentally classify any cases he sees. He once had a good idea to build and burn down a room to test a fire safe.
Tom Dunn and Nick Gay
After testing 30 Qi-certified wireless mobile phone charging car mounts, we found the fastest and most reliable mount for most drivers. This is what we recommend.
Authors: Dan Frakes, Nick Guy and Wirecutter Staff
In the past few years, we have spent hundreds of hours testing hundreds of iPhone and iPad accessories to find the best accessories.
After using 23 smartphone bikes to ride more than 90 miles of flat and rough roads, we believe that our phones can use the Quad Lock bracket.
When the Wirecutter outdoor team went to car camping — instead of backpacking and carrying gear into the wilderness — it was the equipment they brought.
You can also send us a note.
© 2021 The New York Times Company Wirecutter, Inc.