Want to use your mobile phone in the car safely and intelligently? These car phone holders are ideal for hands-free calling and navigation.

For any vehicle that does not contain a built-in navigation system, a good car phone holder is an indispensable accessory. The phone holder provides a safe and simple way to make calls, get route guidance, and use the phone's voice assistant. But not all smartphone cradles are equally effective, and some cradles work better than others on certain cars and mobile phones. We have collected our favorites here, as well as some tips to keep in mind when shopping.

First, you need to choose between two basic types of car phone holders: mounts on the air-conditioning vents and mounts on the dashboard or windshield.

If you have standard air conditioning vents, there are plenty of excellent vent brackets. However, they are generally not compatible with round or small vents.

Dashboards and windshield brackets are more versatile and are usually a better choice for most people. Some are connected by a suction base. Other people use automotive-grade adhesives that shouldn't damage your car; once these brackets are placed, you can't easily move them, but over time, the adhesive will decompose. If you plan to use this mount in multiple cars, or if you don't want to clean the sticky residue when you finally remove it, choose the one that uses the suction cup mount.

Most brackets use spring clips or magnets to hold the phone in place. Both are good. Spring mounts are versatile and can hold almost any mobile phone, but you may be discouraged by their bulky phone cases. Mounting the phone to the magnetic stand is quick and easy, but requires you to attach the metal plate to the back of the phone or slide it between the phone and the case. If you use wireless charging, make sure that the charging pad is not on or near the charging coil. Some manufacturers make housings with built-in magnets that can seamlessly mate with magnetic car brackets.

More and more automatic and MagSafe compatible options are now available. The automatic mount uses an infrared proximity sensor, which opens when your phone is within range, and automatically adjusts its grip with the phone. The MagSafe bracket connects to the MagSafe array on newer iPhones, such as iPhone 13.

Brackets with built-in Qi wireless chargers are becoming more common. The DC port of your vehicle powers these brackets, so you don’t need to plug in your phone every time you get in the vehicle. Most of them are compatible with Android devices and iPhone. If you often forget to plug in your phone and it supports wireless charging, then this is an easy way to make your phone full of energy.

The car phone holder is usually 10W for Android phones and 7.5W for iPhone. The working principle of the MagSafe compatible charger is the same as that of the ordinary Qi charger, and the maximum output power is 7.5W. We have not seen a MagSafe compatible car dock that supports 15W charging.

The maximum installation size of many car phones is a specific phone size, so before buying, please make sure it supports your phone. If it’s a spring mount, make sure it’s wide enough to hold your phone. For magnetic mounts, check the maximum weight. And don't forget to consider the size and weight of the case.

With this in mind, here are our favorite phone holders for various cars and phones:

The Ainope Gravity mobile phone holder is one of our favorite vent holders. This affordable model fits most standard car vents and can easily accommodate mobile phones with displays up to 6.7 inches wide, including phones with thick casings. Simply slide your phone into the holder, and the clip will automatically slide into place for a perfect fit. When you are ready to remove the phone, click the button at the bottom of the base to release the clip.

The Beam Electronics universal smart phone car vent bracket has a bottom bracket for support and an arm that you press into place. The 360-degree pivot installation allows you to switch the phone to any angle and position for easy viewing. When you are ready to take out your phone, tap the quick release button at the bottom of the stand.

To be honest: most car phone holders are boring. If you want something more distinctive, Brown & Friends Fast Car Charger will never go wrong. Brown & Friends’ vent holder can support your phone in portrait or landscape mode, and has two sturdy spring arms that can easily accommodate large phones. And there is no need to worry about draining the phone battery, because the mount provides built-in 10W Qi wireless charging.

iOttie's Aivo Connect is the next best choice for the built-in navigation system. It works with Alexa's automatic mode and turns your phone display into a mini navigation panel. The built-in microphone can easily hear your voice prompts in music and road noise, and the docking station is connected to the car's speaker system via an auxiliary jack or Bluetooth. In addition to support for Alexa, Aivo Connect also has 10W Qi wireless charging, an infrared proximity sensor that can automatically turn on and grab the phone, and a twist-lock bracket that can be connected to the dashboard or windshield.

iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 Dash & Windshield Mount is stylish, easy to use and will not break the bank. It is connected to the dashboard or windshield through a powerful suction base. Because it uses magnets instead of clips to fix your phone, you need to put protective stickers and metal plates on your phone or phone case. The stand supports both horizontal and vertical modes; the ball joint can be rotated, so you can adjust the phone to any viewing angle.

Kenu's Airframe Qi wireless charging car vent bracket can be easily clipped to most vents. The 10W Qi wireless charging pad has a foreign body detection function and automatically shuts down under high temperature conditions to prevent the phone from overheating. It is equipped with a 4-foot-long USB data cable and a 12V DC car charger, and provides an additional USB port for friends who need to charge the device.

The Miracase car phone holder is a basic holder with a locking clip that can be connected to most air conditioning vents. In addition to the spring arms used to hold the phone in place, Miracase also has a bottom wall shelf for extra protection. The 360-degree rotating head allows you to quickly switch between vertical and horizontal directions, and adjust the tilt angle of the phone. 

Moshi's SnapTo universal wireless charging car mount is one of our favorite car mounts; it scores high for its durable and attractive design. It is equipped with a suction base that can be connected to the windshield or dashboard, an air conditioning vent clip, and even a flexible adapter for Tesla Model 3 and Model Y. The stand supports up to 10W wireless charging and uses a powerful magnet array to hold your phone. It comes with a universal mounting pad, you can connect it to any mobile phone or mobile phone case. Moshi also produced some high-quality SnapTo cases for the iPhone.

Scosche MagicMount Dash uses automotive-grade adhesive to fix to your windows or dashboard, so don't plan to use it for rental cars or your borrowed cars. Once you place the mount, it will remain as it is. It uses magnets to hold your phone in place and allows you to rotate the display to your liking.

Spigen's SteadiBoost Air Vent wireless car charger is an economical and durable wireless charging stand suitable for most mobile phones. Steadiboost comes with a rubber anchor attached to a standard air conditioning vent, which can be installed in a few seconds and is easy to adjust. And because of its quick release handle, you can quickly swap the phone in and out of the mount. The maximum power of Qi wireless charging is 10W for Android smartphones and 7.5W for iPhone. Spigen also provides a micro USB cable and a 12V power adapter, you can use any of them to power the charger.

Topgo Cup Holder Phone Mount is an inexpensive and practical way to ensure that your phone is easy to access. The mount has an adjustable base that can fit almost any center cup console. You can easily adjust the viewing angle of the phone with the gooseneck arm. Its leather case is wide enough to hold a smartphone up to 3.54 inches wide, but it is not ideal for mobile phone cases that are more than half an inch thick.

The phone holder is just the beginning. Adding the right technology to an old vehicle can make it feel refreshed. Upgrade your old car with our favorite high-tech accessories and enjoy a completely different riding experience.

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To say that Steven Winkelman is addicted to smartphones and tablets is an understatement. Before joining PCMag as a mobile analyst, he was responsible for mobile and wearable technology at Digital Trends. When he doesn't study the latest mobile hardware carefully, you will find him eagerly reading or exploring Brooklyn's stunning independent bookstore.

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