The Best Phone Holders for Your Car [2023]

Different Ways the Holder Can Be Secured to Your Vehicle

Suction Cup

Many phone holders are placed on the glass of your vehicle and held in place by a suction cup. This makes sense because if your phone is mounted on the glass then you don’t have to look very far away. And if you’re really good you can see it in your peripheral vision. Suction cups are a good choice because they are not permanent and they don’t leave behind any sticky residue when removed.

The cons with this kind of mount are that they can occasionally obstruct your view of the road. And unless the suction cup is made of thick good quality material occasionally the heat from a hot summer will keep a lesser suction cup from sticking to the hot glass.

Adhesive

Some phone holders use adhesives to secure the phone mount to the dashboard of your vehicle. People sometimes prefer a dashboard mount because they don’t want anything stuck to their windshield potentially obstructing their view. Because of this most dashboard phone mounts also have an arm that will curve down to hold the phone below the dashboard and out of view.

The biggest con with this kind of phone mount is that when you remove it you will often have leftover adhesive that you’ll need to scrape off of your dashboard.

Non-Slip Grip

A lesser-used way of securing a phone holder is by adding a tacky non-stick grip to the bottom. These phone mounts are usually bigger to give the bottom more surface area to grab onto. They use gravity, the weight of the mount, and a non-slip rubber-like silicone to keep the phone mounted firmly in place on any flat surface. These don’t leave behind any residue and work well but can slide if the car’s movement is aggressive enough.

Clip On

A lot of phone holders will also use a two-sided clip to secure the phone mount to your air vents. This way the phone is not obstructing your view of the windshield so that you can see clearly. But you also don’t have to worry about any adhesive being stuck to your dashboard if you decide to remove it.

The con with this kind of mount is that unless you air vents are extremely rigid these mounts can often move as well as blocking some of the air coming out of whatever vent it is attached to.

Cup Holder

A cup holder is also popular, this a mount that has a big base that sits inside of your cupholder with an extension arm that holds your phone up. This solves the problem of the obstructed view from suction cups, the adhesive left behind from stick ons and the vents being blocked and loose from clip ons.

What this cup holder mount lacks of its own, however, is that it takes up an entire cup holder spot just to use it. The phone mount can sometimes interfere with your arm movement and you have to take your eyes very far off of the road to view your phone way down near your cupholders.

Different Ways the Phone Holder Can Be Secured to Your Holder

Grips

Grips are a popular method of holding your device while it is connected to the phone mount. It usually consists of two grips that close with a ratchet squeezing the sides of the device. This can be beneficial because since the arms ratchet down they are able to hold a wide variety of phone sizes.

Some grips also work by a lever system where there is a third arm positioned on the bottom of the phone. When the weight of the phone pushes down on the bottom arm then it causes the two on the sides to move inward. The bottom arm continues to move downward as the side arms move in until the phone is behind held in place by all three arms.

Gravity

Some phone stands work purely by gravity. They will but a notch in the phone mount where the phone can slip down into the crevasse and be secured. Phones that use this usually require the phone to sit on its side. This lowers the center of gravity so the phone won’t fall over in turns. They usually have a rubberized grip to keep the phone from sliding when the vehicle moves.

Magnet

The magnet case is a great way to mount a phone as well. The magnet doesn’t interfere with any of the phone’s electronic processes but it strong enough to hold the phone securely in place. It allows the mount to hold any size phone in any position that you’d like. The only caveat to this is that you have to attach a metal plate to the back of your phone or case. This gives the magnet a secure place to attach too since phones themselves are not made out of magnetic material. This is also not a good option if your phone also holds your credit cards as the magnet may interfere with them.

Areas Where a Phone Holder Can Be Mounted

Windshield

Phones can be mounted via suction cup to the windshield or any of the passenger windows.

Dashboard

Phones can be mounted anywhere on the dashboard usually via a clip that slips over the top of your gauge cluster or with an adhesive that sticks to the top or front of your dashboard.

Air Vent

Using clips some phone holders will mount to the vents on your cars A/C. Unless you have rigid vents these can sometimes be a little more mobile than most people like.

CD Slot

Some phone mounts utilize an arm that holds the phone attached to a large disc that will slide into your CD player’s empty disc slot.

Cupholder

These phone mounts have an arm attached to a thick cup-like base that sits inside of your cupholder. Filling the entire empty cup holder to hold the phone securely.

What to Do Before Securing Your Phone Holder

Before securing your phone holder it is important to make sure that you have cleaned the area thoroughly. If the area is not cleaned then you won’t get a good seal on the suction cup or a good stick with the adhesives. This could result in your phone and its holder going flying across your car at the first turn. Use a good glass cleaner, dashboard, or vent cleaner before applying any of these phone holders. Safety and ensure that your holder works properly is the first priority.

OUR FAVORITE PHONE HOLDERS FOR THE CAR!

Best Windshield Phone Mount

This is the VICSEED Universal Car Phone Mount and our pick for the best windshield phone mount. Although to be fair to the creator they also throw in a metal disc that sticks to your dashboard so the suction cup can attach to it. As well as an interchangeable air vent clip so you can mount the holder to one of your vents.

But we think this phone mount works best on the windshield. It has three fully adjustable joints so that you can position your phone any way you like. It has an extendable main arm to place the phone as close or as far away from you as you like. And the suction cup is strong enough to hold 44 pounds of weight so it’s not going anywhere.

The mount holds the phone using the ratchet-style arms. The button on the bottom left of the phone releases the ratchets fully extending the arms. Then when you place your phone into the holder you tighten the arms around the device until they are holding it snuggly. Once you are done with the mount you press the button again and the arms reopen.

This phone mount is made of thick high-quality plastic and looks and feels amazing when in use. It’s not a purchase you’ll regret.

Best Dashboard Phone Holder

This is the Loncaster Car Phone Holder and our pick for the best dashboard phone mount. This mount is held onto the dash with a slip-resistant silicone pad. It holds your phone sideways so it doesn’t obstruct too much of your view. And can accommodate any phone size up to 12mm thick including the case.

We liked this phone mount because it has an elegant look with a faux leather back and a space to hold things on the front of the mount. This makes it useful even when it is not holding your device. We also liked this design because it means that you don’t have to stick anything onto your dash. It stays in place without the use of any adhesives. When you want to remove the holder you just pick it up and go.

This phone mount is also washable so if you ever put anything inside of it that leaves debris you can just stick it under the sink and wipe it out. Likewise, the bottom silicone pad is washable. So if you move it frequently and it collects dust on the pad. To where it is not sticking as well as it once did. If you stick it under the sink and wash it off the pad will become sticky once again.

Best Magnetic Phone Holder

This is the FITFORT Universal Magnet Phone Mount and is our top pick for the best magnetic phone mount. Though honestly, this would probably make it as our #1 pick overall if we had to choose. This phone holder is incredible for a ton of reasons. First, the suction cup allows it to stick to any of your windows but it is big enough that it will also stick to your dashboard! So you can use this anywhere and get a super-secure hold without any sticky residue.

The two joints along with the magnetic design mean that you can place your phone in any position that you’d like. And the downward curving design means that when it’s used on your dashboard it slopes down and out of your line of sight. Making sure not to block any part of your view of the road.

The phone needs to have a metal disc placed on the back that the magnet will stick too. The company actually gives you two metal discs so that you can stick one to another device of your choice as well. Just make sure that if your phone uses wireless charging that you stick the plate lower on the phone and not in the middle.

That way it doesn’t interfere with the wireless charging coils in the back of your phone. Placing this plate lower does not decrease the strength at which the magnet holds the phone. It is a very strong grip either way.

This magnet is also strong enough to hold a tablet if that’s something you’d like to use on a road trip instead of your phone

Best Air Vent Clip-On Phone Holder

This is the iOttie Easy One Touch 4 Air Vent Car Mount and our pick for the best air vent clip-on phone mount. This thing is the perfect air vent clip-on. It is light, it’s small and it works. The two lowest fins are the release for the two middle arms that hold the phone. When pressed they open the arms and you can stick your phone in.

Once the phone touches the iOttie button in the middle the arms automatically snap shut. Making this an amazing one-handed use design. This one-touch design is patented and sets iOttie way above its competitors. This mount is also set on a swivel ball that allows you two set your phone in any position that you’d like.

Best CD Slot Phone Mount

This is the iOttie Easy Touch CD Slot Phone Mount and our pick for the best CD slot phone mount. This mount has a flat disc on the back that slips into your car’s empty CD slot. This holds the phone mount securely in place. Like its air vent clip-on brother it too has two sets of lower wings that when pressed release the arms in the center. You then place your phone into the holder. When it touches the iOttie button in the middle the arms automatic close on the device holding it firmly in place. This is a patented one-handed technology that pushes it way ahead of the pack.

This device also sits on a joint that allows it to turn 360 degrees. Setting the phone in whatever position works best for you.

Best Cupholder Phone Mount

This is the Weathertech CupFone Cupholder Mount and our pick for the best cupholder phone mount. Weathertech is well known in the car industry for building custom high-quality car accessories and this is no different. This phone mount features a thick bottom with multiple removable stackable cups for a perfectly secure fit every time. It chose this over the spring tension arms that most other companies use. Doing so because it is the only way to achieve a truly secure fit without any wiggle.

The phone holder itself is adjustable and locks into place. The phone is held in by gravity. But after the back is adjusted your phone will fit perfectly into the slot every time. Weathertech in an attempt to stick with its high-quality reputation offers this phone holder with an optional extendable arm and aluminum billet screws just to add a touch more class. And you can feel good knowing that these are designed, engineered, and built right here in the USA. If you have an oversized phone or an exceptionally large phone case they also make an XL version.

Best Wireless Charging Phone Holder

This is the ZeeHoo Wireless Car Charger Phone Mount and it is our pick for the best wireless charging phone mount. This charger is stuck on with a suction cup that works on both automotive glass and dashboards. It also comes with an included air vent clip if you rather use it that way.

This phone mount has a button on the left side that is a release for the two arms. Once open you can place your phone inside. As soon as the mount senses your phone it will automatically close the arms with its built-in motor. Holding your phone securely in place. While in the case this holder will also wireless charge your phone. It is strong enough to charge through thick cases and is QI enabled for the fastest charging times possible.

The head is built on a swivel joint so that while charging you can move the device in any direction that works best. Knowing the whole time that the automatic arms have a tight grip on your phone so that you don’t ever have to worry about it falling out. A charging plug will need the be connected from the car’s cigarette light or USB outlet. Plugging into the bottom of the ZeeHoo charge to enable the wireless charging function.