The Best Car Phone Mounts

We tested eight of the most popular car phone mounts in five different styles to determine which one held a phone securely and was the safest to use while driving. We selected the iOttie – HLCRIO125 as the best car phone mount because it has the sturdiest and most versatile design and can be placed firmly on the dashboard or windshield of any vehicle. For our runner-up we chose the user-friendly air-vent mount Kenu – AF4-KK-NA , which can accommodate most phone sizes. We also chose the iOttie – HLCRIO127 as our budget pick. It’s a CD mount that holds your phone firmly in place even on bumpy roads.

Table of contents

• Compare the best car phone mounts
• 1. Best overall: iOttie – HLCRIO125
• 2. Runner-up: AF4-KK-NA
• 3. Budget pick: iOttie – HLCRIO127
• Other products we tested
• How we selected products to test
• How we tested
• Important features to consider
• The bottom line

Compare the best car phone mounts

1. Best overall: iOttie – HLCRIO125

The iOttie – HLCRIO125 was the sturdiest, most secure and most versatile of the car phone mounts we tested. It also offered the best options for placement in a location that will ensure a safe driving experience.

The iOttie is a suction/adhesive mount. The suction cup is meant to be attached directly to the windshield. It can be repositioned on the windshield at any time and will keep the device locked securely in place. The iOttie has an adjustable bottom tab (or “the foot” as it’s called in the instructions), which allows the device to grab any size phone securely. It also has a telescoping arm that can extend 5 inches to 8.3 inches, a feature that also gives you additional options for placement.

A plastic plate or “dashboard pad” with an adhesive backing is provided for affixing the iOttie to the dashboard. It’s not reusable, and repositioning it will leave adhesive stuck to the dashboard. Before permanently adhering the iOttie to your dashboard, we recommend trying out different positions (as our team did) by affixing it with double-sided tape to find out which position works best for you.

Top Pick: iOttie - HLCRIO125

The iOttie’s sturdy design and variable options for placement ensure that it holds the phone security and enhances safety while driving.

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The iOttie’s patented Easy One Touch system consists of two side arms that automatically grip the side of the phone and lock into place. Two smaller arms beneath the side arms are the lock release: when pushed they spring apart, releasing the phone. The locking arms are a bit tricky at first, since you need to apply a bit of pressure to close them onto the phone. The release, however, lets go of the phone at the slightest touch.

The iOttie mount is more expensive than the other mounts we tested. However, its superior construction, stability and durability make this iOttie model well worth the higher price.

Key takeaways:

• The iOttie dashboard and windshield mount holds the phone securely even over bumpy roads.
• It can be placed anywhere on the dashboard or windshield, offering the safest option for visibility and minimizing driver distraction.
• It has the most solid and durable construction of the other mounts we tested.

2. Runner-up: Kenu – AF4-KK-NA

The Kenu – AF4-KK-NA Airframe Pro is an air-vent car phone mount and was the easiest and most straightforward device to install — it’s a single piece that simply inserts into any air vent. It holds the phone with a strong, expandable spring clip that can accommodate wide phones up to 3.6 inches and over-sized phone cases.

The Kenu’s rubber clasp is a plus, as it won’t scratch the vehicle’s air vents. We clipped the phone into the Kenu — in both landscape and portrait modes, thanks to its 360-degree pivot ball — toward the bottom of the phone so that it sat higher in the device and didn’t block the car’s back-up camera. The mount’s rotating clip can be adjusted to fit horizontal, vertical and angled air vents.

Runner-up: Kenu - AFT-KK-NA

The Kenu has a simple and straightforward design with a strong, non-slip grip and can hold larger phones in either landscape or portrait mode.

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Although an air-vent mount minimizes the driver from being distracted, it can’t be used with the car’s heating on, which would heat up your phone, unless air flow can be redirected to the floor. It’s fine to use, however, when you have the air conditioning on. Using this type of mount is also dependent on where your air vents are located; if they’re too low, the driver will be forced to look down and away from the road.

The Kenu is about the same price as the iOttie – HLCRIO125, and if you prefer an air-vent mount over one that’s permanently placed, this sturdy and well-made model is an excellent choice.

Key takeaways:

• The Kenu has a simple and solid construction that makes it one of the easiest mounts to use.
• It attaches securely to air vents, and its expandable grip clip can hold wide phones up to 3.6 inches in landscape or portrait positions.
• Its 360-degree pivot ball accommodates horizontal, vertical and angled vents.

3. Budget pick: iOttie – HLCRIO127

The iOttie – HLCRIO127 is a compact mount that inserts into your car’s CD player and can hold phones and cases up to 3.5 inches wide. It grips onto your phone with the same One Touch mechanism as the dashboard model. Rather than connect to a telescoping arm, this iOttie’s holder is inserted into a small, sturdy mount that is then slid into your vehicle’s CD player.

Like the dashboard model, the mount has a swivel ball that can pivot at any angle to adjust the phone into portrait or landscape mode. Depending on your dashboard’s configuration, when your phone is positioned in portrait mode, it might block your rearview camera.

iOttie - HLRCIO127

The iOttie is solidly built and will stay firmly in place in the CD slot. It’s a good budget choice for cars with CD players.

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The iOttie CD mount stayed secure in the CD player in our compact car and pickup and held the phone in place even over bumpy roads. The minivan we used for testing, however, is a newer model and didn’t have a CD player. As CD players are increasingly phased out, the iOttie CD mount will inevitably go the way of the rotary phone. Pricewise, it’s middle-of-the-range for car phone mounts, and for now, it’s a dependable option for car-phone use while driving.

Key takeaways:

• The reasonably priced iOttie – HLRCIO127 CD mount is a solid, sturdy choice for cars with CD players.
• It has secure placement in the CD player and holds the phone in place even over bumpy roads.
• Its One Touch mechanism tightly grips the phone, but it can take some effort to release.

Other products we tested

Exogear – EGEM-TCD

The Exogear – Exomount is another CD mount with a 360-degree rotation and up-and-down tilt. It has a strong locking screw that secures the plastic tabs that are inserted into the CD player. The Exomount has a spring-clip arm similar to the iOttie, but both the plastic casing and spring are a bit flimsy. The expandable arm can accommodate phones up to 3.5-inches wide, but a phone with a thick case won’t be held as securely since the mount is only .5-inches deep. As with other CD mounts, visibility of the back-up camera could be impaired.

WizGear – Magnetic Air-Vent Mount

The WizGear – Magnetic Air-Vent Mount has an alligator clip that is inserted into any car vent and tightened into place with a screw. Three steel plates with adhesive backing are attached to your phone — you don’t need to use all three; they’re provided for attaching larger phones. You then align the metal plate(s) to its exceptionally powerful magnet, and the phone holds on to the mount. The steel plate does interfere with wireless charging, however, so you need to place it below the QI chip.

Although we had no issues with the WizGear when secured to our car’s and minivan’s vents, it did not fit the center vent of our pickup. The left vent worked well, but while we were driving, our hands blocked sightlines, and we couldn’t see the phone. We also had an issue with the WizGear’s alligator clip getting stuck in the minivan’s vent. We rated the WizGear at the lower end of the list because it won’t hold a phone in a thick case as securely as other mounts.

FlePow – Magnetic Phone Mount

The FlePow – Magnetic Phone Mount is a heavy and sturdy metal mount with a 360-degree rotation. FlePow’s magnet holds the phone in place on the mount, which is permanently adhered to the dashboard. The manufacturer advises that the FlePow’s adhesive could melt at temperatures warmer than 75 ℉, which actually did not prove to be the case. In fact, the adhesive was so powerful, we had to search for special solvents and tools to remove it.

The FlePow is only two inches tall, which limits options for placement of the steel plate on the phone, unless the device is mounted on the edge of the dashboard. The mount could also be mounted vertically, but you would need to test this before adhering it. A phone positioned in landscape will most likely have more options for placement on the top of the dashboard than a phone that’s in portrait mode.

SCOSCHE – MagicMount: Not recommended

The SCOSCHE – MagicMount magnetic dashboard mount is well made, and its rare-earth magnets are strong, but it simply didn’t work. It’s a large weighted pad — 5.5” x 6.5” — with a curved adjustable arm. Like the WizGear, a metal plate holds the phone to the magnet. The pad is then placed on your vehicle’s dashboard, and its weight alone — without any adhesive backing — is supposed to hold it in place. However, in all of our test vehicles, the SCOSCHE slid around on the dashboard and did not secure the phone.

Cellet – PH650: Not recommended

The Cellet – PH650 cup holder mount is solidly constructed and will fit most vehicles’ cup holders, thanks to a sprocket that can be screwed or unscrewed to adjust its width. It has an extendable arm that can elevate the phone 10 inches. The clip that connects to the arm grips the phone tightly, even a phone with a thick case. The main problem with this type of car mount is that it’s too tall for a front cup holder and can only be inserted into a back cup holder to the right of the driver. This position forces the driver to continually look to the right to see the phone, and because of this sightline issue, we can’t recommend the Cellet.

How we selected products to test

We consulted a wide range of websites, including resources for shoppers like Consumer Reports. We also read through hundreds of Amazon reviews by consumers who rated car phone mounts in different categories: dashboard/windshield, weighted dashboard mat, vent, CD and cup holder. From this analysis, we chose eight highly rated car phone mounts to test and assessed the advantages of each style.

How we tested

Our team of two testers unpacked the mounts and installed the devices in three different types of vehicles: a compact, a pickup truck and a minivan. Each mount was driven in the three vehicles under varying road conditions, including highways and well-paved or bumpy side streets. Problems, pluses and minuses were noted.

The final assessments were made based on which items were easiest to work with and also provided the best quality with a special emphasis on safety while driving.

Important features to consider

Each state has different laws regarding car phones; some apply to handheld phones, others to all phones in cars, including hands-free devices. Some of the laws apply to all drivers in the state, some to only novice or commercial drivers. It is essential to check the laws for your state; your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles website is a good place to start.

But regardless of your state’s laws, no driver should be distracted while driving. With this in mind, we paid special attention to how each car-phone mount’s placement might affect a driver’s focus on the road.

The configuration of your vehicle’s dashboard and center console also play a role in which car phone mount to choose. The shape of your dashboard and the location of your car’s air vents, CD player and cup holders should also be considered in determining how safe a car phone mount would be.

The bottom line

We are a mobile society and we love our phones. When we were considering which car phone mount was the best, a decisive factor was whether its placement allowed the driver to safely look at the phone without taking his/her eyes off the road.

Our choice for the best car phone mount is the iOttie – HLCRIO125 . It’s sturdily made, stays securely in place and offers the best options for safe placement. If you prefer an air-vent mount, our runner-up Kenu – AF4-KK-NA has a simple, easy-to-use design that will minimize driver distraction. Our budget pick, the iOttie – HLCRIO127 , is a CD mount that gripped onto our phones even when we drove over bumpy roads.

Best Car Phone Mount: iOttie - HLCRIO125

The sturdiest and most versatile of the mounts we tested, the iOttie can be affixed anywhere on the dashboard or windshield, offering the safest options for driver visibility.

See Price at Amazon.com

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Bryan Vu, Editor

Bryan is our cooking and kitchen expert, with more than 15 years of experience of cooking and testing kitchen products. When outside of the kitchen, he enjoys woodworking, photography, videography and figuring out how to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. He thoroughly enjoys discovering the best, whether it’s ingredients or equipment, and finding products that can stand the rigors of daily use.