Car phone holders FAQs
How to choose the best car phone holder for you
Deciding which car phone holder is right for you depends on whether you want to make it a permanent addition to your dashboard, or you just need to temporarily prop up your phone in a rental car. If you’re not attaching it to your own vehicle you should avoid wireless charging mounts, air vent mounts and anything else too fiddly, as these phone holders might not be compatible with every car you encounter. Instead choose something sturdy and simple, and more likely to leave a mark on the car’s interior than on your phone.
Are vent phone holders safe?
Yes. Phone holders that attach to your car’s air vents are safe, but as every model of car is different you can’t be sure your air vent will be strong enough to hold the weight of a phone until you try. Horizontal slats work best, while circular vents are more difficult to attach a phone holder to. You also shouldn’t use the hot air setting while your phone is attached to the vent, as it will cause your phone to overheat and shut down. On the other hand, cooler air from the vent on hot days can actually help keep your phone from overheating.
Where do you put a phone holder in your car?
The best place to secure a phone holder in your car is near the edge of the driver’s side of the windscreen, so that it mostly obscures the windscreen pillar rather than the road ahead of you. This keeps the phone safely out of the way, but still within your field of view for following directions and taking calls.
Centrally mounted phone holders, whether on the dashboard or under the rear view mirror, block your view of the road and can create potentially dangerous situations. Car phone holders that attach to your air vent are ideal for occasional GPS users as they won’t obscure your view, are easier to attach and remove, and require fewer adjustments when driving.
Features to look for
Rubberised grip: Make sure the spring-loaded arms holding your phone in place have soft, rubberised grips to prevent scuffing your device. Very cheap car phone holders are entirely plastic, which makes them more prone to slip against the glass or metal edge of a phone.
Wireless charging: Wireless charger phone holders aren’t technically wireless. They need to be plugged into your car’s charging port to provide wireless power to your phone. Of course, your phone will also need to be capable of wireless charging. The leading wireless charging standard is Qi (pronounced “chee”), and most wireless charger phone holders are Qi-compatible.
Cable management: If you often charge your phone while you drive, look out for car phone holders with clips to help manage loose cables. These hold your power cords in place after you’ve removed the phone to leave the car, or can be used to wrap up any slack in the wire for a neater dashboard.
Magnetic attachment: Magnetic car phone holders are surprisingly rugged, but usually require you to stick a coin-sized metal disc to the back of your phone. They won’t work through thicker phone cases or PopSocket-style grips. The iPhone 12 can attach to MagSafe compatible phone holders without the addition of a metal disc.
The verdict: Car phone holders
For a premium mount, the Belkin car vent mount pro’s clever use of MagSafe makes it the best car phone holder for iPhone users. Our favourite budget option is the MPOW grip pro 2, which balances build quality and function in a cheap but hard-wearing package.
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