Car phone holders tried and tested

It’s a small thing, but it can make all the difference

Driving is difficult enough at the best of times, without any further distractions. Phones, sat nav, music, coffee – none of these exactly help you focus on the road. Well, the coffee might once you’ve drunk it. So it makes sense to make sure your kit is sorted and the right kit before you set off.

A soldier doesn’t just jam stuff in his pack and pockets, he has everything prepared and to hand before setting out, and so should you.

Phone holders are just one of the items it pays to focus on properly, then you can get it sorted and forget about it because it will work well, instead of impeding vision or falling under the brake pedal at a critical moment. The holders come in all varieties, but mostly those that clip on to the air vents or suction-cup on to the screen or dashboard.

The air vent kind are smaller and neater and won’t obscure vision, but they can be less adjustable. It’s important if you’re using a suction cup type to ensure you aren’t restricting your view or your ability to reach controls. Make sure it’s within reach and doesn’t need a long look away from the windscreen.

Remember that you can get a six-point penalty and a £200 fine for using your phone while driving so if you’re using the phone for sat nav get it all sorted before you set out and if you need to make changes on the way, stop and adjust, don’t do it while trying to drive.

So, let’s look at what’s on offer, with prices ranging from about £7 to over £20.

Mpow air vent car mount (4 stars)

Price £7.99

Attaches to the air vent and seems strong and stable. You can still get to the charging port with it in place and the ball and socket have a wide range of movement. Good value.

iOttie Easy One Touch 3 (2 stars)

Price £24.99

You can mount this one-handed and the suction cup gets a very sticky gel pad so it won’t fall off. Equally, it makes it hard to remove and, given the quality of the competition, we’re not sure how the price is justified, even if it comes with a one-year warranty.

Olixar invent (4 stars)

Price £6.99

For under £7 you get a two-year warranty on this simple and very effective holder. The design is compact but the extendable arms will hold smartphones even if they have a case. It fits in the air vent and has 360-degree rotation so you can have it portrait or landscape. Hard to beat.

iOttie iTap Magnetic (3 stars)

Best price £21.95

This works by sticking a magnetic strip to the back of your phone. It won’t damage the phone at all but not everyone is going to want to do that. If you are okay with that, then it works well, with a small ball and socket on the holder so you can swivel the phone around. Expensive, but you get a year’s warranty.

Macally fully adjustable car dashboard mount (3 stars)

Best price £7.99

There is six-way adjustment in this system but that makes it bulky and tricky to set up right – and a bit item to store when not in use. It works well, and seems like good value, but the size makes it less attractive than some others.

Aukey windshield/dashboard mountable smartphone holder (4 stars)

Price £8.99

This simple, well-made device can be attached to the screen via a suction cup or to the dashboard via a plastic pad. Easy to fit, easy to adjust, easy to use. With a good price comes a two-year warranty.

Aukey magnetic car mount (4 stars)

Price £4.59

This uses a magnetic strip, but is much cheaper than the iOttie iTap Magnetic, even if it does feel not quite as well made. There is no adjustment possible, but it kept the phone secure in use.

Arkon magnetic phone mount MAG179 (4 stars)

Price £15.95

The magnetic mount works solidly, although you can get a non-magnetic version if you wish. The ball and socket allows lots of movement and the whole thing feels well made and well designed.

Verdict

1st Aukey windshield mount

2nd Olixar inVent

3rd Arkon magnetic phone mount MAG179

As you see, price doesn’t necessarily mean value here, with the winner costing just £8.99, beating mounts costing well over double that. In second place, and only £6.99, the vent-mounted Olixar is superb value, but so too is the Arkon in third place, if you want to go down the magnetic mount route.

Graham Scott is a writer for WhatCar.