Use your Android phone safely by sliding it into one of these car mounts
It’s unsafe and, in most places, illegal to hold your phone in your hand while driving. The solution is to invest in one of the many car mounts available today. A good phone mount holds your device securely, affixes reliably to your vehicle, and doesn’t block any ports or buttons on the phone. Some also offer additional features like articulating arms and even wireless charging.
Rules for where you’re allowed to attach a phone mount vary across different states and municipalities. Many prevent you from mounting anything to your windshield or dashboard to keep your line of sight clear. But there are plenty of alternatives. Manufacturers also make mounts built for CD player slots, air vent fins, and even cup holders. We’ve tracked down the most secure and reliable options in various formats and at a wide range of prices, capable of holding up today’s best Android phones.
The best car mounts for your Android phone can solve a couple of problems at once. First, holding your phone in your hand while driving is unsafe and, in most places, illegal. And even if it isn’t an offense in your region, it can be difficult to navigate on your phone using one hand, especially if you’re attempting to set up a driving route or quickly answer an incoming call.
A great phone mount can securely hold your phone in place while you drive without impeding its operability, and some even come with wireless charging capabilities. Laws differ by region, and some areas may not allow a mount in a specific part of your vehicle; that’s why we’ve included a full range of mounts built for air vents, cup holders, dashboards, and windshields, all capable of holding the best Android phones.
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Arteck Car Mount
Best value
Arteck’s car mount features a suction hold for dash or windshield mounting. The gel pad helps it stick to detailed surfaces; the holder can be adjusted for a better view, and it fits phones that measure up to about 3.5 inches wide. Best part? It costs only about $7, making it one of the most affordable options around.
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iOttie Easy One Touch 5
Best overall
As long as you don’t mind mounting to your dash or windshield, iOttie’s Easy One Touch 5 should be a top choice. It has an arm that can extend up to eight inches, with pivot and tilt adjustments to boot. The suction cup is strong; you can mount your phone with one hand, and it’ll fit just about any phone.
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Belkin Car Vent Mount
Premium pick
This Belkin vent mount is straightforward and built to a high standard. The vent clip grips tightly, and the aluminum arms are lined with a rubbery material to keep your phone in place without any damage. The arms can extend out to fit phones up to 3.66 inches in width, and there’s even a clip on the back to secure a charging cable.
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Belkin MagSafe Vent Mount Pro
Best MagSafe mount
If you have a MagSafe case or adapter on your Android phone, you can take advantage of Belkin’s MagSafe vent mount for a secure and convenient setup. It’s compact and easy to use, has a cable holder if you’re charging, and can rotate around for horizontal or vertical orientations.
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Scosche MagicMount
Some dash mounts are quite large, but this Scosche MagicMount is the opposite. It mounts to your dash with a strong adhesive strip and has a simple magnetic face (with 360-degree rotation) to which you secure your phone. The mount even comes with magnetic plates that stick onto your device should you lack a magnetic case or another adapter.
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iOttie Auto Sense Qi Wireless Car Charger
$55 $60 Save
$5Have a phone with wireless charging capabilities? Why not keep your battery topped up while you drive? The iOttie Auto Sense mount features a Qi wireless charger with up to 10W of charging power. It attaches to your dash with a suction cup and has a telescopic arm that can pivot and rotate. It fits phones up to 3.64 inches in width.
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Ainope Gravity
Ainope’s Gravity mount is a fancy little bit of engineering that allows you to drop your phone in and have it lock automatically. It hooks onto the vent blades in your car (instead of just clamping down) for a firmer hold, and it should fit even large phones with a protective case. This should be a solid pick for driving on bumpy roads.
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Kenu Airframe+
The Kenu Airframe+ is built strong despite its lightweight feel, and its arms can extend up to 3.4 inches in width to fit most phones. It clips into your air vent, and thanks to its rotational abilities, it can be used on vertical, horizontal, or offset blades. So take it with you when you travel, and slip into a rental car without worrying about compatibility.
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Topgo Cup Holder Mount
Not every car has the dash, air vent, or windshield to support a mount. That’s where this cup holder mount from Topgo comes in. It has an adjustable base to fit most holders, it can rotate 360 degrees, and it has a curved arm that provides extra height. It also holds phones up to 3.54 inches wide.
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Lisen MagSafe Vent Mount
This MagSafe mount from Lisen works with MagSafe-compatible cases and adapters, giving your phone a firm magnetic hold. In addition, it clips easily into vertical or horizontal vents and provides 360-degree rotation to get the best look. If you don’t want to spend a lot, this is the way to go.
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Qifutan Vent Mount
This affordable mount from Qifutan has a horizontal vent hook that attaches firmly (rather than just clamping down) and provides 360-degree rotation for horizontal or vertical setups. The mount has four points of contact with your phone for a secure hold, and, to sweeten the deal, it’s very affordable.
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Apps2Car Vent Phone Mount
The Apps2Car mount rivals our top value pick, and it’s a great way to get a vent mount for about $10. It can hold phones up to 3.3 inches wide and offers 360-degree rotation thanks to a swivel ball mount. It’s straightforward, it’s easy to use, and you can even get a two-pack for just a few dollars more.
Getting the best car mount for your Android phone
Windshield phone mounts are illegal in 21 states, with many counties and cities banning them in the remaining 29. The specific laws vary greatly from place to place and device to device. For example, some states let you mount a GPS on the windshield but not a phone. Other places let you mount devices on the glass as long as it’s outside your line of sight.
Air vents usually offer the best location for securing your device near your line of sight but not inside it. However, older or less premium vehicles might not have sturdy enough air vents and would work better with something like a cup holder attachment. Dashboard mounts can be particularly effective, but they’re easily thwarted by the heavily textured material that some automakers insist on using. In other words, a big part of getting the right one is figuring out which format plays nicely with your car’s interior.
We’ve put together this collection to cover just about any setup that you’re comfortable using. If you’re free to mount to the dash or the windshield, iOttie’s Easy One Touch 5 should be your first choice. It’s compatible with pretty much any modern smartphone out there, with a secure four-point grip on your phone at all times. Its arm can extend out to eight inches in length, and you can tilt and pivot to get a clear view. It’s affordable, it’s built well, and it’s well-rated.
If you’re instead looking for a high-quality vent mount, Belkin’s option is built strong from aluminum and offers a straightforward capture system that can hold phones up to 3.66 inches in width. A clip on the back can help deal with a charging cable should you need to power up while driving. Belkin’s MagSafe vent mount is another top pick for those with a great MagSafe adapter or MagSafe case on their phone. It’s built to a high standard and works in horizontal or vertical orientations.
Finally, those who’d like to spend as little as possible — perhaps to test whether a car mount is right for them — can check out the Arteck mount. It has a suction cup for a dash or windshield and can hold phones up to 3.5 inches wide. Best part? It costs only $7.
