Best car phone holders 2022: windscreen and dash mounts

The best car phone holders to mount your smartphone in your car for easy access to GPS and hands-free calling

A woman driving, looking at her smartphone in one of the best car phone holders mounted on the dash vent

Our phones have a lot of great features which now allow us to use them as multifunctional devices, such as a sat nav or speakerphone for taking calls in the car. But with the new laws in place, it is imperative that your phone is mounted correctly with a proper device on your dashboard, rather than being kept in the well of your car. Enter one of the best car phone holders.

A car phone mount is designed to hold your device in the optimum position for safe viewing of the screen while driving. They often attach to your air conditioning vent or have a rubber suction pad for attaching to the windscreen. 

A clip-on mount will be easy to take on and off and blends in with your dashboard quite well whereas a suction pad might annoy those who don’t like getting marks on their windscreen, or who don’t like the idea of leaving a mount visible when their car is unattended. 

When purchasing a car phone holder, don’t just go for the cheapest option as these can often be flimsy and insecure which could end up damaging your phone. You may also find some cheap universal phone holders don’t quite fit the shape and size of your phone, which can make it tricky to set up, to begin with. 

We’ve picked out some of the best car phone holders that make using your phone in the car safe and legal. Some are compatible with charging cables for keeping your phone powered up on the go, and some allow you to change the orientation of your phone depending on your preference. Most of the phone mounts we’ve chosen are compatible with all smartphones, and they aren’t all that expensive, either. 

If you're looking to fully kit out your car, you should also consider one of the best dash cams, which will potentially save you money in the event of an accident.

The best car phone holders you can buy today:

Belkin Car Vent MountT3 Award

1. Belkin Car Vent Mount

A low profile phone mount that leaves your windscreen clear of screens and smudges

Specifications

Best for: Subtlety
Attachment: Air vent clip
Compatible with: Smartphones up to 5.5 inches
Adjustable: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Grips securely but gently
+
Low profile

Reasons to avoid

-
You'll need to switch the vent off if the car heating is running

There’s a reason cab drivers tend to use vent mounts rather than the sucky ones that stick to the windscreen: they put the phone in a position where it’s easy to see without obstructing your view and they’re much less likely to come loose when you’re cornering and send your phone crashing into the footwell.

Belkin is well renowned for its accessories and the Belkin Car Vent Mount is our pick for the best car phone holder right now. It simply slips onto one of your heater vents (remember to turn the airflow to that vent off if your car heating is running) and then holds your phone securely in its rubberised grips.

The vent mount rotates 180 degrees so you can use your phone in portrait or landscape mode and there’s cable holder on the back to help keep the charging cable neatly connected. Speaking of cables, this mount doesn’t come with one, so if you haven’t got a spare one lying about you’ll need to buy one separately. Belkin says the mount will hold phones that are up to 5.5" and that it will accommodate most cases up to 3mm thick.

Kenu wireless chargerT3 Award

2. Kenu Airframe Qi Wireless Charging Car Vent Mount

Support your phone and recharge wirelessly

Specifications

Best for: Charging
Attachment: Air vent clip
Compatible with: Both
Adjustable: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Qi compatibility
+
Slim and well made
+
Dual QC 3.0 adapter

Reasons to avoid

-
Not all phones are wireless charging

How about a mount which holds your phone and charges it? This sleek option from Kenu is just the ticket, with 10W Qi wireless charging built in, saving you from having to mess around with unsightly cables. It's a really neat option, that will leave your car's cabin looking tidier.

It clamps onto an air vent (a window mount is also available) and can be adjusted with a swivel joint. A dual QuickCharge 3.0 adapter is also included in the box, so you'll be able to charge a second device as well.

Logitech ZeroTouchT3 Award

3. Logitech ZeroTouch

A voice assisted car phone mount for hands free navigation

Specifications

Best for: Hands free control
Attachment: Air vent clip
Compatible with: Android
Adjustable: No

Reasons to buy

+
Compatible with Alexa
+
No touching required

Reasons to avoid

-
Need to download the app

This car phone mount isn’t anything special in terms of the cradle itself, but what this phone mount does do is allow for total hands free control. The corresponding app allows you to control your phone completely via voice control and it is even compatible with Alexa so she can play you music, make calls, send texts and route your GPS for you.

There is no adjustment features on this mount, but the air vent clip is sturdy and allows your phone to be at the perfect angle for viewing. 

Make sure you check our Logitech discount codes to snap up a deal. 

Exshow Car MountT3 Award

4. Exshow Car Mount

A flexible windscreen mount that won’t obstruct your view

Specifications

Best for: Flexibility
Attachment: Suction pad
Compatible with: Screens up to 6 inch
Adjustable: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
360 degree adjustment
+
Extra suction for stability

Reasons to avoid

-
Tends to wobble a little 

This extra-long car phone mount is perfect for getting your phone in the prime position for viewing without obstructing your view of the road. The doubled-up suction pad means it sticks to the windscreen with ease, however its length means it does tend to wobble a little on uneven surfaces. 

You’ll also get 360 degree ball adjustment which will allow you to find the perfect position and orientation of your screen, holding any smartphone up to 6 inches. Overall, users found this to be a simple yet effective car phone mount. 

Yosh Magnetic Car MountT3 Award

5. Yosh Magnetic Car Mount

A simple yet effective design for easily mounting your phone

Specifications

Best for: Design
Attachment: Air vent clip
Compatible with: All smartphones
Adjustable: No

Reasons to buy

+
Magnetic attachment 
+
Can hold a tablet 

Reasons to avoid

-
Requires you to stick a sticker on the back of your phone

If you don’t want something too fiddly and cumbersome, then this simple magnetic air vent mount is the ideal choice. Users love how sturdy the clip to the vent is, and how you can simply place your phone in any position you like on the mount. 

This little device may not look like much, but it can even hold your tablet and is said to stay put even when driving on uneven terrain. You do have to stick a magnetic sticker to the back of your phone in order for it to work, which can be a little unsightly if you have a pretty cover or coloured case. However, for a cheap yet reliable car phone mount, you can expect good things from this one. 

Arteck Car MountT3 Award

6. Arteck Car Mount

Mount anywhere for easy access

Specifications

Best for: Multifunctional
Attachment: Sticky pad
Compatible with: All smartphones
Adjustable: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Not too cumbersome
+
Holds even the bigger smartphones

Reasons to avoid

-
Requires some moisture to stick well

If sticking a car phone mount of your windscreen is a little bit of a stretch, then this sticky pad is a great option for attaching your phone to your dashboard. Buyers found this car phone mount to be very adjustable, allowing you to position your phone either horizontally or vertically, and found it to be surprisingly sturdy even for larger handsets. 

Some had trouble initially sticking this mount to their dashboard, but found a little bit of water helps it grip nicely. Overall customers recommend this product as sturdy and customisable mount for all smartphone devices. 

Wuteku Car Phone HolderT3 Award

7. Wuteku Car Phone Holder

A simple yet adjustable magnetic phone mount for your dashboard

Specifications

Best for: The perfect angle
Attachment: Sticky pad
Compatible with: All smartphones
Adjustable: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Magnetic grip
+
Discreet magnetic phone disc

Reasons to avoid

-
 Sticky pad not the best 

Here we have another great magnetic car phone mount, but this time you can hide the magnetic disc underneath your phone’s case discreetly so it won’t ruin the aesthetics of your phone. 

Owners found this small mount to hold even larger phones very well, but some had trouble with the sticky pad staying put on their dashboard. However, those with a standard smartphone can expect this mount to provide a great deal of flexibility with minimal effort. 

Mpow Grip Pro 2T3 Award

8. Mpow Grip Pro 2

This mount slots into your CD player for a secure hold

Specifications

Best for: Anti-slip
Attachment: CD insert
Compatible with: Screens up to 3.5 inches
Adjustable: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Can still play CDs
+
Solid and sturdy

Reasons to avoid

-
 Can obstruct view in portrait position 

If you’re not convinced by the sticky pads or suction clips, then this car phone mount is a sturdy and solid alternative. This device is secured by being inserted into your CD slot which minimises movement and eliminates the risk of slippage. 

It is fully adjustable via swivel and tilt, although users with bigger screens have said that in a portrait position it can obstruct their view. You can also still play CDs with this phone mount in place, but you will have to remove it in order to change CDs.

Syncwire magnetic phone holderT3 Award

(Image credit: Syncwire)

9. Syncwire Magnetic Car Phone Holder

A compact, tilting and rotating phone holder

Reasons to buy

+
Compact aluminium design
+
Tilting and rotating options
+
Works with any phone

Reasons to avoid

-
Requires sticking a magnetic pad to your phone (or putting it inside a case)
-
Might not fit to all types of air vent

This magnetic phone holder by Syncwire features a tough aluminium design and can be tilted and rotated to help you find the perfect position for your phone. The mount clips to most dashboard air vents and comes with a pair of magnetic plates (one circular and one square) for sticking to the back of your phone.

This type of magnetic mount is designed to work with any phone, but the metal plate can cause the phone's wireless charging feature to stop working. To get around this you can stick the plate to the back of a phone case, then remove that while charging wirelessly.

Olixar Car Phone HolderT3 Award

(Image credit: Olixar)

10. Olixar Car Phone Holder

Can be mounted in the windscreen or dashboard

Reasons to buy

+
Windscreen or dashboard mounting
+
Strong magnetic hold

Another magnetic option, this time from Olixar. The gel-style suction cup can be stuck to the windscreen or dashboard, depending on which you prefer. It then uses a string magnet to hold your phone in place – and, as ever, you need to stick the included magnetic plate to the back of your phone or phone case.

Mpow car phone mountT3 Award

(Image credit: Mpow)

11. Mpow Car Phone Holder

A universal phone holder with lots of adjustability

Reasons to buy

+
Can hold almost any phone
+
Sticks to windscreen or dashboard
+
Lots of adjustability options

Reasons to avoid

-
Bulkier than a magnetic holder

This car phone mount by Mpow is designed to hold phones of almost any size, while using a suction cup to attach to either the windscreen or dashboard. The angle and length of the arm can be adjusted, helping you position your phone perfectly.

The lower section of the holder can be folded to make space for a power cable, and the inside edges of the holder are available in black, grey and red.

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Sarah-Jane is an experienced writer who has created reviews and buying guides for a number of publications including TechRadar, T3.com, Real Homes and TheRadar. She's a pro at finding the best products on the market and presenting them for your viewing pleasure.