Best Cell Phone Holder For Car

With many states now outlawing the use of mobile phones while driving, unless securely mounted in a phone holder, you’re advised to find an option that suits you and your vehicle.

Legality aside, in-car phone holders are incredibly useful for accessing GPS, call features and messaging, without having to take your eyes off the road.

Read ahead to see our pick of the top 5 holders currently on the market.

Our Cell Phone Holder Reviews

1. Logitech ZeroTouch with Amazon Alexa

The Logitech ZeroTouch is a premium product from a well-known, premium brand. However, the price tag is still very reasonable. Logitech have also partnered with Amazon to bring touchless voice control to the device, activated with a simple hand gesture.

Features:

• Attachment type: 2 options; air vents or dashboard mount
• Material: Rigid plastic and magnetic design
• Measurements: 2.8 x 2.4 x 2.6 inches
• Ease of use: Simple, voice-controlled access

What’s to like about it:

Alexa can perform a range of actions comparable to the home control products produced by Amazon and can stream music directly from paid-for music services like Spotify or Google Play Music. The choice of either an air vent or dashboard-mounted holder means that this produce is compatible with pretty much any vehicle.

The touchless voice control ensures that you won’t be tempted to break the law and pick up your phone or get too distracted trying to use the touchscreen. It’s also straightforward to set up using an application, which is free to download.

What’s not to like about it:

There’s only one choice of color, black, so if you’ve got wooden or gray-finished dashboards, your device may look a little out of place. There’s also no option to use Google or Siri rather than Alexa, although this is unlikely an issue for most users.

PROS

• Built-in voice control
• Setup done through free application
• Allows touchless control over in-car music options like Spotify.

CONS

• Only one choice of color
• No option for Google or Siri control
• Blocks your car vent, reducing airflow into the cabin

2. Lifeproof LifeActiv

The Lifeproof LiveActiv in-car phone holder is a mount that uses a suction cup to attach to your windshield, enabling you to position it almost anywhere within reach. It comes with a higher end price tag, though doesn’t share quite the same level of functionality as the Logitech ZeroTouch, for example.

Features:

• Attachment type: Suction cup
• Material: Rigid plastic and rubber
• Measurements: 7.7 x 2 x 4.3 inches
• Ease of use: Quick access twist-and-clip connectors

What’s to like about it:

Connecting your phone to this mount is simple, with just a quick click into the magnet attachment. It’s also easily removable with a small twist. Your device can be used in either portrait or landscape modes, enabling you to rapidly swap from GPS maps to messaging or call features.

Once the magnet is connected to your phone case, clipping your phone into the holder couldn’t be quicker. The suction cup also locks and unlocks from your windshield with ease, and having a suction cup as opposed to air vent connector means that you have greater flexibility of where you position your phone holder.

What’s not to like about it:

You’ll have to be selective about the location you affix the suction cup to on your windshield, as the arm mount is relatively short. Adjusting the position of this arm is also quite fiddly and requires both hands in most cases, so this will have to be done while stationary. Also, you will need to affix a magnet to your phone case indefinitely.

PROS

• Takes mere seconds to connect the phone
• Simple windshield locking mechanism
• Suction cup allows greater range of positioning than vent attachments

CONS

• The mount is quite short
• Adjusting arm position is fiddly
• Requires a magnet to be permanently affixed to the phone case

3. iOttie iTap Magnetic

At around double the price of the Mpow, listed as the last product on our list, the iOttie has a similarly-sized footprint. It is very small and unobtrusive, and is built from good-quality materials, while also being attractive to look at when nothing is attached to it.

Features:

• Attachment type: Attaches to air vent
• Material: Rigid plastic and stainless steel
• Measurements: 0.5 x 1 x 1 inches
• Ease of use: Clips onto vents easily

What’s to like about it:

The iOttie iTap Magnetic Air Vent is a tiny phone holder that can hold most smartphones, given that it simply affixes them to its faceplate. A spring-loaded lock and release feature uses just a single click to attach and detach from your air vents.

This phone holder is quite cheap and has a small footprint, so you can still use your vents as such. Also, the design of the magnet attachment means that cases can be left on while phones are affixed to the front. In fact, using a phone case means that you can trap the magnet between your phone and case so that it’s invisible when not in use.

What’s not to like about it:

As this air vent is so small, it struggles to hold up larger handsets, such as the Apple Plus models and Samsung Note series. These devices tend to weigh down the holder, so that the vents are facing downwards. In this position, even with a strong magnet, strong bumps or knocks in the road can cause the phone to fall off.

PROS

• Very small footprint
• The magnet is extremely strong
• Phone cases can be left on while phone is attached

CONS

• Forces vent position downwards
• XL handsets may be too heavy
• Large speed bumps or potholes can be enough to shake this off

4. Kenu Airframe

In terms of price, the Kenu Airframe+ in-car phone holder is a mid-range product, capable of holding a wide range of devices; for example, iPhones anywhere from the 6 to the X are compatible, and thick phone cases aren’t an issue.

Features:

• Attachment type: Attaches to air vent
• Material: Rigid plastic design
• Measurements: 2.7 x 1.9 x 1 inches
• Ease of use: Easily attached, rotates to any angle

What’s to like about it:

The Kenu Airframe+ features patented design features in the form of a rotating clip, which allows attachment onto any vent at a horizontal, vertical, or angled orientation. There’s also a built-in travel stand for holding cards from your wallet.

Though the holder blocks airflow from the vent, the cooling air can help to reduce and regulate the temperature of the device. The attachment also provides a very secure fit to the vents, producing no rattling, and won’t fall off easily. You can even attach your phone inside of its case, as the holder is compatible with even thicker phone cases.

What’s not to like about it:

Though convenient and easy to attach, vent-mounted phone holders have a few common, shared problems. Due to the size of this phone holder model, air flow from the vent is reduced. It’s also quite easy to scratch the vents if you’re not careful, depending on the type of finish they have.

PROS

• Secure fit, doesn’t rattle or fall off
• Positioning keeps the handset cool
• Space for even the thickest phone cases

CONS

• Reduces airflow from the vent
• Removing your phone can be difficult
• The product can scratch vents

5. APPS2Car

The APPS2Car Magnetic Phone Car Mount is a versatile car phone mount, that can quickly secure a mobile device to most flat surface except leather, vinyl and soft surface. It is among the cheapest options for securing your phone inside of a car, though there’s some sacrifice on aesthetics and size as a result. For these reasons, we only award this product 2 out of 5, though it still makes our list as an inexpensive option.

Features:

• Attachment type: Dashboard, Windshield
• Material: Plastic and rubber
• Measurements: 4.53 x 2.76 x 2.36 inches
• Ease of use: Clips onto vents easily

What’s to like about it:

The APPS2Car Magnetic Phone Car Mount feature a high-quality rubber base to secure the magnetic head of the mount under tough vibration. There’s also an adhesive to secure the magnetic to your device, so that it won’t move around or come detached.

What’s not to like about it:

Since these are cheap models, the magnet quality isn’t as strong as competitor models; heavier phones may tilt downwards. They’re also less flexible than the Kenu Airframe+, for example, as they lack the patented design that has a more universal fit. The rough finish could also damage your vents, depending on their surface.

PROS

• Strong
• Far cheaper than most alternatives
• Easy to install directly onto car vents

CONS

• Magnet doesn’t always hold up
• Does not work well with all vents
• Finish on the product is quite rough

Final Verdict

In terms of quality and value for money, our top pick from these 5 units is the Logitech ZeroTouch with Amazon Alexa.The touchless voice control is useful in a wide range of scenarios, while the different means of mounting the device enable you to use it in almost any vehicle.