Your phone will probably be part of every drive you take from here on out. Although you don’t want to be using your phone while you’re driving most of the time, it is possible to use your phone in a responsible way on the road for things like maps or hands-free phone calls. “Hands-free” is the keyword. You should not be picking your phone up to operate it while you’re driving. In order to help keep you safer on the road while getting all the great functions of your car, you probably want to consider getting a phone mount for your car.
Car phone mounts are especially useful if you don’t have the ability to display your phone screen and features on your car’s head unit (screen) but still want to use things like maps and phone calls. This is a thorough guide to the different types of phone mounts that are currently available, how they attach to your car, and what you need to consider before purchasing a mount for your car.
In this guide you’ll find the following info:
- Types of phone mounts
- Where the different phone mounts sit in your car
- How they attach to your car
- Examples of each types of phone mount
- What should you keep in mind to choose the best phone mount for your car
Types of phone mounts for your car
There are several types of phone mounts for your car. I’m going to go over the basics and the benefits and drawbacks of each kind of mount. You may find mounts that vary slightly from the types listed here, but I’m going to do my best to outline the general designs you’ll come across.
Where they mount
Phone mounts are generally designed to sit in one of these areas:
- On your dash
- On your windsheild
- In a cupholder
- On an A/C vent
Which place you want your phone mount to sit depends on:
- Where you’re most comfortable looking to see the information on your phone.
- Where it feels the safest to you.
- Where it won’t get in your way.
- What you primarily use your phone for while driving (ex: music vs. maps).
See more details about the different styles of phone mounts here.
How they attach to your car
Phone mounts attach to your car in some way, then your phone attaches to the mount. There are several ways for a phone mount to attach to your car, including:
- Suction cup
- Adhesive/glue
- Clip
- Pressure/Wedging
- CD slot
Check out these examples of how different mounts attach to your car:
The type of attachment that you should choose depends on things like:
- The temperatures you have where you live.
- If you own or are renting your car.
- How heavy your particular phone is.
- Where you want your phone mount to sit.
A little more detail…
Just to expand a little on the locations of the various mounts and how they will attach to your car – generally. With some examples…
Dash mounts
Pros: Easy phone access, lots of variety, good for phone map use.
Cons: Can leave residue on the dash, distracting placement, issues with extreme temperature, can be prone to falling.
Dash mounts sit on the front dash of your car and can sit either up in front of the windshield, or somewhere lower like the steering wheel area. They attach to your car via suction, adhesive, clip, or sometimes wedging, like these mounts from ProClip.
Some dash mounts are made with an extendible arm that you can use to customize the position of your phone even more. Many also allow you to rotate your phone from a verticle to a horizontal display, which is helpful if you prefer a wider screen for things like your GPS map as you drive.
Other dash mounts like this are made as basically a large shelve to hold your phone in place on your dash.
The iOttie dash mount is an example of a phone mount with an adjustable arm that attaches to the dash via adhesive. It secures your phone with clamping arms.
This is an example of a dash mount that is attached to your dash with a clip design. It also rotates and tilts to give you more options for how you want your phone positioned.
Windshield mounts
Pros: Easy phone access, leaves dash free, lots of options, good for map use.
Cons: Can leave residue, temperature might affect grip, distracting, can fall off.
Windshield mounts are similar to dash mounts in a lot of ways. They offer many of the same design options and features.
Windshield mounts usually use suction to adhere to your car’s windshield, although some use adhesive. They hang upside down, many times with an extendible arm that you can adjust to your preferred position.
To avoid interfering with your visibility as much as possible, you might want to mount a windshield mount in the center of your car’s windshield and opt for a mount that allows you to turn the phone slightly towards you so you can see the screen more easily.
This RAM mount is an example of a good suction cup windshield phone mount.
Note: The photo above is provided via Amazon, and will link to the product there. The majority of reviews of this product from people who purchased it on Amazon are very good. However, there are a few reviewers that claim to have received counterfeit versions of this mount through Amazon. So in the text-link above I have linked directly to the RAM webpage in case readers would prefer to order this item directly through their site.
Once again, here is the link directly to the brand’s website.
Cupholder Mounts
Pros: Easy installation, sturdy, out of the way, no residue.
Cons: Low position/requires looking away from the road, takes up a cup holder.
The cupholder phone mount is one of the easiest phone mounts to install. If you don’t mind your phone sitting a bit lower than the dash, it’s a perfectly functional option. Cupholder phone mounts are usually secured by tension and are generally adjustable so that they’ll fit most cup holders.
Cupholder mounts usually have some sort of adjustable arm to lift your phone higher, so it’s easier for you to access. They also allow you to turn your tilt your phone up so you can see the screen.
One of the main complaints with cup holder mounts (and car phone mounts in general) is shaking. So you’ll notice many cup holder mounts will specify “no shake” in their description (see this one) if they’re purposefully made to be more sturdy.
Here are a couple of examples of cupholder phone mounts:
This phone mount features a straight, adjustable arm to keep your phone from shaking.
This mount is capable of being both a cupholder mount and an A/C vent mount. It has a flexible pole and a wireless charger built-in.
A/C Phone Mounts
Pros: Easy installation, no residue, can keep phone cool, good height position.
Cons: Not ideal if you use heat, can block airflow, can fall off (depending on type of attachment.)
A/C phone mounts are easy to install and sit at a nice height. They are generally high enough for you to glance easily at your phone but don’t interfere at all with your view of the road. They are also probably the most controversial type of phone mount because some really dislike the idea of having your phone sitting in front of your vent.
That’s a fair critique of vent mounts. You need to take the time to determine if a vent mount will really work for you before purchasing. See the tips below to help you consider what kind of phone mount makes the most sense for you.
If you have your heat on a lot, it’s pretty safe to say this is not the phone mount for you.
Here are a couple examples of vent mounts for your phone:
This is a very low-profile vent mount that does use clamps to hold your phone in place. It also allows you to rotate your phone. It uses rubber grips to attach to the vent.
This is a vent mount is built to be on the sturdy side of the spectrum. It attaches to several types of vents, holds your phone in place from 3 sides, and rotates.
Keep these things in mind to find the best phone mount for your car:
What kind of weather do you usually drive in?
Phone mounts that are held in place with adhesives can be negatively impacted by hot climates, melting the adhesive and leaving you with a mess. You may want to opt for a suction-mounted phone holder, or a vent mount to help keep your phone cool.
Similarly, suction mounted holders might have a harder time staying in place in cold environments, so you may want to opt for the adhesive or cupholder type if you have a lot of cold weather.
How big is your phone?
Bigger and heavier phones are going to be more prone to falling off magnetic holders or causing suction or adhesive holders to fall. If you have a larger phone you probably want to opt for a holder that has some support for your phone built-in. You might also want to look for mounts that have a sturdier attachment style, such as vent clips, cup holders, or CD slot mounts.
Do you have a phone case?
If you use a phone case, take it into consideration when looking for phone mounts for your car. Phone cases:
- Add bulk to your phone, which might mean some phone mounts won’t fit.
- Might also interfere with the wireless charging capabilities some car mounts offer.
- They might also prevent you from being able to use a magnetic mount if you don’t want to stick the metal magnet plate to your phone case (although that’s a far better option than sticking it directly to your phone), or if the magnet isn’t strong enough to work from the inside of your phone case.
What sort of terrain do you usually drive on?
If you drive on paved streets most of the time, most phone mounts will probably work for you. If, however, you drive on a lot of bumpy or dirt roads, you might find your phone or phone mount falling off on occasion. If that’s the case you’ll want to focus on mounts that have built-in support for your phone and that attach to your car with a studier method, like cupholder or clips.
Where do you want your phone to sit while you drive?
Some people like having their phone mounted on the dash or windshield of their car, some find that obtrusive while they’re driving.
Some like their phone being more-or-less out of the way in a cupholder mount, some find that requires too much looking away from the road for their comfort.
Some like the height and ability to keep their phone cool with an A/C vent mount, some don’t like that it can block the air.
There are lots of places in your car that a phone mount can sit, but it can take a little experimentation to figure out which spot suits you the best for convenience and safety.