How to Choose a Car Phone Holder: The Complete Guide

Using your phone as a sat nav has become second nature. But it has to be in the right place: a phone lying on the passenger seat or wedged into a cup holder forces you to take your eyes off the road. In the UK, holding your phone while driving is illegal, even when you are stopped at traffic lights, and can land you a hefty fine and penalty points. A good car phone holder solves all of that. Here is how to pick yours.

Where should your phone holder go?

Before comparing models, think about placement. The right spot follows three rules:

• Keep your view clear: the phone must never block the road or your mirrors.
• Stay in your line of sight: ideally, you can glance at the map without turning your head.
• Stay clear of the airbags: avoid the centre of the steering wheel and the top of the dashboard on the passenger side.

The three main mounting types

Air vent mounts

This is the most popular option. The holder clips onto a vent slat, close to eye level. It suits most cars, whether the slats are horizontal or vertical. Go for a hook clip that grips behind the slat: it holds far better than a basic spring clip. One drawback: in winter, warm air blows straight onto the phone, so angle the slat away or turn the heating down on that side.

Dashboard mounts

The base sticks onto the dashboard. This is the one to choose if your vents are round, very thin or awkwardly placed. Pick a flat surface, clean off any grease before applying the adhesive, then wait a few hours before attaching your phone.

Windscreen mounts

Suction cups give good visibility, but they can eat into your field of view if badly placed, and they tend to come unstuck in hot weather. If you go this way, fit it at the very bottom of the windscreen on the driver's side.

Clamp or magnet?

Once you have picked the mounting point, decide how the phone attaches to the holder.

• Clamp holders grip the phone between two arms. They take almost any model, but you often need both hands to put the phone in.
• Magnetic holders hold the phone with magnets. One quick move is all it takes to attach or remove it. MagSafe-compatible iPhones snap on directly; for other phones, simply stick a thin metal plate to the back of the phone or case.

For everyday driving, magnetic is hard to beat. Just check the quality of the magnets: our magnetic car phone holder uses N52 magnets and a 360° ball joint so you can switch between portrait and landscape.

The details that make the difference

When comparing holders, look beyond the price tag:

1. Stability: over cobbles or speed bumps, the phone should neither wobble nor tip.
2. Weight capacity: a large smartphone in a chunky case often weighs more than 250 g.
3. Case thickness: beyond about 3 mm, magnetic hold weakens. A slim or MagSafe-compatible case is ideal.
4. Rotation: a 360° joint lets you find the perfect angle with no glare.
5. Easy release: you should be able to grab your phone with one hand as you get out.

Don't forget charging

Sat nav, a bright screen and Bluetooth drain your battery fast. On a long drive, a good charger is the perfect partner for your holder. A USB-C Power Delivery model such as our 65 W USB-C car charger tops up a smartphone quickly while leaving a spare port for your passenger. Route the cable along the centre console so it never dangles near the pedals or the gear stick.

Our fitting tips

• Clean the vent or dashboard before fitting the holder.
• Try a few positions with the engine off, sitting in the driver's seat.
• Set your route and music before you set off, never while driving.
• Turn on your phone's driving focus mode to silence notifications.

The bottom line

For most drivers, a magnetic air vent holder paired with a fast USB-C charger offers the best balance of stability, visibility and ease of use. If your vents are not up to the job, the dashboard version works just as well.