Best car phone holders 2026: the phone mounts to help you stay legal reviewed and rated

We all know that we must not touch our phones when we are driving – it's a given. However, modern smartphones offer far more than just the ability to keep in touch. One of the most popular uses in the car is for satellite navigation, with the likes of Apple Maps, Google Maps and Waze brilliant at plotting the quickest route and avoiding traffic jams. 

For this to be useful, the phone needs to be mounted securely in clear view of the driver, yet not interrupt their view of the road ahead – not only is this obvious but also an offence. It must hold the phone steady so you can see instructions presented to you, and be easy to attach and remove your phone quickly and easily when safe and legal to do so. 

And because of the power-hungry nature of sat-nav apps, many car phone holders will allow you to charge your phone while in use, too. 

Here, we are looking at universal mounts to suit any phone. We have selected a range of mounts that will hold the phone physically or magnetically and fit to your car’s windscreen, the dashboard or a vent, depending on your vehicle’s dashboard design. 

So which is the best in-car phone holder in 2026? Let’s see…

The products or services referenced in this story have been reviewed independently by our experts. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. However, this will never influence our opinion or ratings.

Best car phone holders 2026

Best all-round mount – Miracase Magnetic mount
Best for ease of use – Cinati soft phone holder
Best for subtlety – Vipetech magnetic mount

1. Miracase for Magsafe mount – best car phone mount

What Car? rating - 5/5

Pros

• Compact

• Multiple mounting areas

• Supplied ring for universal use

Cons

• No rotating function

The Miracase feels good quality; solid plastic construction with a twist-ring to create suction on the base and a MagSafe ring of powerful magnets to hold the phone. The mount comes with a plastic cover to offer some semblance of a vacuum mount, but removing this exposes an adhesive base to fit to the screen or the dashboard. The articulated arm allows good positioning and adjustment of the phone although once fitted, you can’t rotate it, so you need to get the base in the right place when you fit it. The strong adhesive created a solid bond with the top of the Mini’s dashboard and didn't leave a residue when we removed it. 

Once positioned, which is straightforward, using the mount is incredibly simple, because the phone is held on the mount magnetically. If you have a MagSafe phone or case, it grabs and holds very well – possibly too well, as it removed the magnetic ring from the MagSafe case. But that’s the fault of the elderly case, not the mount. 

The magnets worked through a generic case we used for the testing, but the bond wasn’t strong enough to rely on. With the phone mounted in a MagSafe case or directly to the holder, it can be used in either portrait or landscape orientation and can just be twisted between the two when fitted. 

We fitted the mount base to the top of the Mini’s dashboard with the arm holding the phone just below the lip of the dashboard, to the edge of the main instruments and at full extension, it was very solid, without  any vibrations affecting the phone or the display in use. 

Tester’s insight “I really like this mount. It looks good when the phone isn’t fitted and installing the phone is so simple – just offer it up and the magnets do the rest.”

Buy it if

• You want an adjustable phone position

• You want simplicity and quality

Don't buy it if

• You don't have a MagSafe phone or case

• You need greater distance between holder and mount

The facts

2. Cinati soft phone holder – best for ease of use

What Car? rating - 4/5

Pros

• Very easy to use

• Stable despite soft construction

• Great value

Cons

• Landscape orientation only

• Uses a lot of dashboard space

• Needs flat-ish area

The Cinati mount uses a residue-free silicone base and adhesive to stick to a relatively large flat section of the dashboard. However, it will flex enough to match some curved sections of dashboard – more so front-to-back than side-to-side. The phone fits into the base in soft slots which allow it – in a case or bare – to sit securely; soft prongs on the rear hold it upright without it tipping forwards or backwards. For thicker phones, the section with the two prongs can be removed to provide greater depth. 

The width of the holder means it will only work with the phone in landscape orientation so if you only like your phone upright, this isn't the car mount for you. Fitting is simple; just work out where you want it (so the phone doesn't block your view ahead), remove the adhesive backing and stick it down, then slot in your phone.

In use, it’s surprisingly stable for a soft, malleable mount and holds the phone securely without any trace of wobbling or screen distortion. It’s easy to fit the phone and remove it – just push it into the mount or pull it out – and there’s plenty of scope for charging via a lead (there’s no provision for wireless charging). There are cut-outs in the base to keep a cable close to hand though and you can leave small items in front of the phone if you need to.

Tester’s insight “If you can handle or prefer your phone in landscape orientation (personally, I do) then this is a great option. I also like that it looks quite original in many cars, holding a phone very much like a factory-fit sat-nav screen.”

Buy it if

• You want an fitted-from-the-factory look

• You want a stable and easy-to-use mount

Don't buy it if

• You prefer upright orientation

• You want to use wireless charging

The facts

3. Vipetech Super Bar – best for subtlety

What Car? rating - 4/5

Pros

• Great value

• Subtle looks

• Stable in operation

Cons

• Needs clear location

• Only works with included plates

The Super Bar from Vipetech is a subtle solution that, as long as you have the right spot on your dashboard to locate it, offers a very interesting proposition. It consists of a slim (20mm x 70mm) magnetic bar that sticks to the dashboard. You then stick one of the included metal plates to your phone or phone case and offer it up to the bar when you want to mount it. It's actually quicker to mount than storing the phone somewhere in a cubbyhole. 

We found that although it didn’t work well using the MagSafe system fitted to our test phone, with one of the four metal plates included in the pack stuck to a generic case (which held well), mounting is very solid and effective. You get three rectangular metal plates in two sizes, plus one circular plate so you can use four phones with the same mount. 

In use, it is incredibly easy to fit the phone to the mount and without a phone fitted, it is virtually unnoticeable – a very unobtrusive bar on the dashboard. You need to work out where to install it; on the Mini, we had to go to the lower-left of the instruments, which put the phone in a less-than-ideal position for viewing, but if you have the right spot, it is a very easy to use option. 

Tester’s insight “I love the simplicity of this concept, leaving just a tiny magnetic bar in the car when the phone is not fitted. I would have liked to have seen it compatible with MagSafe phones or cases but if you are not worried about that and are happy to stick a – very thin and barely noticeable – metal plate to your case or phone, it's a very straightforward and stable option.”

Buy it if

• You want universal-fit simplicity

• You want a subtle solution when the phone is not fitted

Don't buy it if

• You don't want to stick metal plates to your phone or case

• You don't have an appropriately located flat section of dashboard to stick to

The facts

4. Miracase vent-mount holder

What Car? rating - 3/5

Pros

• Great vent mount

• Decent quality

• Portable

Cons

• Loses vent function

• Won't fit all vents

• Limited landscape stability

Another example from Miracase, this time a physical holder paired with a vent mount. The vent mount itself is actually very good. It uses a pair of hooked sliding prongs mounted to a threaded collar, so you position the prongs through the vent slats, hook them to the back of one, tighten the prongs using the collar then fit the holder to the vent mount using the ball-joint. You then press the button on the back of the holder to expand the two side arms, put the phone in, compress the arms and you're good to go. 

Unfortunately, the vent mount would not fit the vents in the Mini – the slats were all too deep for the hooks on the mount. We tested it in another vehicle – a 2010 Volvo XC90 – and it fitted the dash vents in this perfectly, creating a very solid and stable connection. Fitting the phone is straightforward, if not as simple as a magnetic mount, although it's still a one-handed job even though removing it can require both hands. 

In use, it’s reasonably stable but there’s some movement in the phone even when the ball joint on the rear is tightened. It allows some adjustment, so you can get your phone in the best position. The main point of contact on our iPhone 15 was 55mm from the bottom – almost exactly 1/3 of the way up – which means that while stability was fine in portrait orientation, the top-heavy nature meant it wasn't nearly as good in landscape.

Tester’s insight "The vent mount is very nice – assuming it will fit your vent – and creates a solid mounting point. I thought the phone holder was good quality even if the faux carbon fibre backing is a bit tacky.”

Buy it if

• You want a solid vent mount

• You only ever use your phone upright

Don't buy it if

• You have very deep or wide vent slats

• You want to be able to use the vent

The facts

5. Yosh MagSafe vent mount 

What Car? rating - 3/5

Pros

• Subtle

• Strong grip 

• Good design

Cons

• Blocks car air vent

• Mount weak

• Limited access

Another vent-mounted option, the Yosh uses a MagSafe plate with a slightly different vent mount. The prongs slot into the back of the magnetic phone mount and push on to the slats in the vent and grip using what appears to be sprung steel encased in rubber. The result is a mount that sits close to the vent, with the only adjustment possible by moving the vent itself.

The twin prongs grip the plastic slats well and we were able to fit it to the Mini’s deep circular vents (unlike the Miracase version), as they don’t need to get to the back of the slats. However, due to the limited depth of the prongs and the lack of adjustment, the phone would only fit in one position between the Mini’s dashboard trim – more a function of the vehicle we used to test it on than a fault with the product. That said, unless the vent is in the right position or allows some inherent adjustment, you have to live with where it fits. 

Once you have the position established, it’s easy to use. Like other MagSafe units, you offer the phone – bare or in a MagSafe case, since it won’t grip a generic case all that securely – up to the mount and it holds it in place. It wasn’t as stable as some, mainly due to movement of the vent rather than the product. And we lost the ability to use the vent it was mounted to because the holder and phone blocked it. 

We also discovered that the mounting prongs are a snap-fit into the magnetic mount. That should make it possible to move from one car to another, but when we tried to remove it, one of the mounting tags snapped off, making it unusable.

Tester’s insight “The overall concept of the Yosh is very good. It seems to fit a range of vents well but I think it's a real shame it renders the vent itself unusable.”

Buy it if

• Your vents are in the perfect position

• You want to move a mount from car to car

Don't buy it if

• You don't have a MagSafe phone or case

• You want ultimate value – it's not cheap

The facts

6. Blukar phone holder 

What Car? rating - 3/5

Pros

• Inexpensive

• Easy to mount

• Decent quality

Cons

• Stability could be better

• Harder to use than some

The Blukar is a very familiar design; the mount can either be fitted to a windscreen or atop a dashboard using an adhesive pad. The extending arm means it can be positioned well, but the farther out the arm is extended, the less stable the phone holder – and the phone itself – becomes. 

Assembly and fitting are straightforward – we tried it on the windscreen and the mount held well. Fitting the phone is also simple – expand the arms, put the phone in then compress the arms to hold it tight, which it does thanks to the silicone rubber inserts. The angle of the arm and its length can be adjusted but you can’t rotate it, so you need to get that right first time. The clamping force is actuated by an easy-to-use lever on the base mount and the phone holder position is adjusted on a ball joint on the back. 

It works reasonably well if the arm is in its shortest position. However, the longer the arm, the greater the inevitable vibration at the phone. The ball joint also allows some movement and while the phone is well secured in the portrait orientation, rotating it to landscape causes further stability issues, as it is top heavy in the holder with a tendency to rotate farther round. 

Tester’s insight “This is a familiar concept and reasonably well executed. I liked that it’s simple to use, but not that it’s not as stable as others.”

Buy it if

• You want a cheap mount 

• You don’t have or want a magnetic phone or case

Don't buy it if

• You want ultimate stability

• You want the easiest phone-fitting technique

The facts

7. Beenle dashboard mount 

What Car? rating - 2/5

Pros

• Good concept

• Joint cheapest here

• Rotating phone mount

Cons

• Difficult to fit phone

• Stability could be better

This is an interesting concept and is based on a tough clamp that fits to the top of the gauge cluster or anywhere there is a protruding section of trim. As always, you need to be a little careful where you fit it, as you could easily obscure some of the view ahead.

Rather than a vacuum or adhesive mount, it uses a strongly sprung arm to clamp to the edge of the dash and the phone holder then flips up from the top of the unit. It can rotate almost 180deg from fully flat in the mount to fully forward, and the phone holder rotates so the phone can be easily fitted in portrait or landscape orientation. 

Fitting the phone is a two-handed operation and is quite a faff; you compress the two side levers which expand the arms to grab the phone. You then slide your phone through your hand which is still compressing the side levers, into the mount itself. To remove, you’ll either repeat this process or yank the phone out – but doing this can easily move the mount’s position. 

It’s straightforward to fit – assuming you have a suitable section of trim – but it isn't particularly stable. This is due, in part, to the looseness of the screw attaching the phone-mount arm to the dash mount. It comes with a combination Allen key/Philips screwdriver tool, but it’s too small to tighten it as much as you might want, so you’ll need to use a decent sized Philips screwdriver from your toolbox. 

Tester’s insight “A great overall concept but let down in the execution. It's a real faff to install the phone and I don’t think it’s stable enough to make it a viable long-term prospect.”

Buy it if

• You want one of the cheapest-possible solutions

• You have a lot of dashboard so the phone won't obscure your view out

Don't buy it if

• You have limited hand dexterity

• You want a stable mount out-of-the-box

The facts

8. Apps2Car windscreen mount 

What Car? rating - 2/5

Pros

• Long reach

• Dash or windscreen mount

• Inexpensive

Cons

• Unstable

• Support adhesive weak

• Phone sits high in holder

The Apps2Car holder is a variation on a theme, seemingly designed for mounting to the windscreen when it is a considerable distance from the driver. It has a rigid yet bendable arm that positions the phone holder 180mm from the base and it comes with a support for the arm to reduce vibration. 

The mount to the windscreen is relatively straightforward – you can either use the adhesive mount for a strong grip or the self-adhesive electrostatic pad for the mount to fit to. The actuating lever is quite tricky to work, as is the knob for the adjustment on the arm. The holder itself is a familiar physical design, with a button on the rear releasing expanding side arms that you compress to hold the phone. Rubber inserts grip the phone well and you need to release the arms again to get the phone out – all can be done with one hand. 

Fitting is a little time-consuming, and you need to get the mount in the right place as there is no adjustment in its position, including rotational. The length of the arm means the support is essential to reduce vibrations, but even with it in place the phone moves around too much to make this a viable choice. The adhesive on the mount is also poor quality, so while it can position the phone close to hand if the windscreen is a long way away, it is very unstable. 

Tester’s insight “My hopes were not high for this, due to the length of the arm which ought to make it attractive. However, this was borne out; even with the support mid-way along the arm, movement at the phone holder was just too great for the display to be useful, in spite of the holder resting on the top of the dashboard.”

Buy it if

• Nothing else will work

• You don't need to see comprehensive direction displays

Don't buy it if

• You want to be able to see your screen clearly

• You have limited hand dexterity

The facts

How to choose an in-car phone holder

There are several choices to be made when selecting a phone holder. The first is the way the mount will fit in the car – which depends largely on the position and design of the dashboard and windscreen. Suction mounts on the windscreen can be useful if you don't want to stick anything to the car’s interior. While  they can be moved from vehicle to vehicle,  they also tend to be less stable than dash-mounted examples, particularly if they have long arms to position the phone close to the viewing position. Ideally the phone should be positioned a similar distance from the driver as the car’s gauges to avoid you having to constantly refocus. 

Vent-mounted holders can also be very useful if you don't want to stick anything to the car’s interior. They can be less stable than more rigidly fitted mounts, particularly if the vent is quite loose, plus you may lose the effectiveness of that vent when the holder is mounted.

Panel or dash-mounted holders can offer excellent stability and accessibility assuming you have a section of dashboard you can fit them. Mounts with articulating arms can be a good choice to allow an adjustable position to get the phone just right. 

You then need to decide if you want magnetic or physical mounting. The latter relies on the phone’s weight being supported by a prong and two spring-loaded arms holding the phone in position. These are generally very solid though they can be a faff to load and unload the phone, depending on the design and the phone itself. 

Alternatively, a magnetic holder can be one of the easiest and in most cases, a secure way of mounting a phone. Some modern phones have MagSafe magnets (a standardised ring of magnets) built-in to the back, so no additional materials are required. However, they aren't always strong enough to operate through a proprietary case, so you may need an external magnetic plate, a MagSafe case or to take the phone out of its case when fitting the phone. 

How we selected in-car phone holders

Our selection process was designed to test as many different styles of phone holders as we could, so we scoured Amazon for a selection of holders that offered options for holder mounting as well as phone mounting. 

How we test in-car phone holders

We used an iPhone 15 Pro Max as a test subject in a brand-new generic silicone-style soft case. We chose a 2004 Mini One as the test bed, since it features an aesthetically pleasing dashboard with very few flat surfaces to mount holders to, presenting a challenge in both selection and performance of the holders. In fact, one of the products we selected simply would not fit the Mini’s particular design of vent, so we were forced to test it on another vehicle. 

How we rate in-car phone holders

We looked at how easy they were to fit to the car and subsequently, how easy it was to install the phone. We also undertook a test drive on very bumpy roads to see how stable they held the phone and the effect on visibility, and we looked at how straightforward it was to swap between portrait and landscape orientation, as different people have different preferences. 

How we test products

The products or services referenced in this story have been reviewed independently by our experts. When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. However, this will never influence our opinion or ratings.

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