How to Choose a Car Phone Holder
Vent, dashboard or windscreen? How to choose a car mount that holds securely and keeps your view clear.
On this page
Start with the law and your view
In the UK it is illegal to hold a phone while driving, so a mount is the practical way to use navigation legally. It also has to be positioned so it does not obstruct your view of the road — a windscreen mount placed in the middle of your sightline can itself be an offence. Mount low, to the side, or on a vent.
Mount types
Vent mounts
Quick to fit, keep the phone at a natural height, and add nothing to the windscreen. They can block a vent and struggle with thin or angled slats. See the magnetic vent holder.
Dashboard mounts
Very stable and usually adjustable. Adhesive or suction pads need a clean, flat surface, and high summer temperatures can loosen cheap adhesive. See the dashboard mount.
Windscreen mounts
Flexible positioning, but easiest to get wrong from a visibility point of view.
Wireless charging mounts
Hold and charge at once, which suits anyone using navigation on long drives. They need a 12V feed, so plan the cable route. See the wireless car mount.
Magnetic or clamp?
Magnetic mounts are the fastest to use one-handed — the phone snaps on and off. They need a magnetic-compatible case or a metal plate, and a plain silicone case will not hold. Clamp mounts work with any case, including thick rugged ones, but take two hands to load.
Practical checks before you buy
- Will it fit your phone with its case on, particularly a rugged case?
- Can you reach the charging port with it mounted?
- Does it rotate to portrait and landscape?
- Is your vent horizontal, vertical or circular?
- Does it block a heating vent you actually use in winter?
- Does your car have a dashboard surface flat enough for a suction pad?
Keeping it reliable
Heat is what kills car mounts. Adhesive softens, suction cups loosen, and a phone left in direct sun on a mount will throttle its charging. Clean the mounting surface with an alcohol wipe before fitting, avoid textured plastics for adhesive pads, and take the phone with you rather than leaving it baking on the mount. Browse the full car accessories range.
Questions
Mounts are legal, but the phone must not obstruct your view of the road. Position it low and to the side, and never hold the phone while driving.
Only with a magnetic-compatible case or an added metal plate. Plain cases will not hold reliably.
No. They can affect bank cards left in a wallet case, so keep cards away from the magnet.
Shop the range. Everything mentioned here is in our full accessories range, with GBP pricing and compatibility listed on every product page. Questions about your model? Email or call us.