A good car phone mount keeps your phone safely in view for sat-nav and calls, and keeps you on the right side of the law — because handling a phone at the wheel is illegal and a mount lets you glance without touching. Modern cars lean on Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but your phone is still the hub, so a secure, well-placed holder makes every journey easier. An extensive test of car phone mounts sorted the best, and these are the top picks, checked against current UK prices.
What to Look For
Where it mounts. The fixing point shapes everything. Air-vent mounts are the most popular — quick to fit and out of your eyeline — but rely on sturdy vents. Windscreen and dashboard mounts use a suction cup for a commanding view, though they can obstruct a little glass. And a cup-holder mount is the rock-solid answer for cars with curved dashboards or flimsy vents, planting the phone low and secure.
Cradle or magnetic. A clamp-style cradle grips any phone, with a spring or one-touch mechanism to lock it in, so it suits every handset. A magnetic MagSafe mount instead snaps your phone on and off in an instant, which is wonderfully convenient — but it needs a MagSafe iPhone or a compatible magnetic case to hold securely.
Wireless charging. The neatest mounts are two-in-one, charging your phone as you drive. Look for a magnetic wireless charger delivering up to 15W over MagSafe or Qi2, powered from the car's 12V socket — it keeps your battery topped up during long sat-nav sessions when the screen is draining it fastest.
Stability and ease. The mount must hold firm over potholes and speed bumps without drooping, and it should be easy to use one-handed, since you will dock and undock every trip. A generous 360-degree rotation lets you switch between portrait and landscape, and some cradles adjust through around 260 degrees to find the perfect angle.
Fit and the law. Check the mount takes your phone's size, especially a large handset in a bulky case. Above all, remember the point of a mount: position it for a quick glance at your navigation, and never pick up or tap away at your phone while the car is moving.
The Winner: iOttie Easy One Touch 5
The iOttie Easy One Touch 5 (around £24.99) is the best car phone mount for most people. It is an efficient, genuinely universal cradle with a sober, sturdy build that holds practically any phone on the market. At its heart is the Easy One Touch mechanism, which locks your phone in place with a single press against the trigger and releases it just as easily — brilliant one-handed docking. It comes in dashboard, windscreen, vent, CD-slot and cup-holder versions so you can fit it however your car is laid out. For a dependable, do-anything holder, it leads the field. Check the price on Amazon
Best for iPhone: Belkin BoostCharge Pro
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If you own an iPhone, the Belkin BoostCharge Pro (around £59.99) is the one to have. It uses the iPhone's MagSafe magnet so your phone simply snaps onto the mount, and it is a clever two-in-one: sitting on a vent and powered from the 12V socket, it wirelessly charges your iPhone at up to 15W while it displays your navigation. For anyone tired of plugging in a cable every journey, the convenience is hard to beat. Check the price on Amazon
Best Budget: Lamicall
The Lamicall (around £9.99) proves you do not need to spend much for a secure hold. Cheap car mounts are often flimsy, but this one grips well: it clips firmly onto an air vent with two dedicated clamps and holds your phone reassuringly steady for the money. It lacks the wireless charging and premium feel of the pricier picks, but as an affordable, no-nonsense vent mount — or a spare for a second car — it does exactly what it should. Check the price on Amazon
Also Tested
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One clever alternative is worth knowing about. The WeatherTech CupFone sits in your car's cup holder rather than on a vent or the dash, which is ideal if your cabin has a curved dashboard or fragile vents that will not take a mount. Its adjustable, telescoping base fits a range of cup holders. Note that WeatherTech is a US brand, so check current UK availability and pricing before buying.
How to Choose
Start with your car and your phone. For a universal, do-anything mount that grips any handset, the iOttie Easy One Touch 5 is the one to buy. If you have an iPhone and want it charged and snapped on with no cables, the Belkin BoostCharge Pro is worth the extra. And if you just want something cheap and secure, the Lamicall vent mount is a bargain. Whichever you pick, choose a mounting position that suits your dashboard, make sure it holds your phone size securely, and set it for glancing at navigation only — never for handling on the move.
Verdict
The iOttie Easy One Touch 5 is the car phone mount to buy for most people at around £24.99: universal, secure and brilliantly easy to use one-handed. The Belkin BoostCharge Pro (around £59.99) is the iPhone owner's choice with snap-on MagSafe wireless charging, while the Lamicall (around £9.99) is a genuinely secure budget vent mount. Get your phone safely mounted and keep both hands where they belong — on the wheel.
