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
