In the UK, using your phone when driving will lead to 6 penalty points and a £200 fine. Therefore, to resist temptation, explore our top car phone holder recommendations, including vent, magnetic, wireless charging, suction and dash mounts.
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The law regarding the use of mobile phones when driving in the UK has been in place for many years now and this includes using your phone to text or call without using handsfree as well as taking photos or videos and browsing the internet. Therefore, apart from calling 999 or 112, you can’t hold your phone whatsoever when driving.
Due to this law, car phone holders have become very popular and there is a huge selection on the market to choose from. However, to ensure that you are abiding by the law, the holder (and phone) can’t block the view of the road and traffic ahead. If it does (i.e. a suction cup mount directly in front of you), you can get 3 penalty points on your license.
For complete peace of mind, all of our car phone holder recommendations are legal to use as long as you position them so that they don’t block your view of the road and traffic ahead.
Best Car Phone Holder Overview
- Best Vent: UGREEN Cradle
- Best Magnetic: YOSH Classic
- Best Suction: VANMASS Windshield
- Best Wireless Charge: Auckly Qi
- Best Dash: Cinati Silicone Pad
- Best MagSafe: ESR HaloLock
Below is a list of the best car phone holders that are available as vent, magnetic, wireless charging, suction and dash mounts.
The Best Car Phone Holders
1. Best Vent: UGREEN Cradle Mobile Phone Holder
Securing your phone in a cradle that attaches to your car’s air vent is usually the most secure option and the UGREEN mount is our top recommendation. It’s a universal car phone holder that works with phones ranging from 4.7 to 7.2 inches in size (this covers most smartphones) and the clip for connecting to your car is also universal for most air vents. A feature we really liked during the testing of this car phone holder is the gravity clamp that enables one-handed operation. All you need to do is simply place your phone into the mount and it’ll automatically grip your phone tight.
Pros
- New and improved design with an upgraded air vent clip
- Universal compatibility with most phones and all car air vents
- Desirable 360 degree rotation ball to position your phone to best suit your requirements
- Sturdy metal holder arms and silicone pads to safely but securely hold your phone
- Gap on the lower clamp to allow for charging cables to pass through
- During testing, we found the holder to keep our phone securely in place with very little movement whatsoever
- Available in black or silver
- Produced by a brand that specialises in phone accessories
Cons
- Phones that have extra large cases may struggle fitting within the cradle
To conclude, the UGREEN phone holder is an excellent piece of kit that’s well-made, includes many intuitive features and offers great value for the money. During testing, the gravity clamp made it very easy to place your phone in the cradle and it held our phone securely with very little movement. Considering all of its excellent features and affordability, you really can’t go wrong with this car phone holder and it certainly won’t disappoint.
2. Best Magnetic: YOSH Car Phone Mount
By far one of the most popular car phone holders on the market is the YOSH magnetic mount. Available in either black or white, it’s a compact holder that comes with 4 magnets to securely hold your phone in place. In terms of phone compatibility, the brand state that it can hold phones up to 6.5 inches in size. However, if you have a larger phone, the brand offer alternatives with stronger magnets for a more secure fit.
Pros
- Very easy to attach and remove your phone
- Anti-scratch rubber ensures that it doesn't damage your car's air vents
- Suitable for all phones and cases
- You can angle your phone in any position
- Compact and aesthetically pleasing design
- Uses stronger magnets than other magnetic phone holders
- Offers great value for money
Cons
- Not suitable for large phones
- Magnet can ruin the appearance of your phone
The popularity of YOSH’s mount is a clear indication of its quality and it’s by far the best magnetic car phone holder on the market. During testing and extended use of the holder, we really liked the fact that you can simply place the phone on or off with ease. There is no need to push cradles into position with two hands, simply place it on the mount and you are ready to go. It’s also very compact and easy to remove from your car’s air vent, which keeps your car clear of clutter. With regards to the magnets, as a top tip from our experience with the holder, as long as your phone isn’t too heavy, you can hide the magnets between your phone and the case, which means that the magnets are not on display.
3. Best Suction: VANMASS Car Phone Holder
Another extremely popular car phone holder in the UK is the VANMASS Suction Mount, which is suitable for all phones between 4 and 7 inches in size. In terms of why it has made our list of recommendations and why it’s so popular is mainly due to its superior build quality. This is because according to the brand, it’s constructed of military-grade materials and has a strong suction that’s rated at an impressive 60 LBS.
Pros
- Available in 10 different colours
- Built to the highest of standards and is RoHs certified
- Strong suction power to ensure your phone remains stable inside of the cradle
- Fits most smartphones that are 4 to 7 inches in size
- Can be installed anywhere in your car (avoid placing it areas that block your view of the road)
- Supplied with an air vent clip as an alternative to using the suction cup
Cons
- Relatively expensive when compared to other suction type of phone holders
If you want the flexibility to install a phone holder virtually anywhere in your car, the VANMASS suction cup is the perfect solution. Compared to the hundreds of suction cup alternatives, the brand has ensured none come close to its high-quality construction and the additional cost of the holder is very much worth the investment. If you do opt for this type of car phone holder, it’s crucial that you place it somewhere that doesn’t block your view of the road.
4. Best Wireless Charge: Auckly Mobile Charger Holder
As most modern smartphones now provide the option of wireless charging, the demand for phone holders to also offer this has skyrocketed. After testing multiple that offer wireless charging, Auckly’s Qi mount impressed us the most. This is mainly because it offered fast charging (15W), a stylish design and an impressive 5-year warranty.
Pros
- New and improved design that uses aluminium clips instead of plastic
- Easy to rotate 360 degrees
- Backed by an impressive 5 year warranty
- Desirable fast charging (15W)
- Stylish design with a gloss finish
- Features an automatic closing function when your phone is in the cradle
- Supplied with a USB cable
Cons
- You require a USB output or adapter with a USB input to use this holder
The ability to simply place your phone into its holder and let it charge without needing to mess around with wires is what the Auckly Qi does best. Compared to previous wireless charging holders we’ve used, the fast charging functionality is a great benefit and this particular model is far more aesthetically pleasing to look at too. It’s important to note that if your car doesn’t feature a USB input, you’ll need to purchase a separate USB car adapter that you can plug into a 12V port to use this phone holder.
5. Best Dash: Cinati Silicone Pad Mount
Not all cars have suitable air vents or windscreen space available to place a car phone holder but an alternative type that you may wish to consider is a dash mount. The Cinati mount in particular is our top recommendation as it has recently been upgraded and features a non-slip silicone pad that ensures maximum stability on your dashboard.
Pros
- Available in black, blue, pink or red designs
- Small storage mat in front of the mount
- Universal phone compatibility
- Can be washed if required
- Easy to place your phone onto the mount and remove it with one hand
- Securely sticks to dashboards regardless if they are flat or not
- Offers great value for money
Cons
- Not suitable for dashboards that have limited space
- Can't rotate your phone within the mount
Overall, the Cinati Dash mount is a simple solution to holding your phone in the car and the upgraded silicone pad ensures that it doesn’t move an inch whilst driving. The only main drawback is the fact that for some dashboards, you may struggle to find a suitable place to put it but at just 5 x 5 inches in size, it should be suitable for the majority of cars.
6. Best MagSafe: ESR HaloLock Phone Holder
For iPhone users that want to make the most of the phone’s MagSafe functionality, the ESR brand has the answer with their mount. Known as the HaloLock, it’s a MagSafe phone holder that holds your iPhone magnetically and wirelessly charges it too. It also features a 3-point secure support to provide maximum stability when connected to an air vent.
Pros
- Provides fast wireless charging without overheating your phone
- Powerful magnetic lock with 360 degree rotation
- Secure 3-point air vent design for maximum stability
- Compact and stylish design
- No additional magnets required
Cons
- Doesn't provide the best fit for cars with rounded air vents
To conclude, the ESR MagSafe charger is one of the best car phone holders for iPhones that feature MagSafe. Although it comes with a premium price tag, it’s a high-quality mount that’s stylish and ensures maximum stability whilst out on the road. When compared to other magnetic car phone holders we’ve tested, the magnetic force is far stronger with this mount and according to the brand,their mount is able to withstand six times the weight of an iPhone 13 Pro Max, which is very impressive.
How We Rated
Phone holders that are designed for your car have been around for a long time and we’ve been testing a variety over the years. From early versions that slotted into your car’s CD player that’s rarely used these days to the latest that include wireless charging, there aren’t many top-rated examples that we haven’t tried and tested.
During our ongoing testing of car phone holders, we analyse their build quality, stability whilst holding the phone, adjustability (as shown in the images below) and compatibility whilst holding a variety of phones.
Below is a video that we posted on our YouTube channel that shows us testing some of our recommended phone holders. As you can see in the video, they are able to withstand movement from us hitting the mount and they can also be easily adjusted to best suit your requirements (i.e. many people like to view their sat nav in landscape view). We also demonstrated the ease of removing a phone from a holder as well as placing it back on with the YOSH magnetic holder being the easiest to attach your phone.
To keep up our commitment to reviewing and testing the latest car phone holders (for this article), we are continually testing out the latest offerings from top brands. This means that when we notice a brand has released a new and improved holder, we will attempt to buy it and put it to the test (where applicable).
As well as our testing and experience using a variety of car phone holders, we also based our recommendations on the latest research and several factors. Some of the factors that we considered included the holder’s build quality, ease of setup, stability, compatibility, aesthetics, adjustability, additional features, warranty and value for money.
Conclusion
Considering that most phone holders for cars cost a fraction of the fine you would receive if caught using your phone when driving, investing in a quality example that you are likely to use is highly recommended. It doesn’t matter if you are only holding your phone and not even using it, if you are caught, you’ll receive 6 points on your license as well as a fine of £200. Therefore, it’s simply not worth it!
All of our recommendations within our roundup include all the popular types and we’ve tested several over the years to base our recommendations on. We personally prefer the air vent type of car phone holder but it’s a matter of personal preference to which holder you wish to use in your car.
If you require further information regarding our car phone holder recommendations, feel free to get in touch and we will try to provide our assistance where possible.
Written By Dan Morgan
Dan has been a car enthusiast ever since he can remember and has an extensive range of cars that include classic cars that he has restored himself from a barn find condition to modern performance cars. Whether you need advice on how to install car parts or recommendations on what products to buy, Dan’s first-hand experience will certainly help.
If you want to find out more about Dan, our testing process or the website itself, visit our about page for further information.
