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A Guide to Selecting a Cell Phone Holder
Our smartphones are for much more than just making calls nowadays. It’s estimated that people check their phones as much as 58 times a day! Although a lot of that can be from a nervous habit, there are times that we really need the information that our phones provide–especially when driving. We might need to consult a map or GPS to find the optimal way to get to our destination. Or we might have to call someone to arrange a meeting. It’s important to have easy access to your phone while driving. And a good cell phone holder can help with that.
We’ll see that there are cell phone holders that you can place conveniently on your dashboard or windshield, to take a glance at them while driving. You can also get a phone holder that fits in your car’s air vent or CD holder. Or you can place them in your car’s cup holder so that you can access the phone’s buttons without moving your hand too far away from the steering wheel. And many of them have telescoping arms to allow you or your passengers to see the phone’s display.
We’ll go through some of the options in the Best Reviews Guide list of the best cell phone holders. You’ll see a wide variety of options. You’re sure to be able to find one that will match your phone’s dimensions, as well as your personal preferences!
FAQ
What types of car cell phone holders are there?
There are several types of car cell phone holders, including dashboard mounts, windshield mounts, air vent mounts, cup holder mounts, and CD slot mounts.
What's so useful about a car cell phone mount?
A car cell phone mount keeps your phone in a convenient, easy-to-reach location while you're driving. This can help you stay focused on the road and avoid fumbling around for your phone when you need it.
How do I know if a car cell phone holder will fit my phone?
Most car cell phone holders are designed to work with a wide range of phone sizes and models. However, it's always a good idea to check the product listing or manufacturer's website to make sure that the holder you're considering is compatible with your specific phone.
Do car cell phone holders require any special installation?
Most car cell phone holders can be installed quickly and easily without any tools. Some holders may require a bit more effort, such as attaching a suction cup to your windshield, but the process is generally straightforward.
Types of Cell Phone Holder
Looking over the Best Reviews Guide of the best cell phone holders, we see that we can distinguish between cell phone holders by where you install them in your car:
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Air vent mount: Some cell phone holders attach to your car’s air conditioning vent. An example is the Hussell Magnetic Phone Mount. You attach the mount to your car’s vent. Four very strong magnets hold your phone in place on the mount.
Hussell Magnetic Phone Mount
Others hold your phone in place with clips instead of magnets. An example is the Ainope Gravity Car Phone Holder. You adjust the width and height of the clips according to your phone’s dimensions.
Ainope Gravity Car Phone Holder
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CD slot mount: This is less common nowadays, but if your car has a CD player, there are also cell phone holders that you insert in the CD player slot. An example is the iOttie iTap 2 Magnetic CD Slot Car Mount Holder. Once you insert the mount into the CD slot, there is a lever that locks it in place.
iOttie iTap 2 Magnetic CD Slot Car Mount Holder
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Cup holder mount: There also are cell phone holders with a base that fits into your car’s cup holder. When you rotate the base, there are 3 little anti-slip silicone pads that hug the sides of the cup holder, keeping the cup holder in place. This places your phone in closer proximity to the steering wheel. An example is the TopGo Cellphone Car Cup Holder. It has a gooseneck flexible arm so that you can bend your phone out of the way so as not to interfere with your car’s gear shift or other controls.
TopGo Cellphone Car Cup Holder
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Dashboard mount: These use either a suction cup or adhesive to attach to your dashboard or windshield. An example is the iOttie Easy One Touch 4 Dash and Windshield Universal Car Mount Phone Holder. If the suction cup loses its effectiveness, you can rinse it under warm water, let it air dry, and attach it again.
iOttie Easy One Touch 4 Phone Holder, attached to the dashboard or windshield
One clever design for a dashboard mount is the Loncaster Dashboard Cell Phone Holder. It is a silicone phone holder that attaches to the dashboard with adhesive. You peel off the sticky film on the bottom of the holder and stick it onto your dashboard. It’s also suitable for holding a GPS device in place. And it has slots for inserting a data cable to recharge your phone, if necessary.
Loncaster Dashboard Cell Phone Holder
What reviewers say
Here are some of the impressions of customers regarding their choice of cell phone holders:
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Advantages of a cup holder cell phone mount: People who bought the TopGo Cup Holder Phone Mount preferred to keep their phone in the cup holder, so that it won’t block their view of the windshield, or block the air conditioning vents.
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Advantage of the air vent mount: One customer who purchased a phone holder that you mount on the air vent said that it served to keep the phone from overheating. Also, if the sun beats on your phone, keeping it near the air conditioning vents can help stabilize its temperature.
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Prefer to just slide the phone inside: Some customers liked the design of the Ainope Car Phone Holder Mount, where you just have to adjust for the width of your phone. After that, you just slip your phone into the holder, and it stays put by gravity. It’ll hold phones from 4 to 7 inches in width.
Important Features
Here are some tips and important features to look for when selecting a cell phone holder:
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Compatible with your phone: For every cell phone holder, the manufacturer will provide a list of which phones it’s appropriate. Even though you’ll be able to adjust the clamps on the phone holder to fit your phone, it’s still best to check in advance that your phone appears in the list of compatible models. For example, the iOttie Easy One Touch 4 Car Mount Phone Holder can hold any phone from 2.3” to 3.5” wide. But you should still check for your particular model.
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Swivel, rotate, and tilt your phone: Some cell phone holders use a telescopic arm to extend the phone closer to you. The iOttie also has a rotating ball joint to allow you to tilt your phone through a 260-degree arc. That way, you can look at your phone in portrait or landscape mode.
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Charging as well: There are cell phone holders that you plug into the car’s 12V cigarette lighter socket, that allow you to charge up your phone as well. Some use Qi wireless charging, whether you have an Apple or Samsung device. Just insert your device into the phone holder. It uses magnetic induction to recharge your phone’s battery, without a physical connection to the phone. An example is the Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Vent Mount.
Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Vent Mount
Belkin also makes cell phone holders that hold a charging cable in place, running from the cigarette lighter socket to your phone’s USB port. That’s the design in Belkin’s Car Vent Mount (Model No. F7U017bt).
Belkin’s Car Vent Mount
Final Verdict
We looked at some of the best cell phone holders. Many of them are good for a range of phone heights and widths, and some can hold a tablet or GPS device as well. Many customers try out a variety of cell phone holders until they hit on the option that suits them best. With so many choices available, it shouldn’t be hard to choose one for your phone!
