It's unsafe and, in most places, illegal to hold your phone in your hand while driving. The solution is to invest in one of the many car mounts available today. A good phone mount holds your device securely, affixes reliably to your vehicle, and doesn't block any ports or buttons on the phone. Some also offer additional features like articulating arms and even wireless charging.

Rules for where you're allowed to attach a phone mount vary across different states and municipalities. Many prevent you from mounting anything to your windshield or dashboard to keep your line of sight clear. But there are plenty of alternatives. Manufacturers also make mounts built for CD player slots, air vent fins, and even cup holders. We've tracked down the most secure and reliable options in various formats and at a wide range of prices, capable of holding up today's best Android phones.

When driving, we often need our mobile phones to perform a few different tasks, from answering important calls to finding directions to our destination. But considering how unsafe — and in most places illegal — it is to juggle a smartphone while navigating the roads, it can be a little impractical.

However, there’s a solution: a car phone mount. Acting as a tireless third arm to hold your device in place, this tool helps free both your hands to steer your vehicle and eliminate the need to take your eyes completely off the road to operate your stellar Android phone. Fortunately, we’ve curated a list of the absolute bests below, from windshield and dashboard frames to CD-slot, air-vent, and cup-holder mounts.

  • iOttie Easy One Touch 6
    iOttie Easy One Touch 6
    Best overall

    Being three generations into creation and refinement, the iOttie Easy One Touch 6 offers a fabulous experience. With its telescopic arm and cord organizer, it offers a myriad of customized viewing angles while providing orderly, unrestricted access to cables. The 2.3 – 3.5-inch wide clips ensure installation on air vents, windshields, dashboards, and CD slots are suitable for the majority of phones.

  • belkin-air-vent-mount-square-render-01
    Belkin Car Vent Mount
    Premium pick

    This Belkin vent mount is straightforward and built to a high standard. The vent clip grips tightly, and the aluminum arms are lined with a rubbery material to keep your phone in place without any damage. The arms can extend out to fit phones up to 3.66 inches in width, and there's even a clip on the back to secure a charging cable.

  • arteck-car-mount-square-render-01
    Arteck Car Mount
    Best value

    Arteck's car mount features a suction hold for dash or windshield mounting. The gel pad helps it stick to detailed surfaces; the holder can be adjusted for a better view, and it fits phones that measure up to about 3.5 inches wide. Best part? It costs only about $7, making it one of the most affordable options around.

  • belkin-magsafe-vent-mount-pro-square-render-01
    Belkin MagSafe Vent Mount Pro
    Best MagSafe mount

    If you have a MagSafe case or adapter on your Android phone, you can take advantage of Belkin's MagSafe vent mount for a secure and convenient setup. It's compact and easy to use, has a cable holder if you're charging, and can rotate around for horizontal or vertical orientations.

  • scosche-magicmount-phone-mount-square-render-01
    Scosche MagicMount
    $13 $18 Save $5

    Some dash mounts are quite large, but this Scosche MagicMount is the opposite. It mounts to your dash with a strong adhesive strip and has a simple magnetic face (with 360-degree rotation) to which you secure your phone. The mount even comes with magnetic plates that stick onto your device should you lack a magnetic case or another adapter.

  • ainope-gravity-car-mount-square-render-01
    Ainope Gravity
    $16 $25 Save $9

    Ainope's Gravity mount is a fancy little bit of engineering that allows you to drop your phone in and have it lock automatically. It hooks onto the vent blades in your car (instead of just clamping down) for a firmer hold, and it should fit even large phones with a protective case. This should be a solid pick for driving on bumpy roads.

  • Lamicall Vent Phone Mount
    Lamicall Vent Phone Mount

    With 4-lock protection, the Lamicall vent phone mount guarantees a rock-solid grip on your phone with utmost stability on all roads. Thanks to its ergonomic arms and adjustable foot, the phone holder accommodates smartphones of different sizes, ranging from four to seven inches in width. And considering its clasps are padded with ultra-thick silicone layers, it does this without scratching the sides or back of your device.

  • iottie-auto-sense-qi-wireless-square-render-01
    iOttie Auto Sense Qi Wireless Car Charger

    Have a phone with wireless charging capabilities? Why not keep your battery topped up while you drive? The iOttie Auto Sense mount features a Qi wireless charger with up to 10W of charging power. It attaches to your dash with a suction cup and has a telescopic arm that can pivot and rotate. It fits phones up to 3.64 inches in width.

  • kenu-airframe-plus-square-render-01
    Kenu Airframe+
    $21 $30 Save $9

    The Kenu Airframe+ is built strong despite its lightweight feel, and its arms can extend up to 3.4 inches in width to fit most phones. It clips into your air vent, and thanks to its rotational abilities, it can be used on vertical, horizontal, or offset blades. So take it with you when you travel, and slip into a rental car without worrying about compatibility.

  • SUUSON 3-in-1 Phone Holder
    SUUSON 3-in-1 Phone Holder
    $12 $50 Save $38

    Being a 3-in-1 mount, the SUUSON phone holder can be secured firmly to your dashboard, windshield, or air vent. It employs a three-layer viscous gel with a one-step suction mechanism to attach strongly to smooth surfaces. It features wide clips and adjustable feet to hold your phone in place. And as with any high-quality mount, it has a 360o ball joint and a telescopic arm that allow you to adjust the phone to any angle.

  • lisen-magsafe-vent-mount-square-render-01
    Lisen MagSafe Vent Mount
    $20 $38 Save $18

    This MagSafe mount from Lisen works with MagSafe-compatible cases and adapters, giving your phone a firm magnetic hold. In addition, it clips easily into vertical or horizontal vents and provides 360-degree rotation to get the best look. If you don't want to spend a lot, this is the way to go.

  • topgo-universal-cup-holder-square-render-01
    Topgo Cup Holder Mount

    Not every car has the dash, air vent, or windshield to support a mount. That's where this cup holder mount from Topgo comes in. It has an adjustable base to fit most holders, it can rotate 360 degrees, and it has a curved arm that provides extra height. It also holds phones up to 3.54 inches wide.

  • LISEN Dashboard Phone Holder
    LISEN Dashboard Phone Holder

    After years of rigorous testing and optimization, LISEN has successfully developed a remarkable phone holder. Unlike conventional dashboard mounts, which employ suction cups to attach to smooth, flat surfaces, the mount utilizes an ‘H-shaped’ flexible base with Nano-Level 3M adhesives to attach firmly to both curved and flat dashboards. Furthermore, with its peg holder and contoured base, it can securely hold phones of all sizes at three different angles.

  • qifutan-phone-mount-car-vent-square-render-01
    Qifutan Vent Mount
    $12 $17 Save $5

    This affordable mount from Qifutan has a horizontal vent hook that attaches firmly (rather than just clamping down) and provides 360-degree rotation for horizontal or vertical setups. The mount has four points of contact with your phone for a secure hold, and, to sweeten the deal, it's very affordable.

  • apps2car-phone-vent-mount-square-render-01
    Apps2Car Vent Phone Mount
    $10 $16 Save $6

    The Apps2Car mount rivals our top value pick, and it's a great way to get a vent mount for about $10. It can hold phones up to 3.3 inches wide and offers 360-degree rotation thanks to a swivel ball mount. It's straightforward, it's easy to use, and you can even get a two-pack for just a few dollars more.

  • EOCAHO cup holder phone mount
    EOCAHO Cup Holder Phone Mount
    $20 $34 Save $14

    The EOCAHO car mount is an embodiment of the perfect phone holder. Its sturdy, expandable base fits snugly into cup holders of all sizes, providing a stable and secure hold even during the bumpiest of rides. With deep side arms and an adjustable foot, it holds your phone firmly in place, regardless of the height and angle you choose to place it. And with the quick-release button, your device can be ejected easily.

What are the different types of car phone mounts?

Depending on the rules governing the road you’re driving on, you may not be allowed to attach objects to certain parts of your vehicle. Certain states and municipalities prevent road users from mounting anything to their windshield and dashboard to keep their line of sight completely clear. Luckily, phone mounts come in different forms, so regardless of where you are or aren’t allowed to affix an item to your car, there’ll always be a superb mount you can opt for. You can always get the frame that makes sense for you, whether you want it as a windshield, dashboard, CD slot, air vent, or cup holder mount.

Although phone mounts are most popularly used by drivers, they also come in handy in other scenarios. A passenger, for instance, may need a phone mount to hold their phone in place while they watch a movie on it. This can be made a lot more convenient and enjoyable with a sturdy frame to hold your mobile phone in place. And in such situations, the most viable type of phone holder tends to be a cup holder mount for regular-sized smartphones and a headrest mount for tablets. Regardless of the device you have or the position you may be in a vehicle, there’s always a fabulous mount to make using your device a pleasure.

Getting the most suitable car mount for your Android phone

In the US, windshield phone mounts are illegal in 21 states, with many counties and cities banning them in the remaining 29. In different parts of the world, the specific laws vary greatly from device to device. For example, some states let you mount a GPS on the windshield but not a phone. Other places let you mount devices on the glass as long as it’s outside your line of sight. This, as well as personal preferences, remarkably influence the decision on which car mount is best for your Android phone.

Nevertheless, we’ve put together this collection to cover just about any setup that you’re comfortable using. But as a word of recommendation, we endorse the iOttie Easy One Touch 6. It’s sturdy and compatible with pretty much any modern smartphone out there, with its secure four-point grip. It’s available in four mount types, with an arm that can extend out to eight inches in length and a neck that allows for tilting and pivoting to attain desired viewing angles. Overall, the mount is excellently built, well-rated, and affordable too.

If you’re willing to spend a little more to get the best experience possible with a car phone mount, we suggest going for the Belkin frame. It’s built strong with aluminum, and it offers a straightforward capture system that can hold phones up to 3.66 inches in width. It can be purchased as both a vent mount and a cup holder mount, and it’s available in different forms for these two types, including a MagSafe variant. So, if you have a great Magsafe adapter or case on your Android phone, you’ll want to pick this up.

If you want a sturdy car mount for your phone but don't want to spend too much to get one, the Arteck holder should suffice. At only $7, you’ll get a well-made dash/windshield frame that can hold devices of up to 3.5 inches in width. This makes it the perfect option for those trying out a car mount for the first time, perhaps to see how well it enhances their experience with their vehicle’s infotainment system.