Wireless has developed into one of the wonderful pieces of technology we now take for granted. Internet, headphones, phone charging – we now expect wireless with items like these.
The power of magnetism is another of these welcome wireless developments. Hitherto, the brackets and clips used on phone holders were almost always flimsy and brittle, subject to breaking or rattling within a short space of time. But mercifully, small, powerful magnets are taking over the task of holding your phone steady while you drive. And some of them do a mighty fine job at it, which we’ve recommended to you here.
What to look for in a magnetic car phone holder
It’s a case of substance over style here. For a magnetic car phone holder to work as it should, there needs to be a firm grasp at both ends. The magnets in the holder need to be strong enough so that they snatch the phone from your hand when you attach it to the holder. At the same time, the bracket needs to grip the air vent, dashboard or other in-car surface without rattling or shaking.
Long story short, you get what you pay for. We’ve yet to come across a £5 phone holder that is at a satisfactory standard. Here are the best magnetic car phone holders, as chosen by Parkers.
The best magnetic car phone holders
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Belkin BoostCharge
Editor’s pick
Price: £44.99 | VIEW OFFER
Belkin’s BoostCharge magnetic holder has a very strong grip on the device it holds, plus it grips firmly to the airvent. So, that’s the basics covered. However, this version priced here also includes a cigarette plug and cable that you connect to the holder so it can charge an iPhone 12 or 13 (and only these models, as the holder uses Apple MagSafe technology).
While that’s annoying for those who don’t have such phones, the good news is that if you don’t need or want the charging option, you can get this as a holder without it, which saves you about £15.
APPS2Car CD Slot Magnetic Phone Holder
Best CD slot holder
Price: £11.89 | VIEW OFFER
CD players have not been seen in new cars for years but plenty of us still drive cars that have them. And that’s fortunate because CD slot holders are generally the most study way to attach a phone holder in a car.
The tabs that go into the CD slot mean that this mount and hold any device up to an 11-inch tablet, all the while still playing a CD. Like the Belkin holder above, this one fully rotates and swivels 360 degrees.
YOSH Magnetic Air Vent Mount
Best magnetic air vent holder
Price: £15.99 | VIEW OFFER
The YOSH holder is small and discreet and can be fitted to vertical or horizontal air vent slats. For an air vent mount, it’s as solid as the Belkin model, although it can’t match the CD slot mount – it can take up to a seven-inch smartphone.
The reason this stands above other air vent mounts is because the attachment is much stronger and more secure than others. Like the others here, this phone holder can fully rotate.
APPS2Car Universal Magnetic Phone Car Mount
Best suction cup holder
Price: £15.99 | VIEW OFFER
You may well use your phone as a sat nav when driving, in which case a dashboard or windscreen mount is more useful than one that attaches to an air vent. Of this sort of phone holder, this is our pick. It sticks to a dashboard or windscreen using a suction cup, and while many such designs suffer from being ineffective, this one works well because the suction cup sticks to a gel pad, rather than straight onto the surface itself.
The arm is sturdy and can even extend between 11.7cm and 16cm. Its angle can also be adjusted, while the magnetic mount swivels 360 degrees.
Read next:
The best travel torches for your car glovebox
The best power banks to keep in your car
Adding Wi-Fi to your car: complete buyer’s guide
