If you use your smartphone for directions in the car, then a magnetic phone mount is just as important as a cellphone signal booster. Magnetic mounts are completely universal and all they require is a magnetic case or an adhesive magnetic accessory and you can connect to any magnetic phone mount. Here are our favorites across all different styles.
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Amazon Customer Reviews
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1. Best All-Around Car Mount: Trianium
Pros:- Includes 2 adhesive metal plates
- 360° rotation
- Low price tag
Cons:- Sits far away
- Adhesive can fail in hot weather
- Cannot be transferred to another vehicle
The Trianium Magnetic Car Mount is compact, versatile, and inexpensive, making it an all-around top pick for most needs. This mount attaches via adhesive strip to a (non-leather) dashboard, making it easy to install. Its adhesive strip can fail in hot weather but Trianium includes a second mount if your first one does fail.
The mount uses a ball-and-socket to offer multiple viewing angles, which gives you the freedom to place it anywhere on your dashboard. If your style of car has a small dashboard, this device can end up pretty far away, though. It comes with two metal plates to attach to your phone or its case and its four heavy-duty magnets offer a sturdy hold.
Find more Trianium Phone Mount information and reviews here.
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2. Best Dashboard Magnetic Car Mount: Torras
Pros:- Compact and low-profile
- 360° rotation
- Easy to install
Cons:- Adhesive can fail in hot weather
- Sits far away
- Cannot be transferred to another vehicle
If you are looking for a straightforward magnetic dashboard mount that doesn’t have any confusing clips or buttons, it doesn’t get simpler than the Torras Magnetic Mount.
It is comprised of a simple ball-and-socket swivel, a magnetic surface, and a plastic base with a built-in 3M adhesive strip. Simply wipe down the surface you wish to adhere to, let it dry, then firmly press it into the target sport for 15 seconds. Give it a day to set before you attach your phone and then you’re good to go.
This kit comes with two adhesive metal plates and its four heavy-duty magnets are strong enough to hold most phone models without issue. You may not have the ability to move this mount once you install it but it is well worth the convenience of an easy setup.
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3. Best Window Magnetic Phone Mount: TechMatte
Pros:- 360° rotation
- Low price tag
- Easy setup
Cons:- Limited articulation
- Magnets could be stronger
- Sits far away
The TechMatte Car Phone Mount is a simple window mount that offers easy setup and solid magnetic grip at a low price. Suction cups allow for versatile placement and the ability to move this mount to other cars when needed. Attaching it is as simple as drying off the surface then snapping the plastic base in place.
The trade-off of this mount’s simple design is the fact that it doesn’t have any articulation points beyond 360° swivel mount. This could leave the mount far away from your hand or in the way of your view.
Its four built-in magnets are decently strong and can connect to the two included metal plates through a light phone case. That said, there are stronger magnets out there so there’s no telling how this would fair on a bumpy road and your phone’s given weight. Still, it is hard to beat for the price.
Find more TechMatte Phone Mount information and reviews here.
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4. Best Telescopic Magnetic Phone Mount: Vanmass
Pros:- 8-inch telescopic arm
- 360° rotation
- Includes 3 adhesive metal plates
Cons:- Blocks your view more easily
- Bulky design
- Telescoping arm does not lock
The Vanmass Magnetic Phone Mount is a great way to bring your phone display closer to your face so you don’t have to squint to make out your directions. It has a telescopic arm that extends from 2.8 to 8 inches, making it much easier to reject calls or select an alternate route.
This mount adheres to a window or dashboard with a silica gel suction cup, so you can easily transfer it from one vehicle to another. The downside of this is that it blocks a larger portion of your peripheral view, which is never a good thing.
The six magnets on the end of the mount are strong and the phone end pivots in all directions to get the optimal viewing angle.
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5. Best Wireless Charging Phone Mount: iOttie iTap 2
Pros:- Built-in Qi wireless charger
- Includes 2 adhesive metal plates
- 360° rotation
Cons:- Metal plates require precise alignment
- Bulky design
- Doesn't work with every air vent
Magnetic mounts and Qi wireless charging are a strange combination, as magnets are known to interfere with wireless charging capabilities. The secret to the iOttie iTap 2‘s success is that its charging surface is wide enough for it to connect to a magnetic sticker that is placed below the inductive charging coils. it leaves plenty of room for the induction surfaces to touch.
The iTap 2 connects to your car’s air vent blades as long as they are a compatible shape not that weird airplane engine shape. It has a ball-and-socket joint to angle it as needed but the bulky charge plate will block your airflow on hot days. The result is worth it though, as its two strong rare-earth magnets keep a solid grip on your phone without interfering with the wireless charging.
Just keep in mind that you have to be very precise about the placement of the metal adhesive element on your phone. If there is any magnetic mount that will take two tries to set up, it’s this one.
Want to get even more wireless? Consider upgrading your dated radio setup with a Bluetooth audio adapter.
Find more iOttie iTap 2 Phone Mount information and reviews here.
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6. Best CD Slot Magnetic Mount: Apps2Go
Pros:- 360° rotation
- 6 strong magnets
- Includes 2 adhesive metal plates
Cons:- Sits far away
- Wing nut gets in the way of some control panels
- Requires a CD player
If your car’s CD player is literally gathering dust, then the Apps2Car Magnetic CD Player Mount might be just what you need to breathe new purpose into that useless slot.
It is designed to attach right into a console CD player, eliminating the need to fuss with adhesives or suction cups. One thing to consider about this is that CD players are usually found at the center of the car’s console, so this will probably sit farther away than other mount systems.
This isn’t a huge issue as the magnetic plate can rotate on a swivel to easily face you. Its magnetic plate has some of the most powerful attraction we tested thanks to its six strong internal magnets. This mount won’t be ideal for everyone’s specific needs but it was one of the best choices for my car, a 2014 Mazda 3.
Find more Apps2Go CD Slot Magnetic Mount information and reviews here.
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7. Best 360° Magnetic Phone Mount: Nite Ize Steelie
Pros:- 360° rotation
- Easy setup
- Low price tag
Cons:- Adhesive magnet is not flat
- Adhesive can fail in hot weather
- Cannot be transferred to another vehicle
The fact that the Steelie Ball adheres to your dash means that you can’t move it from car to car. But with a setup this cool, you aren’t going to want to let it stray far from your ride.
Most car mounts advertise 360° rotation, and while that is more of a marketing gimmick than an actual truth about the product, the Nite Ize Steelie Ball is the closest to actually validating this claim out of any mount we reviewed.
Its design is similar to other ball-and-socket dashboard mounts, except that this device uses one gargantuan ball. It is specifically designed to work with the Steelie magnetic phone socket, which is not flat like the steel pads other designs use. While this isn’t optimal, it allows you to position your phone at far more angles than is possible with other brands.
Find more Nite Ize Steelie Magnetic Phone Mount information and reviews here.
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8. Best Air Vent Magnetic Phone Mount: WizGear
Pros:- Easy setup
- Includes 2 adhesive metal plates
- Low price tag
Cons:- Limited articulation
- Magnets could be stronger
- Doesn't work with every air vent
Magnetic air vent mounts like the WizGear Swift-Snap are popular because they can be installed and uninstalled in seconds. Plus they’re typically pretty inexpensive.
This phone mount clips onto the vent for your car’s air conditioning, so you don’t have to fuss with adhesives or suction cups. It is incredibly easy to install but this does mean that it offers limited viewing angles, especially in certain car models.
Its magnets aren’t the strongest but they are good enough to hold most standard-sized smartphones as long as they don’t have bulky cases. For the price, it is still a solid pick.
Find more WizGear Magnetic Phone Mount information and reviews here.
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9. Best Flexible Magnetic Phone Mount: Ipow Long Arm
Pros:- 7.6-inch gooseneck arm
- 360° rotation
- Includes 4 adhesive metal plates
Cons:- Bulky design
- Magnets could be stronger
- Blocks your view more easily
The Ipow Long Arm Magnetic Phone Mount is a flexible suction cup mount that can attach to anything from side windows, to windshields, to dashboards. To add to its flexibility, it also has a 7.6-inch gooseneck arm and a ball-and-socket swivel, both of which help get that optimal viewing angle.
The Ipow Mount’s four magnets are decently strong but they don’t hold heavy phones in place quite as well as other models. The suction cup, on the other hand, is quite sturdy, though it works better on a window than a dashboard. If you can look past the bulkiness of its design, this device is a great option, especially if you have short arms.
Find more Ipow Long Arm Magnetic Phone Mount information and reviews here.
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10. Largest Magnetic Phone Mount: WizGear Rectangle
Pros:- Ten strong magnets
- Wide magnetic surface
- Includes 4 adhesive metal plates
Cons:- Adhesive can fail in hot weather
- Sits far away
- Cannot be transferred to another vehicle
This extra-large Adhesive Rectangle Car Mount from WizGear is powerful enough to hold oversized phones like the Galaxy Note 10 more confidently than other magnetic mounts we reviews. This device stands out for having ten high-power magnets, making it one of the grippiest mounts available.
The main shortcoming of this mount is that it adheres to the dashboard. In most cases, this isn’t an issue, but it is when your prime dashboard real estate is out of reach or you live in a hot area. 3M adhesive can fail in hot weather so make sure you follow the directions carefully for the tightest seal.
It comes with four adhesive plates, so a whole family could easily use it at once. Just keep in mind that it can’t easily be transferred to another car.
Find more WizGear Rectangle Magnetic Phone Mount information and reviews here.
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11. Best Low-Profile Magnetic Car Mount: Bestrix
Pros:- Four heavy-duty magnets
- 360° rotation
- Includes 2 adhesive metal plates
Cons:- Limited articulation
- Doesn't work on textured dashboards
- Bulky design
The Bestrix Magnetic Dashboard Mount only really works with a specific dashboard type, but where it does work it looks absolutely awesome. If your dashboard has a shape that accommodates this mount’s hanging design, this puts your phone in an ideal spot to reach for rejecting calls or selecting an alternate route on Google Maps.
This mount would theoretically work better on the windshield because of its silicone suction cup but the shape doesn’t quite work as well in that setup (at least in my Mazda 3). It is an odd choice for this design since it doesn’t work with textured dashboards but on the other hand, it can be transferred between vehicles easily.
Ultimately, it is highly situational as to whether or not this low-profile design will work with your setup, but when it does, it feels like a custom-made match.
Find more Bestrix Magnetic Phone Mount information and reviews here.
Why Does Everyone Love Magnetic Phone Mounts?
Magnetic phone mounts are becoming the new default system for most people to use their smartphones on the road. They are powerful, inexpensive, and convenient, which makes them the ideal way to follow hands-free driving laws.
They work thanks to ultra-thin metal adhesive plates that you can connect to your phone or its case. All of the best magnetic phone mounts come with at least one of these to get you started.
These metal plates add barely any weight or bulk to your phone. You can even opt for a more practical option like a magnetic ring mount if you want even more flexibility. My personal favorite technique is to attach the plate to an old phone case and then leave that case attached to the car mount.
Possibly the best part about these magnetic mounts is that they are fairly inexpensive. This makes it no big deal if you try it out and don't like it. However, we have a feeling you'll be attached to the idea soon enough (yes, pun intended).
Are Magnetic Phone Mounts Safe?
So growing up we were always told to keep our electronic devices as far away from magnets as possible. And now we are supposed to believe that it is okay to stick our phone to our dashboard with a magnet? What's the full story?
Thanks to advances in screen and memory technology, you do not have to worry about magnets interfering with your smartphone. The small neodymium magnets used by these mounts pose no threat to your phone, as this article from Pitaka thoroughly explains.
They don't drain your battery or interfere with wireless charging either, but there is one exception. You must be mindful of where you install the adhesive metal plates that are designed to react to the magnets. As long as you put them below where your phone's wireless charging coils are housed, they will cause no interference with wireless charging. Always consult the documentation for your phone before installing one of these metal plates.