Best phone holders
Stay legal when driving: which of these hold your phone securely?
Most of us are reliant on our smartphones. We use them for navigation, entertainment, messaging and occasionally even to make calls. And if you stay on the right side of the law and behave responsibly, you can do many of these things while driving.
Most modern cars will have wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to allow you to mirror the phone’s screen while you leave it in a bag or jacket. But older models will need a phone mount so you aren’t tempted to pick up the device and land yourself with six points on your driving licence and a £200 fine. Mounts can cost as little as a few pounds, and most will fix to the car with a suction pad or clip to a handy air vent.
How we tested
For this test we concentrated on pure phone holders rather than those that also charge. Suction mounts adhere to the windscreen or another shiny surface, but some drivers will prefer holders that attach to air vents. We tried both types on several cars to check for fit.
Once they were in place, we added a smartphone and tested solidity and practicality. Mounts that covered up the phone’s buttons lost points. We then checked how easy it is to attach the phone and adjust the position. Finally, we took value into account.
Best phone holders
Below we rate the best phone holders you can buy in 2025.
Mous Suction Mount
- Price: around £14.99
- Rating: 5 stars
- Contact: uk.mous.co
Used - available now
2020 Audi
Q2
41,087 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £13,697
2018 Mercedes
C-Class Saloon
58,191 milesManualPetrol2.0L
Cash £12,997
2019 BMW
X1
85,000 milesAutomaticDiesel2.0L
Cash £12,497
2022 Peugeot
e-208
37,633 milesAutomaticElectric
Cash £11,697If you have a relatively recent phone model with MagSafe functionality, the Mous Mount is the holder we would recommend. Its suction attachment to the windscreen was rock solid, while being easy to remove if you want to move it between cars. The phone simply attaches to the head with a strong magnet, and there is a huge degree of angle adjustment thanks to a lockable ball joint. We think it looks stylishly simple, too, and the cost is reasonable for a mount that feels built to last.
Miracase Car Phone Holder
- Price: around £9.99
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Contact: amazon.co.uk
If you prefer a vent-mount holder, we reckon Amazon’s Miracase deserves its best-selling status. For a start, the carbon-fibre-look pad gives it a style that won’t look out of place in your car. A pair of metal hooks then grip over the vent and a clamp screws down to grip hard and keep it secure – although it works best with horizontal louvres. The edges of the phone are held tightly with jaws, which release with a smooth damped action when a button on the back is pressed.
Quad Lock Suction Mount
- Price: around £39.99
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Contact: quadlockcase.co.uk
If you are wincing at the price of the Quad Lock, brace yourself, because there’s more expense. As a bare minimum you will need to buy a dedicated case for your phone, but there are also optional MagSafe mounts and chargers, which can easily double the cost.
But what you get is a smart-looking mount that is rock solid, even on the roughest roads, and it’s also among the simplest to use. It could be worth the cost to you if you demand the best.
TOPK Car Phone Holder
- Price: around £4.21
- Rating: 4 stars
- Contact: temu.com
It’s the cheapest mount in this test, but Temu’s TOPK looks and feels very similar to the second-placed Miracase (above). However, it is a little smaller overall and has a single hook for attaching to the vent rather than its rival’s pair. While this was fine for smaller, lighter phones held in portrait mode, it struggled to hold them sideways or manage a bigger iPhone Max.
Halfords One Touch Phone Holder
- Price: around £5.49
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Contact: halfords.com
The “One Touch” in the name of this Halfords holder refers to a clever mechanism that means the supporting arms spring shut to grab the sides of your phone when you press it into the mount. It’s a clever idea and grips well, but only if your phone isn’t too big and has a thin case. The double-jointed arm gives lots of adjustment, though, and the unit is well priced.
Simply Auto Lock Phone Holder
- Price: around £13.99
- Rating: 3 stars
- Contact: jrpdistribution.co.uk
The main head part of the Simply is almost identical to the Halfords One Touch, which means it has the same advantages and drawbacks, although the Simply’s red touches make it look a little more stylish when there is no phone installed. But the mounting arm is different and slightly easier to adjust, and the smaller suction pad has a glue coating to make it a tad more secure. None of this justifies the extra cost, though.
Halfords Universal Windscreen Mount
- Price: around £5.99
- Rating: 3 stars
- Contact: halfords.com
Another well priced mount from Halfords, with a long goose-neck arm, which makes it better for cars where the glass is a stretch away. Two spring-loaded jaws grip hard, and the bottom supports can be folded away if you want to use the phone in landscape mode. It held our bigger iPhone Max securely, but there was some wobble because of the length of the arm, and a rattle, too.
Wessex Car Phone Holder
- Price: around £7.99
- Rating: 2.5 stars
- Contact: toolstation.com
This small and discreet holder uses two four-pronged, rubber-coated grips, which should be able to wedge onto a vent louvre. This works reasonably well if they are horizontal but is hit and miss on vertical slats. Then a single, spring-loaded arm pulls open – squeakily – to grip the phone. It stretches up to 8.8cm, so held all the phones easily, but they constantly fell out on our rough road test.
Verdict
The best phone holder for you may depend on if you want a suction or vent mount. The Mous squeaks a win here thanks to its quality, ease of use and style. Amazon’s Miracase looks good, too, and is great value. The Quad Lock is at the other end of the cost scale, but is fantastic quality.
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