If you drive a car or ride a bike, chances are you’ve seriously considered installing a smartphone holder at some point. A smartphone holder helps you keep your smartphone in a fixed position with the screen facing you so you can use it to control music playback or navigate through apps like Google Maps.
Navigation is probably the most useful driving-related feature in a smartphone, and we highly recommend getting a stand for this purpose. No one wants to risk an accident just because their smartphone is placed in a spot that prevents you from seeing the road ahead. That’s why you need a phone holder. Here are a few things you need to keep in mind before purchasing a smartphone stand.
Buy a smartphone holder for your car
When buying a smartphone mount for your car, the first thing you need to know is where you want the mount to be placed.
Different types of car smartphone holders
There are four most common types of car smartphone holders on the market:
- Dashboard mount: These are attached to the dashboard.
- windshield bracket: Attached to the windshield.
- Air outlet mounting base: Clip-on mount placed over AC vents.
- CD holder: You can use this mount if your car has a CD player that you don’t use.
Magnet Based AC Mount
Photo credit: Mpow/Amazon
Dashboards and windshield mounts tend to leave marks that are difficult to clean, so keep this in mind before buying. We also think that both products block a small portion of the windshield, thus slightly blocking your view of the road, and you should keep both of these things in mind before purchasing one of these.
Windshield and dashboard mounts
Photo Credit: Master of Mystery/Amazon
The CD and vent holders don’t block your view at all, so we prefer those. As long as your car has a CD player that sits flush with the dashboard, you should have no problem using the CD holder. Some cars have differently designed CD players, which may make using this mount a little difficult. Of course, if you still use a CD player in your car, a CD holder simply isn’t an option. Vent mounts tend to block part of the air conditioner, but they don’t have any other significant drawbacks.
CD holder with claw grip
Photo credit: Koomus/Amazon
We prefer the CD holder because we no longer use the CD player in the car and its location ensures that our view of the road is not obstructed. However, your needs may vary, so choose your mount accordingly.
How the mount secures your smartphone
Once you decide what type of mount you want, the next step is to see how the mount will hold your smartphone. Some mounts use magnets, while others use a claw-like grip to physically secure your smartphone. Smartphone mounts with magnets sometimes require you to glue the magnets to the back of your smartphone or case, and another type requires you to place the magnets between your phone and case. If you don’t mind sticking this magnet to your phone, the benefit of this is that in most cases you won’t need to replace your smartphone holder when you change phones.
Magnet-based smartphone holder
Photo Credit: LAX Gadgets/Amazon
Magnets will work on most phones unless it’s very large and comes in a particularly heavy box. The claw-grip mount actually holds your smartphone, and there’s no “one-size-fits-all” model here. If your phone is large or small, you may need to purchase a new stand. If you buy this type of mount, be sure to check if the claws have cushioning in the form of padded material. If not, then the hard plastic may scratch your phone.
Another thing to watch out for is whether the claws will trigger the touchscreen on your smartphone, which is something users of phones with edge-to-edge displays like the Samsung Galaxy S8+ should worry about. However, if you’re particularly worried about dropping your smartphone, this type of stand will give you peace of mind. That said, in our experience, magnet-based mounts tend to be very secure even without claws that clamp the phone from all sides.
Smartphone holder with claw grip
Once you’ve figured this out and narrowed down your choices, check to see if the smartphone holder has a plastic rod that connects the holder to the part that’s holding the car in place. If so, then the stem shouldn’t be very long. The longer the stem, the more vibration your smartphone will have while driving, which means it’ll be harder to get all the information you need at a glance.
Buy a smartphone holder for your motorcycle
Buying a motorcycle smartphone holder is not an easy task at all. You have to keep your phone on the handlebars or handlebars of your bike, which means there’s always the worry that an opportunistic thief might snatch your phone and run away. Note that if you can’t mount it on your handlebars, there are many bicycle smartphone holders that can be mounted on the stem, as shown here. However, if you need your smartphone for navigation, investing in a stand is an absolute must.
Different Types of Motorcycle Smartphone Holders
There are many different types of motorcycle mounts for smartphones, but the four main ones we found are as follows.
- ram: Secure your phone in the X-shaped handle.
- Installed with housing: As the name suggests, these stands come with a smartphone case attached.
- Frame with waterproof bag: This mount comes with a waterproof cover.
- Universal bracket: This smartphone holder has two handles on the side to easily accommodate larger or smaller phones.
If you don’t have a waterproof smartphone, you should get a clear waterproof case for your phone so you can use the touchscreen even when the phone is inside the case. A frame bag with a waterproof cover can solve this problem, so this may be most useful during monsoons. Alternatively, you can purchase a waterproof phone case and use it with any other type of smartphone holder.
Bike stand with waterproof bag
Photo credit: Vheelocytin/Amazon
The universal mount works with most smartphones, but it’s not the most secure way to mount it. A stand with a case is great if you don’t have a case for your smartphone, but the downside is that it may become useless if you change your phone.
Universal bicycle stand
Photo credit: Gioiabazar/Amazon
The RAM mount is the most secure motorcycle smartphone mount because of its X-shaped grip that locks the phone in one position. If you are buying this product, be sure to check that the handle is not touching any part of the screen. Especially with bezel-less phones, it’s possible to activate the touchscreen on its own. Of course, you’ll need to invest in a waterproof case to keep your phone safe.
RAM mount for bicycles
Photo credit: Ram Rail/Amazon
We hope this guide helps you buy the right smartphone holder for your car or motorcycle. If you have more suggestions, please let us know in the comments. For more tutorials, visit our how-to section.
