Best phone mounts and holders for cars

Like its competition, iOttie’s iTap 2 Magnetic Air Vent Mount slides easily onto horizontal and vertical slats—but then it one-ups them with a clamp that squeezes on the rubber clip for a secure hold. Pulling your phone off this magnetic air vent mount never causes it to budge.

That clamp fixes the major problem with most air vent phone mounts, and this iTap 2 mount’s other features are equally well-designed: It rotates 360 degrees to accommodate custom phone orientations, allows for some airflow behind the phone, and is compact and unobtrusive.

You also get a firm lock when placing a phone on the iTap 2’s magnetic surface, whether you use either of the two metal plates included or any random one that you’re already using. The grip does weaken a little if you have a case between the plate and the phone, but my phone in its thick wallet case still stayed put while going over moderately bumpy roads.

With an MSRP of $30, other cheaper mounts may look more tempting, but this iOttie model easily trounced my former favorite, a Koomus air vent mount that has to be wedged against my car’s dash to keep it in place. At its street price of $25, the iOttie iTap 2 Magnetic Air Vent Mount is worth the extra cash—especially since it travels well, too.