The Ram X-Grip suction cup mount is our favorite. It keeps phones level and at an eye-level. It has a large suction cup and a base with twisted lock that will firmly adhere to your windshield. The beefy arm is locked in place by a knob on each end, while the clamp for your phone has arms with springs that are squeezed apart. Because the arms are not strong enough to support a vertical phone, the Ram Mounts Logo is coated with sticky plastic in order to prevent it from sliding. Ram Mounts is a large enough ecosystem to have both third-party and factory accessories. This allows you to swap out your base, arm or end.
We thought it was a returned item because ours arrived in a bag of plastic with no instruction. The packaging is described on the site as a “Poly Bag,” which makes it appear that’s all you receive. The site didn’t mention the glue tube, which was included, although we could guess Cellphoneseat.com that it was for drivers of off-road vehicles and those who drive on dirt roads.
The Ram Mount is so large and beefy that it’s best for trucks or larger SUVs. The Ram Mount’s large size and weight make it ideal for larger SUVs and trucks. It would be our Editor’s Choice if it wasn’t so expensive and took up so much space.
In most cases, charging your phone in the car involves plugging it into a socket or, in cars that have wireless charging built in, keeping it flat on a shelf. A wireless phone charger is an excellent solution for those long road trips.
The previous generation iOttie car charger has been installed in our car for over two years and we love it. The base pivots both at its ends and at the end of the charger, while the neck telescopes several inches. We have ours mounted to the dashboard, at an angle so that the phone does not block the line of vision, but can still be seen without having to look away from the road. Qi wireless high-speed charging is the best feature. You can charge your phone wirelessly, but you will need to connect a 12V power adaptor to the unit and run a cable up to it.
Why don’t you give it a higher rating if the iOttie charger is so good? We don’t want to have to glue the pad for the suction to the dashboard. No matter how many times we’ve removed the baseplate, there will always be residue. It has fallen off twice, one time when the temperature dropped below 0degF and another when the temp was above 100degF. The long arm will vibrate depending on the location you place it. This is especially true if you have it stuck to your dash. This is still the best charging phone holder we have used.
Nite Ize Steelie vent clamps are the best you can get. Instead of just using pressure to fit the vent, as with Spigen, you can use a locking lever arm that locks your jaws onto a vane. The anti-slip surface is good for holding vents but not strong enough to hold heavy flagship smartphones.
It is clever to use a ball and socket magnetic. The magnet is strong enough to keep the phone from falling and allows you to mix and match Nite Ize accessories instantly. It’s easy to turn, but it can also droop because of its smoothness. Also, the phone holder has issues. To reach the release levers you need to either position your phone high enough so that they protrude out of the bottom, or remove the entire magnet each time. This is one step more than the other holders we’ve tested.