Best Phone Stands and Mounts for Desk, Car, and Travel

The right phone stand depends on where it lives. A desk stand should be stable and adjustable, a car mount needs one-handed operation, and a travel stand has to fold flat. Here's how to choose for each.

Desk stands

Look for an adjustable angle and enough weight to stay put when you tap the screen. A metal or weighted base beats a flimsy plastic one, and a stand that holds the phone at eye level fixes the hunched-over scroll that wrecks your neck.

If you do a lot of video calls, get a stand tall enough to put the camera at eye level. A phone propped too low gives everyone an unflattering view of your chin.

Car mounts

The two mounting styles are vent clips, which are compact but can break fragile vents, and dashboard or windshield mounts, which are sturdier but more visible. Magnetic mounts are the easiest to use one-handed; clamp mounts hold more securely on rough roads.

Check that the mount fits your vent type before buying. Many modern cars have horizontal or recessed vents that vent-clip mounts simply can't grip.

Travel stands

A folding stand the size of a credit card is all you need on the road — something to prop your phone for a movie on the plane or a hands-free call at the hotel. Look for one with a hinged design that supports both portrait and landscape.

Buy one good stand per place you use a phone, rather than one do-everything stand that does each job poorly.