There are a ton of ways to mount your smartphone in your car from suction cups to vent mounts. However, not all vent mounts work in every car and suction cups may fall off when the temperature changes. The best solution for me has been CD slot car mounts, which cannibalize the CD slot but remain extremely secure. CD mounts also allow full use of all your vents.
Two of the best CD slot mounts I’ve found are the Mountek nGroove
The Mountek impressed me with it’s beefy build quality. The whole thing feels like it’s made to last and the mechanisms to hold the phone and the mount in the CD slot are well engineered.
There’s a button button behind the Mountek that opens the arms up to accept your phone. The holder is lined with a scratch resistant foam and will hold your phone snugly. I’ve used the Mountek for several years and the foam eventually got deformed and stopped holding my phone as snuggly, requiring me to really clamp down the arms.
The main issues I have with the Mountek is that the locking knob blocks the navigation screen in my Subaru BRZ and that the phone angle locker behind the mount is hard to reach. Mountek is only one of many CD slot mounts that utilize a set screw on the bottom, which is annoying if your head unit’s CD slot is above your car’s navigation touch screen. In fact, there was only one CD mount that I found that doesn’t intrude on my car’s touch screen (more on that later).
I also tried Mountek’s nGroove Snap 2 magnetic mount (there’s a newer version called the nGroove Snap 3), which does intrude less. However, you’ll need a phone case to hide the accompanying magnet or be willing to tape the rather unsightly magnet to your phone. I didn’t want to do either so I went with a universal mount.
That leads us to the Koomus CD-Eco. The Koomus doesn’t have any locking screw so it doesn’t intrude on your car’s touch screen. Instead of using a knob to snug up the arms, it relies on a pre-bent arm that you have to work carefully into your CD slot by bending it. Here’s a look at the arms.
Once you wedge the Koomus in your CD slot, the mount stays very stable but not as stable as the Mountek. There’s a little wobble when touching my phone but it’s not a deal breaker. If you want the most stability for your phone, get the Mountek.
The Koomus features a ball cup and socket which keeps your phone at an angle using friction. This design is inherently less stable than Mountek’s screw-in design but it works.
The phone holder part of the Koomus is extremely easy to use. It’s lined with a grippy rubber that prevents scratches and holds your phone in place. The holder has a channel to put your phone to keep it in place, even if you’re running a case. However, if you’re running a thick case like an Otterbox Defender, you may have some issues.
I like the Koomus for its adjustability, as you can have your phone tilted at almost every angle. The Mountek offers some angle adjustment but not nearly as much as the Koomus.
Most users will be happy with either mount but choosing one will depend on what you want more: stability or adjustability. If you don’t want any intrusion on your nav screen, go with the Koomus. If you want the most stability, go with the Mountek.
Mountek nGroove
Pros:
- Bulletproof build
- Extremely secure for holding your phone and staying in the CD slot
Cons:
- Blocks navigation screen
- Hard to reach locking knob behind phone
Buy now: Mountek nGroove
Koomus CD-Eco
Pros:
- Doesn’t block the navigation screen
- Offers more adjustment than the Mountek
Cons:
- Not as stable as Mountek
- Cheap build quality