If you want a vent-mounted charger with a magnetic adapter for non-MagSafe phones: Get the iOttie iTap Wireless 2 Magnetic Charging Mount. This is the wireless-charging version of our favorite standard car phone mount, and it’s a good choice if you prefer the ease and convenience of a magnetic car phone mount but don’t have an iPhone with MagSafe.
Like most non-MagSafe magnetic mounts, the iTap 2 requires you to stick a very strong magnet to the back of your phone or phone case, though you may be able to get away with slipping the magnet between your phone and the inside of your case, depending on what kind of case you have. iOttie has discontinued the CD-slot and dash-mount versions, but company representatives told us that the vent-mount model will remain available.
If you’d prefer electronic auto-clamping arms over our top pick’s spring-loaded tension arms: Get the iOttie Auto Sense. Like our top pick, this model is available in versions that mount to a dashboard or a windshield or to an air vent or a CD slot.
It has all the same features we love in the iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless 2, but instead of pushing the phone against the mount to trigger the tension arms, you tap a pair of buttons on the sides of the Auto Sense to electronically extend the arms. Once you’ve placed your phone in the mount, the arms automatically close around it and hold it securely in place.
Not everyone needs that capability, but if you can find the Auto Sense for the same price or less than our top pick, it’s a great alternative.
If you want a compact option with MagSafe compatibility, and don’t mind that it doesn’t come with its own charger or a reusable dash mount: Get the ESR HaloLock Magnetic Wireless Car Charger. It charges as quickly as our top pick, has a slightly smaller footprint than those models, and comes with dual attachments to mount on either an air vent or a dashboard or windshield. It’s also one of the few models we’ve tested with a third prong to hold the vent-mounting attachment steady.
However, if you want to mount it to a dashboard or windshield, use extra care: Since it doesn’t use a suction cup or gel-based adhesive as most dash-mounting models do, you can apply it to an area only once. Also, it doesn’t come with a USB car charger, so you have to shell out for one separately.
If your dashboard is relatively flat, and you want a MagSafe option with an especially elegant-looking neck: Get the Anker 613 Magnetic Wireless Charger (MagGo). Like the dash-mounted version of our top pick, this model has a long, adjustable neck (though unlike our pick it can’t be reconfigured to mount on an air vent or CD slot) and keeps phones steady during travel on bumpy terrain. It isn’t WPC-certified, but it supports wireless-charging speeds up to 7.5 W, and it comes with a two-port (one USB-A and one USB-C) power adapter, a charging cable, and handy cable-management clips.
Its round, magnetic head is small and inconspicuous compared with those on many other models we tested. In addition, it can tilt toward the driver or passenger, and it even glows in the dark so that you can easily align your phone at night. The neck is adjustable up to 134 degrees, and its curvy silhouette gives it an extra-stylish flair.
Its biggest downside is the suction cup—in our testing it held firmly on most surfaces, but you might have trouble installing it if your vehicle’s dashboard is angled or has an uneven texture.
If you want a more modular MagSafe setup: Get the Mophie Snap+ Wireless Charging Vent Mount. It comes only in a vent configuration, but it’s the only model we tested with a charging puck that you can remove from the mount for use outside your car. It’s also unique in that it includes magnetic ring adapters for attaching older or non-Apple phones.
