Leaning your phone against a mug works until it slides down mid-call. Whether you're on video calls, following a recipe, watching a show in bed or navigating in the car, a proper holder makes your phone easier to see and to use without holding it. Here's how to pick the right setup for each situation.
For video calls at your desk
A desktop phone and tablet stand holds your phone steady at a fixed angle, and its silicone pads help keep it in place. A few tips for better calls:
- Raise the camera to eye level. A camera below your face is the least flattering angle. Put the stand on a book or a shelf if needed.
- Face the light. A window or lamp in front of you lights your face; a bright window behind you turns you into a silhouette.
- Turn it sideways. Landscape fills more of the other person's screen on most video apps.
Short on desk space? A magnetic monitor side phone holder sticks to the back edge of your monitor or laptop lid and holds your phone beside the screen, so you can see messages without picking it up. A metal plate goes on your phone or inside its case for the magnet to grip, and the arm folds flat when you don't need it.
For the kitchen, bed and couch
A fixed stand needs a flat surface at the right height, and you don't always have one. A flexible gooseneck holder clamps onto the edge of a desk, nightstand or bed frame, and you bend the arm to put the screen where you want it. It holds phones and tablets from 4 to 10.6 inches, which makes it handy for recipes, streaming in bed or reading.
For tablets
Both holders above work with tablets. For a laptop-height view of a tablet or e-reader on your desk, an adjustable laptop stand also works. It fits devices from 8 to 16 inches and has seven height settings.
For the car
In the car, a mount keeps your phone visible for navigation without holding it. Our dashboard phone holder clips onto a dashboard edge, the air vent phone holder hooks onto a vent slat, and the suction cup windshield and dashboard mount offers more placement options. Not sure which suits your car? See Car Phone Mount Types: Vent vs Dashboard vs Windshield. Set your route before you start driving, mount the phone where it doesn't block your view of the road, and check your local laws: some states limit where a phone can be mounted on the windshield.
Want both?
The Hands-Free Phone Set combines the dashboard holder and the desktop stand, and costs less than buying them separately.
For more desk ideas, see Desk Setup Essentials Under $30, or browse all our phone mounts and stands.