The 9 Best GPS Car Mounts

For a Garmin owner who wants nothing stuck to the glass, the Garmin Friction Mount is the simple answer. It's a weighted disc with a grippy underside that rests on the dash and holds the cradle your unit came with by its ball. You can lift it off and carry it to another car in seconds. TechWalls found it held on where a suction cup kept dropping in cold, dry weather. It can slide on a steep or slick dash.

If you've lost the cradle or drive with a TomTom or Magellan, the 1Zero EP-GPS02 skips brackets altogether. It's a low shell that sticks to the dash, and spring-loaded jaws grip the unit by its edges, so most navigators fit, and phones do too. The lid tilts to cut glare and folds flat when it's empty. Its adhesive pad can leave a mark on a soft or textured dash, and it doesn't move easily between cars.

The iSaddle CH-204 is a beanbag dash base for drivers who'd rather not pay for a name brand. Four weighted legs spread across the dash, and a ball stalk takes the cradle from a Garmin or any unit built around the same common ball. A rubbery underside helps it stay put through turns. The cradle isn't included, and the seller says the larger DriveSmart 86 needs a bigger ball, so check the back of yours first.

Drivers who want the map high and close can use the 1Zero EP-S02, a suction mount with a sticky gel pad and an arm that slides in or out with one hand. It goes on the windshield or a smooth dash and takes your unit's own cradle by its ball. Windshield mounts are banned or limited in some states, so check the rules where you drive. Like most suction cups, it can lose its grip in hot or cold weather.

The Apps2Car Beanbag Holder pairs a heavy beanbag with a spring clamp, so it holds a navigator or a phone without any bracket. A sticky pad underneath keeps it planted on bumpy roads, yet it lifts off when you switch cars. It takes screens up to about six inches, so big truck navigators won't fit. The base covers a good patch of dash, and the pad needs a fairly flat spot to grip well.

For cars where neither the dash nor the glass is an option, the 1Zero EP-C01 sits in a cupholder instead. Its base twists to widen until it fits snugly, and a jointed arm lifts the screen to eye level on a ball for your cradle. It leaves no marks and needs no tools. The long arm can shake on rough roads, it gives up a cupholder, and 1Zero rules out navigators with a built-in dash camera.

The Arkon CM088-G17 suits trucks, vans and work vehicles where a mount should stay put for years. A metal bracket bolts to a seat rail or the floor, and a long gooseneck brings the screen up beside the driver on a standard ball. Nothing touches the dash or glass, and Arkon's limited warranty lasts for the life of the mount. Putting it in takes screws and some patience, and it isn't something you move to another car.

Plenty of older cars still have a CD slot nobody uses, and the Apps2Car CD2 turns it into a steady spot for a navigator. Thin blades slide into the slot and a thumb screw spreads them tight, so nothing depends on suction or tape. The ball swivels to aim the screen, and it holds your unit's cradle. The CD player is out of action while it's in, and in some cars it can block vents or radio buttons.

When the screen has to sit at an odd angle, the Arkon GN042 helps with a bendable gooseneck between a windshield suction cup and a standard ball. You can curl it down toward the lower corner of the glass, out of your view of the road. Arkon has made car mounts for decades, and this one holds the cradle your unit came with. A gooseneck can bounce on rough pavement, and heavier units may sag.