My question is not about texting or anything, but about the physical management of the phone in the car. EDITED: I don't make calls on my phone when driving, nor do I text, but I use the navigation app on my phone for directions and need to view the map and watch for the turns coming up. Any calls are through the car's bluetooth system.
I don't like the phone holders that suction onto the windshield. It's too hot here and the suction cup falls off if the car has to sit in the sun, like at the doctor's office.
I tried the clips that attach to the air vents, but they're so short, and my phone blocks the AC coming out of the air vent, plus I worry about the cold AC air blasting my phone on a long drive.
I hesitate to buy a phone holder that stays in the cigarette lighter - it seems like the cigarette lighter would be "on" all the time? Or am I completely wrong about that?
What I want is a clip that clips onto the air vent, with a long gooseneck type of holder so that the phone isn't right on top of the air vent. Is there such a thing? I can't find one.
How do you creative ladies keep your phone in your car so you can use navigation, use voice commands for hands-free texting or calling, etc, without blocking the air vent or resorting to suction cups on the windshield? Any ideas?
I don't use my phone in the car. While driving, it stays in the cup holder and I address any calls or texts after I'm stopped and at my destination.
All of my friends and family know that I will not respond while driving at all.
I use a suction cup thing that sticks to my dashboard. If your car has a fairly flat expanse of dashboard, it should stick pretty well. My car (2005 Honda Odyssey) actually has a little plastic circle on the dashboard to stick a suction cup holder to. It puts it right in my line of sight for using the GPS. I drive with my phone's "car mode" on, which allows me to make or receive calls on speaker to or from a list of 5 people who I've listed or use the GPS. If anyone else calls it goes to VM and all texts get an auto reply that tells the sender that I'm driving and will get back to them.
Wow, I am really impressed with some of the suggestions and links you got from Stephanie, Tara, Marda and Wild Woman. I'm really excited to find something for me (stocking suffer?)
I just wanted to add that my van happens to have cup holders right under the radio that hold my phone nicely and let me glance at the screen when I need to. I don't have reasons to use the navigation very often, but that's what I usually do. Also, I have a blue tooth device to make and take calls. If I need to use GPS, I usually put that in my ear before we go. Then I can always hear the directions. I've heard that if you have blue tooth in your car you can connect your phone to your car's blue tooth, and the directions will come through your car's stereo. My car's too old, but it's nice to know for future reference!
ETA - Suz, my phone is as big as a Garmin or TomTom, so there really is no difference.
E.
I can't see "long drives" in Hawaii!! LOL!! Unless you're going to drive around the island! :)
It would help to know what kind of car you have. Why? Because there are different set ups. If your car is a newer car - 2000 and newer - the DC plug shuts off when the car is off so no, it's not permanently "on".
There are also "sturdy" holders that plug into the DC outlet - however - if you have a Honda Odyssey - the outlet is down by your shin, making the holder inconvenient.
This one http://www.spigen.com/products/spigen-car-mount-stealth
uses a gel pack to hold your phone in place.
This one plugs into your cd holder. https://www.amazon.com/Exogear-ExoMount-iPhone-Galaxy-Sma...
not sure if you play a CD while driving!
Good luck! Hope you find what you are looking for!
E. - I'm not familiar with a gooseneck style that has a vent mount, but I've seen many that are designed to sit in the cupholders of a vehicle.
If you google "smart phone cup holder mount" and look at the "images" tab, you will get many different styles. If you click into the photos of the styles you like, you'll see more information
(It will usually take you to the page the image was pulled from, which often has the selling information of the product, or at least the manufacturer).
Hope that helps!! T. :)
I have a suction cup one. It gets really hot here in Georgia and humid too. It works great!!
It's an Ottie. I had never heard of them before until Tyler gave it to me.
https://www.iottie.com/Product/Detail/955/iOttie-Easy-One...
Updated
I have a suction cup one. It gets really hot here in Georgia and humid too. It works great!!
It's an Ottie. I had never heard of them before until Tyler gave it to me.
https://www.iottie.com/Product/Detail/955/iOttie-Easy-One...
My phone is basic and not smart.
I only make calls and text with it.
In the car it's on silent in a pouch in my purse.
I check it when I reach my destination and I don't pull out of my parking spot if I'm using it.
I use this:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/iClever-Vent-Car-Mount-Air-Ven...
It's excellent and keeps my phone right where I want it. Granted it's on the airvent but it works surprisingly well. Plus it cost less than $10 so not a big investment.
I recently found a soft rubbery like tray that doesn't slide on the dash. It has slots for holding the phone upright. The phone is at eye level. The sound is louder. I put the tray to my right at an angle so it's easy to see and doesn't interfer with what I see in front of me. I found it at Batteries + for around $10.
I see it on the Walmart page cited by StepaniE E. It's 3rd or 4th one down.
no smart phone here.. it stays in my purse till i get where i am going. i can make and answer a call via bluetooth. illinois law: phone in one hand and you will end up with a ticket in the other
When I am in MY car, I have a storage type space in the center of my console (on the dash... below the top of the dash, but above the stereo interface). It's where I put my sunglasses case also. It's the perfect width/depth to put my phone flat and my glasses case right next to it.
Or, I might stick it in the cup holder, if there aren't any drinks in it.
In my husband's car, or rental vehicles I've been in, there is no good place, except to prop it in the cup holders... and those often have drinks, so not really good placement. My husband's car actually has a similar compartment, but his isn't as deep, so my phone doesn't slide in far enough to be very secure.
Just one more reason I love my car.
i'm horrified to see that you are looking at the tiny map on your phone. doesn't your navigation give you a 'in a quarter of a mile, right turn' directions?
mine just sits in the cupholder and talks to me from there. i can tell it to make calls or read texts without touching it, and i simply listen to the nav system without looking at it. if the trip is long enough that the nav is going to drain my phone, then yes, i plug it into the lighter.
if you absolutely must see a map, i'd get a dash-mounted garmin which has a map right there in your sightline and is big enough to read at a quick glance.
please stop watching your phone while you drive. please.
khairete
S.
Mine lives in one of my cup holders. I just listen to the navigation and keep my eyes on the road.
My husband is a huge fan of his vent clipped one. if anything, the cold will extend the battery life (his words).
We use "Steelies" - my son the tech guru has all the gadgets and this is what he uses instead of the dash-suction things and so forth. A Steelie has a metal ball that you attach anywhere on the dash that you want. Then a donut-shaped piece goes on the back of your phone. Both use excellent adhesive and dry well in about 30 minutes or less. The 2 pieces are magnetic, so you stick the phone and it's donut-ring onto the larger metal ball on the dash. From there, you can rotate/tilt the phone as you wish to see the navigation. We use iPhones, and we set the phone with fingerprint ID so we just just press the "home" button (without looking) and say "read text message" or "call voice mail" - then the system reads your message and offers you the chance to reply with just voice commands. Of course, you can set your navigation system to call out the turns and instructions without you looking at the screen. It's no more distracting than talking to the person in the next seat, and requires less activity with your hands than changing the radio station.
Added: Be sure to mount it within the range of the charging cord so you can plug in the cord and have it reach the phone!
