Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO with MagSafe review: A simple solution to driving with the iPhone 12

The Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO with MagSafe is the epitome of MagSafe convenience. This is one product that totally proves the value of the MagSafe technology that was debuted with the iPhone 12. No need to buy weird stick-on magnets or an entire line of magnetic accessories that only work with a that one brand. Nope! MagSafe is universal across all 12-series iPhones and any brand can make cool accessories that work with it. This Belkin car mount is my favorite MagSafe accessory yet.

It's a simple product. Belkin's MagSafe car vent mount incorporates a MagSafe-compatible magnet that can be easily attached to any car vent in seconds. Then you just snap your iPhone onto it and voilà! Easy hands-free iPhone access in the car for calls, music, and navigation. It makes driving with your iPhone safe and convenient. What's more, it requires no assembly and little-to-no setup. Simple and easy — that's Belkin.

Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO: Price and availability

Since Belkin is a very common, popular brand, you can find this product almost anywhere iPhone accessories are sold. Apple, Amazon, and the Belkin website are all great places to buy the Car Vent Mount PRO. It goes for about $40 on all of these sites. If it goes on sale, we'll be sure to let you know in our Deals section.

Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO: Simplicity with a side of convenience

I enjoy minimal products that work well, which is exactly what the Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO is. There's no assembly required and setup literally takes seconds. You just take it out of the box and insert the prongs onto your car vent. That's it! The built-in MagSafe magnets on your 12-series iPhone will attach instantly to the magnets on the mount, so you just snap it on and go. Keep in mind, if you have a case on your iPhone, you'll want to make sure that it's a MagSafe-compatible case to ensure secure attachment.

When I had a car mount for my previous iPhone, it had annoying adjustable arms that were supposed to clamp onto the phone, but it didn't work that well and I eventually got tired of using it. The unit didn't work at all with my new iPhone 12 Pro Max, so for awhile I was holding the iPhone in my hand when driving with turn-by-turn navigation from my phone (ill-advised behavior, I know.) Once I had the new Belkin Car Vent Mount in place, I felt much safer driving and using my iPhone. When the iPhone is mounted, I can make hands-free calls, use navigation apps, and play music without ever touching the phone.

It's also important to note that the Belkin mount is adjustable. Since it uses a ball joint, you can adjust it up and down or side to side. This is convenient so you can turn the iPhone into the right direction and angle depending on your own height and position in relation to the mount. The entire front of the mount can also be turned sideways so it's easier to use in horizontal orientation. This is great for me because I like to view my navigation maps in landscape mode.

Although the Belkin MagSafe car mount is minimal in appearance, my husband doesn't like it attached while he's driving because it won't work with his iPhone 11 (jealous, perhaps?) So when he drives I just detach the mount and stick it in the glove box. For this reason, I'm glad the accessory is so easy to detach and re-attach at a moment's notice. I can just put it away quickly whenever it's not needed.

Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO: MagSafe mishaps

Honestly, I'm having a hard time coming up with drawbacks for the Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO. It works perfectly and it's ridiculously easy to use. The only thing that got on my nerves a couple of times was that the iPhone fell off if I pressed on it too hard. This is not so much a mount problem as a MagSafe problem, however. I've noticed with other MagSafe accessories that the iPhone has a tendency to fall off of mounts and stands easier than I would have imagined. The magnets are not quite as strong as they should be, and I think this may happen because the iPhone 12 Pro Max is just a huge, heavy phone. So, while this is an annoyance, I don't think I can really blame Belkin for it, so I'm leaving this review at five stars.

Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO: Competition

The Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO with MagSafe is one of many MagSafe-compatible vent mounts that are available for iPhone. One similar product is the OneTap Car Vent Mount from Spigen. This one is also fully MagSafe-compatible and it attaches directly to the car vent. The Spigen OneTap Mount has a longer adjustable arm that is designed to prevent the iPhone from blocking air flow from the vents. I personally like the simpler gray design of the Belkin mount, but the Spigen mount is $12 cheaper, so your decision will come down to style and budget preferences.

Belkin Car Vent Mount PRO: Should you buy it?

• You want to drive safely and use your iPhone hands-free.
• You don't want to worry about assembly and setup.
• You like the ability to adjust and detach your car mount easily.

• You were hoping for ultra-strong magnets.

Here's the perfect solution to driving with your 12-series iPhone. It's easy to set up and easy to use; your iPhone will just snap right into place! This is great for hands-free calls, navigation, and music management while driving. Whether you're on the taller or more compact side of things, the adjustable mount can be set to any angle or orientation you need to drive and use your iPhone safely. Just be gentle! A good shove will detach the MagSafe magnets, but luckily you can always snap them back together in a second.