Contents
In This Guide
In this article, we’re giving you a comprehensive guide to a bike tool that you may not have given much consideration to. We’re talking about the bike phone mount!
In this time where we use smart phones for almost everything, it’s become increasingly important to keep our phones at the ready at all times. This is why so many invest in a great phone mount for their bike. We’re giving you the full rundown on these exciting products. Then, we’re examining the top choices on the market, and giving you a comprehensive buyer’s for making the best choice among the options available!
What is a Bike Phone Mount?
A bike phone mount is a platform that can clamp or attach to your bike which secures your smart phone for the duration of your bike ride. The primary purpose is to keep your smart phone within reach, should you need to access it during your ride. It also provides the benefit of keeping your phone safe and secure. You don’t have to worry about your phone falling out of your pocket, or getting shaken up inside your bag.
The primary benefits of a good phone mount include:
Instant Access – Perhaps the primary benefit of a phone mount is instant access to your smart phone. This provides instant access to your phone should you need it at any point throughout your ride. It saves you the trouble of having to retrieve your phone every time you need to make a call, text, or any other usage.
GPS Capabilities – A phone mount also allows you to take full advantage of the GPS capabilities of your smartphone. By mounting your phone and connecting to GPS, you can have a mini-map on the go. This is great for staying oriented and helping with directions.
Stay Connected – And of course, our phones are “smart” for a reason, and there are many other reasons we’d want to stay connected during our ride. You can utilize the various functionalities of your smart phone. A popular usage is tracking your workouts with a fitness tracking app.
Our Top Picks
Now that we’ve explained the main appeals of getting a phone mount for your bike, let’s check out the best options available on the market. We’ve compiled a list that we think has something for everybody!
For each product review, we’ll give you a general outline, and then explain the main pros & cons of each product. We think that all these products have something to offer, but it is mainly about finding the product that best meets your needs. Consider how each product’s unique pros & cons match with your personal requirements.
Bone Bike Universal Bike Phone Mount
Overview
We’re starting this list with a relatively basic all-around option. The Bone Bike Universal Mount is meant to fit all bikes, and provides a reliable phone mount for any bike handlebar.
This bike mount is manufactured with silicone material, and utilizes straps to fit to your bike’s handlebars. You can then attach the phone using the flexible silicone bands.
This is touted as a universal mount, and is meant to adjust to fit any bike.
Pros & Cons
The main appeal of this product is definitely ease-of-use. No tools are required to install, simply strap it on. Additionally, it is super easy to take the cell phone in and out of the phone case. If you’re looking for a phone mount that has usability and convenience above all else, then this is probably what you are looking for.
But what this phone mount achieves in usability, it sacrifices in security and functionality. It simply doesn’t stay as secure as other phone mounts. It attaches rather securely, but the silicone straps do allow for some shifting and re-adjusting during regular usage.
Additionally, while the silicone is strong and durable, it will degrade eventually and lose some elasticity. This product certainly won’t last forever.
Overall, if you just want a simple, easy-to-use bike mount, this one is for you!
Bone Bike Stem Phone Mount
Overview
This is essentially the same phone mount as the one directly above, but this one has the support strap facing horizontally. What this means is that this phone mount is meant to clamp to the bike’s stem, as opposed to the handle bars.
Aside from that, it touts basically the same features as the Bone Bike mount above.
Pros & Cons
Like the phone mount above, this one is meant for ease-of-use above all else. It’s easy to install and easy to take the phone in and out. If you go on frequent bike rides and are constantly using your phone mount, then this might be for you. Of course, these convenience advantages have to be weighed against the sacrifices that are made to secure fastening and phone support.
It also depends whether or not you prefer to support your phone on the stem of your bike, or on the handlebars. This is very much a judgment call. Some prefer the stem because it keeps the phone centered and easy to view, while some prefer to place it on the handlebar, next to their dominant hand.
Bone Bike Phone Mount with Battery
Overview
Continuing with our “Bone Bike” phone mounts, you have the third option. Once again, the general design of this phone mount is similar to the two above, but this one is designed to be used in conjunction with a battery.
The phone holder rests directly above a separate mount which is meant to store a back-up battery (not included in the purchase). Aside from that, the functionality is similar. It can be attached to the bike using silicone straps, and the phone is held in place using silicone bands which stretch around the phone. The battery is similarly held in place with silicone bands.
Pros & Cons
Whether or not this phone mount is for you depends on whether you can benefit from the added functionality of a battery. Simply put, this phone holder is for long rides. This makes it ideal for cycling very long distances, or perhaps if your career involves commuting by bike.
Aside from the battery functionality, this phone mount touts similar advantages to the two above. It’s built for convenience above all else. Super easy to install and super easy to take the phone in-and-out. However, you do sacrifice some security for this additional convenience.
TEUMI Bike Phone Mount with 360 Degree Rotation
Overview
Moving on from our Bone Bike phone mounts, we’re going to check out a phone holder that is a bit more technical in its design.
The TEUMI phone mount is definitely built to be more secure and stable. It securely attaches to your phone’s handlebars using screws and a tight support system. The phone itself rests on a non-slip PU pad, and the phone is secured using silicone bands and lateral arms.
One of the main functionalities with this mount is it also rotates. This allows you to position your phone however you want, and use wide-screen phone applications should you need to.
The mount is compatible with many popular types of smartphones, including both iPhone and Androids.
Pros & Cons
This phone appeals to those who are looking for a more secure phone mount. One of the main concerns with a phone mount is that the device won’t clamp securely, allowing for a phone that moves around and shifts when on rough terrain, or even falls out of the phone mount. This mount is built to affix securely to your bike, and keep your phone tightly secured throughout your entire ride. Additionally, the lateral support arms keep your phone from shaking and jarring itself loose during the ride.
Of course, these security features come at the expense of decreased ease-of-use. Compared to the Bone Bike phone mounts, this one is a bit more difficult to install, and a bit more difficult to take the phone in and out. However, it’s still very easy to use, so this isn’t much of an issue!
If you are a fan of the design, as well as the rotating capabilities, then this case might be for you!
Intsun Bike Bag & Mount
Overview
Here’s a different kind of phone holder. This one is actually a phone mount that rests atop a bike bag.
The bike bag affixes to the front of your bike frame with two Velcro straps. On top of the bag, the phone rests inside a mini-pouch, which is covered with a TCU film. This allows you to still use your phone’s touch screen while it is in the bag. There is even a hole to fit your headphones through – although with today’s tech, most phones (like the iPhone) come with wireless headphones.
The bag itself is a handy bike bag. It has a 1.5L storage capacity, and multiple pouches and pockets. The bag is also waterproof, to protect your belongings and your phone.
Pros & Cons
The main advantage of this product is that it is a handy all-in-one option. If you are looking for a place to store various belongings, as well as a place to store your phone, then this is a solid choice. The bag itself is handy and convenient, and large enough to store various high-use items.
This product mainly falters when compared to the phone mounts above. Simply put, it is a less convenient option. It is more difficult to take your phone in-and-out of the bag, rather than simply securing it to your handlebars or stem. Additionally, it is more difficult to use your phone, as it rests under a layer of TCU film.
It really depends whether this trade-off is worth it to you, and whether you like the idea of having a bike bag and mount all-in-one.
Lamicall Bike Phone Mount
Overview
The Lamicall phone mount is perhaps the most secure, high-quality phone holder on our list. It is pretty much unrivalled as a sturdy, safe choice.
The phone mount itself affixes securely to your handlebars with the use of screws. The phone rests on top of non-slip silicone pads, and is held in place with plastic components that tightly grip all corners of your phone. The non-slip combined with the tight hold helps to greatly minimize vibration, and provide shock-proofing. This is even suitable for motorcycles.
The mount itself also rotates fully, allowing you to position your phone however you want.
Pros & Cons
If safety and security is your primary concern, then this is probably the phone mount you are looking for. This one affixes securely to your bike, and also grips tight to your phone. There are no worries about any shifts or jolts during a normal ride, and no worries about your phone jarring loose from the phone mount. This is actually designed to be suitable for use on a motorcycle, so it can stand up to any regular bicycling!
Of course, these advantages should be balanced against a dip in ease-of-use. It is a bit more time consuming to affix your phone into the mount each time, and it doesn’t allow for constant, easy removal. Additionally, as this is the highest quality option on our list, it has a price tag to match!
UPPEL Bike Phone Mount & Speaker
Overview
Here’s a cool phone mount option, as it has a portable Bluetooth speaker attached! If you want to pump out the tunes as you ride, then this might be exactly what you are looking for!
Aside from the speaker, it also has attached LED lights. The mount affixes to the stem of your bike, and the LEDs can operate as headlights for safety reasons.
On top of all that, the mount is also a portable power bank! It has a 4400mah battery which allows for portable charging of your phone!
This is truly an all-in-one option.
Pros & Cons
Whether or not you want this phone mount will likely depend on how much the extra bells and whistles appeal to you. If you think you will have use for the Bluetooth speaker, LED lights, and portable power bank, then this might be exactly what you are looking for!
And although this is also a capable phone mount, you are likely going to be buying it for all the extra features. Definitely a cool option for many, but might be a bit much for some! Of course, as it is such a technical product, it also has a high price tag!
Buyer’s Guide – Factors to Consider
Before we wrap up our guide, we’re going to give you a buyer’s guide to help you make the best choice. We know we’ve thrown a lot of different options at you, so you might be having a difficult time making your choice!
Our advice is to first sit down, and use the below factors to decide what is most important to you in a phone mount. This helps you to simplify the product offerings, and know exactly what you are looking for when you survey the options available. Then, you can use your personal criteria and compare it to our list above, making the best choice for yourself.
Here are the top factors we think you should consider:
Price vs. Quality
The first consideration in making just about any purchase might be the price! We think a better consideration is price vs. quality. When it comes to phone mounts, they’re all relatively affordable, but some are a bit more expensive than others. You should consider whether the extra quality and functionality is worth the added price. Often, the more expensive phone mounts tend to be built with features that better affix the mount to your bike and better secure your phone.
Ease-of-Use
Another major consideration with phone mounts is ease-of-use. Generally, they’ll go one of two directions. The first is a mount that allows you to easily insert and remove your phone. This is typically done with flexible silicone rubber bands. Next are the mounts which securely affix your phone, but are more difficult to take in and out. The trade-off is between ease-of-use and security, and you’ll need to decide which is more important to you.
Support & Absorption
Next up is support. As we touched on above, some phone mounts put extra emphasis on securing your phone. They do so with non-slip pads where the phone rests, and also with devices that grip the phone more tightly. This might be important if you are extra cautious about preventing damage to your phone, but just remember that it also tends to make it more time-consuming to clamp your phone to the mount.
Additional Features
Finally, you should consider all the additional features that might be included in your phone mount. Phone mounts might come packing many other features – such as speakers, lights, battery packs, and more! Consider whether you want this multi-functional capability, or if you are content with just a phone mount. Also keep in mind that these additional features tend to make the mount itself bulkier and more expensive!
Last Updated on May 29, 2023 by Danijel Cakalic
