The Aukey magnetic car mount handles the task flawlessly.

TheAukey magnetic car dock($7) is a deceptively simple gadget.

The dock itself is a small, flat circle, with four firm prongs sticking off the back.

you’re free to slide it onto the slats of any standard air conditioner vent.

Simply place your phone on the pad and your phone stays in place.

As a side note: while magnets are harmless to modern smartphones (how neat is that?

Be sure to check the placement of the magnet in your case when you set up any magnetic dock!

Now, I have used a lot of car docks over the years.

I like having my GPS available at a glance, and I use voice controls while Im driving regularly.

Ive had clunky docks that fall apart.

For the rest of us, we have to deal with universal stuff.

Universal docks tend to useadjustable cradlesthat can be expanded to fit whatever size phone you might have.

In my experience, they can never quite get there.

With the Aukey dock, theres no adjustment or size concerns.

One size fits all because there isnt a size to begin with.

The only limit to the dock is the strength of the magnet.

Its also invisibly easy to dock my phone.

With the Aukey dock, its as simple as setting my phone down on a table.

However, if youre like me, you occasionally need to use a car besides your own.

It mounts so easily, Ive pocketed it when swapping cars.

It takes all of two seconds to mount in a new vehicle.

When Ive needed to change vehicles, its very handy to have.

That being said, the Aukey doesnt seemdesignedto handle frequently changing vehicles.

An Alternative That Allows Airflow: The Mountek Airsnap

The Aukey dock has one other major flaw.

It completely blocks airflow for one of your air vents.

Personally, this doesnt bother me.

This works almost identically to the Aukey dock.

It holds your phone in place with a magnet and attaches to an air vent.

In my experience, this approach didnt come without its share of problems.

For starters, the Airsnap requires two clamps to attach to two separate air vents so that be stable.

This can be a little awkward if your vents arent spaced apart properly.

Its also much harder to attach and remove.

The main clamp has a knob that you oughta manually tighten onto an air vent.

The extenders also made the mount feel a bit less stable.

In either case, though, Im sold on magnetic car docks.

Of all the options Ive tried, these are easily the best.