This minimalist car phone mount proves compact designs aren't always the answer

Lisen magnetic suction cup mount — (Image credit: Future)

Minimalism — open spaces, minimal clutter and devices that are designed to be sleek and low-profile — is all the rage, and has been for a while. It sounds great, and in some cases it definitely can be a great aesthetic choice. But there are cases when minimalism, and deliberately trying to take up as little space as possible, just doesn't work. This car mount from Lisen is one very good example.

There are countless different kinds of the best car phone mounts, each capable of supporting your phone in a different way. My personal preference is for suction cups, since they tend to offer more versatility than vent mounts and other options.

The problem is that they're usually quite big and take up a lot of space — not to mention the fact that the suction cup mechanism needs a flat surface, otherwise a single bad pothole could send your mount (and phone) flying towards the back of the car. Trust me, it can happen, and it is not a fun experience.

It certainly has the right look

Lisen's magnetic suction cup mount certainly has the right look. It's sleek, it's compact, and because it has a suction cup mount, you don't need to rely on adhesives that could melt or dry out over time. Plus the actual vacuum suction is controlled by a dial in the center, rather than an ugly lever or some other fold-down mechanism.

The fold-out magnetic ring looks rather nice as well. It folds up neatly, and the magnetic ring is MagSafe compatible, which means it has a really strong grip on your phone. The problem is that the rings are far too small (and short) to be particularly useful, to the point where it makes the mount a pretty useless addition to the dashboard.

The main problem with a suction cup mechanism is that it needs to be attached to a surface that is smooth and relatively flat. Anything else, like curves or textured materials interferes with the vacuum and stops it from gripping to the surface correctly.

Every car's dashboard is different, but you can usually find a few places that are flat enough to securely attach a car mount like this. My general rule of thumb is that a phone needs to be positioned in a way that means it's not blocking your view of the road (for safety reasons), but in a spot that the driver can see should they need their phone for some crucial driving-related app or feature.

If you can't see the screen, you might as well tuck the phone out of sight and make use of in-car alternatives like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. There's no need to have a phone mount if your phone isn't mounted in a convenient place, after all.

Sadly this is exactly what happened to me with Lisen's MagSafe suction cup mount.

Practical appeal is lacking, for my car at least

My car has a fairly curvy dashboard, with some mild texturing. But there are still a few places where a good suction cup mount can grab onto without any problems. The issue with Lisen's mount is that the magnetic connector is so low down, that it breaks my two main rules about car phone mounts.

Here's the problem. You find a spot and securely attach your mount to the car's dashboard. Then you attempt to attach your phone, and find that the phone is too big. "No matter," you say. You simply tilt the connector backwards until there is room for the phone. Only then, your phone is angled so far back that you can't see what's on the screen.

So you attempt to find a spot that lets you set up the mount where there is room for the phone to stay more or less vertical — giving you an unobstructed view of what's going on. Only then, you find that the only suitable spots are right in the middle of the dash, or so far back that your phone ends up blocking a not-insignificant portion of your windshield. There's no doubt that this is the worse option, and could easily be a hazard to everyone around you.

My go-to phone is a Google Pixel 10 Pro, which has a 6.3-inch display — which is a fairly average-sized phone. In other words, it's nothing out of the ordinary, as far as smartphones are concerned, and it's a form factor that accessory-makers really should account for before finalizing their designs.

My car is slightly to blame

Naturally the shape of my dashboard is partly to blame, as is my preference not to attach suction cup mounts to the windshield — since it blocks my view of the road. But with all the different suction cup mounts I've tried and tested over the years, I've never had one that was too small to secure my phone correctly.

There's always been some part of the design that lets you adjust the mount and adapt it to your own car. It's something that the Lisen MagSafe mount sorely lacks, and despite its handsome design it fails the most important purpose of all: Practicality for everyone, regardless of which car they drive.

Maybe your car has a suitable dashboard design to attach this mount properly. The problem is that, like me, you likely won't know the full situation before you buy one and attempt to install it yourself. Which is less than ideal, to say the least.

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Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.