You’ve selected your cycling tracking app to track your speed, distance, and power output – now all that’s missing is the perfect bike mount for your phone! However, there are so many on the market, which one is the best bike phone mount?
- Quad Lock – Best Overall Bike Phone Mount
- Morpheus Labs M4s
- Rokform Pro Series
- Rock Bros Bike Phone Bag
- Roam Universal Premium Bike Phone Mount
No worries, we’ll help you choose a secure and reliable mount so you don’t end up needing to repair your latest smartphone!
Types Of Bike Phone Mounts
The type of bike phone mount you select will depend on the type of phone you have, how much protection you want it to have, and where you want it positioned on the bike.
Case Mounts
This type of phone mount is all model-specific. Your phone is held inside a phone case that can be securely attached to a small plastic mount that is attached to your handlebar or stem.
Depending on the brand, these may allow you to twist to move between portrait or landscape mode. For practical reasons, it’s likely easier to just keep in portrait mode! In terms of durability and waterproof features, case mounts will vary between brands which we’ll cover below.
The benefit of this type of phone mount is that it’s usually quite easy to click your phone case into the mount. The flip side is that you’ll have to use this case permanently (or carry a spare). Also, if you upgrade your phone, you’ll likely need to buy a new case too.
Universal Mounts
If you’re not the type to buy every release of a smartphone then the universal mount might be for you. The other benefit of the universal mount is that it may even allow you to retain your existing phone case. They generally attach to your handlebars or stem and will grip/clamp your phone into place.
Unfortunately, this is not the holy grail of bike phone mounts – I have found the couple that I have tried have not been as secure and the clamp mechanism doesn’t always allow for your phone case specs.
Frame Bags
Last but not least are the frame bags. These effectively are small pouches that you can carry your phone in. You’ll likely be able to house your keys and a credit card / some cash in these bags too. They’re usually attached to the top tube.
In terms of protection from the weather, I find that this type of mount will get the job done as the entire phone will be inside a pouch that has a transparent window. The flip side is that you might reduce the function of your touchscreen slightly as not all bags / transparent windows will play nice with the touch screen.
Other Things To Consider For Bike Phone Mounts
A few considerations and pointers before you click buy:
- How often do you upgrade your phone? If you’re snapping up the latest and greatest iPhone every year it might make more sense to purchase something that’s a bit more universal
- As obvious as it is, please remember to check that your phone is actually compatible with that particular mount 🙂 Don’t worry I’ve known a few people who bought first and checked later!
- How much protection from the environment do you need? If you’re constantly riding in the rain then you might be better off with a frame bag-type mount. Double-check the exact model you’re buying.
Interesting read – Are Road Bikes Good For Commuting?
The Best Bike Phone Mount Roundup
QUAD LOCK
The Quad Lock cases are available for iPhone, Galaxy, Pixel, Huawei and now a Universal Fit. The case is then combined with the Out Front Mount (sits on the handlebars) to create a flexible and versatile bike mount. You can also buy a Quad Lock Poncho – basically a cover that sits on top of your phone screen that helps make it weather resistant.
The Quad Lock is a very lightweight mount and features a patented dual-stage lock which creates a very sturdy mount. The phone case twists to lock into place on the mount, which in turn clamps onto a bike’s handlebars. It does not contain any magnetic functionality like the Morpheus Labs M4s.
Installation is quite simple and all the necessary components (O-rings and zip ties) are included in the kit. The one downside of the zip ties is that once you’ve selected that spot on the handle bar, it’ll be quite hard to move without using a new zip tie.
MORPHEUS LABS M4S
The Morpheus Labs M4s case is only compatible with Apple iPhones, but does cover most models. The Morpheus Labs case is one of the thinnest on the market and has a very sleek profile, especially when considering the magnetic mechanism that it uses! I have a few work colleagues who have this mount and actually use the case as their default case.
The Morpheus Labs case can be connected to the mount with just one hand, making it easy to quickly detach and take a photo when needed! The magnetic lock mechanism aligns and secures automatically to the dock on the handlebar.
In terms of the mount itself, it’s a bit bulkier than the Quad Lock but is still reasonable size. The mount will work with most handlebar sizes and you don’t need any tools to attach to the handlebars (it has thumbscrews).
ROKFORM PRO SERIES
The Rokform Pro Series bike mount is made from aircraft grade aluminium, resulting in a durable and lightweight mount. This mount features a twist and lock mechanism along with a magnetic attachment. For extra reassurance a lanyard can also be attached to the back of the phone – however, it can be a bit annoying attaching and reattaching this. The mount itself allows for adjustable viewing angles, tilting between -20 to +55 degrees.
The Rokform case is available for most iPhones and Galaxy phones. It’s made from a polycarbonate (hard plastic) material and has raised edges that help protect the screen and camera. The stand out feature of this case is the strong magnet which can be added or removed from inside the case. This magnet does not interfere with your credit card / WiFi etc.
In terms of installation, it’s quite easy to install with a single screw and the whole process should take less than 2 minutes. This mount is a little different in that instead of mounting it to your handlebars or stem, the Rokform mount attaches directly to the stem cap. You remove the top cap from your stem, place the mount on and tighten up the mount. Voile!
ROCK BROS BIKE PHONE BAG
The Rock Bros Bike Phone Bag mount is a bike front frame bag. You could think of it as a little boot for your bike! Made from a composite carbon leather, this makes the bag very durable and weatherproof. The bag comes with a TPU touch screen film which claims to have over 90% sensitivity with the touch screen function on phones.
The main reasons to buy this mount would be for the size of the bag. It has enough space for quite a few things like your phone, wallet, keys, small tire pump / repair kit! Be careful with packing this bag though as condensation can build up on the screen if it’s raining and it’s not zipped up tightly!
The Rock Bros bag is very easy to install with three velcro straps. There is a velcro strap on the front that straps to the stem and two longer ones that attach to various parts of the frame. One thing with velcro straps is that they need to be REALLY tight otherwise you’ll get a bit of movement with the case, especially if it’s loaded up with quite a few things.
ROAM UNIVERSAL PREMIUM BIKE PHONE MOUNT
The Roam Universal Premium bike phone mount, as the name suggests, is a universal bracket that is able to fit almost any cell phone up to 3.5” wide. The Roam has a standard clamp type bracket that is adjustable and able to fit handlebar sizes from 7/8” – 1-1/4” in diameter.
The phone holder itself is made from a strong hard plastic that is paired with a silicon band that is able to stretch up to 4 times the original size. The two primary side clamping system and the silicone nets in the corners provide a “six points of grip” that securely holds your smartphone.
Summary
If you ride your bike quite often I’d recommend going for a case mount locking mechanism like the Quad Lock. It’s quick and easy to attach, it’s very sturdy and the case is quite slimline in comparison to others in this round up. Additionally, it is able to move between mounts (i.e. jogging, car, motorcycle etc). The only hassle will be if you upgrade your phone annually.
If the main purpose of the mount is just for leisurely weekend rides then a universal bar mount like the Roam Universal Premium Bike Phone Mount will be sufficient. It’ll be a lot easier on the wallet 🙂
I would tend to avoid frame bags as they don’t really have great touchscreen functionality and it’ll be easier to just have a saddle bag to carry everything. If you really must have it on the front then I’d suggest getting the Rock Bros Bike Phone Bag.
