Trying to keep everyone entertained during long car journeys is no easy feat, but one simple way to do so is to let them watch something on a tablet. Gone are the days when you had to strap bulky portable DVD players to the back of the headrest – now there are neat tablet holders that allow people to experience their favourite films, shows and videos in a much more compact form.
Entertainment isn't the only use for these holders, though – as well behind or between the seats, they can also set your tablet on the dashboard for use as a navigation device. We've looked at Argos, Amazon and eBay to find a range of universal tablet-mounting tools that will suit your needs, whether you want to occupy the kids in the backseats or keep you on track in the front.
For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:
For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of car tablet holders available and understand how our ranking was determined.
This article's chosen EC site price listings are reflective of its publishing date.
Image | 1 ![]() SOYUKI | 2 ![]() Tryone | 3 ![]() iKross | 4 ![]() PLDHPRO | 5 ![]() Viden | 6 ![]() OHMOTOR | 7 ![]() POMILE | 8 ![]() Lamicall | 9 ![]() Streetwize | 10 ![]() Hikig |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Stretchable Tablet Headrest Mount | Car Headrest Holder | Tablet Mount Holder | Universal Dashboard Windshield Suction | Car Headrest Mount | Car Headrest Tablet Holder | Car Tablet Mount Holder | Car Tablet Holder | Car Travel Tablet Holder | Car Headrest Mount Holder |
Features | All of the Adjustability Without Any of the Downsides | A Holder With Unlimited Flexibility | Sits Between Seats So Passengers Can Watch Something Together | A Flexible Holder That Can Be Wherever You Need It To | Extendable Design to Bring the Action Closer to You | A Holder You Can Trust Will Stay in Place | A Protective, Cushioned Dashboard Holder | Compatible With a Range of Tech | A Sleek Setup With Adaptable Features | A Kid-Friendly Amazon Fire Holder That's Easy to Use |
Price | £19.99 | £14.89 | £21.99 | £19.99 | £13.04 | £15.99 | £18.99 | £9.99 | £10.00 | £15.88 |
Compatible Tablets/Size | 11.4 - 34.3 cm | 10.2 - 26.9 cm | 17.8 - 25.9 cm | 15.2 - 26.7 cm | 11.1 - 28 cm | 12 - 32 cm | 17.8 - 26.7 cm | 11.1 - 28 cm | Max. 250 mm | Kindle Fire HD 6, 7, 8, 10 |
Mount Positioning | Headrest | Headrest | Headrest | Air vent, dashboard | Headrest | Headrest | Dashboard | Headrest | Headrest | Headrest |
Attachment to Car | Clip | Clip on | Clip on | Clip or suction cup | Clip on | Wrap-around clip | Suction cup | Clip on | Clip on | Velcro sleeve |
Rotation | 360° | 360° | 360° | 360° | 360° | 360° | 360° | 360° | 360° | None |
Tilt | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | A small amount | Yes | No |
Tablet Fastening Method | 2 extendable arms with spring grip | 2 extendable arms with spring grip | 2 arms, one with spring grip | 4 hooked arms | 2 extendable arms with spring grip | 2 extendable arms with spring grip | 4 hooked arms | 2 extendable arms with spring grip | 4 hooked arms | Adjustable clip |
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With the huge selection of brands now making all sorts of different tablets, they really do come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. So, the first thing you need to do is find a tablet holder that can adapt.
Most holders do have a huge amount of adjustability, often being able to hold everything from a small smartphone to a large tablet, but even still it is worth checking your tablet size and whether it fits into the range offered by a holder. Tablet sizes are measured diagonally across the screen, so that's the figure you need to be looking at.
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Where you decide to put your holder will depend largely on what you want to use it for. If you want to use it as a way of giving your backseat passengers something to watch, then you should look for a holder that can be attached to the back of the front seat headrests.
If, however, you want to use your tablet as a sat nav or as a helper while you're driving, you need to make sure you get a holder that can attach to your dashboard, either by attaching itself to the top or by clipping into the air vents.
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Clips are the most popular mechanism used in tablet holders to attach them to your car. If they are headrest holders, they usually clip on to the poles that hold up the headrest, whereas if they are for the front, they might instead clip onto the air vent.
Other methods of attachment you might see for headrest holders are wrap-around setups, either clipping together on either side of the chair or as a Velcro sleeve around the headrest itself.
As far as dashboard holders go, the most popular way of attaching them is using a suction pad. These grip to the top of the dashboard by using a vacuum cup to secure them in place, although these aren't as set in place as those that use clips.
In addition to the method used to attach your holder to the car, it is also important to check how you attach your tablet to the holder – after all, it's not much use if the holder stays in place but the tablet falls out at the first bump in the road.
The most common way that holders use to fix your tablet in place is by having arms – either two or four – with a spring system that squeezes your tablet in place. The best arms will have added support in the form of hooks that come slightly over the front of the screen.
Having the ability to turn your screen completely will allow you to find the best angle for looking at what you need to see. This is ideal for keeping little ones entertained on long drives, as you'll need the tablet to be set up in a way that keeps them engaged.
Make sure to look for holders that have the capacity to turn a full 360°, which will give you as many options as you could possibly need for lining up your screen perfectly.
Everyone sits at slightly different heights in the car, which is why is makes complete sense when a tablet holder can be adjusted to suit the person who's using it. While the ability to rotate your tablet will go some way in tailoring it to your individual needs, it's best when this can be done alongside tilting the screen upwards and downwards.
It means that you not only get a better direct view of the screen, but it will also help you to avoid glare and keep your tablet from getting in the way. This is especially important if you intend to use a front-seat holder that enables you to use your tablet for GPS while driving.
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This ranking has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.
£19.99
Compatible Tablets/Size | 11.4 - 34.3 cm |
---|---|
Mount Positioning | Headrest |
Attachment to Car | Clip |
Rotation | 360° |
Tilt | No |
Tablet Fastening Method | 2 extendable arms with spring grip |
£14.89
Compatible Tablets/Size | 10.2 - 26.9 cm |
---|---|
Mount Positioning | Headrest |
Attachment to Car | Clip on |
Rotation | 360° |
Tilt | Yes |
Tablet Fastening Method | 2 extendable arms with spring grip |
£21.99
Compatible Tablets/Size | 17.8 - 25.9 cm |
---|---|
Mount Positioning | Headrest |
Attachment to Car | Clip on |
Rotation | 360° |
Tilt | Yes |
Tablet Fastening Method | 2 arms, one with spring grip |
£19.99
Compatible Tablets/Size | 15.2 - 26.7 cm |
---|---|
Mount Positioning | Air vent, dashboard |
Attachment to Car | Clip or suction cup |
Rotation | 360° |
Tilt | Yes |
Tablet Fastening Method | 4 hooked arms |
£13.04
Compatible Tablets/Size | 11.1 - 28 cm |
---|---|
Mount Positioning | Headrest |
Attachment to Car | Clip on |
Rotation | 360° |
Tilt | No |
Tablet Fastening Method | 2 extendable arms with spring grip |
£15.99
Compatible Tablets/Size | 12 - 32 cm |
---|---|
Mount Positioning | Headrest |
Attachment to Car | Wrap-around clip |
Rotation | 360° |
Tilt | No |
Tablet Fastening Method | 2 extendable arms with spring grip |
£18.99
Compatible Tablets/Size | 17.8 - 26.7 cm |
---|---|
Mount Positioning | Dashboard |
Attachment to Car | Suction cup |
Rotation | 360° |
Tilt | Yes |
Tablet Fastening Method | 4 hooked arms |
£9.99
Compatible Tablets/Size | 11.1 - 28 cm |
---|---|
Mount Positioning | Headrest |
Attachment to Car | Clip on |
Rotation | 360° |
Tilt | A small amount |
Tablet Fastening Method | 2 extendable arms with spring grip |
£10.00
Compatible Tablets/Size | Max. 250 mm |
---|---|
Mount Positioning | Headrest |
Attachment to Car | Clip on |
Rotation | 360° |
Tilt | Yes |
Tablet Fastening Method | 4 hooked arms |
£15.88
Compatible Tablets/Size | Kindle Fire HD 6, 7, 8, 10 |
---|---|
Mount Positioning | Headrest |
Attachment to Car | Velcro sleeve |
Rotation | None |
Tilt | No |
Tablet Fastening Method | Adjustable clip |
Written and researched by Emma Cramp
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