DIY smartphone stand for your car dashboard or how to make a car phone holder for your car. How to mount a tablet in a car with your own hands? Homemade tablet mount in car

Or just tablets, which have long ago become suitable for use in cars. Car enthusiasts have adapted these thin and powerful devices as a replacement for standard radios, GPS navigators, and some electronics and programming specialists even use them as a Tablet - it’s convenient, practical and not so boring in traffic jams. And if you have children, then you can keep them busy playing their favorite games or watching cartoons on long and tiring trips. Some have even adapted tablets as video recorders, and they perform their functions perfectly.

How to secure a tablet computer in a car? Types of holders

Multi-functionality, multimedia functions, as well as minimum dimensions and power - all this is very, very good. All that remains is to make a mount for the tablet in the car.

Today the market is literally overflowing with different types of fastenings. There are quite a lot of such holders.

So, among all the devices, the following designs stand out:

Many people don’t want to bother with the choice and purchase a universal mount for a tablet in the car. These structures can be adjusted in height, width and other parameters. Mobile devices of any diagonal can easily fit into these holders. You can rotate the device both vertically and horizontally. There are also models from well-known manufacturers, but they are few and expensive.

Where to mount the tablet?

There are only a few places in the car for these purposes. You can mount the holder on the dashboard, on the glass on the right, on the system. You can also install the computer on the back of the headrest. We will look at the pros and cons for each of these places.

The tablet will look perfect on the dashboard. They are often mounted as if it had always been there. But such designs cannot be found on sale, so car enthusiasts and car owners prefer to make such devices themselves. It all depends on sleight of hand and imagination.

To the right of the driver, you can install a mount for a tablet in the car on the glass. Naturally, you can purchase a ready-made design, or you can make it completely yourself. This is much more interesting and also allows for an interesting experience.

Do-it-yourself mount for a tablet in a car

So, here we come to the most interesting part of the article. Previously, many, before becoming car owners, had bicycles and motorcycles and regularly “farmed” something for them due to the lack of necessary spare parts.

So it is here, because looking for easy ways is by no means our method. Let's try to make a mount for the tablet in the car with our own hands. It's very interesting and economical.

Attach the tablet to the ventilation grille

To make a mount for a tablet in a car on an air duct, you will need the device itself, some stainless steel, a welding machine, and also a plumbing tool.

This homemade design has a number of advantages over the rather flimsy holders from the Chinese brothers. The design is very convenient to use, it is very simple to manufacture, it will not take up much extra space in the interior of your car. For manufacturing, you only need skills in working with metal and a welding machine.

The design has no disadvantages. It can be easily removed if necessary; it is a universal mount for a tablet in a car on a dashboard. In general, you can come up with many options for such designs. You can use various clamps and brackets.

Where to begin?

First you need to find stainless steel. Next you need to measure the strips to make the stand. 2 vertical stripes are recommended. The required strips should be 1 cm wide and 17 cm long. You also need to prepare one horizontal strip 25 cm long and 1 cm wide. Next you need to cut the strips and bend their edges. This will make it more convenient to use this thing.

The upper parts of the resulting strips need to be folded more than the lower ones. You should get a construction similar to an integral. The curved upper part of our strips will cling to the air duct grille, and the lower curved part will hold the tablet. The horizontal strip must be secured in such a way that it keeps the high-tech device from moving laterally. Then such a mount for a tablet in a car will be able to securely hold the tablet, and it will not fall out when driving on our roads.

You can also make additional inserts into this design. They do not have any functional load, but slightly increase the angle of inclination of the tablet.

As a decorative treatment, you can cover the resulting holder with fabric, leather or something else. As a result, the mount for the tablet in the car hooks onto the air duct grille and is held securely there.

We fix the computer instead of air ducts

This is a way to insert your tablet PC into your car. Mobile computer will be mounted in the middle air duct. This method is suitable for VAZ cars.

What to do?

First you need to remove and disassemble the air duct housing. By the way, it is not so easy to disassemble it. There are quite a lot of small details. Gutted? Now you need to take the frame and try it on the tablet. The frame is suitable for small devices. If the mobile device is inexpensive, then perhaps the screen will fade. Therefore, it is advisable to recess it in a niche away from ventilation.

Next, after all the measurements, you need to cut off the partition between the two ventilation panels. Then, when we have a single niche, we need to try on the design of the tablet and frame again. Depending on the measurement results, you may have to cut down the ventilation panel a little more.

Next, you need to glue the frame to the tablet screen, to its non-working part. Then you should insert the structure into the cavity and place it on double-sided tape. When everything is done perfectly, you need to process those places where the partition used to be. It needs to be sanded, primed and painted, and possibly decorated.

Also, as a fastening, you can ask your friends for a bracket from a broken holder and make yourself a frame or strip from metal for direct holding mobile device and attach it anywhere, for example, this is how you can make a mount for a tablet in a car on the headrest. At the same time, a ready-made bracket will allow you not to bother creating it, and metal holders will become much more convenient than flimsy plastic parts. The kids will thank you for the tablet in the rear passenger seat.

The tablet is very convenient to use in the car, because it can do a lot useful functions. For maximum comfort, it is advisable to acquire a special car holder for this device. It is worth talking in more detail about what types there are.

Car holder for tablet by mounting type

There are several options for securing a tablet computer in a car. Each of them has its own characteristics. Some mounts are more convenient to use if only the driver will use the technology, while others are preferable to buy if the gadget will be at the disposal of passengers. If you are planning to purchase an accessory, you should find out the details about each option.

Universal mount for tablet in car

So called because it is suitable for tablet computers of different diagonals, has sliding stops. It is allowed to be used for any gadget from iPad Mini to Samsung Galaxy very large sizes. The holder for a tablet in a car can be attached to the glass, dashboard and headrest. As a rule, the product is made of plastic.

Advantages:

versatility;
wide viewing angle due to the ability to rotate the mount.

Flaws:

large sizes;
under certain operating conditions it will rattle and vibrate;
impairs visibility if placed on the windshield.

Mounting the tablet in the car using suction cups

This accessory must be installed on glass. Many people worry about the fact that suction cups tend to come off. The modern design involves a large fastening diameter and a special fixation mechanism, thanks to which the holder sticks to the glass almost “tightly”. The product can have a flexible or rigid tripod. In the case of the first, the possibilities for placing the display in the cabin are significantly expanded.

Advantages:

can be attached to any part of the glass;
reliability of fixation.

Flaws:

may shake when moving.

Mounting the tablet in the car on a stand

This option is not much different from the previous one, with the exception of one detail. The holder for a tablet in a car is not attached to smooth glass, but to a dashboard made of plastic. It is often porous or ribbed. Therefore, first a round-shaped silicone stand is glued to the panel, and then the suction cup sticks to it. The tripod of such models is usually rigid.

Advantages:

due to the rigid tripod it will not shake even when driving on a bad road;
holds the gadget very tightly.

Flaws:

The rigidity of the bracket will not allow you to attach the gadget anywhere in the cabin.

Car holder for tablet with clamp

Reliable mounting option. The accessory is equipped with clamps that will firmly fix the device. As a rule, such fastenings differ in maximum number inches that they can move apart. There are options suitable for both phones and tablet computers. When choosing a clamping fastener, you need to pay attention to whether the legs are loose and whether they are protected by soft rubber pads.

Advantages:

A holder that clamps a tablet into a car holds the device more firmly than a magnetic or three-point one.

Flaws:

not detected.

Tablet holder in the car at the mounting location

The tablet computer can be placed in different areas of the machine, depending on the purposes for which it is used. If the driver needs it directly in order to drive according to the GPS navigator schemes, then it should be in the front of the car. To keep the kids occupied with cartoons in the back seat of the car, it is better to attach the gadget to the back. If you are planning to buy a mount, you should know which models are suitable for which placements.

Headrest holder

There are two types of such fastenings. The first option is a holder for a tablet on the headrest of one of the passengers. It is attached to the posts with special hooks or tightening nuts. In most models, you can adjust the distance of the screen from the seat and its height. The gadget can be tilted or raised slightly, but it cannot be rotated to the sides.

The second type is a holder for a tablet in the car between two seats. The telescopic rod, adjustable in length, is equipped with two hooks on the edges. Each of them is attached to the post of one of the seats. This rod has a three-point or clamping holder. The advantage of such an accessory is that you can move the tablet closer to one or another seat and tilt it.

On the dashboard

On the dashboard, you can place a holder for your tablet in the car with suction cups. To do this, you will need to buy an overlay for it, although many produce them as a set. If the display is small, then you can place it on either the right or left side of you. If you plan to mount a holder with suction cups on a dashboard, then pay attention to models with a rigid tripod.

There is another mounting option for the driver. Now they produce holders with clothespins that are inserted into ventilation grilles. They provide reliable fixation, but do not allow you to turn the tablet in one direction or another, tilt it, or move it closer to you. Another advantage is that a gadget with such a holder will be within the driver’s reach, but will not limit visibility.

Mounting a tablet in a car on the windshield

The most common and most convenient option for most drivers. You can attach a model with a suction cup to the glass. It is important that it be of a large diameter and with mechanical air pumping. It is almost impossible to tear it off the surface. Mounting on the windshield is convenient because the tablet can be placed anywhere: to the left or right of the driver, at the very top or at eye level.

Where to buy and how much does a car mount for a tablet cost?

In the table you will see the approximate price range for the most popular models car fasteners offered by regular stores and virtual trading platforms with delivery.

When I travel, I use my smartphone as a navigator. I've had several factory made car phone holders and there was always something that didn't work for me. Over time, they become loose, or installing a phone in them becomes problematic.

Show 5 more images

The last car phone holder I purchased was a sticky silicone mat with slots in which you could mount your smartphone upright on its side. But my friend could not install her smartphone in a leather book case into it; she had to remove the case. I decided to bring to life an old idea. Life hackers must act, let the rest whine!

You will need:

a piece of wood, approximately 300x100x8 mm (I had a piece of black fiberboard)
mini loop
spring
a few screws, glue
engraver with attachments or hand router
mounting platform (I used the notorious silicone mat)

Note: This holder mounts to a rough surface on the dashboard, and if you want to place your phone on the windshield, this is definitely not your option.

I will show simplest option assembling a phone stand for a car. In the end I used sealant after I assembled the holder, but that was because I remembered it too late.

Files

Step 1: Cutting out the parts

From a piece of fiberboard I cut three parts of the following sizes:

Top cover 150x90x8 mm
Bottom cover 130x90x8mm
Roller 9x90x8 mm

The roller needs to be glued to the top cover at a distance of 5 mm from the edge; this indentation will allow you to use the holder with one hand. When the glue has dried, secure the roller with two additional small countersunk screws. This part will protect the top edge of your smartphone.

Step 2: Making the Slots

Using a linear milling compass or a milling bit (or a hand router), make a slot in the bottom cover, slightly wider than the smartphone in the case. The smartphone should not sit tightly in the slot; I will return to this point later. The slot will protect the bottom edge of your smartphone.

If the piece of wood from which you are making your smartphone holder for your car is too thin, you can glue two beads on the bottom cover to create a slot for your smartphone.

Cut a cutout for the spring on the top cover, on the side with the bolster. The cutout should not be blocked by the loop and should be slightly longer than the spring. The picture shows that this cutout turned out very sloppy. My engraver seems to live his own life, moving wherever he pleases.

When you're done with the slot and cutout, sand until you're happy with it and remove any dust.

Step 3: Apply sealant

Place masking tape around the areas where you will apply the sealant. Once you have applied the sealant, wet your finger with soapy water and smooth the surface of the sealant with it. Pay special attention to the edges to ensure there are no loose pieces of caulk sticking out.

When you are finished applying the sealant, carefully remove the tape so that the edges of the sealant are even and leave the parts to dry overnight.

Step 4: Attach metal parts and assemble the structure

Attach the loop very carefully. If it is tilted slightly, the lids will not be parallel to each other when opened. Depending on the material you used for the lids, the hinge and spring can be screwed directly onto the wood. I didn't have the right size screws, so I used bolts and nuts. I made recesses for the nuts so that they hardly stand out above the surface of the covers.

First we fix the mini loop on one of the covers, then we fix the spring on both covers. After this, we attach the loop to the second lid. This makes it much easier to secure the loop correctly.

Step 5: Decorate the holder

I had an unnecessary piece of leather, using percussive letter stamps (by first wetting the leather) I made an inscription. The options to highlight the uniqueness of your holder are truly endless.

My Skoda Yeti has a wonderful flat area on the dashboard. Our holder must be mounted on an almost flat surface. If the surface of your dashboard is not flat, you will have to mount the holder to something else or level the surface somehow. I already mentioned that I had a sticky silicone mat. Using scissors, I cut off all the protrusions that hold the smartphone in a vertical position until I just got a flat silicone mat. You can buy these on eBay or most hardware stores. I attached it to the smartphone holder with some paper clips.

In general, you can simply drill a hole in the dashboard and secure the holder with a screw.
Well, you have made a universal smartphone holder that fits almost all market smartphone models. It can be used for smartphones without a case, with a case, or with a flip case. It is easy to use with one hand, and when the holder is not needed, it barely rises above the dashboard.

If the evolution of smartphone displays goes the way of larger ones, you can make the holder “jaws”, so that such a holder can also be used with tablets. Enjoy.

We've already sorted it out. Now let's look at several ways to mount it in a car. Basically, here are ways to install it yourself, but first we’ll look at using a special holder.

Option 1. Mounting using a holder (store bought)

With this holder you can easily and quickly secure the tablet with your own hands. The kit includes a suction cup for glass and adjustable holding legs. You can mount it on the glass, or on the dashboard.

Don't want to go on glass? Using double-sided tape and self-tapping screws, you can firmly and securely attach the holder to the panel.

Option 2. Homemade wire fastening

This fastening is very easy to make from a piece of stainless wire or knitting needles. The tablet must be in a book-type case.

First you need to drill two holes in the panel with a diameter slightly larger than the thickness of the wire so that it fits tightly there. Then the frame bends. The book cover opens and simply hangs on this frame.

Option 3. Using a U-shaped profile

This is already semi-professional work. The U-shaped profile is actually used to create a shelf in which the tablet stands. An arc with screws bends from a thick strip of duralumin, which will serve for fastening to the panel.

Option 4. The cheapest

Everything is simple here. You need a lanyard with a lock. These are often used in clothing. And such a lace is threaded through the book cover. All. Oh yes, a phone holder, for example, must be firmly fixed to the panel. It will serve as a hook on which the tablet will hang.

A tablet in a car usually has two main roles: a driver assistant and an entertainment center for passengers. In the first case, it serves as a navigator, a news reader, and some also manage to do a little work or surf the Internet in traffic jams. In this case, the tablet is placed next to the driver - on the windshield or above the central panel. True, when placed on the windshield, it blocks part of the view and collects the views of neighbors downstream from everywhere. And when it is located above the center console, it usually blocks access to the car’s multimedia system, but does not interfere with the view, and you no longer have to reach so far for it. There is another method of fastening, which is devoid of all the above-mentioned disadvantages, and which we will also talk about.

As for the role of the multimedia center for passengers, this topic is even more relevant. Those who have children and who have to be on the road with them for a long time will definitely approve of it. It will also appeal to ordinary passenger travelers who are forced to spend several hours in the car.

In this review, we tried on six various types car mounts and holders for tablets, having purchased four sets for this in Moscow online stores different manufacturers. With their help, we will try to evaluate the convenience and practicality of this or that method of fastening. Our small city SUV will act as a “tablet carrier”. The tablets that will assist us are already well known to our readers: these are the 8-inch Prestigio Multipad 4 Ultimate 8.0 3G (209 × 155 × 9 mm, 447 g) and the 9-inch Pipo Max-7 Pro 3G (218 × 161 × 9 mm, 485 g). Actually, there is almost no difference between them in size and weight, and we will use Prestigio more often (especially for photography), because it is white and is better visible against the background of the black interior of the car.

So, we’ll start the story about the holders in no particular order, and leave the most sophisticated solution for dessert. Here full list individual models and kits:

Perhaps this is the most classic option among those we selected. Vertex iTab 3 is not a holder, but a set of holders, which involves attaching the tablet to both the windshield and the headrest of the front seats. If you consider such a set unnecessary, then the iTab and iTab 2 options are at your service. In the first case, in the box, in addition to the cradle, you will only find a mounting bracket for the windshield, and in the second - for the headrest. Accordingly, they will cost you less than our iTab 3 option.

Characteristics table

Type	tablet holder set
Mounting options	to the windshield and to the headrest
Adjustable tablet diagonal, inches	up to 12
Range of distances between the side legs of the cradle, mm	115-185
Range of movement of the lower support of the cradle down, mm	27
Allowable tablet thickness, mm	25 (17*)
Weight Limit tablet, g	N/A
Max. length of bracket installation from suction cup to cradle, mm	190
Range of lengths for installing the mounting bracket to the headrest from the mounting bar to the cradle, mm	90-160
Own weight, g	395, 382
Description from the manufacturer
Approximate price, rub.	1350

* value declared by the manufacturer and (in brackets) our recommended value

On its website, the manufacturer states that the Italian design bureau Alessandro Bellini helps it design its products. Did it have a hand in this device, we don’t know, but we can say that the holder is made very carefully and tastefully. The cradle is equipped with a special, fairly hard pillow covered with leatherette. Adjustment of the position of the holding legs with soft rubberized edges is carried out by rearranging them into a set of grooves, where they are held firmly enough.

A powerful 90mm suction cup holds the entire structure very tightly. The pressing force can be controlled using the foot, which has several fixed positions. If necessary, the clamping force can be increased. The bracket has two adjustment units: a toothed one that adjusts the angle of inclination near the suction cup, equipped with a convenient clamping foot, and a ball one near the cradle holder, equipped with a large locking plastic nut. The ball adjustment mechanism has total travel angles of up to approximately 90 degrees (45 in each direction), which is quite enough. The design has no backlash and holds the tablet very securely.

The headrest mounting option is also quite simple and reliable. The bracket is equipped with plastic hooks, which on the back side of the bar have handle-nuts that provide tight clamping. The bracket has two articulated gear mechanisms that can be used to adjust the position of the tablet in only two planes, i.e., adjust its height relative to the passenger and distance from the seat back.

The hinge mechanisms also have a common clamping handle. The fastening is secure. There are no backlashes. The only downside of this design is that it moves the tablet away from the back of the seat by at least 10 centimeters, which may not be very convenient in a cramped car interior or when using child seats. However, in our case, we did not experience any inconvenience, but the length of the bracket was always set close to the minimum (in the photo above - it is in the position of almost maximum distance from the back of the seat).

But this whole set has one drawback - the mechanism for attaching the cradle to the brackets is very tight. It’s easy to attach the cradle, but removing it later to move it to another bracket requires a fair amount of effort.

Advantages

Reliable fastening, no backlash
Sufficient adjustment ranges both on the windshield and on the headrest
Solid appearance and workmanship

Flaws

Very tight mechanism for attaching the cradle to the brackets

A very original and unexpected solution for passengers in the back row! The design principle is simple: a small telescopic rod with a tablet holder is attached between the two headrests of the front seats, after which the two rear passengers can enjoy watching videos or surfing the Internet together. The holder can move along the bar, so that any of the rear passengers can, if necessary, move the tablet closer to themselves.