In Illinois, it’s not just a good idea to use a hands-free holder for your phone, it’s the law. Since Wonder Lake is in Illinois, this means you could get a ticket if you’ve only just pulled out of your driveway while talking on the phone without a hands-free phone holder.

Since you don’t want a ticket, or to have an accident, finding the best way to hold your phone for hands-free operation is time well spent. You want a hands-free mount that will securely hold your phone, is easy to use and is durable.

Durability for a hands-free phone mount doesn’t just mean that the mount won’t break; it also means that the part of the car where it’s affixed won’t break.

Here are some of the options when you consider a hands-free phone mount for your car:

• A vent-clipped mount: Vent-clipped hands-free phone mounts are very common. The back of the mount clips to the directional vents where the AC and heat enter the cabin of your car. The drawbacks are that the mount may block some of the cooled or heated air from coming into the car, and the vents are often rather delicate. It’s not uncommon for your mount to fall out of the vent with a blade or two attached to the mount rather than the dashboard.
• Suction mount: A suction-mount hands-free phone holder is one of the most popular ways to go hands-free. The suction cup is attached to the dashboard or the windshield. First, you have to clean the air where you’ll affix the mount. But, you’ll also want to try out the spot first to make sure it doesn’t block your vision while driving. While these suction cups are remarkable, there are times when the suction fails and your phone will fall mount and all.
• CD mount: A CD mounted hands-free phone holder slips into the slot where you put a CD. These are snazzy holders. Some claim that you can even listen to CDs while the hands-free phone holder is inserted in the CD slot, but that remains to be seen, or heard.
• Cup-holder mounts: With a cup-holder, hands-free phone holder, the mount slips into the cup holder in your console. This is a clever idea but will only work if the cup holder is located where you can see the phone while driving.

Many of the hands-free phone holders come with adjustable and telescoping arms so you can position the phone just where you want it. Some have brackets that grasp your phone. Others have magnets where you apply one side of the magnet to the back of the phone with a peel-and-stick application.

Before you buy a hands-free phone holder, it’s worth your time to consider the options and make a choice that best fits you and your car. Then, don’t leave your Wonder Lake driveway without it.