Adhesive Mounts

Holders that stick on

An adhesive mount fixes with a sticky pad instead of a clip, a clamp or a strap. It goes where nothing else can grip: the flat top of a dashboard, a kitchen wall, a bathroom tile or the back of the phone itself. Once down it holds without a screw or a hole, and it stays exactly where you put it. Holders come onto this page when their own name or description says they stick on with an adhesive or sticky pad.

The kinds of adhesive mount

• Dashboard holders on a sticky pad, or on a suction cup with a sticky gel face, that hold a car holder on top of the dashboard. See dashboard car mounts.
• Wall holders that stick to a wall, a tile or a cupboard door, for recipes in the kitchen or a phone by the door. See wall and kitchen phone holders.
• Grips and rings that stick to the back of the phone or its case. See phone grips and sockets and ring holders.
• Stick-on card wallets work the same way, on the back of the case. See stick-on phone wallets.

How to make an adhesive mount hold

The surface decides most of it. Sticky pads and suction cups hold best on smooth, flat surfaces. Many dashboards are textured or curved, which is why many dashboard holders come with a smooth disc to stick down first. Clean the spot with a little alcohol, let it dry completely, press the pad down firmly and give it time to settle before a phone goes on it. The holder's own instructions say how long.

Heat is the other thing. The top of a dashboard gets very hot in summer sun, and sticky pads can let go and leave marks. The phone suffers too: Apple says an iPhone in direct sun, or left in a car on a hot day, can overheat. If you stick something to a tile or a mirror in the bathroom, keep it away from the spray of the shower.

On the back of a phone, keep a grip or ring clear of the camera. Apple says magnets and metal plates near the rear camera can affect its stabilisation and focus, and that nothing should sit between the phone and a wireless charger.

Questions people ask about adhesive mounts

Can I stick a holder to the windscreen?

Only where it does not block your view. The Highway Code says windscreens must be kept free from obstructions to vision, and something that significantly affects the driver's view through the area the wipers sweep is a major MOT defect. The guide to car phone holders and the law explains where a holder can go.

Can I move an adhesive mount once it is down?

A pad that has been pulled off rarely sticks as well again, so choose the spot before you press it down.

More to look at

• Dashboard car mounts
• Wall and kitchen phone holders
• Suction cup phone holders and mats
• Phone grips and sockets
• Ring holders
• Stick-on phone wallets
• Guide: Car phone holders: vent, dashboard or windscreen, and the law