Subtle design on a versatile charger

I have a love-hate relationship with car charging mounts, which goes for the best car chargers you can find, too. Their utility is undeniable: you can mount the best Android phones with them for safe viewing and convenient charging. But they can also be clunky, have compatibility problems with certain car models, and block your A/C vents. I’ve been driving around with Peak Design’s new Qi2 car charging mounts, and they solve a lot of the problems I’ve had with other options in the past.

They won’t budge from your dashboard or air conditioning vents, even when you slam on the brakes. Peak Design’s car mounts also work with various car models — the standard adhesive mount worked just fine on my Tesla Model Y, and the vent mount fit on my notoriously picky Chrysler 300. Throw in the Qi2 support, which brings 15W fast wireless charging and MagSafe support, and the Peak Design car mounts seem pretty appealing. They’re one of the best ways to use Qi2 car charging today, but being an early adopter as an Android user will come at a cost.

Pricing and availability

Peak Design updated its car charging solutions last month to meet the Qi2 specification, which enables 15W wireless charging and the Magnetic Power Profile. In other words, these car mounts will work with MagSafe and future Qi2-supported Android devices magnetically. The mount is available in two variants: an adhesive mount and a vent mount. The adhesive mount costs $80, while the vent mount costs $100.

Unfortunately, the Qi2 versions do not come with a 12V car charger. They include a charging cable and three adhesive cable clips for cable management. For now, you can only get the vent mount from Peak Design’s website. The standard car mount can be purchased from Peak Design’s website or third-party retailers like Amazon.

What’s good about the Peak Design Qi2 Car Mount?

Both mounting options keep your phone incredibly secure on a dash or vent

It’s impossible to quantify how important security is for a car mount. I’ve had my fair share of car mounts that have flown off my A/C vents or the dashboard, which creates a dangerous situation. That’s why I was so impressed with how stable both versions of the Peak Design car mounts were in the two cars I tested them with.

The vent mount is definitely the more impressive of the two, hence its higher price. It’s so well-engineered, offering a hook at the back of the vent mounting clip that hooks onto the back end of the vent slats. This means that, for the Peak Design car vent mount to budge, it would have to rip out your A/C vent slats themselves. If installed properly, I can guarantee that this vent mount isn’t going anywhere. I’ve never seen this type of attachment mechanism on a mount before, and it’s certainly more advanced and secure than traditional options, like Satechi’s Qi2 car charger.

The engineering of the vent mount immediately captivated me, but I don’t want to undercut the standard car mount either. It uses an adhesive pad to mount onto any flat surface in your car, ideally the dashboard. There’s some flexibility in the plastic mount that allows it to stick to curved surfaces, too. Peak Design says you should stick it on 24 hours before using it for the best results. I didn’t follow that guidance, and my Google Pixel 7astill didn’t budge on my dashboard.

The vent mount uniquely won’t block your air vents

As I mentioned, the vent mount version of Peak Design’s car charger is the most impressive of the two. Part of that is because it manages to secure your phone to a vent without entirely blocking it, and that’s something you simply don’t see often. My go-to car mount is the Belkin Car Vent Mount Pro, which blocks an entire A/C vent when in use. The same goes for the ESR Qi2 car charger, which I’ve most recently reviewed. The Peak Design car vent mount avoids this pitfall, and this feature may be reason enough to buy it.

The car vent mount has a multipart design, starting with a thin aluminum piece that holds the attachment mechanisms. Then, a rotating arm holds the silicone mounting/charging pad for your smartphone. While the thin mounting section blocks a tiny portion of your A/C vents, the rotating arm moves your phone and the charging pad out of the way. So, you’ll get great airflow while still using the A/C vents for mounting.

Some cars won’t be able to use the vent mount, like my Tesla Model Y. I used the standard Peak Design car mount for that vehicle, and it worked similarly great. Since this mount goes on the dashboard, it won’t block your air vents either. However, this isn’t as unique because few dashboard mounts block airflow — that’s usually a problem exclusive to vent mounts.

What’s bad about the Peak Design Qi2 Car Mount?

The installation process is a bit tricky, and you’ll want to get it right

There are a few minor things that I don’t like about the Peak Design Qi2 car mounts. For one, they no longer include a 12V car socket adapter — the older Qi versions did. In my experience, the cable management clips aren’t strong enough to keep the charging cable secure while driving. The price is also quite high, and only one Android phone is confirmed to sport Qi2 charging at the moment.

Those are all quite small, but the bigger concern is with the mounting processes. The difficulty with the standard Peak Design car mount is that it’s very hard to remove when you place it somewhere. That adhesive pad is made to be used once, so you’ll want to know where you’re placing the car mount when installing it. Remember the impressive engineering of the car vent mount I mentioned earlier? Well, it makes for a very tricky installation process. My advice is to watch the Peak Design installation video carefully before trying to mount it yourself.

Should you buy the Peak Design Qi2 Car Mount?

If you’re buying into the Peak Design ecosystem, it’s a resounding yes

I am a big fan of the Peak Design ecosystem, and the reason is simple. The company’s accessory ecosystem works brilliantly with iPhone and Android, and no other brand offers the same level of compatibility across brands. With a Peak Design Everyday Case, you’re guaranteed a great experience using the car charging mounts, whether you have an iPhone, a Galaxy, or a Pixel. If you want to use MagSafe on Android today, Peak Design’s accessory ecosystem is the way to go.

However, it’s not a cheap ecosystem to enter. An Everyday Case plus a car mount will run you well over $100, which may be a tough sell for some. That figure is worth it to me because it’s rare to find secure mounts that won’t block A/C vents. But if you’re not ready to go all-in on Peak Design, I’d suggest holding off on buying one of these mounts. Full Qi2 support is coming, and you’ll be able to use these car chargers without a proprietary Peak Design case when it does.