ESR Qi2 MagSafe Car Mount review: a practical upgrade over clamp-based car phone holders

The ESR Qi2 car charger secures your iPhone with powerful magnets and multiple mounting options, including your vents and dashboard. It's an ideal option for commuters looking to mount their phone with a charger that makes it easy to see maps, podcast audio controls, or as a clock with StandBy mode.

Despite plastic building materials, the ESR Qi2 is a sturdy option able to handle the bumps of everyday driving and then some. It can get hot while charging, but it's affordable and handy.

ESR Qi2 Charger review: Unboxing and initial impressions

ESR's MagSafe Car Mount Charger comes in a reasonably compact box, and there really isn't much to it. There is the main MagSafe charger, two mounts, a USB-C cable, cleaning cloths, and the usual literature about setup and warranty.

Everything about the ESR Qi2 MagSafe car charger is plastic, from the halo lock on the housing and the housing itself to both mounts. Despite the overwhelming amount of plastic, the heavy materials make it feel sturdy.

We appreciate that there is a vent and a dash mount, with the latter having a 3M double-sided tape pre-attached, ready for peel and stick. Including a 3-foot USB-C cable is nice, even if it's pretty standard for chargers, but you'll need a USB-C port within reach for practical dash use or your own charger cord that works in your car.

Each mount uses a ball-like mount, known as a halo lock, that snaps into the charger and tightens with a twist of the screw in the back. Plus, the charging pad has a couple of vents on the bottom to help disperse heat during charging.

ESR Qi2 Charger review: driver-friendly mounting

The two halo lock mounts support 360-degree movement, allowing you to find the perfect position for easy access to maps or music. It also helps that the dash mount has a slight curve designed to point more toward the driver.

The vent mount does have a stiff clip, rubber pads to prevent vent damage, and a folding stand to prop up your phone at the ideal angle. The halo lock makes it possible to mount the ESR Qi2 car mount charger on horizontal or vertical vents.

Although including the vent mount is practical for those who don't want to stick anything to the dash or have the flexibility to move vehicles, we don't like the idea of the heater blasting our phones while they charge in the winter. So, for our testing, we primarily used the dash mount.

The 3M tape is the solid gray double-sided tape that applies easily to various dashboard materials. We were able to clean our plastic dashboard, peel the sticker off the tape, and stick the mount right to the dash.

Mounting the ESR charger on the dash is very secure, showing no sign of falling off through daily city driving, lengthy highway trips, and even a few snowstorms. It keeps the iPhone away from the vent, but it does require sticking something to the dashboard, and it can still get hot from the sun.

ESR Qi2 Charger review: charging your iPhone

We've complained about flimsy MagSafe magnets used in previous chargers that have come across our desk. The ESR Qi2 MagSafe Car Mount Charger is not one of those chargers, as the magnet is strong and leaves no doubt about holding your phone.

The magnet also allows you to use StandBy mode, which we found ourselves using when we didn't have Maps running. The ESR Qi2 MagSafe Car Mount Charger makes it easy to secure your iPhone and find the perfect viewing position.

The charging pad uses Qi2 wireless charging at the maximum 15W possible but only works with MagSafe-compatible iPhone 12 or later. It won't work for older devices or Apple's entry-level SE model, but most newer models can recharge on the ESR charger.

The 15W charging won't provide you with a massive boost in battery life unless you have a significant commute. However, it will give you the extra juice you need in a pinch or prevent rapid battery drain while using navigation apps.

ESR Qi2 Charger review: a solid replacement for your old car phone holder and charger

The ESR Qi2 Car Mount Charger brings wireless MagSafe charging to your car with a couple of mounts that make it easy to find the best viewing angles. The magnet is powerful, the materials are solid, and it comes with a charging cable.

However, the ESR Qi2 MagSafe Car Mount Charger is prone to getting hot, either by the vent or by the sun for dash-mounted iPhones. Wireless charging still requires a charging cable, but wired charging provides much faster charging rates.

Regardless, using the ESR Car Mount Charger is easy, and having our iPhone at eye level while using maps or changing songs is much safer. Plus, this car charger is on sale for less than $30, making it a practical option for drivers of all kinds.

ESR Qi2 Car Mount Charger: Pros

• Solid build materials
• Strong MagSafe magnet
• Multiple mounting options

ESR Qi2 Car Mount Charger: Cons

• Gets hot while charging
• Wired charging is more rapid
• UBS-C cable might not be ideal for your vehicle

Rating: 4 out of 5

Where to buy the ESR Qi2 MagSafe Car Mount Charger

You can buy the ESR Qi2 car charger from the ESR website for $35.99 or from Amazon for $22.39.