What is it?
If you own an older car that doesn't have fancy pants features like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, being able to mount your phone on the dash so you can use features like Waze or Google Maps is very useful. It's the kind of thing every Uber driver has. And there's no shortage of car phone mounts available online, as a quick search on Amazon shows. You can pick one up for less than a tenner.
The Journey Rapid Express Wireless Car Charger is an air vent (or dash) mounted phone that holds your phone using a magentic ring while also charging it wirelessly at the same time. At £50 it's at the more expensive end of the market. It works with both iPhone and Android phones.
In the box you get the car charger itself, a USB-C cable (there's no 12v charger however), the support bracket, a dash mount, an air vent mount and a magnetic ring. We tested it in a 2012 Audi Q7 using the air vent mount, which we suspect most people would most over the dash mount.
What's it like?
Packed in a box more akin to a smartphone, it's clear from the outset that the Journey Rapid Express isn't a cheapo car mount. Unpack it all and there's a quality feel to the charger itself, although given the price tag, it's what we'd expect.
Fitting it is pretty straightforward and the illustrated user manual helps. It's designed to fit on both square (or more accurately rectangular) air vents along with round vents thanks to the extra plastic bar mount and according to Journey will fit pretty much any style and shape of air vent. You simply clip the ball mount into the back of the charger and then slot that into the vent before tightening it up.
We fitted it to our Audi Q7 with no problems, although do be aware that once fitted, you won't be able to move the vent airflow up and down. There's no 12v socket included so we're using our Anker Powerdrive 2 but Journey does include a USB-C cable along with an adaptor.
The Rapid Express works with iPhone 12 or new and wireless charging enabled Android phones. To attach your phone to the charger requires either a MagSafe case or you can use the adhesive magnetic ring.
If you're not familiar with MagSafe, it's a series of magnets placed around the charging coil on iPhone series 12 and onwards. These sense MagSafe compatible accessories and snap into place. MagSafe will only attach to other compatible MagSafe accessories, so you don't need to worry about other magnets interfering.
However, if you're a luddite like me and don't have a MagSafe iPhone (I'm still on an iPhone 11) or have an Android phone, you can still use the Rapid Express thanks to the adhesive magnetic ring that's included in the box. There's a handy guide to show you where to place it exactly but basically on the back in the middle seems to be the gist of it. Alternatively, you can buy a MagSafe case which has the ring built in.
Attaching the phone is simple thanks to the strong magnet which pulls it into place with a reassuring snap. You can change the phone between portrait and landscape and also alter the angle, handy when my daughter is sat in the passenger seat and wants to put something on Spotify. And the strong magnet means the phone doesn't come off when you're doing so.
It starts charging the moment it's attached and it's fast too, keeping our (now apparently ancient) iPhone fully charged.
Should I buy one?
We're tried cheap phone car holders in the past and it's very much been a case of you get what you pay for. The Journey Rapid Express Wireless Car Charger is a very different kettle of fish. Thanks to the well designed mount, it's incredibly sturdy with no shake or wobble on the move, which means it's easy to glance at your phone for directions.
The magnet holder has proven extremely impressive too. Even driving our Q7 over muddy rutted tracks, which shake the cabin all over the place, our phone did not fall off. The 'snap' as it locks onto the magnet is very reassuring. Charging has proven fast and reliable too
It may not be cheap but the Rapid Express is definitely good value, given just how well it performs. Rather than wasting money on inferior car mounts that eventually end up in the glovebox, we'd recommend this as the best wireless car charger out there. You can buy the Rapid Express directly from Journey.
