10 Popular Portable Wireless Car Stereos Ranked Worst To Best

Most new cars have built-in stereos with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. They let you connect your phone wirelessly or via a USB cable and play your favorite tracks, use navigation apps, answer calls while driving, and more. However, several people still drive older cars that do not have this functionality. Some rental cars may lack built-in stereos, too. A good way to tackle such situations is to get a portable wireless car stereo.

Unlike traditional car head units that need to be embedded into the DIN slot of the car's stereo system, these portable stereos can be temporarily attached to the car's windshield or dashboard using suction cups. While there are plenty of such solutions available, I've picked out 10 of the best products based on the screen size, resolution, performance, and additional features like built-in dashcams and wireless CarPlay support. I've been using wireless car stereos for close to a decade now, and I just can't drive without Android Auto or CarPlay at this point. Due to this, I've also learned to identify vital factors in a good car stereo — visibility under harsh sunlight, the ability to keep fingerprints away, and the responsiveness of the screen when driving.

These portable car stereos range across different prices, and some of them offer unique perks. They're all good in their own way, so you can pick the one that's best suited to your requirements or the size/nature of your car.

This offering from Podofo is one of the most affordable portable head units you can buy, at just under $40. Considering the price, you're not going to get a premium display with an ultra-fast processor. The 7-inch display onboard gets the job done for the most part, though, despite being slightly laggy. The size is sufficient if you have a small car, but if you drive a big SUV or a vehicle where the dashboard is a little farther away, you may prefer something larger. And despite the price, Podofo made some thoughtful inclusions here.

A small visor at the top of the screen prevents sunlight from directly hitting the display, markedly improving its legibility when driving. The unit can also connect to your car's audio system using either Bluetooth or AUX. Some older cars don't have Bluetooth functionality, so it's nice to see a wired option. Once you connect the display to your car's speakers, you can wirelessly use Android Auto and Apple CarPlay by mounting it on the dashboard or windshield. In fact, Podofo will even let you cast your phone's content onto the display, which is helpful for watching videos — obviously, only do this when you're parked, since it can be dangerous otherwise. If you don't want to spend too much and just want basic functionality, the Podofo portable car stereo is a steal for the price.

If you extend your budget slightly, you can pick up the Gegaibe wireless car stereo with a few additional perks. For starters, the 7-inch display has slimmer bezels so it's nicer to look at. However, it loses out on the sun visor found on the Podofo car stereo — so the legibility of the display takes a hit. It's up to you to decide whether you prefer form over functionality or the other way around. There's an additional benefit of getting the display from Gegaibe, though. The brand has thrown in a backup camera that you can install on your car. This is an excellent inclusion for those who drive older cars, since they may not have some modern car safety features like a built-in backup camera.

The rest of the features remain standard. There's support for wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. You can cast your phone's screen onto the stereo system, and even listen to satellite radio on the Gegaibe portable car stereo unit. Voice control is supported, and you can also insert an SD card to play offline media files on the display. If your car doesn't have a backup camera, it makes sense to invest in the Gegaibe car stereo since you get one included in the package. If your car already has a camera, save a few bucks and get the Podofo portable stereo instead.

The car stereos just keep getting better once you breach the $100 mark. For example, this one has a significantly larger 9-inch screen, which may not seem like much more than what the previous options offered on paper, but it's a massive upgrade in the real world. You get much more room to view navigation instructions and saved playlists. Along with a larger display, the Hauxiy wireless car stereo also features a built-in 4K dashcam, and it comes bundled with a backup camera, making for a great all-in-one option.

You can use your voice to control the display, as well as run Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly via your phone. While you can connect the Hauxiy stereo system to your car's speakers via AUX and Bluetooth, the highlight of this wireless car stereo is that it also has built-in speakers. So, if the speakers on your car aren't working, or your car doesn't have Bluetooth and you don't want to use a dangling wire to connect to the AUX port, the Hauxiy display is still completely usable as a standalone unit. While the quality of the built-in dashcam is nothing to write home about, the Hauxiy portable car stereo offers superb value for your money due to the sheer number of features it has.

Accfly's portable car stereo is specifically meant for large cars, thanks to its massive 10.1-inch display. That doesn't mean it isn't a good fit for smaller cars, but you may want to check the available space on your dashboard to it will fit and stay put while you drive. The huge display makes it easy to tap on the right icons when driving, since you don't have to look away from the road and squint to find the app you're looking for. Moreover, it gives you a bigger view of your route while navigating, and you can even watch content on the screen whenever you're parked. Accfly has also built a 4K dashcam on the rear of the display to record any mishaps when driving. It's accompanied by a rear camera that can also record videos along with assisting you while the car is in reverse gear.

Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported on the Accfly car stereo. However, the audio output on Android Auto cannot take place via your car's speaker system when connected via Bluetooth. CarPlay, on the other hand, works perfectly fine. This can be a deal-breaker if you use an Android device since you will either have to use the built-in speakers which aren't that great, or connect the display to your car via an AUX cable. iPhone users won't have to deal with any such workarounds.

Here's a truly portable option that is almost like having one of the best Bluetooth speakers on your car's dashboard. The FocuWay car stereo sits on the dashboard and features a powerful built-in speaker. Think of it as a Bluetooth speaker with a display on the front. The advantage of a system like this is that you don't have to connect it to your car's speakers to get good audio. You can snap the FocuWay car stereo out of its car stand and carry it with you to use as a portable speaker when camping or for house parties. There's also SD card slot on the rear of the unit, and an optional AUX port if you wish to connect the unit to your car's speakers. Now that's a convenient design!

One downside of the FocuWay car stereo is its unimpressive display. The 7-inch panel is quite small, but the real issue is that FocuWay used a low-resolution panel that makes the screen quite pixelated. While this isn't a massive deal-breaker since nobody's going to watch a full-length movie in their car, other options definitely have sharper displays.

I like the Lamtto portable car stereo specifically due to the aspect ratio of its display. While it has a standard 9-inch display, the brand opted for a panel that's wider than usual, which I find suits the horizontal UI elements of CarPlay and Android Auto much better. For example, the wider screen allows you to run an instance of Google Maps and Apple Music side-by-side. You can technically do that on any CarPlay unit, but the Lamtto stereo handles it better and makes the information more legible since it's well spread out. 

It also supports Bluetooth 5.3 for seamless connectivity, but there's also support for AUX for older vehicles. The stand or mount provided with the Lamtto portable car display makes it sit flush with your car's dash, so it seems as though the display is a first-party accessory. If you prefer that seamless look, the Lamtto car stereo is certainly worth your consideration.

We mentioned a large 10-inch display earlier in this list which is ideal for large vehicles. However, that had a more conventional aspect ratio, similar to a tablet. The Jelkuz wireless car stereo, on the other hand, borrows the same wide aspect ratio of the Lamtto head unit and merges it with a panel that measures 10.26 inches diagonally. The result is a car navigation device that's easy to operate when driving, and displays all the required information in an easily accessible manner. Apart from the wider screen, the Jelkuz head unit offers a host of additional features. For starters, there's a built-in 4K dashcam that can be rotated up to 350 degrees. So, you can either point it outwards or record the activities inside the car.

Along with the dashcam, there's also a 1080p reverse camera that needs to be fit on the rear of the car. The feed from both the dashcam and the reverse camera can be accessed on the display itself. Due to the large aspect ratio, the screen can be split into two portions — one displaying the camera output and the other running Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. These aspects make the Jelkuz car stereo a perfect addition to your vehicle. It eliminates the need for a dedicated dashcam, while also fulfilling your entertainment needs in the best way possible.

All the portable car stereos mentioned so far have had a horizontal display. While that is the most commonly used orientation in vehicles, if your car doesn't have much dashboard space, or if you wish to use a UI that scales better on vertical displays than horizontal ones, the Avylet wireless car screen is a solid option. Its 8-inch display can be used in any orientation you like. You can use the horizontal orientation when running a split-screen view, and switch to the vertical one for more real estate when navigating. A vertical view can provide a better overview of your route, along with early instructions of where to make turns.

The display attaches to the holder using magnets similar to MagSafe. All you have to do is snap it on when you get into the car, and snap it off to carry it with you when exiting. Avylet has also bundled a reverse camera with the stereo system, similar to some other products on this list. The rest of the features like a high-resolution display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and so on are present. Notably, the bezels around the display are also quite thin, giving it a premium look. 

If budget isn't an issue and you want the absolute best portable car stereo, the CarpodGo T3 Pro should be your go-to option. It has a 9-inch display which is big enough for most cars, but it's more than just the size. The T3 Pro is one of the only portable car stereos to have a 1920 x 720p display with a 60Hz refresh rate. In simple terms, this is one of the sharpest and smoothest car stereo systems you can buy. Every time you scroll or swipe on the display, you'll realize that the T3 Pro is significantly smoother compared to other head units. This is the major reason behind the higher price point. Apart from this, the rest of the package remains largely similar.

There's a magnetic base plate to mount the display after which, you can link your smartphone via Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Another advantage of the display on the CarpodGo T3 Pro is that it's laminated, similar to modern-day smartphones. This means it's less reflective which is a bonus during the day. While it is on the pricier side compared to all the other options, you're paying for the high-quality display which may be worth it if you drive around a lot and are reliant on your car's stereo for navigation and entertainment.

Well, if you're not too attached to a dedicated CarPlay or Android Auto UI, and instead want the absolute best display in your car, the simplest and most effective way to go about it is to get a 10th-generation Apple iPad for cheap, and something like the Apps2car tablet mount. The resulting combination will be much, much better than any of the portable car stereos mentioned above. The display quality is absolutely unmatched on the iPad, and Apple's in-house silicon is miles ahead of any chipset used in car stereos. Moreover, you can also use the iPad as a functional computer even when you're not in your car.

It can be a media powerhouse when traveling or serve as a note-taking tool at school or work. It's certainly more expensive than your average car stereo display, but it's multifunctional, and you can even score a good deal on a used one. If you grab one of the best iPhone car chargers and keep the iPad plugged in at all times, you'll never run out of power when you need it. However, you can also use it without the cable for a truly wireless solution, something that none of the car stereos natively provide since all of them plug into the cigarette lighter inside the car. Just make sure you remember to take the iPad with you when you park your car in public.

One of the most important factors when driving is avoiding any sort of distraction. Regardless of whether you choose CarPlay or Android Auto, either service will reduce the urge to look at your phone while driving, which is undeniably a good thing. However, a good car stereo also plays a large role here, too — poor ergonomics and button placement can still be distracting. You shouldn't have to take your eyes off the road to switch to the next track or navigate to your destination. Essentially, you need to have a large enough display so that launching apps via the screen doesn't require you to spend time finding what you're looking for. Moreover, support for voice command is a big plus since you don't have to take your eyes off the road even for a split second.

Screen legibility is also an important factor, especially if you live in regions where it gets hot and sunny. You don't want to be driving with a stereo system whose screen you can't see clearly when navigating. I made all the recommendations in the list after considering these parameters. There are multiple options with different mounting styles. Take into consideration your car's dashboard and the available space on it, and then decide whether you want a stereo system that mounts on the dashboard or windshield. It's also advisable to clean your car's dashboard and windshield thoroughly before sticking the suction mount to hold the display.