Windshield mounts were once the only option for GPS devices and phones in a car. Times have changed, and today you can mount a device almost anywhere inside a vehicle. Dashboard mounting, however, remains a surprisingly tricky category. Your average suction cup needs a smooth, flat surface to grip — and most dashboards are textured, curved, or coated with a material that suction simply will not hold.
This guide is for anyone who wants to use their existing suction cup mount on a car dashboard instead of the windshield. It is especially relevant for drivers in states where mounting a device on the windshield is illegal, such as California and Minnesota. There are two types of accessories that make dashboard suction mounting possible: a weighted bean bag pad and an adhesive mounting disk. We cover both in detail below.
Quick Comparison
| Accessory | Best For | Permanent? |
|---|---|---|
| Bracketron Nav-Mat | Portable, move between vehicles, no commitment | No |
| Arkon Adhesive Disk | Permanent or semi-permanent dash setup | Yes (removable with effort) |
Why a Suction Cup Will Not Stick to Most Dashboards
Suction cups work by creating a vacuum against a non-porous, smooth surface. Your windshield is a perfect candidate. Most car dashboards are not. They are typically textured to reduce glare, made from soft-touch plastics or rubberized coatings, and rarely flat. Any one of these factors will cause a suction cup to fail within minutes or hours.
The solution is not a stronger suction cup. The solution is giving the suction cup a surface it can actually grip. That is exactly what both accessories in this guide do, each in a different way.
Option 1: The Bean Bag Pad (Recommended)
The bean bag style dashboard pad is the better choice for most drivers. It sits on top of your dashboard using weight and friction rather than adhesive, which means you can move it to another vehicle, tuck it in a glove box when parked, or remove it entirely without leaving any trace behind.
The Bracketron Nav-Mat Portable GPS Dash Pad is the most well-known product in this category and has been around long enough to have an extensive track record. It weighs roughly 1.5 pounds, measures 8 inches across at the base, and has a 3.5-inch smooth plastic plate in the center. That center plate is what your suction cup mount attaches to, exactly as if it were a windshield.
The bean bag body underneath conforms to the shape of your dashboard, which is a key advantage. Curved, sloped, or uneven dash surfaces that would cause a rigid platform to rock are not a problem here. The weighted fill keeps the whole assembly planted, and the anti-skid underside adds a second layer of grip against the dash surface itself.
Setup takes about 30 seconds. Place the Nav-Mat on a clean section of your dashboard, press your suction cup mount onto the center plate the same way you would on glass, and you are done. No tools, no adhesive, no waiting for anything to cure.
One thing worth knowing: the Nav-Mat holds devices weighing up to about one pound. A standard phone or GPS unit is well within that range. A large tablet on a heavy cradle mount may push the limit. If you are mounting a tablet, see our guide on the best tablet mounts for cars for better-suited options.
Option 2: The Adhesive Mounting Disk
The adhesive disk approach takes a different route. Instead of sitting on the dash, it bonds to it. You peel the backing off the disk, press it onto a clean section of your dashboard, and after a 24-hour cure time, you have a smooth plastic surface permanently attached to your dash. Your suction cup mount then grips that disk just like it would grip a windshield.
The Arkon 90mm Adhesive Mounting Disk uses 3M adhesive and is compatible with most 80mm suction mounting pedestals, including those sold with Garmin and TomTom GPS units. Arkon also makes 70mm and 80mm versions depending on the size of your mount’s suction base, so check your mount’s specs before ordering.
The grip is solid and reliable once fully cured. Unlike the bean bag option, there is no risk of the whole assembly shifting during a sharp turn or hard stop. For drivers who want a completely stable, set-it-and-forget-it solution and do not plan on moving the mount between vehicles, the adhesive disk delivers that.
Installation is simple but requires patience. Clean the mounting area thoroughly, remove the paper backing from the disk, press it firmly in place, and wait the full 24 hours before attaching your suction mount. Skipping the cure time is the most common reason these fail early.
Which One Should You Choose?
For the majority of drivers, the bean bag pad is the right call. It is portable, leaves no marks, works on nearly any dashboard surface, and can be shared between vehicles. The Bracketron Nav-Mat has been a go-to in this category for years for good reason.
The adhesive disk makes sense in a narrower set of situations: you drive the same vehicle every day, you want the most rigid possible mounting setup, and you are comfortable with the commitment of bonding something to your dash. Commercial drivers and long-haul truckers who live in one cab tend to prefer it for that reason.
If you are mounting a phone rather than a GPS and want an air vent option as an alternative to dashboard mounting altogether, our best car phone mount guide is a good next step. Air vent mounts avoid the windshield and dashboard placement question entirely and work well for most daily drivers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a dashboard suction mount work on a textured dash?
Not directly. A suction cup needs a smooth surface to seal against. That is why you need either a bean bag pad or an adhesive disk as an intermediate surface. Both solve the texture problem in different ways.
Can I use the Bracketron Nav-Mat with any suction cup mount?
Yes, in most cases. It is designed to work with the factory suction mounts that come with GPS units and most aftermarket phone mounts. The center plate is 3.5 inches in diameter, which accommodates the suction base of most standard mounts.
How do I know which size Arkon adhesive disk to buy?
Measure the diameter of your suction mount’s base. The disk should be slightly larger than the base. Arkon offers 70mm, 80mm, and 90mm versions. Most common GPS and phone mounts use a 70mm or 80mm base.
Will dashboard conditioner affect the bean bag pad?
Yes. Silicone-based dashboard protectants make surfaces slippery and will reduce the friction that holds the Nav-Mat in place. Clean the area with a dry cloth first and avoid re-applying conditioner to that section of the dash.
Is dashboard mounting legal everywhere?
Dashboard mounting is generally permitted in states where windshield mounting is restricted. California and Minnesota are the two most commonly cited examples of states with windshield mount restrictions. Always check your local laws, as regulations vary by state and can change. Our guide on GPS laws by state covers this in more detail.
Can I remove the adhesive disk without damaging my dashboard?
With care, yes. The most effective method is to saturate the edges with rubbing alcohol using a cotton swab, then slowly work a length of dental floss under the disk to cut through the adhesive. It takes time and patience, but it avoids leaving gouges or tears in the dash surface.
