Sound Advice: Mount up with this wireless car charger for your phone

Don Lindich, Tribune News Service on Nov 5, 2025

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Cool car mount charger: After my positive experience with the Lisen power bank I did some more digging into their product line and discovered another product that could be a sleeper hit. It combines a wireless MagSafe charger, a car phone mount and thoughtful innovation into one great accessory.

The Lisen Qi2.2 25W MagSafe Car Mount Charger attaches to your car's vent or to the dash and has a powerful magnetic mounting pad that holds the phone very securely. As you would guess by the name, the MagSafe pad charges your phone wirelessly, but as anyone who has used wireless charging knows overheating can happen very frequently. This stops the charging process and can be annoying to the point that many people don't even use the wireless charging feature of their car. Lisen keeps things cool with a built-in fan that reduces temperature 21 degrees for longer charging sessions without interruption. The vent mount itself is the best I have ever used and has a unique hook that resists detaching from the vent vanes, but adding the charging feature and cooling fan makes for a winning combination for anyone who needs to mount and charge their phone. It's even a good way to add wireless charging to a vehicle even if you don't need to look at the screen when driving, for example when using a navigation app and you don't have CarPlay or Android Auto.

Any iPhone 12 and up will work with the MagSafe feature, as will compatible Samsung and Google Pixel phones. The Lisen Qi2.2 25W MagSafe Car Mount Charger includes a charger plug for use with your car's 12V power port and a USB-C cable. At $49.99 it is a little pricey, but a $5 checkbox coupon reduces the price to $44.99 and using the coupon code HOLDPHONE at checkout on Amazon reduces the price another $12 to $32.99. At $32.99 it represents a great value for a solid phone mount and effective wireless charger.

Q. Several years ago I purchased an Ambiance Touch radio after reading a column of yours. It has now failed after many years of use and won’t boot up after being unplugged. What are your recommendations for a replacement that has the same features and Wi-Fi? I would like it to be approximately the same size as it sits on a cramped counter, with good sound quality and I would like it to be under $200. Thanks for any suggestions you might have, as my wife sorely misses having all the choices of stations as well as Pandora.

—J.O., Minneapolis

A. I looked it up and that column was all the way back in 2012, over 13 years ago! I've been getting emails about that radio with increasing regularity so it would seem they are coming to the end of their useful lifespan. Hopefully this info will help others looking to replace an Ambiance Touch, and I am going to be investigating similar radios in the months to come.

Unfortunately there is nothing quite like your old radio on the market for under $200 or even $300. While some Wi-Fi radios say "internet radio" they may not have touchscreens or support apps like Spotify or Pandora, which is important to you. Grace Digital radios are a reliable choice, and they have a Mondo Elite versions in walnut and a version in black plastic for $179.99 and $189.99 respectively. The walnut version is a bit higher rated right now and I prefer the looks, so that is the one I would get. If you prefer the black version I am sure it will be fine as well.

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