Giving you in-dash access to iOS and iPhone staples like Apple Music and Maps, Apple CarPlay is a great in-vehicle hub for navigation and entertainment. And while many new vehicles are rolling off the assembly line with wireless CarPlay connectivity built-in, this hasn’t always been the case. Most CarPlay-compatible vehicles currently on the road require cable connectivity. If this includes your current vehicle, and you like the idea of a cable-free CarPlay experience, a wireless adapter is a simple and affordable solution.
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There are quite a few options out there when it comes to nailing down the best wireless Apple CarPlay adapter for your taste. Ranging in size from pocketable to handheld, and in price, from less than $40 to upwards of $300, we’ve tracked down the best wireless Apple CarPlay adapters from the best overall to the adapter that offers the best bang for your buck. Read on for our selections.
Best wireless Apple CarPlay adapters: Our top picks
Ottocast U2-Air
1. Best wireless CarPlay adapter overall
The best universal adapter
Ottocast delivers a compact wireless adapter that’s compatible with more than 600 vehicles and offers a nearly lag-free wireless Apple CarPlay experience.
- Works with 600+ car models
- Less lag than most adapters
- Easy installation
- Sometimes slow to connect
The Ottocast U2-Air stands out among all other wireless Apple CarPlay adapters due to its ability to keep up with your tasks, which is important when you’re behind the wheel. While lag is a common drawback of many wireless adapters, the Ottocast is one of the few adapters that exhibits little to no lag. Thanks to its 5GHz Wi-Fi compatibility and built-in 5G chip, rendering response times between your in-dash system and your given commands are pretty much nonexistent.
Installation is as simple as connecting the adapter to your car’s USB port, then connecting your phone to the adapter via Bluetooth. And while the process of connecting any wireless CarPlay adapter to your vehicle is relatively simple, the Ottocast U2-Air is easier to install than most. Whereas other wireless adapters can be somewhat unresponsive when you try to connect, the Ottocast does a good job of getting you easily up and running with this wireless adapter.
DriveLink Cplay2air
2. Best value wireless CarPlay adapter
Affordable yet capable
Capability meets affordability with the Cplay2air Drive Link, as it offers fast media transmission with little to no lag and seamless connectivity at a relatively low price.
- Sleek, compact design
- No lag
- Great price
- Only compatible with vehicles from 2018-2022
When it comes to getting the most bang for your buck, the Cplay2Air Drive Link wireless adapter transforms your current vehicle into a wireless CarPlay experience for a very reasonable price. And despite its affordability, it doesn’t hold back on features. This adapter’s lag-free capability is worth its price alone, as you won’t have to deal with the frustrations of delayed song skipping or unresponsive volume controls.
When it comes to getting the most bang for your buck, the Cplay2Air Drive Link wireless adapter transforms your current vehicle into a wireless CarPlay experience for a very reasonable price. Despite its affordability, it also doesn’t hold back on features. This adapter’s lag-free capability is worth its price alone, as you won’t have to deal with the frustrations of delayed song skipping or unresponsive volume controls.
This wireless CarPlay adapter also delivers when it comes to aesthetic. It has a sleek, minimal design that manages to come in at a compact size. It’s less than four millimeters long, which makes it relatively unobtrusive once plugged into your vehicle’s USB port.
Carlinkit AI Box CarPlay Max
3. Best premium wireless CarPlay adapter
Premium features from a premium device
Carlinkit steps up with a premium wireless CarPlay adapter with AI Magic Box, which offers features you won’t find on less expensive wireless CarPlay adapters.
- Works with all CarPlay-supported vehicles
- Also compatible with Android Auto
- Built-in access to streaming services
- App can be quirky for phone calls
Premium price tags typically come with premium features, and at the top of Carlinkit AI Magic Box’s feature list is the ability to play movies and TV series with Netflix and YouTube built into its interface. It has all the features you’ll find in less expensive wireless Apple CarPlay adapters, including easy plug and play installation. But this adapter makes for a much more premium option with its access to streaming services, which also includes Hulu.
As a premium wireless Apple CarPlay adapter option, the Carlinkit AI Magic Box also lags less frequently than most other adapters. It does this with an 8-core chip and both 2.4GHz and 5GHz transmission frequencies. Additionally, it’s compatible with Android Auto, which brings an Android interface to your vehicle’s in-dash setup. This makes it a great option if you feel like splurging for cross-platform compatibility, and if you have a media system in your vehicle that includes video-player capability.
CarlinKit 4.0
4. Best 2-in-1 wireless CarPlay adapter
Get your use and money’s worth
With CarPlay and Android Auto support, the CarlinKit 4.0 is the perfect wireless Apple CarPlay adapter for multi-phone connectivity.
- Supports iPhone 6 and newer
- New 5.8GHz transmission frequency
- Supports voice controls
- Sometimes slow to connect upon vehicle start
The CarlinKit 4.0 wireless CarPlay adapter is another option if you’re looking for an adapter that can accommodate both iPhone and Android device connectivity. In fact, this is probably the best option available if that feature, specifically, is what you need in a wireless CarPlay adapter. The CarlinKit 4.0 can save multiple device connections — either iOS or Android — which also makes this the right adapter option for vehicles that share drivers.
Whether you’re connecting wirelessly to CarPlay or Android Auto with the CarlinKit 4.0, it has the standard capabilities most people are looking for. It connects easily to your phone upon plugging the adapter into your vehicle’s USB port, and it’s able to remember and recognize the phone from that point onward. It also utilizes the newer, faster 5.8GHz Wi-Fi frequency, providing a more stable and reliable signal between your phone and your vehicle’s in-dash entertainment system.
BifTu Carplay Wireless Adapter
5. Best cheap wireless CarPlay adapter
Go wireless on a budget
If you want to bring wireless CarPlay connectivity to your vehicle without having to clean out your wallet, the Biftu wireless adapter is the adapter of choice.
- Low price
- Supports iPhone 5 and newer
- Wide vehicle compatibility
- Noticeable lag
- Inconsistent connectivity
The BifTu wireless CarPlay adapter is the option to go for if you’re looking for one of the lowest prices out there. It’s small and inexpensive, but still gets the job done. It will allow you to control CarPlay features through a number of methods, such as your factory in-dash controls, steering wheel controls, and voice assistants. This is also a good wireless adapter if you have an older phone. It’s compatible with iPhones going as far back as the iPhone 5, and it has a wide range of compatibility with CarPlay-enabled vehicles and aftermarket CarPlay devices.
One thing to consider when you’re shopping for a cheap wireless CarPlay adapter is its limitations. In this regard, the lag time of the BifTu wireless adapter stands out. A few-second delay between your push of a button and the response of your music or GPS may not be an issue for you, and if that’s the case, you can purchase this happily and pocket your savings. But if lag time and consistent, reliable connectivity between your device and your in-dash system are important, it’s worth spending the extra money on a different adapter.
The bottom line: What is the best wireless Apple CarPlay adapter?
While each of the best wireless CarPlay adapters has more pros than cons to consider, the Ottocast U2-Air is the right combination of features and ease of use to make it the best wireless CarPlay adapter. All of these adapters are relatively inexpensive, but if you’re looking to land the most bang for your buck, the Cplay2air Drive Link is going to be the best value wireless CarPlay adapter. And, if you’ve got some extra cash burning a hole in your pocket, the best premium wireless CarPlay adapter is the CarlinKit Ai Box CarPlay Max, which works with Android Auto in addition to Apple CarPlay.
Ottocast U2-Air
Editor’s Choice
How did we choose the best wireless Apple CarPlay adapters?
When it comes to assessing a wireless CarPlay adapter, a lot of what determines a good one is simply whether it works or not. There are a lot of cheap electronics out there, and the best way to weed out the capable from the junk is by looking at a wide range of user experiences. We looked at overall product ratings across the web, as well as a huge selection of individual Amazon reviews to filter out which adapters work well consistently and which ones leave consumers frustrated. Each of the adapters chosen has its own range of value to offer, but all of them stack up as the best wireless CarPlay adapters against most other adapters you’ll find on the market.
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Is a wireless CarPlay experience the same as a wired experience?
When using both a cable or wireless connection with CarPlay, the UI and general software interface offers a relatively similar experience. With both, your iPhone connects to your phone and displays Maps, Music, and messages.
The user experience differs mainly in terms of hardware and lag. Many of the complaints about wireless CarPlay adapters revolve around input lag, as there can be a noticeable delay between when you press a button on your dashboard and when the system responds, which is a shared frustration among CarPlay users. Most of the adapters you find here offer a no-lag experience, so if a snappy, responsive experience is a necessity for you, go with one of those, or look for a wireless CarPlay adapter that boasts no-lag on its feature set while you shop.
Will these wireless Apple CarPlay adapters work with my vehicle?
Compatibility, generally, isn’t an issue when you’re shopping for a wireless CarPlay adapter. Most adapters are designed to work with any CarPlay-supported vehicle, and each of the adapters on this list was selected with compatibility in mind. They should be compatible with most vehicle models, with a rare exception here and there.
If you have any concerns about whether your car’s CarPlay system will work with one of these adapters, the best route to follow is straight to the manufacturer’s website. There you’ll be able to get a full list of compatible vehicles and compatible iPhones. This information may also be available right within the wireless adapter’s product page on Amazon, Best Buy, or other retailers.
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