Who makes the best universal holder for hand- ûheld electronics? We tried 14 holders from 10 ûmanufacturers.

Two beaten and battered handheld electronic devices sparked the research for this one. In one hand, we have our Garmin 48 GPS, with a cracked window and a missing cover for its antenna. In the other, a cell phone that’s been through hell, riddled with cracks, scuff marks and gouges. Needless to say, we don’t have a place—a safe place—to put these tools while aboard the test boats.

That got us thinking. Who makes a tough holder for handheld devices, one that will do what it’s supposed to do—hold them—while we bounce around Long Island Sound? We came up with a winner—and a clear one at that. …