.png)
German (DE) 
English (US) 
Spanish (ES) 
French (FR) 
Hindi (IN) 
Italian (IT) 
Russian (RU) 
8 hours ago
1
Summer road trips were a ritual in my family. Every year, we'd load up whatever Ford SUV we had at the time and hit the road — usually with a cooler full of sub sandwiches, a stack of road maps (remember those?) and way too many bathroom breaks. Growing up in Michigan, that meant logging a lot of miles. The closest national park to Detroit didn't even become a national park until 2019 (shoutout to Indiana Dunes), so if we wanted mountains or red rocks, we had to earn it.
Of course, even the best-planned trips can go off the rails fast. A dead battery, a flat tire, a phone charger that suddenly stops working — it's amazing how quickly adventure turns into chaos when you're not prepared. That's where having the right gear in your car can save the day. A jump starter, a tire inflator, a decent phone mount — they're not exactly glamorous, but they're the stuff that keeps your trip from ending on the side of the highway.
The best Prime Day car accessory deals
Trash stinks. Literally. Keep it all in one place with this small trash can. A water- and leak-proof design means you don't need to worry about anything icky dripping onto your floor mats, it's easy to empty (which you should do often to avoid unwanted odors) and its liner is removable and machine washable. Alternatively, you can use it as an in-car organizer for accessories and other supplies.
Before you head off across the country, where there are barren stretches of highway with nothing but pavement in both directions for dozens if not hundreds of miles, you should ask yourself: Am I prepared if my car breaks down? Or if I get a flat tire?
The good news: In the event of the latter, Zgzuxo's Tire Inflator can save the day, and it's on sale for just $27. Yahoo's tech savant Rick Broida said it "might be [his] favorite car accessory" of last year.
The gel easily molds into every nook and cranny in your car. As I'm writing this, I know exactly where I could use it to get rid of dust and dirt that my vacuum can't reach, like those pesky window buttons that never seem to be clean, or the place that at one point was meant for spare change but now just holds whatever trout flies I last used.
This sticky gel is designed to adhere to dust and other debris but not your hands. It doesn't leave any residue despite its gooey texture. And how great is this: No water or cleaner is needed! Plus, it can be reused until it turns black. No chemical smell, either — it has a light, sweet scent. And it's not just for cars — it can pick up dirt trapped in your keyboard, on your cell phone, in the TV remote buttons and any other hard-to-reach spots.
Nothing can halt a road trip faster than a dead battery. Fortunately, that happens to be a relatively easy fix, provided you brought along a (charged) jump starter.
I always keep a rechargeable jump pack in my car. Before any long trip, I take it out and plug it in to ensure it's fully charged and ready to save me if I leave my lights on all day.
When I was car shopping a while back, I had my heart set on a Ford Flex — a turbocharged wagon that devours road trip miles like I devour waffles at breakfast. One of its standout features? An optional built-in refrigerator, perfect for keeping drinks cold on long drives. The problem? Finding one with that feature was nearly impossible, and when I did, it came at a hefty premium.
Thankfully, 12V fridges are way more common now than in the Flex's heyday. For under $200, you can get one that plugs right into the car, fits between the seats, skips the mess of melted ice and even comes with you into the hotel room.
If you are driving a car older than 2016, odds are you don't have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. If that's the case, a phone holder is a must, not only for ease of use, but for safety reasons as well.
I have one that holds my phone on with magnets and charges it while connected. These aren't just for convenience or safety — a lot of states don't allow drivers to hold a phone while driving anymore, and even if it's legal where you are, it's simply not a good idea.
If all you use your car's 12V outlet for is charging devices, I highly recommend this adapter, which sits flush with the outlet and makes it look like these USB ports came straight from the factory. And two slots also means you won't have to deal with kids (or adults) fighting over who gets to charge their dying phone first.
Imagine this: You're stopped at a red light when the car in front of you starts to back up. Before you have time to think, let alone react, bam! They hit your car, but claim you rear-ended them. Unfortunately, these kinds of insurance scams happen all too often, and unless you have a dashcam that shows what actually happened, you might be shelling out a lot of dough to make this problem go away. Fortunately, high-quality dash cams don't have to cost an arm and a leg: Thanks to a $30 off coupon, the RedTiger 4K Dash Cam is currently on sale for $100.
Car repairs can be painfully expensive — and for most of us, heading to the mechanic feels like flying blind. This scanner connects to your car's computer system and can read its internal codes to diagnose mechanical and electronic ills. That check-engine light could be related to something as simple as you not screwing on the gas cap correctly or as complicated as the engine thermostat failing. In other words, an OBD scanner is a useful tool, and buying one keeps you in the driver's seat (heh) when it comes to knowing what repairs your ride might need.
Do yourself a favor and make sure you've got these accessories riding shotgun when you set off on your next road trip. (Getty)
If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
Comments