Looking to make your road trips smoother and easier? Look no further than this post, where I share with you 10 incredibly useful car accessories for your next road trip!
Road trips are all fun and. games until it’s time to make the most out of the space in your car, and you’re trying to get creative so that it’s a comfortable journey for all, especially the driver. Nevertheless, road trips are such a fun experience to have, and to really appreciate your surroundings from flatlands to majestic mountains, rural countrysides to bustling cities, and everything in between! And with spring break quickly approaching, a road trip might just be on the horizon for you.
Living in a large country such as the U.S. where flights and train transportation can get really pricey and the car is the primary way in which people transport themselves on the daily, it’s no surprise that car travel is one of the main modes to travel long distances. As someone who loves to drive in general and go on road trips, throughout the years, I have accumulated my fair share of car accessories and have discovered other useful gadgets that I want to share today to help you make your road trips run smoother and easier.
So today, I’m going to be showing you 10 incredibly useful car accessories for your next trip – a list of genius, incredibly useful car accessories that will help maintain organization, cleanliness, and clutter-free space within the small space of your car, for long distances.
Let’s get excited about discovering our own backyard this year, and making it a smooth and comfortable journey with the addition of these 10 incredibly useful car accessories!
2 in 1 Car Seat Gap Organizer
You’ve possibly heard of the seat fillers that, well, fill those pockets between your seat and the middle of your car where the cup holder is. However, since we are trying to make the most of the space we have available, I would opt for these side seat gap organizers that can store useful items like your phone, money, and napkins (you always have to carry napkins in your car, right??). They come in packs of two and have AMAZING reviews claiming that the quality is top-notch, and it’s easy to use right away. It also kind of fulfills the purpose of the plain seat filler by keeping things from falling into those little nooks and crannies by your seat, so whenever something does fall through, your organizer will catch it and it can easily be dumped out. Easy peasy! These are some of the best forms of car accessories if you ask me – the functional, OMG-they-make-these type of car accessories, wouldn’t you agree?
Universal Silicone Anti-Slip Car Phone Mount
This car accessory is SO necessary and helpful to mount your phone and have accessibility to it whether it’s for GPS directions, or changing a song almost without looking too much at it. Also, I don’t know about you, but if I can help it, I try not to put my phone on the vent like with other phone holders that hold on to the a.c./heater vents in the car for two reasons: it blocks the air from coming out, and I think that so much air hitting the back of phone, hot or cold, is probably not good for it. Plus I also really love the ability to hold your phone horizontally, so you have a wider view of GPS, because why would you want it vertical, right??
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Car Steering Wheel Tray
I mean, is this not genius?? I don’t know about you guys, and I know it’s probably not going to sound like the healthiest habit, but I love to eat in my car. Even before the pandemic, I loved having car picnics and taking my food to go, and parking in a really pretty park, no matter what season. Nowadays, it’s probably become more common, as eating in your car has become the new eating out, but in my books, that’s more than ok! And whether you’re going on a long-distance road trip soon or you’re planning a car picnic, it’s going to be even better with this car accessory that will make car picnics easier, cleaner, and way more fun!
Bonus: If you’re looking for a similar desk solution for those in the backseat, something like THIS multi-functional car computer desk is a good choice amongst the other car accessories in this category to look into!
Breathable Flannel Material Electric Car Blanket
This is AMAZING! Whether you’re on a road trip, or you’re at home (can be used in either situation) having a heated blanket that seamlessly connects to the cigarette plug in your car is super helpful (especially if you’re traveling in the winter or to colder destinations by car). When looking to buy this car accessory, make sure to look at the cigarette plug, and make sure it is 12V or 24V, as that is what this product explains is necessary to work. This heated blanket comes with a timer for 30-60 minutes, and then it will automatically shut off, and it’s warm and breathable enough to have on for when you’re on the road, camping, or having lunch in your car and you’re feeling a bit chilly. File this heated blanket under the car accessories you didn’t know you needed, because it’s definitely more of a luxury item than necessity – nonetheless, it’s a good one to have around. This heated blanket will make your road trips more comfortable for you or your cold guests.
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Car Headrest Hangers
You know road tripping is all fun and games until you start to pack up the car, and you realize that you have to get creative with how you organize your space for optimal comfort! Too many things cluttering the already reduced space of the car floor? No thanks! These back seat hangers (which you can also switch to hang things in the front seat for easier access for you) are such an easy, helpful solution to hang your bags, clothes, jackets, or scarves! They come in packs of two and are really easy to install and use. You really won’t want to leave on your next road trip without this super simple but helpful car accessory!
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Portable Car Garbage Bin
Let’s face it, road trips are messy. In between eating quickly on the road in order to get to your destination before sunset, or having a snack to give your energy to drive, and everything else in between – a portable garbage can is SO necessary and helpful! This specific garbage bin, in my opinion, is better than having a plastic bag as a garbage bin because first of all, it’s not just floating around on the floor of your car, it’s got pockets to store other items, and it conceals all the trash with the lid and small opening on top. It will make trash collecting and dumping at the rest stops way easier!
Memory Foam Back Cushion
This is a no-brainer for the driver of the road trip to invest in. This car accessory is awesome for long car rides and road trips because it is designed to support your lumbar spine (prevent low back pain) and because of its length, it will help you improve your posture over time. The exterior cotton material is removable and washable, and overall odorless. You can take this car accessory from the car to your home office for those work from home days, and your actual office chair as it’s portable and easy to install! Save your back pain, and get one of these.
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Collapsible Portable Multi Compartments Trunk Organizer
As far as car accessories go, If you’re a fan of using packing cubes in your suitcase, then you’ll definitely want to invest in this collapsible trunk organizer to help you keep all your belongings from rolling around and tumbling over in the trunk – so annoying. This organizer is especially a great car accessory because it is durable, water-resistant, easy to clean, and comes with a whole lot of customizable inserts, pockets, straps to keep it in place in your trunk, sturdy handles, mesh pockets on the side, and so much more! This is such a great organizer that you won’t want to leave behind on your next road trip. Plus, it’s super useful for other situations when you may be carrying extra delicate cargo.
Emergency Car Roadside Roadtrip Kit
Beyond being a car accessory, I’d consider this item more of a car necessity! Car accessories are meant to help the road trip journey easier, but also help keep you safe in case of emergencies.
Even if you have roadside assistance a call away, it’s always a good idea to carry in your car a roadside emergency kit like this one, equipped with jumper cables, a shovel, gloves, and so much more. Another tip I want to share here is if you’re traveling in the wintertime, I strongly suggest packing in a few old towels or clothes you don’t need. If your car loses traction or you’ve fallen into a ditch and you can’t get it out on your own, placing towels or old clothes in front/back of tires will help with creating traction and grip for your car to get out on its own. It depends of course, on the size of the ditch and the car, but it’s worth a try in some situations. A kit like this may be indispensable, for both taking a road trip and also in your everyday commuting! It’s one of those things that you regret not having until you need it…trust me on that.
A Paper Map: The Original Road Trip Accessory
Because you never know when you’ll go through no service land, and then there you are, not knowing where to go, or which exit to take or if you’re going in the right direction – not knowing how long until you get service again. Don’t get stuck, or worst, realize an hour into the drive that you’ve been going the wrong way! A paper map, on atlas (remember those!?) are always super useful and helpful to carry in your car regardless of if you’ve been left without service or you want to double-check that Google Maps isn’t taking you through some weird route (even Google Maps gets confused, you know). I really love this one because it covers not only the U.S but also Canada and Mexico, so you’ve got all of North America in one book, and with that, all the confidence to know that you can’t get lost. Let’s hit the road!
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I hope these car accessories stir up ideas and boost your confidence when you’re planning on hitting the road! The truth is sometimes we can easily get caught up in the things we need to pack for ourselves, that we forget what car accessories to pack for the road trip itself, and as this list hopefully shows you, some of these car accessories can prove to be pretty helpful and time-saving.
In between road trips and commuting for work and transporting from one place to another, it’s safe to say that our cars are basically an extension of our home. We basically live in them, especially here in the U.S. where the majority of people own a car and prefer that to using public transportation (which isn’t very good to begin with). And with so much time being spent in the car, road tripping and commuting, cleanliness, and organization. I hope these 10 car accessories helped guide your list of items to pack your car with for your next road trip!
I know for me, even if I end up not using them always, it’s one of those things that if you have for example the emergency roadside kit or the map, it’s about knowing that I have them and thus feeling all the confidence in the world to explore and be inspired by nature and local cultures around.
To more travel moments like these, and safe commutes and road trips.
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