45 Cool Car Accessories You Didn't Know You Needed

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This article was updated in September 2023 with new products and information.

Whether you are driving a brand-new vehicle or your ride's new-car smell wore off long ago, adding a cool car accessory or three can go a long way toward making your car feel fresh and personalized. To achieve this, we've sourced these gadgets and gizmos to make your ride more fun to be in. Some are useful in vehicles of any age, while others add modern functionality to an older car. Better yet, these accessories make great gifts for a fellow car lover.

Our Top Picks for Car Accessories and Gadgets

The best part about these items is that they're a simple click away on Amazon—something most of us use all the time. So do your ride a favor (or any other car lover in your life) and check out these cool car accessories—see if there's one that'll make your time behind the wheel even more enjoyable.

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Wolfbox G840S Backup Camera

Welcome to the future. The Wolfbox G840S has it all and then some: a massive 12.0-inch display that doubles as a mirror, a high-quality camera that performs fantastically well both day and night, and an integrated dashcam built into the display for recording what's going on in front of you as well. In fact, the Wolfbox came out on top in our backup camera test.

NOCO Portable Jump Starter

Portability is a key aspect when buying a jump starter, and it doesn't get much more compact than the NOCO Boost Plus GB40. It's very portable and boasts decent power, an override button, an easy interface, and two work lights. If you're short on space and want to have a portable jump starter around, this is the one to get, as we found in our jump starter test.

Avid Power Cordless Portable Tire Inflator

The pistol-style AVID Power Cordless stood out in our test by stepping it up a notch without increasing the price much. It provides a secondary power option via your car's 12V outlet, plus the package includes two of each kind of valve adapter. If we were shopping for a portable tire inflator to keep in our car, we'd have to pick this one.

Car Chap Lip Balm Holder

Know someone who always has a stick or two of lip balm on them at all times? Those little guys can be so tricky to keep track of, but this lip-balm holder (aptly named the Car Chap) erases that problem. Simply stick it on wherever is handy, and you're good to go. Holds lip-balm tubes up to 3/4-inch wide.

Car Interior Dust Brush

Sometimes, dust on the inside of your car warrants a clean. You don't want to be breathing that stuff in anyway. But what if you didn't need to break out the Shop-Vac—which can be a pain. Solve that issue with this dust brush, which stores nicely in your glovebox when you don't need it.

Car Seat Sun Shade Cover

Car seats, along with everything else, get scorching hot when sitting in a car under the hot sun. This car-seat cover protects the child's throne, keeping it away from the rays of heat. The cover easily rolls up when not in use, so storage isn't a problem. You know what is a problem? A baby with a roasted backside after being placed in a hot car seat. With this, you can avoid that, thankfully.

Belkin Phone Mount

While you should never let a phone distract you from driving, a well-placed phone holder can make it much easier to play music or operate the navigation app from behind the wheel. There are hundreds of mounts to choose from, but we picked this Belkin model because it performed very well in our test.

Govee LED Car Lights

Interior LED lights seem to be all the rage these days, and this kit from Govee is one of the top-rated choices on Amazon. By using the Govee Home app, you can unlock up to 16 million different colors and even utilize Music mode—where the colors bounce to the beat of your tunes. Simply install with adhesive strips, plug into the 12V socket, and you're good to go.

Universal GPS Head-Up Display

Speedometer doesn't work? Or maybe you've upgraded with some larger wheels? Keep an eye on your GPS-provided speed with this head-up display. But that's not all. The HUD also can display acceleration numbers, battery voltage, and trip time. Just plug it into the 12-volt socket, and you're all set.

Drop Stop Car Seat Gap Filler

If you've ever lost something in the abyss between your front seats and the center console—and who hasn't?—you've likely thought, "Why doesn't someone do something about this?" The folks at Drop Stop have. The Seat Gap Filler's name says exactly what it does. This inventive product promises to prevent many future hand contortions—as well as the occasional skinned knuckle—due to lost change, pens, phones, keys, or anything else prone to falling into the no man's land between the seat and center console.

14-Inch Screen Magnifier

Do your kiddos want to watch a movie in the back seat? Or maybe you want to catch up on your favorite show while you enjoy a meal in the McDonald's parking lot. This screen magnifier is designed to take the image from your phone's screen and magnify it by three or four times.

SuperOne 150W Power Inverter

For a light-duty power inverter that does a little bit of everything, the SuperOne 150W is our pick. Featuring two USB, one AC, and two cigarette lighter–style ports, there's room for a host of different gadgets. It's rated for 150 watts, which might not sound like a whole lot but is enough for most electronic devices necessary for a pleasant family road trip. Because of its versatility, we loved it in our power inverters test.

Fire Missiles Cigarette Lighter

If you're feeling particularly James Bond-y, add this cigarette lighter to your ride to make your passengers raise an eyebrow. It's a fully functioning cigarette lighter and features a rubber gasket for a tight fit. And thanks to anodized aluminum construction, it feels legit.

Ampper Exterior LED Light Kit

For many drivers, a vehicle's outward appearance is just as important as its performance. Others want additional exterior lighting to help their car be seen at night. For either of those needs, we recommend exterior LED lights like these from Ampper. Available in packs of two, four, or six, these waterproof lights can be placed anywhere on a vehicle and are designed for all weather conditions. They're not intended as driving lights but do work well as puddle lights. They come in blue, green, red, white, and yellow. The lights must be wired to your vehicle's electrical system, so you should see a knowledgeable installer unless you're sure you can handle the job yourself.

Car Mirror Swinging Duck

If you need a little road-trip buddy, look no further—this li'l swinging duck will keep you company. Just strap it around your rearview mirror and watch him sway along with the bumps in the road.

Emergency Keychain Car Escape Tool

It's always a good idea to keep an escape tool in your vehicle—you never know what might happen. This particular device features a dependable window breaker and seatbelt cutter in case of an emergency. Better yet, it fits right on your keychain.

LED Cup Holder Lights

These rechargeable LED cup holder lights can transform any ordinary water bottle into a jug of neon-green nuclear waste in a matter of seconds. The discs are charged via USB cable and have up to eight hours of battery life while emitting one of seven colors.

Depstech Wireless Endoscope

Losing something important in one of your car's many dark nooks or crannies can turn a 10-minute repair job into a frustrating hour-long affair. Not only will this wireless endoscope from Depstech help you locate that dropped 10-millimeter socket, it can also help retrieve it—as long as you buy the accessories kit. For the more mechanically involved, the scope can also be used for inspecting cylinder walls or hidden electrical connections. This device works wirelessly and projects the image from its tiny camera onto your cellphone screen.

Tile Mate

The Tile Mate is a handy way of keeping track of your keys or other belongings. You can find them via Bluetooth if close enough or through the Tile app if farther away. With a convenient spot to include on a key ring, it's a nice safeguard if you ever lose them.

Comsoon Bluetooth Auxiliary Jack Adapter

If you have a car with an auxiliary jack but no Bluetooth audio streaming, this affordable adapter can transform your music-listening experience. Simply charge it (or connect it to your car's power outlet), plug it into your aux port, and pair your phone. Not only is the adapter good for high-quality audio streaming, it can also be used for phone calls using its built-in microphone. Who needs a fancy, expensive, Bluetooth-enabled radio?

Car Trash Can

Those little compartments alongside your vehicle's doors fill up with trash way too fast. A solution? Pick up this leakproof car trash can. It can strap on either headrests or your center console and can double as storage or a cooler when not in trash mode.

Car Registration & Insurance Card Holder