| Car Life
smartphone-mount-windshield

Today’s cars have some of the coolest bells and whistles, but buying a brand new car is expensive! Thankfully, you don’t need a brand new set of wheels in order to take advantage of some of the coolest car technology. Check out these nifty car gadgets that can help you have a safer and more enjoyable ride, no matter how old your vehicle might be!

Rear View Backup Camera

Even if you have an older vehicle, you can still enjoy this accident-preventing technology. Amazon offers vehicle backup cameras that you can install yourself, many for less than $30!

  • Vehicle backup camera – $19
  • Vehicle backup camera with monitor – $27

Seat Covers with Serious Perks

Driving should be a comfortable experience. Take your comfort to the next level with a special seat cover! Relieve stress on the road with a seat cover that has massaging beads. Stay toasty with a heated seat cover, or splurge on one that massages, heats, AND cools for less than $30!

  • Massaging car seat cover – $17
  • Heated seat cover – $19
  • 3-in-1 heating, cooling & massaging seat cover – $29

Heated Steering Wheel Cover

In the dead of winter, getting into your car can feel like stepping into an icebox. Your steering wheel feels like an icicle and you barely want to grip it. Keep your hands at 9 and 3 and warm up your frozen fingers with a heated steering wheel cover! You can find a variety of versions, from battery-operated covers to covers that plug into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter. As always, you’ll want to read the instructions for the gadget and consult your owner’s manual to make sure it’s safe for use with your specific make and model.   

  • Heated steering wheel cover – $25

Garage Parking Sensors

Is your garage a bit small? Do you find yourself giving your vehicle “love taps” trying to pull in close enough to the wall for the garage door to close? If so, a garage parking sensor is the perfect new accessory for you. Simply mount one sensor to your front bumper and the other to the garage wall. You’ll be alerted the moment you’ve pulled in just close enough!

  • Garage parking sensor – $21

Bluetooth Car Kit

Connecting your phone to your car via Bluetooth is a game changer. Luckily, you can experience this luxury even if your car came out before Bluetooth did! With a Bluetooth car kit, you can connect your phone, play music, and take hands-free phone calls safely. Even though you’ll be going hands-free, it’s a great idea to make sure you’re following the rules of the road when it comes to phones and cars. It’s illegal to talk on your cell phone without a hands-free device while driving in some states, including California and Illinois. Be sure to search the phone laws in your state state to make sure you’re in-the-know. (You’ll also want to know these laws for our next gadget, too.)

  • Bluetooth car kit – $23

Smartphone Mount

Fidgeting with your phone while driving is a bad idea. Depending on where you live, it may also be against the law. Remember those phone laws we told you about? Either way, investing in a smartphone mount that keeps your hands off your phone and your eyes on the road is a great way to help prevent this dangerous habit. Plus, it instantly turns your smartphone into a convenient GPS system!

  • Universal CD slot smartphone car mount – $14
  • Air vent smartphone car mount – $14

Blind Spot Mirrors

This is the cheapest gadget on our list, but it can have priceless benefits. Stick one of these small, convex mirrors onto your side mirror to get a fish-eye view of everything in your blind spot. These mirrors can help you avoid collisions by showing you something you might otherwise miss!

  • Blind spot mirror, 2 pack – $7

Car Air Purifier, Ionizer & Deodorizer

Have you ever hopped into someone’s car, only to be hit with a wave of bad smells? No one wants to be that guy or gal. With a car air purifier and deodorizer, you’ll wipe out any bad smells from food, smoke, pets, and so on. The purifier below  not only claims to get rid of smoke smell and other stale odors, neutralize contaminants like mold, bacteria and viruses; but also and “purifies the environment helping you breathe easier.”

  • Car air purifier and freshener – $19

While you make your car feel right at home in 2018 with these awesome, budget-friendly add-ons, we’ll make sure you have the right auto insurance to help keep your car insurance in great shape, even after trouble on the road. Call 1-877-GO-DIRECT (1-877-463-4732) to see how affordable car insurance can be when you qualify for great discounts!