Cars are expensive things to own so here are at least 10 accessories that will save you money, maybe not straight away but in the long run at least.
Have we missed something? Let us know what in the comments.
1) Dash camera
The most obvious car accessory that can save your arse & your bank balance when things go wrong, well worth spending a decent amount of money on one as it can save you a fortune when things go wrong, here are the three we recommend:
- Transcend Drive Pro – Sub £100 – 1080p Dash Camera
- NextBase 412GW – Sub £130 – 1440p Dash Camera
- ThinkWare F770 – Sub £300 – Front and Rear 1080p Dash Cameras
We use two of them currently (Transcend and ThinkWare) and we wouldn’t be without a dash camera these days.
2) Sunglasses
How many times have you got in the car only to realise you’ve not got your sunnies, we now pack two sets in our cars to ensure we can always see the road. These might prevent you from having an expensive accident and/or save your eyes from nasty sun damage.
- Duco £15 Polarised sunglasses – Super reviews and great build quality for the money, comes in a protective pouch
- Leunx Aviator Polarised Sunglasses £17 – Decent reviews, comes with a case and free prime delivery.
3) Demister / Dehumidifier
Heating up your car in winter to remove mist will cost you extra time and fuel + you risk your car getting nicked whilst the engine is on and you’re not inside.
- Pingi Dehumidifier £9 – Place in your car, when it goes pink throw it in the microwave for 6 minutes
- 2 x Large 1KG Dehumidifiers £10 – Reusable when heated in the microwave
4) Car Cleaning Kit – Car Vac + Microfibre Cloth + Spray
Having a dirty car isn’t great for its resale value and allowing it to stay dirty can actually cause long term issues with paintwork etc which could cost you a fortune to repair.
- Dyson V6 + Dyson Car Cleaning Kit is what we use and it’s superb and picking up crumbs left my children and adults, the cleaning kit is great for pet hair.
- Amazon Basics Microfibre Cloths are superb and make cleaning windows a doddle especially when combined with Auto Glym Fast Glass
- Showroom Shine Wash Spray (never use on paintwork if it’s very dirty, always pressure wash first) but it’s ideal for around the inside of the car and on bird poo etc.
You may also like: Learn how to properly clean a car
5) Car Tracker
Our cars these days are fairly secure but thieves are now actively stealing cars using ever increasing in complex techniques
- Companies such as CanTrack offer vehicle/asset tracking in small self-contained boxes (use code: JULY30 to knock £30 + VAT off the price of any of their trackers) starting price of around £300. These use various technologies to stay hidden but pinpoint the device location when required. They employ ex Police officers etc to track down the lost items.
- Tile Mate – £20 – A compact Bluetooth key finder or phone finder. This won’t track your car unless someone else goes past the vehicle with the app + bluetooth switched on.
- Rewire GPS Tracker £40 – It seems the battery version of this is pretty crappy but if you can hardwire it to your car or install a USB charger it seems to work well.
- Switch on ‘Find my phone’ and hide an old phone inside the car?
6) Window Breaker with seatbelt cutter
These small hammers (yes really) and seat belt cutters are life savers, just remember that if you’re caught upside down inside a car when you cut the belt you might drop on your head and injure yourself, sadly this is very common and people have died from this impact.
We’ve combined ours with these Nite Tritium Glow Rings so we can always find them.
7) An emergency kit
An emergency kit can get you out of a life threatening situation but also can save you money in so many other ways, for instance having a set of allergy relief tablets in our car has saved us from buying expensive branded ones from a corner shop just before a wedding.
Consider buying a full starter set but remember most of the time these starter sets give the bare minimum + they often don’t pack the best quality components, instead we probably would buy these products and store them inside one of these car storage organisers.
- First aid kit (check what your car already has in it) + ensure it gets filled with cheap Paracetamol, Ibuprofen & Allergy tablets this will save you a fortune compared with needing one whilst away from a major supermarket.
- Some bottles of water
- Tow Rope – Could save you from an expensive tow
- Snow Shovel – Obviously not needed for most of the year but useful to have
- Emergency LED Lights &/or head torch &/or Road Flares
- Some decent high protein food bars with long shelf life – You know those horror stories of motorways being shutdown for hours, these could save you from hunger and/or moaning family/friends.
- Multi Tool – So many uses
- Fluorescent Hi Viz Jacket – Might save you getting mowed down by traffic
- Set of replacement bulbs – Might save an accident from happening/having to buy expensive bulbs on a trip
- 1KG Fire Extinguisher Multi Purpose – Obviously ring 999 if there is a fire but this might just help you save someone’s life if they’re stuck in a fire, learn how to safely use it as it’s extremely risky and not recommended that you attempt to tackle a car fire as it’s extremely dangerous.
- A set of decent gloves can be extremely useful in an emergency, breakdown
- Some gorilla tape – so many endless uses
- A waterproof picnic blanket (for the floor) + some decent fleece blankets (for your body + nice to have in the car) + some foil blankets (for true emergencies)
- Rain Poncho
8) A secondary power source
Portable USB Battery
As I’m sure you’re aware Anker make some awesome battery packs including the E1 5200mAh for under £15, PowerCore 20100mAh for £30 & PowerCore Mini for under £10
But other brands like RavPower and EC Technology make decent battery packs.
Jump starting kit
- RavPower makes this 14000mAh battery pack that allows you to jump start a car with a dead battery.
- Or consider a decent set of jumper cables and learn how to use them.
In-car charger
Anker makes a superb compact Cigarette lighter USB charger which is ideal to combine with a phone stand or a portable battery.
9) Phone mount
Using your phone whilst driving is against the law now but many of us are still tempted to use them, putting your phone out of reach but visible for sat nav etc is still useful.
Magnetic versions are the best as they are strong but also don’t require any clipping in, they’re safe to use near phones and are inexpensive.
- Wuteka Magnetic Mount £15 – Superb reviews, we have multiple ones around the house (cross trainer, bathroom mirrors etc)
- MPow Vent Mount £7 – Instead of sticking on to your dash these attach to your car vents.
10) Tyre pressure gauge, tread gauge & pump
Properly inflated tyres with decent tread will cut your fuel costs but also help you stop in an emergency preventing a costly repair/insurance bill. Remember to check pressures when the tyres are cold otherwise the readings will be off. If you’re doing a long trip it’s always best to check all tyres before starting off. You probably should check your car tyres every 1-2 months at least but this will vary on the amount you drive.
- Ring Digital Tyre Inflator £30 – By far the easiest way to keep your tyres at the correct pressure
- Pumpkin Tyre Tread Gauge £8 – Better grip will help you stop quicker which might prevent an accident + keep you from getting a ticket
- Tacklife Digital Tyre Pressure Gauge £10 – Quick and easy tool to keep an eye on your tyre pressures
