With the world becoming more and more connected, we always strive to keep up with the pace. We buy a new phone every one or two years just to have the new one, and that is great. But what about your car? Do you change it every year, two or even three? I personally see very few doing so, most of which are in the car dealership business or have a ton of money to do so. If you want to stay connected everywhere you go, you will want your car to be up to date with some of the newest gadgets out there. Whether you are looking for more safety or a better way to stream audio, these are the five car accessories you must have in 2018.

This is our take on the five must-have car accessories:

# Image Brand Type Price
1 GOOLOO Car Jumpstarter $90
2 Anker Car Charger $30
3 best bluetooth audio receiver - buy on amazon TaoTronics Bluetooth Audio Receiver $16
4 iOttie Wireless ChargingmCar Mount $50
5 Kensun Tire Inflator $43

 

1. GOOLOO Car Jumpster

  • 18000mAh lithium battery
  • 1000A peak current
  • 30 full jump starts (up to 7.0L petrol / 5.5L diesel engines)
  • Can be used as a battery

Whenever you are on the go, you must always be prepared in case of unexpected situations. If your car battery is out and you are in a rural area — without the proper tools you might find yourself stuck for a while, especially if there is no reception. The GOOLOO company realizes that and over the past years has been focusing on developing and providing you with the best portable car jumpstarter possible.

The device is very small and lightweight, only about 1.16lbs or 0.52kg with dimensions of 6.2 x 1.9 x 2.4 inches. It has an internal battery of 20800mAh with a peak current of 1000A. With a single full charge, you can get your car jump started about 30 times (engines up to 7.0L petrol and 5.5L diesel). If you by any chance connect the battery at the wrong sides or touch the clamps by mistake — nothing will happen. In unexpected situations, it can also be used a power bank.

2. Anker Car Charger

  • 1x Power Delivery USB Port
  • 1x Power IQ USB Port
  • 54W Total power output
  • Cables included

If you have a lot of devices, you would always want them charged, especially during long trips. As a freelancer and a traveler, I value my car charger a lot. The Anker car charger comes with a 54W total power output which is more than enough to give any device you have the juice it needs, including your laptop. It is perfect for some of the latest MacBooks, the Surface Book, Chromebook, Matebook, and others that support USB-C charging or for which you have an adapter.

Whether your devices requires a USB C connector or a USB connector, this gadget has them both. It comes with two USB ports — a USB C Power Delivery (PD) one and a Power IQ 2.0 (pIQ) USB one. The complex chips inside it will protect your device from harms such as overcharging, overheating, overcurrent or short circuits. Whenever you do not need it, you can just put it anywhere. It is one of the most compact devices I’ve seen with such high power.

3. TaoTronics Bluetooth Audio Receiver

  • Bluetooth v4.1
  • 3.5mm MP3 audio jack
  • Calls support
  • Built-in microphone
  • Up to 16h battery life

If you have seen my review of the five best bluetooth audio receivers, then you probably know about TaoTronics. If you have a wired car audio system, then you will love all the convenience that the integrated Bluetooth v4.1 bring. Not only does it stream high-quality audio signal, it also has a built-in microphone that allows you to have hands-free calls. Improved capturing of your voice provides crystal clear audio and an included 3M adhesive securing of the receiver allows you to find its ideal position effortlessly.

If you own multiple devices, you would love to know that the TaoTronics TT-BRO5 audio receiver supports dual pair. Thanks to the special technology, you can play music or take calls from either of the two connected devices seamlessly. The built-in long-lasting battery is big enough to support play time of up to 15 hours, although I’ve seen it survive for 16-17 hours — it mostly depends on the volume you are listening at. Long road trips and cross-country adventures will never be boring again thanks to this little compact device.

4. iOttie Easy One Touch Wireless Charging Car Mount

  • Qi wireless charging (iPhone X, 8, Galaxy Note 9, S9 and etc.)
  • Fast charging support (Galaxy S9, Note 9, S8 and others that support it)
  • Universal mount for all phones and cases between 2.3 and 3.72 inches
  • 1x USB Port on the car adapter
  • 4.9 – 8.3-inch extendable Telescopic Arm
  • 225-degree pivot arc
  • Dashboard pad and suction cup
  • 10-dollar free Audible credits and 2 free audiobooks

If you are often on the go alone and your phone supports wireless charging, you should definitely look into the best Qi car mount for your phone. The iOttie Easy One Touch is not only cheap, but it will even get you 10$ Amazon credits on Audible and 2 free audiobooks if you are a new member. The device supports all smartphones with Qi-enabled wireless charging. If your phone supports fast charging, then you are lucky because so does this gadget.

The DC adapter that powers the device has a built-in USB port that allows you to charge your portable battery or your friend his phone. The mount has a universal size range, fitting any device between 2.3 and 3.72 inches in diameters. The telescopic arm extends to 4.9 – 8.3 inches and the device also allows you to pivot it in a 225-degree range. The suction cup will ensure that your device stays steady, despite all holes you might encounter on the road.

5. Kensun Portable Tire Inflator

  • 110 V power at home (AC)
  • 12 V power in a car (DC)
  • 120 psi range of pressure
  • 35psi +/- 1psi accuracy of measure
  • 30 minutes at 35psi continues working time
  • Other specifications
    • 18 LPM (Litres per minute) on DC
    • 20 LPM on AC
    • 0.64 CFM (Cubic feet per minute) on DC
    • 0.71 CFM on AC
    • 4.76 GPM (Gallons per minute) on DC
    • 5.28 GPM on AC

We’ve probably all faced the deflated tire issue. If you haven’t, perhaps at some point you will. Let me tell you — if that happens in a rural area, and you have no reception — you’re screwed. To ensure that this doesn’t happen, I always bring with me the Kensun portable tire inflator. Not only is it cheap but it also works with both an AC and DC adapters (house/car).

Using a DC adapter with the Kensun tire inflator will give you more than enough power to inflate all of your tires in the case of an emergency. It has a 120psi range of pressure with an accuracy of the measure being 35psi +/- 1psi. It is capable of pumping 18 liters per minute, 0.64 cubic feet per minute or 4.76 gallons per minute. With an AC adapter, you can get 20 LPM, 0.71 CFM, and 5.28 GPM.