5 Budget-Friendly Accessories On Amazon You'll Want For Your Car Interior
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Amazon is a treasure trove of affordable finds of all kinds. If you prefer shopping on your mobile device, the Amazon app has several recommendation-driven features that can produce item suggestions you didn't even know you wanted or needed. You can search by interest, browse through the best sellers list, or simply take a look at discounts or deals that are only available for a short time. Across all platforms, the search bar itself is a powerful tool that can get you exactly what you're looking for.
If you happen to be in search of accessories for your car, you can use the little-known Amazon item-finding feature that lets you specify the make and model of your vehicle and only see products that'll fit it. Alternatively, you can browse through all the available products listed in Amazon's dedicated Interior Accessories category.
Off the bat, you should definitely look out for emergency tools you should always have in your car and see if there are any Amazon deals on them. A well stocked first-aid kit is also essential — Johnson & Johnson's All-Purpose Portable First Aid Kit that contains 160 items is available for only $25, and is often on sale on the platform. If you need more ideas for accessories to get for the inside of your vehicle, we've rounded up several cost-effective suggestions for you to consider. All items mentioned are below $100 on Amazon as of this writing.
Sun protection
One of the worst things that can happen when you park your car outdoors is getting back to it after a few hours in the scorching heat and accidentally burning yourself on the seat, steering wheel, seat belt, or any vinyl or metal surface. To avoid this and to keep the inside of your car cooler, you ought to get something to cover your windshield and side windows while it's exposed to direct sunlight.
Amazon has several highly rated windshield sun shades that won't break the bank. Currently at the top of the bestsellers list is EcoNour's reflector sun shade, available in a variety of sizes with prices ranging between $19 to $43. Whether you own a sedan, minivan, bus, RV, or motorhome, you can use this windshield sun shade to protect your vehicle interior and anything you have in it from UV rays. Another option is this windshield sun shade umbrella by Nmoiss, currently available at $40. It's a bit pricier than the one by EcoNour, but recent customer reviews suggest that it's worth the investment in terms of quality and ease of use.
Besides covering your windshield, you can also get a couple of sun shades to protect your car door windows. One bestseller is Kinder Fluff's window shade, also available in a variety of sizes priced between $18 to $26. It comes in a pack of four and has two transparency modes. Apart from protecting your car's interior from the heat, any of these sun shade options can also keep outsiders from seeing inside your car while it's parked.
Car storage and organizer
You'll be surprised at how quickly junk can accumulate in your car, especially if you're not the sort of person who does a thorough clean up when you're done with driving for the day. It's not just garbage — since you'll be on the road and away from home, you'll need to have some of your essentials in the vehicle with you; whether it's snacks, toys for the kids, change of clothes, and other things that can get disorganized when kept in a moving space.
One of the more popular car accessory categories on Amazon has to do with better storage and organization for the inside of your car. To start things off, get a car trash can — preferably one that has a lid like this two-gallon one for $13. If you need something bigger, you can get the three-gallon option for $19. Another thing worth the splurge is the $25 Drop Stop car seat gap filler, which we personally tried and gave a stamp of approval. Similar to this in terms of price and function is this car seat gap filler organizer, which gives you the convenience of added storage space for coins, keys, mobile phones, and other knick knacks.
Moving to the back of the car, you'll want sturdy receptacles to keep items in your trunk organized and in place while you're driving. While we've rounded up some of the best car trunk organizers for you to check out, this $56 car trunk organizer fits the budget-friendly bill and has the added bonus of an insulated cooler bag that can keep food and drinks cold for your road trip.
Lastly, to help keep bags with handles in place during your car ride, get Amooca's four-pack bag hooks for only $11, and convert your car seat's headrests into functional organization tools.
Mobile device holder
As a car driver, you'll likely want easy access to your smartphone, if only for navigational purposes. A key component of a good mobile device mount is its ability to keep your phone within easy eyesight — you should be able to take a quick glance and then go back to watching the road as you should be.
To date, the best-selling dash-mounted cell phone holder on Amazon is from a brand called iOttie, which is also one of our recommendations in our own mobile device mount roundup. The Easy One Touch 5 costs $25, and is well rated for being sturdy, easy to use, and universally compatible to different phone sizes, with or without a case.
For the passengers in the back, you can get something bigger than a mobile phone holder. Lamicall's Car Headrest Tablet Holder is only $25, and can house not just smartphones, but tablets and Kindles as well, giving people the opportunity to watch videos during a long car ride. It attaches to the front passenger head rest, and has an adjustable arm so you can modify the view angle if needed.
Phone charger
If there's one thing you should never leave home without as a car driver, it's a cord and a charger that you can hook up to your vehicle to keep your smartphone battery full, in case of emergencies. It's also necessary if you like to keep phone apps running during long car rides, such as Google Maps for navigation, or Spotify for road trip tunes.
Idison's multi-charging cable is four feet long, and is typically priced at $8 on Amazon. It comes with USB-C, micro USB, and lightning connectors so you can basically charge any sort of mobile device. It should pair nicely with Anker's 320 car charger, which you can buy for $13 at full price.
If you want an all-in-one phone charging solution, this retractable car charger by EloBeth already comes with two cords that can charge newer iPhones and Android devices with a USB-C port. There's also a retractable lightning cable and additional ports for USB-C to USB-A and USB-C charging cables. It's normally priced at $40, but is often on sale on Amazon.
Seat enhancer
Road trips can be a lot of fun. Given that you're mostly in the same position for likely hours, it can also become really tiring and leave your body sore in places. For long-haul car travel, you can maximize your car seat's comfort by getting a supplemental seat cushion to place as a topper. For those with back and posture issues, the ComfiLife Gel Enhanced Seat Cushion could be a worthy investment at $60. It's made with a memory foam and cooling gel that molds to your body's shape and provides needed support and pressure relief to your tailbone. It also has a machine-washable velour cover that you can take off and clean when needed.
If you want full car seat coverage, you can get Meolsaek's car seat protector for $22 each. While its padding is not as thick as the previously mentioned gel seat cushion, it's made with a waterproof material that can keep your seats clean and dry. If you have a pet or kids or routinely engage in activities wherein you can get wet or dirty, this could be a game-changer.