When we started traveling together, we largely flew in to locations and then relied on tour providers to shuttle us around between points of interest. However, we’ve also had our fair share of road trip experiences over the years – we drove the Golden Circle in Iceland, drove from Niagara Falls to New York’s Finger Lakes, and even drove from Vancouver to Banff and back again. Along the way, we figured out ways to make road trips more bearable, and identified not only the items that we consider must-have things to bring on a road trip, but also have compiled a fairly sizable wishlist of car accessories and road trip gadgets, as well. Below you’ll find both the latter and the former, all in one big list.

*Note that there are affiliate links in this post. What this means: when you click on a link, you may be taken to a page where, if you purchase, we’ll get a small payment in return. This has no impact to you, but helps us keep the lights on 🙂 That said, all opinions are our own, and we received no services, items, or discounts in exchange for the reviews expressed here.

Accessories for road trip safety

298 Piece All-Purpose First Aid Emergency Kit

Alright, safety first, folks. We both have first aid emergency kits that we keep in our cars at all times. People take nasty falls, start to feel ill, or even just end up with a nasty blister on their heel after a tough hike and really need a bandage. The choice is yours, but we’d both prefer to be prepared rather than caught out on a backroad and trying to find a convenience store or the like.

Pick up this All-purpose First Aid Emergency Kit now!

Car Emergency Safety Kit Bag

Safety requirement number 2: make sure you have as much of the equipment you might need to get yourself out of a sticky situation as possible. Whether you’re on a road trip or commuting to work (who does that anymore…?), you never know when a weird or dangerous situation could arise. The nice thing about this safety bag is it ensures you have almost everything you could ever need – jumper cables, tire patching kit, reflective markers, window glass breaker, etc. and comes with its own storage pouch.

A lot of times, these can fit in the same well with your spare tire so they stay out of the way but are easily accessible when you need them most. Personally, the only alteration I’d recommend is taking a few items (like the glass breaker tool and the seatbelt cutter) out of the pack and putting them where they’re easily accessible to passengers in the main compartment.

Pick up a Car Emergency Safety Kit – you probably won’t regret it, buuut you might.

Honorable mention: Digital Tire Pressure Gauge and Portable Air Pump for Car Tires

Okay, I might sound like your mom, but if you’re not going to spring for the whole safety kit, at least make sure you have some of the basics. Hitting a nail or sharp rock is so easy to do and can completely ruin your day. At least if you have a tire gauge and portable pump (both of which are included in the safety kit), you have a chance to refill your tire(s) enough to hopefully get yourself to a nearby, well-lit shop or gas station. Getting stuck on the side of the road, especially if it starts to get dark, is a very unsafe option and one to avoid if at all possible.

Pick a Portable Air Pump for Car Tires up now, stick it in with your spare tire, and you’ll probably never need it. But at least you’ll have it if you do!

Car accessories and must-have things to bring on a road trip

Portable Lock Box for your car

Okay, it’s not sexy, but hear me out. A lot of these portable lock boxes are intended for weapons that you have the right and permit to carry. However, they’re also extremely useful for other valuables. If you’re traveling long distances and/or halfway living out of your car on the way, you may not always want to tote your valuables with you when you leave your vehicle, so it makes sense to secure them in a lock box like this one, which can then also be cabled to an interior part of your car for safety. That way, you might still end up being the victim of a smash and grab, but they won’t be able to grab the most important things.

So, lock it down with a Portable Lockbox for your car 🚗

Car Trunk Organizer

If you’re about to have a bunch of new kits and accessories for your car, it makes sense to have a place to organize them so you’re not getting crowded out of your own vehicle by stuff. This particular organizer is divided out, as well as being collapsible, meaning it can take up as much or as little space as you need it to, and can keep all your items in their proper place when in use. It also has the bonus of being insulated, so if you’re toting groceries or road snacks (or both!), you’ll be able to keep those items at their proper temperature for a period of time.

I’ve loved having a Car Trunk Organizer like this for my tailgate, and fully recommend them to anyone who will listen.

4-Pack Car Vehicle Back Seat Headrest Hook Hanger

Speaking of toting groceries, carrying bags of any sort can be a pain in the ass in the car. Purses, grocery bags, reusable bags of stuff for your trip – they all turn over way too easily and send your things flying. And that’s how you lose your favorite lipstick or a random grape that you’ll (hopefully) never see again. Headrest hooks like this mean that your bags will stay upright even if you decide to drift a corner at speed, and you won’t be left flailing for all the items that you don’t want to lose to the goblins under the seat.

Give this 4 Pack of Car Seat Back Hooks/Hangers a shot!

Car Ceiling Cargo Net Pocket

I haven’t personally had a cargo net like this, but I appreciate the utility of it. If you’re going to be traveling a long distance in your car, you’ll want to make use of every interior inch for convenient storage. This ceiling cargo net looks like a perfect way to store lightweight things like snacks, pillows, and blankets – stuff you don’t need at every moment, but appreciate having close at hand.

Shop the Car Ceiling Cargo Net Pocket now and never dislocate your shoulder feeling around for in the back seat 😅

Car Seatback Organizer

Yes, more organization. You can probably tell by now that I hate having to twist around in the world’s most uncomfortable yoga pose to find things in the backseat while still staying seatbelted in. Usually I feel like I’m simultaneously dislocating my shoulder and getting cut in half by the belt. Having seatback organizers like this takes a lot of that struggle out and puts the things you need most often within arm’s reach, without taking up valuable cup holders or leg room. They’re also perfect for traveling with kids, as these particular seatback organizers give you a place to put tablets for easy access and watching, and they keep those cute little shoes from getting all over your upholstery.

Car Seat Gap Filler

Ah yes, the seat gap: the place where that favorite lipstick I mentioned – along with a few pretzel sticks, receipts, and coins – goes to die. I can’t wait to get a new car because when I do, this will be my first purchase. I LOVE the idea of not having to try to make my hand as skinny and flexible as possible to fit between my seat and the center console anymore! These gap fillers are flexible, versatile, and fit most makes or models. They might not provide perfect coverage, but they should mostly keep your hands out of the gap.

Can I get a hallelujah (and an “add to cart”) for the Car Seat Gap Filler?!

Car Vacuum Cleaner

We don’t have kids, but somehow our cars both manage to pick up all kinds of little messes. Especially when we’re snacking our way through a road trip, little bits and bobs end up in all kinds of places. And if you don’t have a car seat gap filler (👀 *ahem*), you know exactly what I’m talking about. Enter the car vacuum! This particular version plugs into your cigarette lighter/DC power outlet, so you don’t have to worry with extra cables and adapters and can easily tidy up on the go. Great for cars that tote little ones… aaand those that tote adults with clumsy fingers 😂

Tidy up that car ASAP with a Car Vacuum Cleaner!

Waterproof Car Trash Can

You want to talk about messes – before getting a trash can for my car, I had protein bar wrappers and tissues and all kinds of stuff packed into the door compartments (in a sad effort to be tidy). You know the way – you pull up to the gas pump and while you’re waiting to fill up, you dig around in those door pockets to get all your trash out so you can toss it in the station’s giant can. But I got a trash can very much like this one and it made a world of difference. Plus, when you look at this sort of bin, it’s easy to fill, easy to empty, and keeps clutter from turning into a giant mess, on a daily basis and on a more extended basis, like when you’re on a road trip.

I feel weird saying this, but I LOVE mine, and 100% recommend grabbing a car trash can of your own before your next road trip!

Car Windshield Cover for Ice and Snow

Picture it: it’s a wintry morning. You’re spending time in Banff in the fall, or maybe New York’s Finger Lakes in winter, or maybe even in Iceland in winter, and you’ve just awakened and noticed there was a decent snowfall overnight. You’ll still be able to get the car out of its parking spot, but you’re not looking forward to scraping the heck out of the windshield and mirrors before embarking on your plans for the day. And then you remember it! You put your windshield cover on the car before you went to sleep last night! And voila – no de-icing, no running the car for 20 minutes, no frozen hands. One big swoosh and you can see out of your windshield and are ready to go.

Not sure if you can tell, but we each have a Windshield Cover for Ice and Snow for our cars, and we love them more than we can say.

Car Windshield Sun Shade

The flip side of a wintry windshield is a brutally hot summer day. Deep fried butt as soon as you sit in the driver’s seat. Equally not my favorite. While a windshield sun shade won’t necessarily keep your car cool while it sits in a parking lot or driveway, keeping one of these in my car for the summer months has saved my hands (and butt, let’s be honest) so many extremely hot moments. They’re inexpensive, and a really nice convenience to have around. 10/10, would recommend.

If this Car Windshield Sun Shade doesn’t fit your particular car, just search for your model and you’re almost guaranteed to find one that will.

Dashboard Anti-Slip Rubber Pad

I cannot even tell you how many times I’ve been riding shotgun (because Luke ALWAYS drives), and have sat something on the dash real quick while we’re at a stoplight. And then immediately had that thing, which is inevitably my phone, chucked at my head when the light turns green. An anti-slip rubber dashboard pad solves that problem! (Please disregard the perfume bottle in the photo 😂)

Now, obviously nothing should be stuck up there that will be a distraction to the driver (yes, you’re welcome for another mom-ish reminder), but for front seat passengers, an anti-slip rubber dashboard pad will help give you a little more surface area, which is super helpful if you’re juggling devices, cables, snacks, or whatever else.

Car Power Inverter DC 12V to 110V (AKA convert your cigarette lighter to a wall outlet!)

Road trips are convenient in so many ways, but having ready access to a power source isn’t necessarily one of them, especially if you have an older car that doesn’t support USB ports, or if you have your wall plug with you instead of a USB C to USB adapter. Or hey, maybe you need to blow your hair dry in the car before getting Insta-perfect shots at one of your stops along the route. I don’t know your life. But I know I don’t like “blow drying” my bangs using the AC on full blast…

But while this is one of those things that you might not have constant use for, it’s also one of those things that you’ll be so happy to have when the occasion arises! So go add it to your cart now!

USB C Female to USB Male Adapter Pack of 3

Well, one of the situations above can also be remedied with this item. Assuming you’ve only got your USB C/USB C cable on you and don’t have access to a place to plug in, adapters are your next best solution. Obviously the world freaked out when Apple went USB C only, and plenty of folks snapped up adapters like these as part of the fallout. But let’s be really honest, these itty bitty suckers disappear as sneakily and frequently as bobby pins and hair ties. Seriously, go look for yours right now – bet you can’t find them.

Time for some replacement USB C to USB adapters ASAP!

Extras and fun car gadgets to bring on a road trip

12 Volt Refrigerator, 45Liter(48qt) Car Refrigerator

Okay, this is extra AF. Fully aware. But also… HOW COOL to travel with chilled beverages or snacks?! I mean, you can technically do this with a cooler full of ice in your back seat. But then you also have to deal with a cooler full of ice – I mean, water – in your back seat. This handy dandy little guy plugs into your cigarette lighter/12V outlet and can definitely keep a few sodas, some yogurts, a couple of string cheeses, and any other snacks or sips you might want cool. Is it a little much? Sure. Bougie as hell? Absolutely. But it’s also definitely worth a look if you’re headed on a road trip while the weather is still warm!

Go take a peek at the 12V Car Refrigerator now!

Cup Holder Tray for Car

We’ve definitely entered the less essential, more “nice to have” section of this list, but come ON. How nice would it be to not have to balance your fries, ketchup, and burger in your lap all at once at the drive in? This probably wouldn’t be great for use while the car is moving, because you’ve got no real guard rails to keep stuff on the tray instead of flying into your lap or somewhere even less convenient.

But if you go to a drive-in movie, prefer to eat in your car after a trip through the drive-thru, or simply need a little more temporary surface area on the passenger side to sit a few small things, a Cup Holder Tray for your car definitely ranks as being worth a second look.

Kleenex Perfect Fit

I’ve stuffed full-size boxes of tissues in my center console, and I’ve also had a box rattling all over the back seat of my car when I keep forgetting to find a home for it. While having a super-special-shaped tissue holder isn’t exactly essential, both of us with our seasonal allergies and tendency to get winter colds have invariably appreciated being able just reach down and grab a tissue without having to wrestle with a plastic package in the recesses of a purse, or find where that full-size tissue box got to in time to deal with a situation.

Pop a Kleenex Perfect Fit canister into your cupholder and you’re good to go!

GoPro Suction Cup Mount

If you don’t take videos of the drive, did you actually even go anywhere? Seriously, even if you’re not a #TravelTok fiend, as a passenger you’ve probably propped your phone on the dash and tried to get a few videos while you’re on the road. As a driver, please tell me you haven’t also tried that… 😅 Regardless, having a suction mount for your dash or windshield will make sure that you can timelapse, loop, rewind, or just revisit your last road trip to your heart’s content.

You can also get mounts like this for smartphones, so don’t let the GoPro-ness of this particular model deter you!

Mini Portable Air Purifier

I know I’m not the only one who keeps the car’s AC on recirculate all the time. Getting a whiff of every passing bit of yard work, skunk smell, bonfire, or worse just isn’t it for me. Maybe I’m prissy, but keeping all those grassy, polleny bits out of my car in pretty much three out of four seasons is a must for me. And that makes having a portable air purifier – which works in the car, in your hotel room, etc. – pretty close to a non-negotiable.

Maybe with a Mini Portable Air Purifier in my car, I won’t have to use my special car kleenex so much anymore 🤔

What are your road trip must-haves? Slide into our DMs and let us know!