Top 18 Must-Have Car Accessories & Gadgets 2018

Road tripping is great, especially if you have a reliable car. Your car can become your own personal chariot to beautiful beaches, gorgeous roadside attractions, and some of the best music festivals in the country.

Of course, there's traveling, and then there's traveling in style.

If you want to avoid the common problems people have while taking a great road trip, you need to accessorize your car the right way. These must-have car accessories will let you get the most out of your driving time, no matter how long or short your trip is.

Lose your car keys? Can't figure out where you placed them? Tile Mate created the perfect product to help forgetful folks find their keys in regular time. Just attach this tile to your keychain, and use the Tile Mate app on your phone!

If you have a tendency of forgetting where you parked, then Tile Mate's finder acts as one of the best car accessories out there. To make it a car finder, just keep the key finder in your car.

Phones are a part of life that we just can't part without, and if you're like most people, you also use them for navigation, too. If you're looking for one of the best car mounts for your iPhone or Android phone, take a look at iOttie's Easy One Touch.

This car mount grips your phone easily, swivels to meet your gaze, and can be placed anywhere on the dashboard with a quick pop. It's affordable, durable, and safe.

Most states have laws requiring drivers to avoid holding phones while traveling. Is it any wonder why this phone mount has been called one of the top car accessories for commuters? We're not surprised, either.

Who doesn't love listening to their favorite Spotify station while they're cruising in their car? Unfortunately, if you're like many people out there, you don't have a car that's built to be Bluetooth-compatible to play music that way.

This FM transmitter turns any car (even vintage ones!) into a Bluetooth-compatible piece. Plug this in, and say goodbye to those CDs, and hello to your favorite playlist!

If you're looking to get the most out of your car, or are the type to camp out in your car, you're going to need a lot more than your car's cigarette lighter to power your goods. This 300W power inverter from Bestek allows drivers to plug in all their goods regardless of the outlet style.

People who are going for the long haul and need a traditional plug in their car will understand what makes this one of the best must-have car accessories for campers. Even if you're not a long-term traveler, the dual USB ports in this make it a great pick.

USBs are now more common than standard electrical plugs, so it makes sense to look for a way to get more USB ports in their car. Maxboost's dual-USB port allows you to get portable power at your fingertips. It's affordable and durable—and will be a huge help if your cellphone dies.

If you have a tendency of forgetting where you parked your car or if you live in an area where carjackings are common, you need to seriously consider getting a car tracker for your car. After all, the moments that your car go missing are crucial in trying to find it.

Spy Tec's surveillance-ready gadget is designed to send your car's location to your phone in real time. This means less time needed to find your car, and more time doing what you want to do.

"Safety first!"

A lot of car accessories are about adding creature comforts to your car, and that's great. However, all of them won't be worth much if your trip ends with an accident.

AUTO-VOX created an easy-to-install wireless backup camera that helps you see blind spots behind you while you back out of parking spots. By seeing more, you are less likely to crash and more likely to have a great trip.

Having a dash cam is already considered to be one of the biggest must-haves for cars in the world. Dash cams help reduce insurance fraud, and can also catch police corruption on tape.

Cameras don't lie. People who want to avoid being victimized by "he said, she said" stuff on the road need one. People who just want to get cool footage of life on the road will also appreciate the high-quality footage they get from YI's dash cam.

We've all been there before: dropping a credit card, a potato chip, or a pen in that awkward gap between the armrest and the car seat. Getting stuff out of that tiny space is difficult at best and aggravating at worst. Awful, isn't it?

The makers of Drop Stop make sure that you never have to fish out an errant credit card from your seats again. This gap filler keeps goods out of that gap by making the gap disappear. Better still, it fits all gaps.

Have you ever had a trunk that always seemed to magically catch all the random stuff you never remember placing in there? Do you have a hard time keeping things organized in your trunk?

Trunkcratepro created a collapsible, customizable organizer that allows you to keep your goods in great shape. It fits just about every car trunk out there, and comes with two sub-dividers for people who have extra goods to haul.

The Stinger Emergency Escape Tool is something that every driver should have out of safety's sake. As one of the newest accessories to be invented with safety in mind, this tool is designed to make escaping from a car as easy as possible.

The dual-function tool has a spring-loaded puncher that is designed to break car windows in case of a serious accident. The seatbelt cutter, on the other hand, can help people free themselves from their car if their belts become pinned to them.

Much of the newer generation of car products have multi-functionality as the name of their game. Such is the case with Lantoo's newest 5-in-1 tool. This handheld tool fits in your glove compartment with ease and does a plethora of purposes.

This tool works as a window breaker, seatbelt cutter, red safety light, LED flashlight, and even works as a tire pressure gauge. If you need one tool, make it this one.

Parents can tell you how hard it is to get kids to sit still in a car without whining. In some cars, you can get digital displays placed in the back of headrests. However, this has been pretty expensive to do and not all of us have that cash.

TFY came up with the next best thing: a tool that allows you to hold your tablet mounted to the back of your headrest. The end result? Noiseless drives with the kids. That's why we're calling this one of the top must-have car accessories for parents with noisy tots.

Cars are surprisingly good at getting messy, even when you're one of the tidiest people you know. If you're looking for one of the best products for keeping your car clean, then you need to consider getting a car vacuum that plugs into your 12V outlet.

HOTOR's high-powered vacuum will suck up all the grit and dust faster than you can drive to a detailer. It even works well on the spots everyone misses. You'll love it.

Even the most well-kept car has a tendency to trap smells in it. Most air fresheners are pretty good, but at times, they can get pretty stinky. If you have a sensitive nose or just want to avoid having to whiff pine trees for aeons, it may be time to take a more natural approach.

Moso Naturals created a fragrance-free scent eliminator that is made of all-natural ingredients. Just drop it in your car and let it absorb all the stink for you.

Most cars are very stylishly designed, but long-term comfort isn't really taken into consideration. For long-haul drivers, this often leads to back pain and leg pain.

There's an easy way to remedy this, though. Everlasting Comfort has created a seat cushion made out of memory foam that's designed to alleviate pain caused by poor posture.

Nails and shrapnel are pretty commonplace on roads, so it makes sense to take time to do a little preventative care. Slime is a product that can prevent and even patch up small flats caused by punctures from regular use.

People who use this have fewer flats and need to replace their tires less frequently as a result. It's a great gift for anyone who wants to keep their car driving longer than ever before.

Anyone who has ever needed to ask a stranger for a jumpstart will tell you that losing battery while on the road is incredibly embarrassing. To a point, it can also be dangerous if you end up in the wrong neighborhood at night.

Beatit created one of the best must-have car accessories for people who don't want to have to ask random people to help them get back on the road. This handheld portable car starter will give you enough energy to jump a large car or diesel engine back into gear by yourself.