19 Products That Will Upgrade Your Car Without Having To Drop A Shit Tonne Of Money

I would've gotten my drivers licence sooner had I known about these things.

1. This magnetic phone holder for your car, because life's too short to deal with pesky phone cradles.

Mariela Summerhays / BuzzFeed

This phone holder comes with a magnetic disc that you can either stick to your phone or your phone case, for instant 360° GPS viewing ability.

Promising review: "I have been through so many phone cradles. Time after time, phones will just fall after driving over a speed bump and not provide the security they promise. This magnetic device is brilliant — I never have to worry about my phone falling and can view the screen in both landscape and portrait mode with a single rotation. The base of the holder extends and tilts in any direction, making it perfect to use in either the driver or passenger front seat."

—Mariela Summerhays

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $16.99.

2. This heated car seat cushion, which will make getting in the car on winter mornings that much less painful.

Catch

There's nothing worse than sitting down on a cold seat, waiting for your body heat to warm it. This easily detached, heated car cushion seat is plugged into the cigarette lighter socket and instantly heats, soothing back pain and warming your body as you drive. Fixed with side straps and a pothook, you can trust it won't budge.

Buy it from Catch for $36.95.

3. These interior light strips, which are the easy and fun way to level up any road trip.

Amazon

Easily installed via the included strong self-adhesive, these interior light strips feature eight different colours (and in different tones!), meaning you can customise your own unique modes to suit your mood. A function on the accompanying remote allows for sound-response, meaning colours change in time to music. Truly, the upgrade your road trip singalongs didn't know they were missing.

Buy four light strips from Amazon Australia for $24.99.

4. This boot organiser, which is the sensible way to get all the groceries indoors in one go, without cutting off blood circulation to your arms.

Amazon

Unlike other boxes or whatnot that you might currently be using to store things in your car, this sturdy boot organiser is fitted with non-skid strips and rubber feet— no sliding around on your seats or around your boot! A sturdy frame insert ensures longevity and the side pockets keep handy any receipts or manuals you don't want cluttering your glove compartment.

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $37.99.

5. This car charger, because you fell asleep before plugging your phone in last night (again).

Amazon

This compact and powerful car charger is fitted with two USB ports and an LED light for visibility at night. Pushing out a combined 24 watts of power, you'll be able to charge two devices quickly and simultaneously.

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $15.99.

6. This rear view camera and monitor, because I don't have enough money to be buying a whole new car for that feature, but would still love to stop smashing into walls when reverse-parking.

Amazon

The camera (installed above your licence plate) is waterproof and is designed with night vision, meaning you can drive more safely no matter the time of day or weather. The accompanying monitor delivers clear, clean video and can be mounted to either the dash or windshield. Bonus: Powered via cigarette lighter, you needn't worry about changing batteries, ever.

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $49.99.

7. This Bluetooth receiver, which makes it possible to listen to your favourite tunes, should your car have an AUX cord but no Bluetooth capabilities.

Mariela Summerhays / BuzzFeed

Promising review: "We recently bought this old school car with none of the usual Bluetooth pairing capabilities. I thought I'd forever have to be at the mercy of whatever was playing on the radio (shock horror), but then my husband bought me this handy device. You simply connect to the device using Bluetooth, which in turn is linked up to car speakers using the auxiliary port. Now, I can play as much Carly Rae Jepson as my heart desires."

—Mariela Summerhays

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $35.99.

8. This portable car humidifier, which will help assuage the road rage you know you really should work on.

Amazon

Whisper-quiet, you needn't worry about this brilliant addition to your car breaking your concentration when driving. Both an essential oil and humidifier, it is fitted with two modes — one with continuous spray for four hours, the other with an intermittent spray for four hours. We advise you add a drop of eucalyptus oil to its water tank to kill bacteria and allergens in the air.

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $29.99.

9. This cute car air freshener, which contains natural essential oils to neutralise unpleasant odours.

Amazon

Look, I think we both know it's time to replace that dried out, paper air freshener you have hanging from your rearview mirror. This novelty air freshener is constructed from thermoplastic and non-toxic polymer, so you can trust it to last for a long time. Filled with natural essential oils (none of that synthetic, super-sweet scents), it offers maximum protection from harmful molecules — and it looks cute, too!

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $12.95.

10. This reusable grocery bag, because you've been meaning to stop paying for plastic ones every time you hit up the supermarket.

@linhongjia / Via instagram.com

It's so pretty you'll want to use it for more than just your weekly trip to the supermarket. This bag — complete with an additional zippered pouch — comes in dozens of prints from iconic paintings, including Hokusai's The Great Wave, Mondrian's Composition and Van Gogh's Starry Night...but I can't go past Hokusai's idyllic print of blossoms and Mount Fuji.

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $18.15.

11. This car seat gap filler, which will prevent your phone from falling into the abyss, never to be seen again.

Amazon

Whether it be your phone, snack or what-have-you, there isn't a person that hasn't had to jam their hand down the side of their car seat to retrieve a lost item. Well, some genius decided to use the gap to their advantage and now we have this universal gap filler. Featuring sections for your drink, phone and a couple more bits and pieces, every car should have this.

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $25.99+.

12. This car seat cover, because loving your dog doesn't mean loving his fur on your clothes.

Amazon

The designers of this back seat cover have thought of absolutely everything to keep your pet calm and happy on car trips. It is waterproof, scratch-resistant, padded for comfort, has a fine mesh window so you remain in their line of vision — plus, pockets for snacks and toys!

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $46.67.

13. This sun visor-attached sunnies holder, because I can't be the only one who always loses her glasses case.

Amazon

Where have these been all my life?! Honestly, whenever I open a glasses case — whether it be at home, in the car or elsewhere — my sunnies are never anywhere to be found. This sunnies holder not only holds up to two pairs of glasses, but can also be used to hold cards you always want within reaching grasp in the car — like parking tickets or your debit card for Maccas runs.

Buy a pack of two from Amazon Australia for $9.99.

14. This backseat protector, which doubles as storage for all the crap you currently have crowding your backseat floor.

Amazon

In addition to preventing shoe marks on your backseat from excitable children (believe me, I know all about it), this protector will gather all your bits and pieces in one place, thanks to several, different-sized mesh pockets. There's even a transparent pocket for a smart tablet — perfect for keeping whoever is in the back seat entertained for long car trips.

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $26.99.

15. This car wash mitt, because you keep meaning to make time to go to the car wash, but don't.

Amazon

Made from microfibre chenille, this car wash mitt can be used wet or dry. It is scratch-free, lint-free and absorbs water and fine dust particles with ease. After washing, take it through the house — it's also excellent for dusting polished furniture.

Buy a pack of two from Amazon Australia for $19.48.

16. This car bin, which is a much neater alternative to the plastic bag I have sitting on the floor in front of the passenger seat right now.

Amazon

Yeah, no lie, that's how I collect rubbish in my car. This waterproof and leakproof vinyl bin can be hung from the front two seats, or sit on the floor. Its specially designed lid minimises unpleasant odours and it can be folded into a flatpack when not in use.

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $22.99.

17. This car sunshade, because warm weather is just around the corner and you're going to want to avoid cooking in your car.

Amazon

I know I'm not the only one who sits down in their car in summer, only to immediately stand up again for fear of heat stroke. You could pump the air-con for 15 minutes before getting in, but that's not too energy efficient. Instead, invest in this foldable sunshade – made to fit most windscreens – and reduce the inner temperature by 10ºC and the dashboard temperature by more than 20ºC.

Buy it from Amazon Australia for $18.90.

18. This blind spot mirror, without which I never would've passed my driver's test.

Amazon

These little beauties will maximise your vision, both vertically and horizontally – no more guessing where the gutter or parking lines start. It can be pivoted side-to-side and its adhesive is waterproof and peels off without leaving a mark.

Buy a set of two from Amazon Australia for $11.99.

19. And finally, this keychain car escape tool, that will enable you to cut through your seatbelt and break windows in an emergency.

Amazon

Rather than that keyring from the Grand Canyon and gym pass you never use, may I suggest this life-saving tool to hang from your keys? Compact yet bright (so easily spotted in the dark), this car escape tool was originally developed for first responders and now can be carried by every driver. A protected blade cuts through jammed seat belts and a small but effective steel spike shatters glass when needed.

Buy a two-pack from Amazon Australia for $35.34.

You, spending all your free time in your car:

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