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We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
Because it's never as simple as just getting from Point A to Point B.
When we discovered that my oldest had motion sickness, it was a race to find help prior to the roadtrip home. She's a hard sell on medicine, but LOVED these bands — and they work for her! She now wears them on long car rides and on airplane rides and gets total relief in about 20 minutes. I keep them in the car in case she needs them, and they're so handy.
Promising review: "Happy with this purchase. I know some folks complain about not being able to choose the color, but honestly we're just relieved that something (besides Dramamine) works for my daughter's car sickness. She has had a lot of anxiety about it lately and feels ill even on short trips with careful driving, but now these seem to work and give her more confidence about going places in a car." —C
Price: $10.49 (originally $11.99)
Promising review: "Delivered fast and friendly, and the cables are exactly what I thought. They are thick and sturdy with a bonus case for storage. I had cheap cables before, and they took forever to start cars. I did research and found out it was my cheap cables. These will do the job and are 20 feet long. 😀" —Gina
Price: $44.87
Promising review: "This Ozark emergency blanket is durable and lightweight. Practically as soon as you put it on, it starts reflecting heat, which is essential after an accident. It creates warmth fast. It’s made from aluminized, non-stretch polyester, which you can turn horizontally for upper coverage and vertically for full coverage. Windproof and waterproof. Highly reflective. Comes in a a pocket size box, and several will fit in a backpack. Stays flexible in freezing temperatures." —Babylyle
Price: $3.97
A few months ago, I got a flat tire as I was pulling up to my daughter's soccer practice. Luckily, it wasn't too far from our house, so my husband drove over to change the tire while I got her to the field and found the spare flat, too — reminder to check your spare tires every now and then. He happened to have a bike pump in his car and through sheer will and sweat was able to pump the spare back up. Don't let this happen to you — a small air compressor is a great tool to keep in your trunk. This one also works as a flashlight, which is another great safety item!
Promising review: "I'm impressed with this compressor — it filled my tire in seconds." —david
Price: $31.99
Promising review: "I was looking for something to help organize the backseat of my car. On trips with two passengers in the back, there wasn't an easy way for them to store their drinks, snacks, books, etc. This did the trick! It is surprisingly sturdy and very quick to set up. It also quickly folds back up for convenient storage if not needing it. I liked the color options. The gray worked for me with my car's interior. If you are looking for something sturdy and convenient to help organize your car, this will do the trick and do it economically." —MichaelC
Price: $15.98+ (originally $27.99; available in two designs)
Now that my kids are potty trained and we've ditched the diaper bag, I always keep a spare outfit, spare underwear, and some wipes in the car just in case. They're young enough to not trust their potty training when they've downed an entire juice box at the birthday party across town and we're stuck in traffic with an important errand to run before home. It never hurts to be prepared.
Price: $60
Beach towels can be great to have in the car for every season and can allow you to say yes to more fun things you might have said no to before. If you come across a splash pad, fountain, a place to play in the snow, or any other activity where your kid could get wet, having towels already in the car — and even a spare set of clothes if you want to be really brave — allows for spontaneity and more chances to be that easy, breezy parent you thought you'd be.
Price: $22.20
Remember not to keep snacks that can melt easily in warm weather! This is great for things like small packages of crackers that won't be affected by heat or cold. As a parent of a kid with food allergies, it's also helpful to keep safe snacks for her in case our plans change because finding her a snack on-the-go can be challenging.
Promising review: "Perfect size and good quality. The lid stays on well but is easy to remove." —Penny
Price: $2.96 for one (also available in packs of four and 15)
I keep a spare blanket in my trunk, and it's been so fun to be able to stop and have a dry place to sit. It's also come in handy in keeping my car clean a few times we've needed to pivot and eat lunch or dinner in the car due to rain or any other unexpected delay.
Promising review: "Very big in size and easy to fold back up and secure in place with the velcro attachment. Very happy with this purchase." —Brian
Price: $14.97
Price: $19.99
This particular backpack also includes a detachable harness, so feel free to use it if you need it.
Promising review: "I actually bought this as a tiny diaper bag that I use for my son when we go on short trips so I don't have to carry around a huge diaper bag. It fits one full pack of wipes, five size-2 diapers, a spare change of clothes, toys, and it has a little side pocket that I keep hand sanitizer in." —Sarah
Price: $16.56+ (available in two designs)
Once my kids were done with the diaper bag, I felt like I didn't have anywhere to put toys and things to keep them occupied if we went out to eat. Enter our restaurant bag! Since our original diaper bag was pretty much destroyed after so much constant use, I grabbed a diaper bag that had been gifted to us, but we hadn't used, and filled it with little things that keep our kids occupied at restaurants. I love having it ready-to-go, and it's helped our kids avoid meltdowns between getting seated and fed on more than one occasion.
Promising review: "Love it a lot. It's very spacious and lightweight." —kentija
Price: $29.98
Unlike surface wipes that aren't recommended for use on skin, these wipes are intended for just that purpose, making them much more gentle and ensuring that distinct antibacterial smell won't stick around for ages.
Promising review: "Wet Ones have been my favorite antibacterial hand wipes because they don't dry out my hands like hand sanitizer. I really love how this is gentle on hands, and my hands feels very clean after wiping them with this. I also love the scent to it." —Katherine
Price: $1.97 for a pack of 20 wipes
Price: $11.57 (originally $12.99)
Keeping a kid-friendly game in the glovebox can be a really fun way to pass the time whenever you need to. For an added bonus during long roadtrips, keep score and give a prize to the winning team!
Price: $10.89 (originally $12.98)
It also has a light in case you need to reach something during a nighttime car expedition!
Promising review: "I like the magnet tips — it is small but powerful. I often use it to pick up branches in the yard. Foldable and easy to carry and store. Good value for the price." —Lily
Price: $22.99+ for a two-pack (originally $39.99; available in five colors)
The reviews for this post have been edited for length and clarity.