Whether you’re a tech enthusiast or someone who isn’t all that fussed about having the latest and greatest of everything, there is no denying that a few handy gadgets can help us make the most of our everyday lives. Perhaps nowhere else is this quite so evident as in our cars.
While there have been great technological advancements in engines and transmissions over the decades, arguably, the greatest leap forward in tech over the last 10 years has been the user experience from within the cabin. We’ve seen automakers release huge infotainment screens that can hook up to Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and other such systems; we’ve seen the expansion of autonomous driving, and ever-popular features such as cruise control and blind-spot monitoring systems have gotten ever more advanced, too.
That’s all well and good, but there are still additional gadgets that can be added into your motoring life that will bring value, especially if you drive something older or cheaper that isn’t amenity-clad in the first place. Below are five of our favorites, and while they might not all be applicable to your life, each comes highly rated, and we’re sure that at least one or two will be a great fit for everyone.
This one is a bit of a no-brainer, as no one likes sitting in a messy car. Whether you’re a parent who’s always passing out sticker books, packs of raisins, or finding clumps of mud, leaves, and little bits of grit from sneakers in the back, or perhaps you just enjoy a crumbly pastry on your morning commute throughout the week, a handheld vacuum cleaner is going to be a game-changer in your daily driver.
The model we’ve chosen to highlight here is an AVAPOW model that charges via a USB-C port and is available on Amazon right now for $32.99. From across 521 reviews, it boasts an impressive 4.4 out of 5-star rating, so you should feel confident enough to place an order. It comes with a handy LED light, so you can actually see what you’re doing when rummaging around in the footwells, plus there are eight separate nozzle attachments, which provide plenty of flexibility when vacuuming. One of which is a pet hair attachment, making this the ideal gift for dog-lovers, too, as they sure can make a mess of the back seats.
It takes two hours to charge, which is a little while, but that shouldn’t be an issue, as vacuuming is rarely time-sensitive, and when fully charged, it provides 30 minutes of runtime — more than enough for a few quick smarten-ups of your car’s cabin. There’s also a blow nozzle, too, which might just be the perfect solution for getting rid of that dust filling up your air vents.
Next up is a gadget that everyone should have in their car, or at least a version of it. While it’s not actually USB-powered itself — it plugs into your car’s 12V port — it is most definitely a USB gadget, given that it provides a multitude of USB options once plugged in. It is the Baseus PrimeTrip VR2 Max Charger, and rather than relying on third-party reviews from consumers for this one, we actually tested it out ourselves. It features two retractable USB-C cables, and they each extend to 31.5 inches, which means no arguing over who gets to power up their devices when on arduous family road trips. There is also a USB-A port on the base of the device, which can be swivelled for better access when in place.
When reviewing the device, we did note a couple of shortcomings. First of all, it does lack a USB-C to Lightning port adapter, which means you might need to add that yourself for older iPhones. Secondly, we noted that it can’t always swivel in place, simply due to the sometimes cramped spaces where 12V ports are located. It did take some force to actually insert into the 12V socket, although that’s down to the locking mechanism Baseus employs. It might feel a little disconcerting at first, but once it’s in, it’s in, meaning no accidentally knocking it out and losing charge.
It can be picked up on Amazon right now for just $29.99, and it boasts 223 reviews, with an average rating of 4.5 stars out of 5. So, that makes it one of the highest-rated and more affordable gadgets on this list, and therefore well worth a look if you need more charging solutions in your daily driver.
While there are some cheap cars for sale with heated steering wheels, some of us are still either happier spending less on used cars or simply lack the funds required to secure a brand-new or well-equipped model. Unfortunately, those of us who fit into such camps are left jittering around on morning commutes, as we and our car’s cabins struggle to get up to temperature.
That needn’t be the way, though, which is why we’ve decided to highlight USB-charged heated gloves. There is no end of heated glove products on Amazon and other such sites, so we’ve decided to highlight a mid-range product, available for $59.99, which comes highly rated by users. In addition to the obvious heated element, which surely solves that cold steering wheel issue we cheap-car-drivers know all too well, these gloves also pack touch screen capability, they are waterproof, non-slip (more than ideal for when behind the wheel), and they can supply heat for up to five hours, too. That ought to be enough to cover most folk’s weekly commute.
They get to work fast, too; the supplier boasts that heat can be felt within 15 seconds, and they become fully heated in just 30 seconds. That sure sounds a lot better than spending 10 minutes driving before the heater finally gets the cabin up to temperature. They charge via USB-C cables, so perhaps combine them with an in-car charger like the Baseus above to ensure you never have cold fingers at the wheel again.
One thing we’d love to be able to buy is a few extra hours in the day, as there simply isn’t enough time to go around in day-to-day life. However, unless you’re aware of a USB-powered time machine we can pick up for cheap, that’s unfortunately not an option, but there are some time-saving gadgets we can recommend instead.
One such gadget is the OutIn portable espresso machine, and it’s a handy little coffee maker you can take with you anywhere, including in the car. It charges via a USB-C cable, and the great thing is, it means you can make your coffee while out and about. That means you can leave the house quicker, or, if you normally grab a hot brew from a coffee shop, it means you can skip that process instead, which will probably wind up saving you money, as well as time, in the long run.
There are a good number of positive reviews out there for the OutIn machine specifically, and while it might not be the cheapest option on the market at $149.99, it does come packed with useful features. It heats up fully in 200 seconds, operates by just a single quick button, is lightweight, and sports a powerful battery — so it also makes for a perfect camping accessory, too. It is also available in a multitude of colors, so it can be matched to your personal tastes, and maybe even color-coded to your car.
If you’re always on the go, then you might find that you’re practically living out of your car, which is totally fine, so long as you make the necessary adaptations to ensure it’s a comfortable place to spend your days in. One such change you could make is to purchase a heated lunchbox, like the 2026 GearGo lunchbox we’ve decided to feature here.
It might seem a little pricey, at right around $95, but seriously, how many (insert favorite fast-food restaurant) dinners will that net you, maybe five or six? So, if you can get into the habit of prepping delicious food at home, and then using the GearGo lunchbox to keep it nice and hot for your on-the-go meals, then it should pay for itself pretty quickly.
There are 113 Amazon reviews as of writing, and the average rating is 4.8 out of 5, so you should feel pretty confident about giving this gadget a go. Oh, and if you prefer a crisp salad, it’s also got refrigeration tech too, so your cool dinners can be kept nice and fresh. All the materials used are correctly rated for food storage, it heats up wirelessly, and charges simply via a USB-C cable, so it sounds like it could be a simple and fuss-free addition to keep handy in your car.
If preferred, there are accessories like this that charge via the 12V socket, too, although the GearGo lunchbox specifically comes highly rated. You can even schedule the heating via the GearGo’s digital touchscreen, meaning your food could be heating while you’re mid-meeting, or maybe even commuting.
This article has one primary focus, and that’s to highlight five USB gadgets that are available right now, which can enrich your daily life behind the wheel. The gadgets featured have all come from independent research, and so are not being endorsed by the manufacturers or suppliers. Instead, the gadgets have been chosen as we genuinely feel they can help to upgrade your in-car experience, plus, to back us up, we’ve only picked gadgets that come highly rated by customers, too.
The reviews come from a multitude of sources, be it our own independent testing, Amazon reviews, or third-party in-depth product reviews. We have looked to include only relatively affordable gadgets, all of which are sub $150, with some coming in much less than that.

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