Owning an awesome car is a lot of fun! Owning a dull car? Not as much fun. Some cool car accessories can sure make a drive much more exciting though!
If you’re restoring a vehicle or adding certain upgrades, it can get very expensive very quickly. There are some ways, though, to add excitement to your vehicle without getting into the four-figure range. In fact, the list below is filled with just two figure items. These are some of the best car accessories for under $25. Whether you’re single, a mom or dad, or a teenager who claims the back seat as your domain, there’s an accessory here for you!
We may as well get the party started with some mood lighting, right? For those who don’t have a 2021 Kia Soul with available mood lighting, there are products you can purchase to create your own club-hopping atmosphere. Govee Smart Car Lights are app-controlled LED lights with seven scene modes. There are a variety of brands out there, but most are a little over $15. If lighting up the entire dash is a little much for your tastes, try the light-up cup holders. There are USB-charging cup pads that also switch between seven different colors. Those offer interesting LED lighting without transforming the entire cabin into a Miami hot spot.
If you really want to arrive somewhere in style, get a set of these car door light projectors. They attach to the interior of your vehicle door and face downward. When you open the door, a logo or image is illuminated onto the pavement below. They won’t be very exciting during the day, but after dark? They make a statement. There are baseball teams, Transformers logos, and pretty much any kind of make or model you can think of. Own a Chevy Corvette? There’s one for you. Do you have a RAM truck? There’s an LED projector with a RAM logo available. How about a Nissan Maxima? Yep, there’s one of those, too.
I never would’ve thought of this, but I guess that’s why I’m not an inventor. For anyone looking to customize their vehicle a little bit with a touch of flare, there are now push button start covers. It goes over the top of the button, so the cover has to be moved in order to start your vehicle. This Mandalorian push button cover is pretty cool! The helmet stays in place, but it’s hinged, so it flips up. You can start your vehicle, flip it back down, and have a miniature Mandalorian helmet right there in front of you. Even if you’re not a Star Wars geek, that’s a fun idea. Of course, there are all kind of covers. From Marvel heroes to skulls to bejeweled covers. This Tybasthe cover twists open. I can’t think of a practical need for one of these, but they certainly make starting a vehicle more exciting.
Dogs like riding in cars. Humans like having their dogs around. Dogs can be needy though. They get into the back seat, but five minutes later they’re trying to maneuver their way up front. Nope, that just doesn’t work when you’re driving. Thankfully, there are a variety of backseat pet barriers. They attach to the two front seats, creating a blockage for any adventurous dogs who want an upgrade to front-row seating. This Pet Parade Store barrier costs less than $12. With one of these, the dogs can come along for the ride, but they won’t be causing a hazard for the driver. To read more taking care of man’s best friend in a vehicle, read our ‘Dog Car Seats and Safety Harnesses’ article.
Protect the back seats against the kids’ feet! Anyone who has sat in front of a child on an airplane knows how annoying it is when they kick the back of your seat. In a car, though, there’s a different worry: muddy, sandy, or snowy shoes leaving marks on those clean seats. With a seat protector, if the kids do press their feet up to the seat, they won’t be directly touching the material. They’ll be dirtying up a washable car accessory that costs under $25. This Enovoe version is just under $16.
There are also back seat organizers to help keep all the kids’ things organized. For only $12.99, they really are quite ingenious! This ULEEKA backseat organizer costs about $13. Just look at the amount of snacks, bottles, toys, and random things that can be kept on that back seat. In a vehicle, that’s valuable space, so you may as well take advantage of this invention and maximize the space as much as you can.
Forget decorating your car or making it more useful with innovative products. How about just getting into your car? I’ll admit that I’ve lost my keys more times than I can count. Of course, they’re never actually lost. They’re under the couch or in a shopping bag or in a pants pocket. They’re usually missing when I happen to be in a hurry to run out of the house. A key finder helps take care of that issue. Vodeson has a finder that is wireless. The finders are attached to sets of keys and the locator fob is kept in a safe place (it’s no good if you lose that, too!). No app is required with this finder. Another finder is the Click ‘n Dig. It’s the same concept with those. Several other versions are available as well. These useful car accessories are all under $25, too.
A humidifier is great to have in a bedroom when the air gets dry. It can help drown out the smells of the litter box or any other odors that may be lingering when you’re trying to sleep. That same logic can be transferred to a daily commute, too. This One Fire Store car diffuser puts out essential oils to make the vehicle smell nice. There are humidifiers to help with dry air, diffusers to get rid of odors, or some that perform both functions. Most fit in a cup holder and are powered through a USB port. Some change colors. If there’s a long commute ahead, it makes sense to take the conveniences of home along for the ride. Products like this do just that.
If you live in a colder climate during the winter months, then this may be a car accessory you want to invest in. For those below 0 degrees days, heated car seat cushions can save the day! The 2021 Hyundai Palisade, 2021 Kia Telluride, and 2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee L are some of the vehicles that come with ventilated seats throughout the vehicle, but many models only offer heat or air conditioning up front. Some don’t have that feature at all. If your vehicle, like mine, falls into that category, it’s good to know that there’s another option to stay warm. Don’t want to stop with the warmers? Read our ‘Top Ten Aftermarket Seats’ piece to find the most comfortable fit for your vehicle.
If I’m talking on my phone while driving, I’m using hands-free Bluetooth. I usually use the GPS navigation system that came with my vehicle, but those maps aren’t as updated as Waze or other mobile navigation apps, so the need to use a cell phone while driving certainly comes up. Mounts for cell phones or GPS units come in all shapes and sizes. Personally, I don’t like the variations that are stuck to a dashboard. I don’t trust that the 3M strip will come off properly when needed. However, there are some neat features in those versions.
A JOYEKY cell holder is mounted to the dash and has a 360-degree turn radius, so the driver or passenger can turn the screen in their direction for navigation purposes. The phone can be placed in a horizontal or vertical position. A Miracase phone holder is attached to the vent with a clip. I’m not sure if that would be an issue when you’re trying to use the heater or A/C, but I do like that less permanent option. FULL BELL offers another holder that is mounted to the rear-view mirror with a flexible stand. The good news with all of these phone holders is that they are under $25, so it’s not going to cost too much to try a few of them if one of them doesn’t work that well. For an in-depth look at all varieties of phone holders, read ‘A How-To on Car Phone Mounts.’
This is another product that comes in a variety of styles. You have a standard collapsible storage organizer, like the one from the Homeve Store. I have one similar to that. It comes in handy for trips to Costco or Sam’s Club. The nice thing about being collapsible is that it is quick to fold and unfold. However, I do like the idea of this Hanemia hanging organizer. It’s about $22 and is attached to the second or third-row headrests. It’s a way to get some storage without taking up all the space in the cargo area. You could still throw boxes or bags in the cargo area without this being in the way. The disadvantage is in trying to fold the seats down to load a large box or piece of furniture. To do that, this hanging organizer would need to be unclipped and stowed somewhere else. This is a unique idea and a potentially useful tool to keep the vehicle organized, but it requires a little planning to haul things.
We scratched the surface here, but there are a lot of other car accessories under $25 to be found, ranging from completely unneeded to extremely practical. A registration and insurance holder, car trash baskets, and multi-port USB charters may be more functional than ‘fun,’ but can come in handy when needed. In addition to these car accessories under $25, there are some additional ‘7 Things You Need in Your Car.’ Take a look at that piece to make sure your essentials are up-to-date. Or, you can take it back a few decades with a list of ‘Old School Car Accessories.’