#Electronics

Over the past few years, we’ve tested every possible configuration of the best car phone mounts: CD slot (remember those?), cupholder, dash mount, windshield mount, and vent mount, with clamps, suction cups, magnets, and even elastic.

Between the invention of the self starter and the end of the 20th Century, the best portable car jump starters weren’t something you carried with you. They were heavy lead-acid automotive batteries that only garages and tow truck drivers used. Everyone else carried (and still should) jumper cables, which require two cars and enough knowledge not to short them out. If you had a dead or weak battery and you were on your own, you had to get to a phone or flag down another motorist to have a chance of getting going again.

Road trips are a blast…for a while. Amping up your in-car entertainment options will help stave off the inevitable cries of “are we there yet,” and might preserve a shred of your sanity in the process. 

Everyone knows how imperative it is to service their vehicles to make sure they’re running smoothly and efficiently. But even if someone is following the manufacturer-suggested service intervals and keeping their car in good shape, the check engine light might show up and ruin the good feels that come with proper maintenance. But there’s no need to panic and take another costly trip to your mechanic. Running diagnostics on your own car is easy.

After years of delay and hundreds of avoidable deaths, all cars sold from the 2018 model year onward in the US and Canada were required to have a backup camera (the EU is phasing them in during 2022, and the UK is discussing them). But while this important safety feature is now standard across the board, most cars on the roads today are not equipped with a reverse camera. That’s where an aftermarket backup camera comes in. We’ve combed through the top-rated models across styles and price points to bring you what we think are the best choices for different needs.

If you’re going to be storing a car for a long time, going on a long holiday, or don’t drive your car in the winter (or summer), then using one of the best trickle chargers to maintain your battery is vital. Without a car battery charger, you’re likely to come back to a dead battery when it’s time to put your ride back on the road.

One of the best parts of owning an electric vehicle is never having to go to the gas station to refuel. Instead of finding a pump, you can charge at home every night. Not only is having an EV charger at home convenient because you can charge any time you want, but you’ll also never have to worry about waiting in line if all public chargers are occupied. Wake up every morning to a fresh and fully charged battery. You can even pre-condition without reducing your range.

Most brand new cars leave now the factory with USB ports inside the cabin, allowing you and your passengers to charge your mobile devices. While USB ports come in handy for daily use, they don’t offer enough power to charge larger accessories, or sometimes even quick charge phones. The best power inverters give you household AC power ands plug to charge laptop or camera batteries, and even run small appliances like a coffee maker while you’re camping, or a TV for tailgating.

While we do not condone speeding, we acknowledge the fact that drivers do exceed the speed limit from time to time. Whether it’s in a rural part of the U.S. with a long and uneventful freeway, or the road has just opened up after being stuck in traffic, drivers like to stretch their car’s legs every now and then. That’s where a radar detector comes in handy, so long as they’re legal in your state (they’re currently illegal in Virginia and Washington, D.C., and only legal in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia in Canada). They’re also illegal throughout the US on any vehicle weighing over 10,000 pounds.

Car owners who live in areas where there’s cold weather know how inconvenient it is sitting in a frozen car waiting for it to warm up. That is unless you have a remote starter on your vehicle. In the most basic sense, a remote starter allows you to start your vehicle’s engine remotely, this way you can warm up your car and its interior before getting inside. It also works great if you live in warm weather climates, allowing you to cool off your seats and cabin before getting on your way.

A surprising number of modern vehicles still don’t come with the best car speakers, since it’s an invisible way for manufacturers to save money. Audio upgrades, which can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars, are one of the most profitable options when ordering a new car. And older vehicles and used cars may either have come with basic stereos, or have had unknown and maybe mismatched speakers installed by a previous owner.

Looking to add some bass to your car? There are plenty of subwoofers out on the market in a variety of sizes and power ranges, making it difficult to narrow down your choices. But if you’re shopping for a subwoofer or two for your car, take a look at our recommended top 10 list below.

It’s true that newer, modern vehicles come with impressive stereo systems straight from the factory, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be better. For many car owners, the stock stereo just won’t cut it and thankfully there are plenty of cost-efficient ways to upgrade.

Nearly all modern vehicles come standard with a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), but maybe you own an older vehicle that doesn’t have one. It’s important to know when your tires are overinflated or underinflated, as it can affect the performance of your vehicle including its fuel economy. Fortunately, the automotive aftermarket now offers convenient and affordable TPMS kits that are easy to install, allowing you to add a monitoring system to your older vehicle.

These days, we’re always on the go and living in a connected world. That means we constantly need to have our smartphone charged and on the ready. Nothing is worse than dealing with the anxiety you get when you realize your phone’s battery has just a few minutes of life left.