5 Best Technology Car Accessories in 2024
Modern cars come with plenty of cool gadgets and conveniences that make your time and that of your passengers inside the cabin a complete breeze; however, as sophisticated and fully-equipped as cars have become, no car, for instance, ships with a car vacuum, portable car jump starter, or front and rear dashboard cameras.
Car gadgets can, therefore, be a way to plug in some extra modern functionality into your ride.
A whole industry has sprouted, making lots of cool gizmos and accessories that you can use to upgrade your ride and add a degree of comfort and convenience on the road. With such a preponderance of gadgets, filtering through many options and selecting the best that will serve your needs can be a daunting prospect.
For instance, there are literally tens, if not hundreds, of dashcam brands to choose from. Which would be the ideal one for you?
When shopping for car accessories, the utility should be uppermost in your mind. It should be an accessory that will serve a need and add some convenience to the vehicle. Some accessories will keep your car clean and healthy for its occupants.
Some will come in handy during emergencies and help save a life, while some like those from Hillsmade simply make your car a comfortable and enjoyable place to spend time in.. After all, if you drive, most of your non-sleeping hours will be spent inside your car.
There are, of course, lots of luxury technology car accessories – that you can also use to ‘pimp’ your ride and give it a quirky or luxurious touch. In this article, we explore some of the best car tech accessories that are a must-have in your car in 2024.
Technology Car Accessories: Dashboard Cameras
Dashboard cameras are a must-have car gadget for any modern driver. They are mounted on the dashboard, and the car windscreens capture what happens on the road as you are driving. The car driver has multiple eyes, and the dashcam is the big brother that captures it all, including those that your eyes may have missed.
In-car cameras don’t just come in handy during accidents and road rage incidents. They may also help you save on insurance premiums in case of an accident. Besides, you can use your dash cam to capture your driving sessions in various cities and exotic destinations, which often makes for great YouTube or Instagram viewing.
Dash cameras have even helped snare criminals on the road. If your dashboard camera is on and it captures something untoward, you may submit the footage to the police to assist them in their investigations.
The material that you capture on your dashcam can also be monetized. Some content producers and buyers will pay you a premium to get an exclusive hold of your footage. For your dash cam to be of any value, it has to capture clear footage that is easily discernible.
You will mostly need a dashboard camera that can capture high-quality Full HD content. These can cost a premium.
Plenty of entry-level dash cams also deliver clear HD 4K footage of your driving sessions. However, unless you are a serious content producer, you may not necessarily need a very high-resolution dashboard camera.
When shopping for a dashboard camera, look out for the following:
- Resolution or video quality;
- Viewing angle;
- Memory capacity;
- Memory card included;
- GPS tracking;
- Pricing;
Technology car accessories – one of the best dash cams in the market is the NextBase 612GW Dash Cam.
NEXTBASE 612GW Dash Cam
Resolution: 4K
Viewing angle: 140 degrees
Memory: microSD Card (not included)
The NextBase 612GW is one of the most sophisticated dashboard cameras you can buy for your car. It has superb 4K video quality, superior stabilization, and a what3words geolocation service. The geolocating service helps you pinpoint the location of an event within a three-meter radius.
The resolution is industry-leading. With a 4K resolution at 30fps, you will capture near-cinematic footage with this dash cam. It gives you very high-definition and crisp footage with a lot of detail. The footage will crisp even when you are driving in low-light conditions,, enabling you to pick out the number plates and other hard-to-see details.
The front part features a built-in polarizing filter that you can rotate to control the glare from the car windscreen. It is also equipped with digital image stabilization, a first in the market that you can use to smooth out the bumps and shakes from uneven road surfaces. If you plan to capture content you can upload on platforms like YouTube, this would be a great dash cam choice.
It has other bells and whistles. For instance, you can control this dashboard camera using your voice through Alexa Skills. It also features a crisp, clear 3-inch touchscreen that is not only easy to use but which also blends well with the EmergencySOS feature by Nextbase. You get a free one-year subscription of this when you purchase this dashboard camera.
Portable Car Jump Starters
Gone are the days when you would have to call for roadside assistance, tow truck service, or stop a merciful motorist on the highway when your car runs out of juice. Even new cars with new batteries will run out of power when you leave the radio and AC running with the car switched off.
Or perhaps you might have left some interior light on overnight that drained off all the charge. As a car owner, you must know stuff happens, and this device can come in handy.
With portable car jump starters, you can jumpstart your car with a small, light, and portable gadget that you can easily tuck inside your trunk or in your car trunk organizer.
A car jump starter is probably the most convenient car gadget innovation to have come out in recent years. They get you up and running in a matter of minutes, and despite the power and somewhat intimidating build of some of the brands, they are so easy to use that virtually anyone, including a complete car novice, can use them to jump-start their cars.
They could also make you a roadside superhero as you can stop and help other distressed motorists.
The car jump starter has its battery, so you simply have to plug its cable camps into the correct battery terminals, then flip the switch on and crank up your engine, and your car will start in minutes. Look for models that store enough power to use them multiple times on a single charge.
The older portable car jump starters were bulkier and more rugged. These days, they are more compact, lighter, and more elegant in build and can even fit in the glove box. The ideal portable car charger, and technology car accessories should have the following features:
- Good build quality, including the clamps and cables;
- Lightweight design;
- Safety features such as a warning when you put the clamps on the wrong battery terminals;
- Secure clamp mechanism;
- Large capacity for several starts;
- Accessory cables to charge other gadgets.
Some of the best car jump starters in the market are the Weego Jump Starter 22S and the ARTECH Car Jump Starter 8000mAh.
ARTECH Car Jump Starter 8000mAh
This ARTECH Car Jump Starter is a perfect example of the new generation of portable car jump starters that are more compact, pack lots of power, and include plenty of bells and whistles. In spite of its tiny size, you can use this ARTECH 8000mAh jump starter to start your vehicle up to 20 times on a single charge.
It features built-in heavy-duty cables and a clamp for connecting it to the battery terminals. You can also use it to charge other smaller gadgets that you may be carrying in your car, such as wireless headphones, smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, along with portable gaming systems. It also features a built-in LED torch for those emergency situations.
Technology Car Accessories: Heads-Up Displays (HUD)
A lot of automakers are teasing heads-up displays (HUD) as the tech of the future, but that future is already here with us, thanks to a constellation of fairly sophisticated HUDs that you can install in your car. HUDs are perfectly good for projecting navigation instructions and doing many other things.
Depending on the device, they can have lots of cutting-edge technology and functionalities built into them.
For instance, some, like Hudly, project navigation directions from your smartphone onto a transparent screen in front of you so you don’t have to take your eyes off the road to look at the smartphone screen.
HUDs can be compatible with both iOS and Android devices, and you can, therefore, use them to receive calls and even read text messages without taking your eye off the road. This dramatically improves the safety of your driving.
Some even allow you to control music. With the HUDs, you can have the latest and trendiest of this automotive technology without blowing a fortune. Some of the best HUDs that we recommend include the following: –
- HUDWAY Cast Heads-Up Display;
- Hudly.
USB Car Charger
There is nothing as disappointing as finding out your mid-luxury sedan or SUV probably has one USB charging port. Even if you are not carrying passengers in your car, the chances are that you are using at least more than one gadget at any point in time inside your car.
One USB port simply doesn’t suffice for modern car functionality. Fortunately, you can extend the USB charging port availability in your car by using USB car chargers. Besides, these USB car chargers are usually faster than the built-in USB port that came with the car.
When it comes to USB car chargers, there are probably 60 or more models that you can choose from. These ports are extremely versatile, and you can use some to charge your smartphones, tablets, and even your laptops!
One of the best USB car chargers that we recommend is the DIVI USB Car Charger. Made from sturdy and durable aluminum material, it includes two USB charging ports and has a slim and non-intrusive design.
The DIVI USB Car Charger is super-compact with an attractive slimline design. Use it to charge two devices at the same time via its 2.4A outputs. It has a premium feel to it thanks to the aluminum casing, which is also scratch-resistant, so it will retain a newish look for a long time. It ships with a 12-month manufacturer warranty.
Other good USB car charger options to consider include the following:
- The Tecknet PD 45W Type-C Car Charger: This is a super-versatile car charger that you can use to charge everything from smartphones and tablets to laptops. It has ports for both USB-C and USB-A devices.
- ZMI PowerCruise Dual Port Charger: This gives you one of the fastest USB-A car charging ports encased inside an elegant and durable metal casing. It looks good and will add a touch of style to your car.
Car Phone Mounts
This is just one of those must-have tech accessories. Don’t overestimate your ability to multitask between the steering wheel, the road, and your smartphone screen. Distracted driving has caused many fatalities on our roads.
Car phone mounts don’t cost a fortune, but they make a world of difference when you want to drive and use your smartphones at the same time. They mount the phone on the dashboard or the AC air vents, allowing you to use your phone with your eyes fixated on the road.
There is a constellation of car phone mount designs to pick from, each of which has been designed with clever functionality. Some of our favorites technology car accessories include:
- MaxBoost Magnetic Phone Mounts: Designed with a 360-degree swivel and features four powerful magnets that securely clamp down your phone in place. You can rotate it to realize the perfect mounting. Also designed with rubberized claws that won’t scratch your phone. You can easily slip the MaxBoost Magnetic Phone Mount into the air vents. It also works with a vast array of phone models.
- AINOPE Car Phone Holder Mount: Here is another vent mount that is a favorite with many car owners. It is fairly easy to mount and easy to use. Just slide in your phone, and it will automatically clamp it into place. It can accommodate any smartphone with a display of no more than 6.7 inches.
- Aukey Car Phone Mount 360: Aukey car accessories have the hallmark of quality and clever innovation, and this car phone mount is no exception. It has a refined and premium look and feels, and its powerful magnets provide a firm and perfect grip. It can rotate 360 degrees and move up and down so you can adjust it to your heart’s content.
