5 Emergency Gadgets That You Should Always Keep In Your Car – BGR

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

For the daily drivers who spend hours every week commuting back and forth, a car, truck, or van can start to feel a lot like a second home. We humans do our best to keep our actual domiciles stocked with the items we most frequently need, including emergency products like smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, and security cameras. You really can’t put a price on peace of mind, and we’d argue the same for the emergency tech you should be driving around with at all times.

A full tank of gas and a wallet full of cash will definitely get you places, but a flat tire or dead battery is going to make it rather challenging to cart your vehicle from Point A to Point B. We at BGR are all about making road trips easier with inexpensive gadgets, but today we’d like to shift the focus to five emergency devices you should always keep in your car.

Our methodology for choosing products leans heavily on user feedback for these types of vehicular accessories, but we also take a look at any professional, hands-on reviews we can find for the items we’ve selected. Whenever possible, we stick to noteworthy brands with solid reputations, and we also do our best to home in on good deals when they’re available.

No one wants to imagine a scenario where bashing out a car window or cutting off a seatbelt is imperative, but accidents happen and often without much notice. That’s why you’ll want to be prepared with the kind of multipurpose tool that’s designed to tackle on-the-road emergencies, and the Resqme Seatbelt Cutter and Window Breaker is just what you need hanging out in your glovebox.

Sold as a two-pack in several colors, the tool features both a tempered glass window breaker and a seatbelt cutter. The former employs a reusable, spring-loaded mechanism to puncture glass, while the latter’s stainless steel blade is capable of cutting through a seatbelt in seconds.

On Amazon, this Resqme two-pack scored a 4.7 out of 5 stars (based on over 18,400 reviews), and many users praised the tool’s overall functionality and compact convenience. A handful of customers ended up with defective units after only a few uses, so it’s a good idea to unbox and verify that both tools work before the return window passes.

Resuscitating a car battery in the dead of winter probably doesn’t sound fun to anyone, but again, it always pays to be ready for the worst before trouble comes knocking. The Noco Boost GB40 is a 12-volt battery booster that holds up to 1,000 amps of lithium power. On a full charge, the unit delivers up to 20 starts per charge for 6-liter gas and 3-liter diesel engines, and the jumper cables are both spark-proof and protected against reverse polarity.

The IP65 rating ensures the GB40 can withstand the occasional drop or ding, and there’s even an integrated LED flashlight with seven light modes to choose from. When it’s time to recharge, you’ll use the included USB-C cable and a power adapter (sold separately) to re-up the GB40, which the manufacturer claims should take up to three hours. It also includes a USB-A port for charging a smartphone or tablet, which frees up your car’s USB port for other cool road trip tech.

Scoring a 4.6 out of 5 stars on Amazon (based on over 122,300 reviews), the Noco Boost GB40 is revered for its ease of use and portability. A few users reported issues with the GB40 not working once it had sat in a discharged state for too long, though, so we recommend throwing it on a charger every month or two to prevent this from happening.

Having everything you need to patch a tire can be quite the godsend, and the Autown Tire Repair Kit gives you everything you need to get back on the road in no time, even if you’re dealing with special EV tires. The included pliers make it easy to pull nails, screws, and other offending items from your tire, at which point you’ll want to switch to the spiral probing tool for widening the puncture left behind. Finish off by inserting a repair plug with the insert tool, and you’ll be good to go.

This Autown repair kit can be used to patch tires for a wide range of vehicles, and the case with built-in organization gives you a readymade workstation whenever you need it. The kit also includes a tire pressure gauge, numerous valve caps, and a pair of hex wrenches.

On Amazon, the Autown Tire Repair Kit earned a 4.6 out of 5 stars (based on over 8,400 reviews), and plenty of folks offered praise for the kit’s usability and practicality. One customer went as far as to say, “Everything I needed and it worked the first time. Saved me [the] whole tire replacement cost.” That said, several other users were concerned that the tools were on the cheap side and may not hold up during an actual tire repair.

Another great emergency gadget you should always keep in your car or truck is this Marbero Portable Power Station. Measuring 6.5 x 4.6 x 3.1 inches and weighing just over three pounds, the Marbero power hub features eight outputs for devices like phones, laptops, and tablets — all of which can be used simultaneously. Connections include 1 x USB-C, 2 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB-A, along with AC and DC outputs.

There’s also a built-in emergency light for extra illumination when you need it most. The station’s battery indicator lets you know how much power is left, and you’ll be able to recharge with the supplied power adapter or Marbero solar panels (sold separately). The manufacturer also included a robust safety system to protect against overheating, short circuiting, and other power maladies.

On Amazon, the Marbero station scored a 4.3 out of 5 stars (based on over 8,200 reviews). Most folks love the product’s portability and intuitive design, with around 70% of customers giving it five stars. A few users reported the power station failing to hang onto a charge, and one customer even reported a dead AC outlet. To prevent your own headaches down the line, be sure to check and test all ports before the return window is up.

A bite-sized first aid bag may not be the most exciting item on our list of vehicular must-haves, but never underestimate the power of a bandage. The VRIEXSD Mini First Aid Kit consists of basic medical supplies, including bandages, gloves, metal tweezers, and more. The bag features multiple labeled compartments for finding what you need quickly, and the outer shell is EVA-protected.

The attached carabiner makes it easy to strap the kit to a bag, but it’s small enough (6.4 x 4.9 x 2.7 inches) to hang out in a trunk or hatch space. You’ll also have the choice of red or black color options. Scoring a 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon (based on over 3,200 reviews), customers praised the VRIEXSD kit for its compact size and supply of medical essentials.

We did read a couple of reviews that mentioned the bag isn’t waterproof, which it is advertised as being. One customer left a zippered kit out in the rain. When they opened it, everything was soaked and unusable.

Safety and convenience are two of the most important criteria we observe when vetting emergency tech. Not only are our selections informed by user feedback and professional reviews, but we also do our best to stick with recognizable and reliable brands. That doesn’t mean you won’t find any lesser-known third-party offerings, but do know that these gadgets were subject to extra scrutiny.