We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Getting tired of the same old look and experience inside your car, and feel like glamming things up? Well, if you are in no mood to spend large piles of money but still want to add something, then dashboard gadgets are something you didn’t know you needed — until now. From portable fans to smart HUD displays that can catch your voice commands on the go, these gadgets are here to add a whole new array of benefits and ease to your driving experience, making it much more seamless than before. Some of these dashboard gadgets can even integrate with CarPlay, allowing you to take advantage of some underrated apps you are likely missing out on.
Therefore, we have collected a few dashboard must-haves that can make your daily drives more comfortable and entertaining while also adding safety elements, such as warning you when you are speeding. So, evaluate which of these gadgets would fit your needs the best and get them right away at prices that are not very high, considering the features you will enjoy in return.
Parked cars tend to become suffocating and smelly over time; hence, air fresheners are a must-have gadget that you need at all times to keep the environment fresh and alive. Available for $44.99 on Amazon, the Ceeniu Car Air Freshener is a unique offering because it is powered by solar energy. Do note that the fragrance output is most effective when you place it directly under the sun’s rays. It features a rotating mechanism that disperses the fragrance in 360 degrees to cover the entire space of the vehicle.
Durability is not an issue since the product is created from high-strength aluminum alloy that can tolerate temperatures from -40 degrees to 158 degrees Fahrenheit; therefore, you can place it on the dashboard without any worries of temperature damage. Plus, the overall design is compact and comes with an adhesive base, so you can easily stick it onto the dashboard. Lift the top turntable, add the essential oils, and secure the top to lock it back in place to transform the experience indoors.
Harsh summer afternoon drives can get sweaty and irritating, especially when the sun is blazing hot outside. The TriPole Car Fan is a portable gadget made specifically for car dashboards. One thing you have to take note of is that your car’s USB output should be able to deliver at least 2 amps of current, or the two fans won’t work simultaneously.
Moreover, the design is pretty thoughtful in the sense that it gives each passenger total control over their side of the fan. Both heads rotate to 300 degrees horizontally and 270 degrees vertically to adjust the air flow in whichever direction you want. In addition, there are three speed levels, independently controlled for each fan, and it’s totally up to you to keep both fans powered on or just one of them. For installation, all you have to do is peel off the paper layer on the two adhesive tapes located on the base of this fan and place the mount of the gadget onto any surface — a car’s dashboard in this case. With a 4.2-star rating on Amazon, it is up for grabs for $21.99.
It’s often necessary to know the time while driving, but picking up your phone to do so is a dangerous distraction. Hence, the Betus Dashboard Digital Clock has big enough digits so even those in the backseat can see it well. This digital clock not only shows the time, but also has a stopwatch feature in case you want to spice up your driving experience and test your car’s acceleration. To access this mode, press the “Up” button on the back twice.
The set comes with a sturdy adhesive mount that sticks firmly onto the dashboard and does not fall off in the face of vibrations and road bumps. The clock slides comfortably into the mount and stays there until you manually pull it out. In addition, Amazon reviewers applauded the clock’s ability to withstand extreme temperatures, with one customer noting that the product did not show significant malfunction even after their truck was parked in a chilling temperature of -22 degrees Fahrenheit.
One minor inconvenience about this Betus clock is that the buttons are located at the back of the clock, which means you cannot access them until you bring it out of the mount. Other than this, it’s a worthy purchase for $6.30 and has 3,951 Amazon reviews (61% of them being 5-star ratings).
The Pyle Smart Heads-Up Display (HUD) is a dashboard gadget that allows you to manage several things at once. This gadget is powered by connecting the given USB cable to the cigarette lighter port in your car. Thanks to the integration of a dual-core computer processor, you can view real-time driving information, such as speed, distance, trip time, a compass for navigation, local time, and voltage, along with other car-related data. The gadget can also detect and alert the driver when the car is going too fast.
The readings are clear and crisp, no matter what time of day it is, and you can adjust the brightness to eight different intensities. Buyers of the Pyle Universal HUD praised the accuracy of data, with many noting that the device is very responsive to acceleration and change of direction. Ease of installation is another positive aspect of this gadget, which can be bought for $56.99 on Amazon.
Not everyone owns a vehicle integrated with modern LCDs supporting CarPlay or Android Auto. If you are one of those, pair this Lamtto 9-inch Car Stereo with either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto (which might soon be compatible with smart glasses) to instantly enter into a world of smart features, all at the touch of your fingertips. To make the display your own, CarPlay lets you play with different backgrounds and customize your home screen icons, among other tricks. You can also connect it to the audio speakers via Bluetooth for an incredible sound experience. Another cool feature is Mirror Link, which lets you mirror an Android or iPhone’s screen onto the 1024x600P HD display to watch your favorite shows while performing activities like camping.
The pack includes a 1080p waterproof camera to mount onto the rear end of the car for a 170-degree view of the road behind, along with reference lines for hassle-free parking. There are two kinds of brackets: suction-mount and self-adhesive, the latter of which has a 360-degree rotatable base and a 180-degree adjustable head for optimal viewing. Get it on Amazon for $59.99.
For those of you with a work life that never leaves your side, your smartphone is something you cannot leave behind, even while driving. Hence, a sturdy car mount like the iOttie Dashboard Car Mount is a must. Featuring an easy one-touch mechanism, all you have to do is press the locking side arms, place the phone against the trigger button, and watch the arms adjust automatically per the phone’s width to secure it in place. The universal cradle can fit all sizes.
What makes it better is that there’s a built-in cord organizer, designed with flexible rubber to keep your USB cables neatly sorted in one place. The advanced self-centering arms will always ensure that the phone is placed in the center of the mount, and their telescopic design enables the mount to rotate 260 degrees, giving you complete control over selecting the desired viewing angle. Even after mounting the phone, you can still access the charging port to juice up the battery on the go. You could even use this mount to help convert an old iPhone into a dashcam.
One downside is that the product cannot be used on curved or leather dashboards, so windshields are a sensible option in that case. At the time of writing, it has garnered 4.4 stars on Amazon from 140,153 buyers, with over 70% rated 5 stars. Being one of the top-rated tech dashboard accessories, it is up for sale for $18.84.
Why did we go with these six specific products and not the others? Well, considering their features, each of these dashboard gadgets is super functional in its own way. Being compact in size and having a very easy installation method, these gadgets all score high on online platforms, like Amazon, with buyers praising their quality and usefulness. We kept the minimum criteria at a 4.0-star rating to filter out the suspicious listings that will bring no benefit but waste your hard-earned dollars. Since sun exposure is bound to affect the quality one way or another, we wouldn’t want you to spend a lot on dashboard gadgets that do not offer a very long life. We only chose gadgets that are priced under $100 and offer performance that does justice to the set price.