Car Accessories That Improve Safety, Comfort, and Organization
Our experts share smart, low-cost car accessories that can make driving safer and more enjoyable. Plus, what to avoid.
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Whether your car is new or several years old, there are probably a few things about it that annoy you. Perhaps it’s a blind spot that makes changing lanes a challenge or a low driver’s seat you have to strain to get out of. While there are plenty of gadgets that look like they’ll solve those problems, many may not work as promised—and some may even pose hazards.
Fortunately, there are safe fixes for most of those issues. To start, spend a bit of time with your car’s owner’s manual, which can help you make some simple adjustments and learn to use features that will improve your driving experience.
Still need more help? Read on for the smart strategies and inexpensive add-ons that our experts recommend.
Car Accessories That Improve Safety
If your headlights are too dull to light your way or you need to contort yourself to check your car’s blind spots, consider these features, ideas, and tools.
Brighten Up the Headlights
Foggy, yellowed headlamps can reduce visibility by as much as 80 percent, according to CR’s research. If your headlights have become opaque, a product like the Sylvania Headlight Restoration Kit, $23 (Macy’s, Walmart), can bring back their original shine and clarify. Kits that CR tested took less than an hour to restore yellow, foggy headlights. You can also pay a detailer to restore them ($50 to $150).
Photos: Manufacturers Photos: Manufacturers
Use Your Voice to Reduce Distraction
Early voice-command technology in cars was often frustrating. The idea was great—you could simply speak instructions—but the systems often misheard words or responded only to very specific phrases (like "call home"). Now, better vocal recognition software means that newer cars and phones respond to a much wider variety of voices and sentences. Some can handle statements like "I’m hungry" or "find parking." Other cars even let you control functions like the temperature. These systems can still struggle with certain voices, so it’s helpful to experiment while you’re parked. Consult your car’s manual to see which commands it recognizes.
Car Care and Cleaning
John Ibbotson, CR’s chief mechanic, recommends having your vehicle washed about every two weeks, and more often if you’re driving on salted roads during the winter. In addition to protecting the paint and preventing rust, this also helps keep important sensors functioning properly.
De-Gunk the Exterior
Act quickly to remove bird droppings or the remains of bugs to prevent them from setting in and harming your car’s paint. Detailing wipes, like these Autoglym Bird Dropping Wipes, $14 for a pack of 10 (Amazon), make the job fast and easy. Keep a stash handy so that you can clean as you go.
Manufacturers Manufacturers
Banish Dirt and Crumbs
A lint roller such as the Oxo Good Grips Reusable Lint Roller, $13, is useful for smaller cleanups and compact enough to store in your car. But a cordless handheld vacuum will let you clean up larger messes (including pet hair) more easily and effectively. Look for one that has a crevice tool or an extension that can get underneath and between the seats, such as the top-rated Black+Decker Dustbuster CHV1410L, $65.
Erase Fingerprints
Modern car interiors have many slick surfaces, like glossy trim and large touchscreens. Microfiber cloths, such as The Rag Company Edgeless 245, $32 for a pack of 25 (The Rag Company), can keep those areas clean and fingerprint free, and are designed not to leave any scratches. Keep a couple of these in your glove box or center console.
Protect the Floors
Weatherproof floor mats (which replace the standard carpet mats) and a cargo liner will keep dirt, mud, water, and spills from wrecking vehicle carpets. While manufacturers typically sell these in their catalog of add-on accessories, third-party brands may fit well and may cost less. Jake Fisher, senior director of CR’s Auto Test Center, uses mats from TuxMat, about $229 for a set of four.
Stop Bad Smells
Got odor? CR’s auto experts swear by one of two methods: placing an open can of ground coffee on one of the seats overnight or leaving several small open bags of orange peels in the vehicle until the stinkiness dissipates. For lingering smells, consider a chemical air cleaner with chlorine dioxide or glycols, like Ozium Air Sanitizer Spray, $6 for 3.5 ounces (Target, Walmart). These air cleaners eliminate the source of a stench (like bacteria), rather than masking it. You’ll need to use them with the car windows open for ventilation.
How to Be More Comfortable in Your Car
If your seat belt or steering wheel isn’t in an ideal position, or entering and exiting your vehicle is awkward, try one or more of these tips.
1. Adjust Your Seat Belt
Seat belts need to lie across your shoulder to work properly. If yours rides low or cuts into your neck, many cars have a fix: a seat belt anchor on the pillar next to your seat. This lets you slide the top of the shoulder belt up and down with a button.
2. Fine-Tune Your Posture
Emily Thomas, CR’s associate director of auto safety, advises tweaking the seat’s height, forward/backward setting, and seatback angle so that you can easily reach the pedals and drape your wrists over the steering wheel. You can also adjust the steering wheel. Finally, set the mirrors so that you need to move only your eyes to see traffic around you.
Illustration: Borja Bonaque Illustration: Borja Bonaque
3. Save Your Favorite Position
Tired of readjusting your seat and mirrors every time you drive? Most cars with power-adjustable seats allow you to program your preferences into the vehicle’s memory. Controls are typically on the door, next to the seat controls, or in the infotainment screen (check your manual).
4. Buckle Up With Ease
It’s frustrating to shove your hand between the seat cushions to dig for the seat belt buckle. Devices like the Buckle Booster Seat Belt Receptacle Raiser, $10, keep the buckle where it should be, and let you fasten your belt with one hand. This may be especially helpful if you have hand or wrist pain.
5. Add a Helping Hand
If climbing into or out of a car is difficult, a sturdy handle to grab onto—instead of putting your weight on the vehicle’s open door, which can move—may help. Tools like the HandyBar by Stander, $35, fit securely into a car’s striker plate (on the doorframe), offering a stable object to grip.
For More Expert Advice
CarFit technicians can help you figure out your car’s safest, most comfortable driving position. And fnd someone to evaluate your driving and retrain you through the Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialists. Both can determine whether special equipment would be beneficial.
How to Keep Your Car Organized
Being able to grab what you need without taking your attention off the road makes for a safe and relaxing ride. Having a set place for vital items also prevents them from rolling around in the car or getting lost.
1. Hide Your Stuff
A cargo cover will keep whatever you have in the back of your SUV or hatchback hidden from potential thieves. Because cargo area dimensions vary from vehicle to vehicle, it’s worth it to buy a cover through your local dealership.
2. Corral Your Cargo
A trunk organizer box or cargo net secures loose items. Your car’s maker may sell these in its accessories catalog. Or use bins, coolers, or aftermarket items like a three-section organizer from Gorilla Grip, $48.
Illustration: Borja Bonaque Illustration: Borja Bonaque
3. Never Lose the Garage Door Remote
Tired of searching around your car for this device? You may not need it anymore. Some newer cars have a button under the rearview mirror or sun visor that can be programmed to open your garage door. Check the manual to see whether your vehicle has this feature.
4. Hang Clothes the Safer Way
Items hanging on hooks above the rear doors can block the side windows. Cargo hooks that fit around the bars of front-seat head restraints, like the Maxsa Chrome Mini Car Hangers, $13 for two, are a better bet. (Remove these if people are sitting in the back seat.)
5. Find Essential Documents ASAP
Most of us keep insurance and registration info in the glove box. But in some cars, the glove box only opens electronically. If the battery dies or the electronics system fails, the papers get trapped inside. In those cars, store papers in the center console or a manually closing bin.
Car Accessories to Avoid for Safety Reasons
Retail sites like Amazon and auto parts stores are full of "maybe I need that" products. However, some can be dangerous, especially in a collision. Here are a few common items to avoid.
Seat Rotators and Cushions
Many airbag systems rely on seat sensors to detect occupants. Seat rotators (marketed as a way to get out of a vehicle more easily) and cushions can interfere. In a crash, they can also cause occupants to slide under seat belts.
Seat Belt Pads
Cushions that wrap around the seat belt can also affect the belt’s performance. Not only do they cause the seat belt to stick out from your body—and thus, where the belt catches you in a crash—but they can limit the effectiveness of the advanced seat belt technology designed to protect you.
Cup Holder Extenders
These are for water bottles that are too large for standard cup holders, but big bottles can fall out and become lodged underneath gas or brake pedals. Stick with a bottle that fits in built-in cup holders or door pockets.
Steering Wheel Covers
Some steering wheel covers may look attractive or add a bit of visual fun to your car’s interior. The problem: They can make the wheel harder to grip or can interfere with airbag deployment in a crash.
More on Car Safety
Editor’s Note: This article also appeared in the March/April 2026 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.
Most of the products in this article were not rated by Consumer Reports, but were evaluated or chosen by CR staffers or other experts.
