Are you one of those car freaks who love to pamper their hot wheels endlessly? Then you cannot not know of these 5 must-have accessories.
As an online shopping addict, I cannot stop browsing e-commerce portals for my knick-knacks! Be it trendy apparels, cosmetics, books, household items, or even groceries for that matter. The one thing, I had always hesitated purchasing online were car accessories.
I am in love with my car and somehow, I wasn’t convinced of the idea to accessorize my car at the hands of unknown vendors. Anything could go wrong!
Who would guarantee the quality of those accessories? Would they provide a decent value-for-money? What if I ended up spending too much? Too many questions running on my mind!
The most important one being—which ones do I really need?
After some gruesome research, I found my answer and thought, “Let me share it with you guys too!”
1. Car Floor Mats
My cousins and relatives keep coming over to my place during weekends or on mini-vacations. Each time they come over, they want to be taken out for long drives and mall-hopping!
During monsoon (or in any season for that matter), it’s annoying to see the cabin floor get dirty with muddy shoes and filthy water. I wouldn’t want to splurge on special mats for the rainy season. So, I decided to get car floor mats to avoid inside damage to the car. The recent models are constructed using the latest technology that not only ensure quality and fit but are designed to hold water, dirt, and debris. Usually, they are made of rubber and can be easily installed and cleaned. They avoid water from seeping in and damaging the base.
I ensured that I got mats that had tractions and a skid-resistant surface. It’s cheaper to buy them from online stores. Plus, there is a cool variety of mats available online.
2. Universal Device Charger
It was always my wish to customize my car to make it feel like home. Since, I have a strong affinity for gizmos, I can’t do without my smartphone, tablet, laptop and iPod. I carry my devices wherever I go. I guess it’s the case with most youngsters and working professionals. We like to stay connected with the world and need our devices to be charged with optimum battery power.
And at any point in time, running out of battery and not having any charging device can be the worst nightmare for me, for you, for anybody.
I don’t want to compromise on my long travel hours. So, having a universal/travel charger can revive my devices back to life.
Thankfully, as per your preference and budget, you can choose from a plethora of chargers available online. They come with multiple ports and offer high power output
3. Portable High-Power Vacuum Cleaner
Keeping in mind the chaotic traffic conditions and pollution in India, I find it really hard to avoid cleaning the car once a week.
To add to that mess, there are food crumbs (thanks to my unhealthy junk food eating habits), strands of my hair fall, my pet Labrador Pesto’s fur and lots of other non-exciting stuff that I have to clean away.
It creates odor and leads to bacterial growth, which is something I do NOT want in my car. No doubt the car air freshener can do its best to eliminate the stench and save me the embarrassment in front of family and friends; but it can’t battle bacterial growth, right?
That’s why I decided to buy a portable vacuum cleaner and grabbed it at an awesome deal during a mega-sale online. If you aren’t opting for a cordless one, you can pick a model that has longer hoses to allow you to reach every corner of the car. Every vacuum cleaner model has suction power that depends on its motor and design.
Always remember that this accessory should be bought as per the size and design of your car.
4. Car Bumper Safety Guard Protectors
Daily scratches are such a turn off in urban driving conditions. I am not that great at parking my vehicle. And I find it such a challenge to park without anyone’s guidance and gestures.
My hapless bumper takes the beating most of the times.
In case of major accidents I can obviously rely on my comprehensive car insurance policy to financially protect me in case of major damages and losses. But, I don’t wish to lose my NCB by claiming on minor dents and scratches.
To restrict the damages, safeguarding scratches on the bumper is essential.
Since, I know that bump corners and scratches can be avoided with a car bumper safety guard protector, I immediately ordered it online for my car model.
I can now drive safely without the worry of abrasions on my dear car.
5. Car Neck Pillow
Long hours of super-annoying traffic jams are a pain… A pain in the neck! Literally!
I still remember those days when I neglected the importance of having car neck pillows and ended up with muscle sprains each day.
I did check out a few car neck pillows in the car accessory section of a departmental store. But, they were either too gaudy or made from cheap fabric.
A few months later, while e-commerce portals were celebrating and organizing their festive sales, Amazon sold car accessories and I came across some funky car neck pillows made of memory foam. Without blinking an eyelid, I added it in my cart and made the payment online.
Driving long hours is super-fun with the assistance of my comfy car neck pillows.
So, these were some accessories that I chose to shop online. Other than these, a few more accessories caught my eye – car mobile holder with suction cup, fire extinguisher, and battery booster starter jumper cable.
Remember: Car accessories enhance the beauty of your car. But, you need to get the valuable accessories insured, especially if you live in a theft-prone area or a place that is vulnerable to natural disasters. All you need to do is opt for ‘loss of accessories’ add-on cover that comes along with your car insurance policy. :)
Accessories are categorized as electrical and non-electrical. But, not each and every accessory may be covered under your optional extension coverage. (This varies from one insurer to another).
Keep in mind that not all the accessories mentioned in this post are covered in the add-on cover provided by my insurer. So, before shopping for them, speak to your insurance provider and figure out which all accessories can be insured the next time you renew.
