9 Car gadgets you’ll need this winter

There's nothing quite like the first good snow of the season. Everything is blanketed in white and it looks like a winter wonderland outside. As beautiful as it can be, it also brings a ton of problems and annoying things to deal with. Luckily, there are some great products to help you through those blizzard-like conditions.

Winter is a blast. And not just of cold air. Sledding, skiing, snowboarding, making snowmen, the holidays… But it also comes with a whole host of things that aren’t very fun. Shoveling the driveway, cleaning off the car, starting the car in cold weather (actually, you probably shouldn’t do that one), and driving in icy and snowy conditions. And if something happens and you get stuck in the middle of nowhere or stranded in a highway backup? Yuck. We can’t help with having to go out in the snow or your local road conditions, but we can help make it easier to get around this winter with these car gadgets.

If you’ve turned on the weather and Paul Douglas is predicting a bad winter this year, don’t worry. We’ve curated a list of items to help with things that might pop up if you live in an area where you’ll be expecting snow.

Amazon Echo Auto Alexa Car Accessory

If there is one time to never take your hands off the wheel, it’s when you’re driving on snow and ice. And taking your eyes off the road to change the radio means opening yourself up to accidents. Sure, we’ve got some items on our list that can help if you get stranded due to a car accident, but prevention is always better. Instead, get an Amazon Echo Auto Alexa. The Echo pairs to your phone and plays through your speakers. It has eight microphones so it’ll always hear you over the heater or any road noise. You can ask Alexa where the nearest gas station is, to play music, open your garage doors, and ton of other handy things. About 50,000 of them, actually.

SOPHILIGHT Innovative Roadside Assistant Flashlight

If something happens and you’re stranded on the side of the road at night, it’s imperative people see you earlier in the winter. The last thing you need is someone not seeing you until the last minute, slamming on their brakes, and sliding into you. If you keep a SOPHILIGHT Innovative Roadside Assistant Flashlight in your car, you can be sure people will see you in plenty of time since it can be seen from a thousand feet away. And it attaches to your car with just a magnet, so it’ll be easy to get out and pop on, and it lasts up to ten hours on a single charge.

MAXSA Escaper Buddy Vehicle Traction Mats

If you live in an area that gets snow, chances are, you’ve been stuck in it. If you drive a rear-wheel car or a lighter car, you’ve probably used the trick of putting bags of kitty litter or salt in the trunk. But that doesn’t always work. Instead of the heavy bags, stow a pair of these MAXSA Escaper Buddy Vehicle Traction Mats back there instead. They work on snow, ice, mud, and sand and will definitely help you out of a tight—er, slippery—spot. All you have to do is slide them under your vehicle’s drive wheels. They have raised traction on both sides to grip to the ground and your tires.

HALO Bolt 58830 Portable Vehicle Jump Starter

Having a dead battery in the winter is awful. It always seems to happen when you’re not at home and stranded in some random parking lot. And if your phone is dead, too, you won’t be able to call for help. What you need is a HALO Bolt 58830. This portable vehicle jump starter will not only jump your car, it will charge your phone. And it comes with a built-in floodlight, so if you need to change a tire in the dark, you’ll easily be able to see what you’re doing.

DMOS Stealth Car Shovel

It’d be really convenient to have a shovel in your car, right? Except, then you have a shovel in your car that is unwieldy and taking up a ton of space. What you need is the DMOS Stealth Car Shovel winter tool. It won’t get in the way thanks to its versatile design. You can easily stow it under the seat or in the trunk. And it’s made of T6 6061 aircraft grade aluminum, so you won’t have to worry about it rusting.

KIMBLADE Revolutionary Windshield Wiper

Winter is tough on wiper blades. And crappy wiper blades mean all that dirty snow and slush just smears around on your windshield. This year, grab a pair of KIMBLADEs for your car this winter instead. This revolutionary windshield wiper wipes instead of rubs and features a direct blade that contacts the glass. It also comes with a water repellent coating and is durable against ozone and UV rays.

SnowOFF Car Windshield Snow Cover

The snow isn’t all that bad to get off your windshield (and let’s be honest, if it’s just snow, do you always scrape or do you just drive and let your windshield wipers and the wind do the work?), but the ice is the worst. Don’t worry about scraping ice off your car this winter with SnowOFF. This windshield snow cover secures inside your windshield with magnets, windproof straps, suction cups, and winged sides. Save your arms and your windshield wipers with this handy winter accessory.

Rumpl Sherpa Puffy Fleece Blanket

It’s not something you think about needing in your car, but a good blanket can be a lifesaver. If you ever turn on the news, every year there is a story about people being stranded on the highway in the winter for hours because of an accident ahead. You can’t keep your car running the whole time, and you have to stay warm. Make sure you have a Rumpl Sherpa Puffy Fleece Blanket in the car. This blanket features flannel, wool and Rumpl’s insulated puffy material. You’ll be able to stay warm and cozy and not use up all the gas in your car.

Leatherman Signal 19-Use Emergency Multi-Tool

You never know when you’re going to need a knife. Everyone should have some sort of multi-tool easily accessible in their car this winter. And the Leatherman Signal 19-Use Emergency Mutil-Tool has everything you need. Along with typical knife and cutting accessories, it even features a safety whistle, a fire-starter, and a hammer. This is one winter gadget you’ll be glad you have.

It’s always a good idea to have some sort of safety kit in your car at all times, but it’s especially important for winter. Be sure you add water and protein bars and a few of the car gadgets we’ve featured here for the winter. Have you ever been stranded in the winter and wished you had one of these? Do you have a survival kit in your car? What do you have in it?