These 10+ car gadgets upgrade your daily commute for cheap

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form .

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

Any time is a good time to score practical purchases that will make your life easier. And if you've got a road trip planned soon, it's a great moment to consider outfitting your car with some new gadgets to upgrade your driving experience.

Also: One of these 13 gadgets could be the hero your junk drawer needs (here's why)

From chargers to headrest hooks to emergency gear like jump starters and tire inflators, there's a lot to consider for your ride. Experts at ZDNET, including our in-house gadgeteer Adrian Kingsley-Hughes and me, have tested more than a few of these car gadgets. These are some of our favorite car tech devices you can shop right now -- many of which are on sale.

ZDNET writer Cesar Cadenas recommends this retractable car charger from Lisen. It's a 4-in-1 charging hub that makes powering devices in your vehicle much easier. It plugs into your car's cigarette lighter socket and includes a built-in USB-C cable, a Lightning cable, a USB-C port, and a USB-A port. The two cables extend up to 31.5 inches, making it easy for back-seat passengers to charge their devices.

Also: I highly recommend this car charger for quick charging on the go - and it's cheap