Our Favorite Wirecutter Deals This Week

More than perhaps ever before, cars became extensions of people’s selves in 2020. They’re what people sat in (or on) to enjoy drive-in movies and concerts, or drive-by graduation ceremonies and birthday parties. If you’ve been feeling particularly cabin-feverish over the past year, maybe you embarked on a road trip or went car camping to shake things up, or maybe you just resurrected the bygone tradition of the Sunday drive. No matter the reason you’re spending more time in your vehicle, if you’re on the hunt for new ways to outfit your ride (or to upgrade the car gear you already have), here are the best deals we’ve found on the accessories that will make your next auto outing as smooth and comfortable as can be.

Find your keys with just one click

Tile Mate (2020) Bluetooth Tracker
Deal price: $18; street price: $25

No excursion can begin until you know where you left your car keys. If finding yours is a recurring problem, the solution could be a Tile Mate. This Bluetooth-equipped tracker attaches to your key ring and emits a sound with a simple tap of the “find” button on your phone’s corresponding app. This latest iteration of the Tile Mate nabbed the top spot in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers earlier this year because of its rechargeable battery’s long lifespan, its extensive range (we found that the tracker works from up to 152 feet away), and its loud alarm—all of which will help you locate your keys easily even if, let’s say, they’ve been stuffed in a puffy coat pocket behind a closed closet door for days on end. The Tile Mate (2020) is currently down to $18 when you opt for store pickup from Home Depot. It makes a great, last-minute holiday gift for the forgetful loved one in your life—including yourself.

Read our review of the best Bluetooth trackers.

Baby car seats that install with ease

Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat
Deal price:$150; street price: $200

Graco Extend2Fit Convertible Car Seat
Deal price: $120; street price: $140

If you have small kids, car seats are another obvious essential—and right now, you can purchase two of our most recommended seats for less. There’s currently a rare deal on the Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat, our top pick in our infant car seat guide, that brings it down to $150. We found that the KeyFit 30 offered better overall safety than the competition, as well as easier installation (a must-have when you’re trying to set up a seat for the first time in the dead of winter). Meanwhile, our runner-up pick in our guide to the best convertible car seats, the Graco Extend2Fit, is similarly discounted to a price almost as low as the best we’ve seen. Our testers loved that it was lighter than similarly sized car seats and that it came with an extra cup holder (a much-needed amenity during lengthier car rides). Plus, it boasts one of the highest rear-facing weight limits among the seats we tried.

Read our reviews of the best infant car seats and the best convertible car seats.

Easy behind-the-wheel hydration

Takeya Actives water bottle (22 ounces)
Deal price: $16 with code HOLIDAY30; street price: $30

Bathroom stops can be the bane of car trips, but then again, staying hydrated is important when you’re trying to stay alert on the road (and to ward off winter’s chapped lips). The Takeya Actives Water Bottle was a standout in our best water bottles roundup because of its versatility, as it’s equally suitable for use at the gym, at work, or even during a public-transit commute. For drivers, though, its best feature may be its spout lid, which ensures spill-free sips behind the wheel even when you’re passing over bumpy terrain. The Takeya is also compatible with cup holders, another perk for drivers. Choose from several colors for the 22-ounce Takeya bottle and use the code HOLIDAY30 at checkout to buy it at nearly half off.

Read our review of the best water bottles.

Car mounts to park your phone

iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 CD Slot Car Phone Mount
Deal price: $16; street price: $25

iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 Air Vent Mount
Deal price: $17; street price: $25

Unless your car comes equipped with CarPlay or Android Auto, you probably need a car phone mount to use your navigation system safely. The best car mounts make following your GPS directions safer and easier—and now, you can choose from two Wirecutter picks that are currently on sale. The iOttie iTap Magnetic 2 is available at about a third less than its street price in two variants: one that mounts to your car stereo’s CD slot and another that attaches to your dash’s front vent slats. Both rely on a magnetic mount that our testers found offered the most convenience and ease of use, ultimately providing the best overall experience.

Read our review of the best smartphone car mounts.

Cute earmuffs for kids’ quiet time

Muted Earmuffs
Deal price: $14; street price: $25

If you’re traveling with kids, you may be hoping that your drive can double as a long winter’s nap for your little one—or perhaps you just want to be able to jam out to your favorite hardcore death-metal punk playlist without corrupting your children’s naive worldview. Either way, consider these noise-cancelling Muted Earmuffs, which can (at the very least) drown out road sounds to help your backseat passenger nod off for a bit. The headband on this over-ear set is so comfortable and adjustable that the pair can stay with your kid through tweendom (our testers found that they stay put just as well on 18-month-olds as they did on 12-year-olds), and the earmuffs come in a bunch of fun, kid-appropriate (unlike your music) colors and patterns. They’re currently available in the Rainbow Hearts and Geometric Leaf patterns for just $14 when you clip the on-page coupon, and in many other designs for just $1 more.

Read our review of the best earplugs for concerts.

Silicone snack bags for food on the go

Stasher Reusable Silicone Bag Multi-Pack
Deal price: $41; street price: $47

What’s a road trip without snacks? We like Stasher bags for all sorts of reasons: They’re reusable, they can withstand the freezer, the oven, and the dishwasher, they don’t retain stains or odors, and they come in cute colors. Another reason? The snack-sized Stashers, about the size of half a typical sandwich bag, are perfect for portioning out goodies ahead of time. Ahead of the holidays, Stasher is selling two of its multi-pack bundles at 30% off the regular price. Each bundle is available in either pastel or neon colors and contains four Stashers in an array of sizes (including the aforementioned snack size), so you could use the larger Stashers for a big bag of munchies to pass around during the drive.

Read our review of the best reusable produce bags, beeswax wraps, and other ways to reduce plastic waste.

A USB charger to power up faster

Scosche ReVolt Car Charger
Deal price: $8; street price: $10

Forgot to power up before you left home? You can fast-charge all your in-car devices more quickly than you would on the port in your car by dropping just a few dollars on a USB car charger. And right now, you can get the Scosche ReVolt Car Charger, a competitor that didn’t make the cut because of its normally high sticker price, for less than our recommended budget pick. In our testing, this dual-port USB-A charger performed just as well as our upgrade pick—plus, it comes with glowing ports that allow for easy plug-in even when you’re driving at night.

Read our review of the best USB car chargers.