Today I’m testing five car gadgets from Amazon to see which ones are actually useful and which ones are more novelty than necessity. This lineup includes an air freshener, a headrest fan, a vent organizer, a lighted vanity mirror, and even a tiny car cymbal for rocking out on the road.
Where to Purchase
Below are the Amazon listings where I purchased each of the items in this review.
Car Gadget Review
Drift Car Air Freshener
The first item I tested was the Drift car air freshener, which is currently one of the top automotive products on Amazon. I paid $12.95 for mine, and I went with the Cabana scent. It comes with a visor clip and a small wood freshener that attaches magnetically to the clip. The Amazon listing states that it should last about a month.
Right out of the package, I thought the scent was very pleasant. It had a sort of Bath & Body Works type of vibe to it, which I liked. The problem was that it was extremely strong at first. I actually let it sit out overnight before putting it in my car, and even then, it was still a bit overpowering.
After leaving it in my car during the day, the scent became so strong that I ended up moving it to the trunk. Interestingly, from the trunk, the amount of scent that reached the cabin was actually much better. After a couple of days, the initial burst seemed to settle down, and it became more tolerable in the car.
In the end, I liked the scent, but the first couple of days were a little rough. It is also not cheap if you are replacing it every month. I can see this being useful for someone who really wants their car to smell nice, such as a rideshare driver, but for the average person, $13 a month for an air freshener may be asking a lot.
Headrest Fan / Car Seat Cooling Fan
Next up was a headrest fan, which the packaging describes as a car seat cooling fan. I paid $20.99 for it, and right away, it felt cheaply made. I also realized after opening it that the version I received was not rechargeable and had only one fan speed. It has to stay plugged in while in use, meaning you’ll have a cable that can reach the nearest USB port.
Installation was simple enough, with Velcro straps that wrap around the headrest. The cord was long enough to reach the front of my car, but needing to keep it plugged in does make it feel a bit less convenient. Once I turned it on, though, I was surprised that the airflow on the back of my neck actually felt pretty nice.
After using it for a while, my opinion became a little more mixed. It worked, and I was able to drive around without using the AC for a while, which I normally would not do. But I also wished it had more power. My unit only has one speed, even though the listing (and some comments) stated there were multiple speeds. Some commenters also said they had a rechargeable battery, but my unit has no battery at all.
I also tried pointing it toward the back seat, and it worked well enough there too. It is not going to replace air conditioning, especially in serious Vegas heat, but it can add a little extra airflow. Overall, it is cheaply made and not amazing, but I do think it offers some value.
DriverPockets Vent Organizer by High Road
The DriverPockets Vent Organizer by High Road is designed to clip onto an air vent and hold things like a phone, sunglasses, pens, cords, and other small items. I paid $12.99 for it, and it has three pockets along with a cord port on the back.
In my car, the center vents were not a good option because the organizer would cover my screen, so I had to place it on the driver’s side vent. It held my phone, sunglasses, pen, notepad, flashlight, floss picks, and a few other items without too much trouble.
While driving, it did swing around a bit and tilted forward slightly, but it mostly stayed in place. The biggest issue I had was removing it. I wanted to move it up one notch, and it turned into a much bigger hassle than expected. Based on comments I saw online, this seems to vary quite a bit depending on the vehicle and vent design. Regarding removing the unit from the vent, comments on Amazon ranged from easy to impossible. Unfortunately, I fell into the latter group.
Overall, I think this does what it is supposed to do. If you need extra storage within reach, it could solve a real problem. If you do not already feel like your car is lacking storage, you probably don’t need it.
LED Lighted Visor Vanity Mirror
The LED Light Mirror, described on the packaging as a visor vanity mirror, was one of the easier products to install. I paid $15.99 for it, and it attaches to the visor with straps. In my car, it still allowed the visor to close, which was a relief because some reviewers had issues with their visors not closing.
The mirror is much larger than the built-in visor mirror, and the lights are very bright. It has white light, warm light, and a combination mode, along with dimming controls. During the day, it already seemed like a big upgrade over the tiny factory visor mirror.
At night, the difference was even more dramatic. This mirror lit up the entire cabin, especially at full brightness. In fact, I thought it was almost too bright in some situations, but the dimmest setting was much more usable. Compared to the normal visor light, it was not even close.
One thing to note is that there does not appear to be an auto shutoff, so you do have to remember to turn it off yourself. That said, because it is so bright, I doubt most people would accidentally leave it on for long. If you need a bright vanity mirror in your car, this one definitely does the job.
Car Cymbal
The final item was a tiny vent-mounted car cymbal. I paid $5.99 for it, and this one is definitely more of a novelty item than a practical car accessory. It is meant to clip onto your vent so you can tap along with music while driving.
Assembly was more complicated than it needed to be, especially for such a simple gag product. I also could not place it in the center vent as shown because of the layout of my car, so I had to mount it on the driver’s side vent instead.
Once installed, it worked, but the sound was not exactly pleasant. It sounded cheap, which is probably not surprising given the price and size. I can see it being funny as a white elephant gift or a quick novelty for someone who loves music, but the charm wears off pretty quickly.
For actually using while listening to music, I do not think it adds much. It is more distracting than satisfying, and it can easily become annoying for passengers. This one is a funny idea, but not something I would expect most people to use long term.
Video Review
You can check out the full video review below.