There are some pretty awesome gadgets on the market today with a specific goal: to make our lives on the road EASIER. (Hooray!) As a gadget junkie, I’m always on the lookout for ways to make life easier when it comes to the place where I spend a LOT of my life: in my car, with my daughter. Armed with some of these bad boys, you’ll never forget where you parked, have a sweaty baby, or experience an epic toddler meltdown ever again. OK, so I can’t guarantee NO more epic meltdowns, but these will certainly help:
14 Awesome Car Gadgets for Moms
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Zubie
Want your car to be as connected to the world as you are? Plug the key into your vehicle's electronics and it will begin updating you (via smartphone app) about the trips you take, how safely you're driving, and the basic health of your car. You can also set up proximity alarms, such as a text message being automatically sent to your spouse when you get to work or come home.
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Dyson DC58 Handheld Vacuum
Kids cause messes, and kids in cars cause epic car messes. No matter your attempts to contain the spills and dirt, you're going to need something to get rid of it all in a jiffy. This Dyson handheld vacuum has three times the suction power of any other handheld, which means that you can keep it charging in your garage and ready to use on a daily basis!
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Proximo
Ever have to ask your preschooler where you parked your car? I do...which means I should probably buy this right away! You set up this device in your car and then just flip to an app to find your exact parking spot, and your can install additional fobs on your keychain to locate where you left your keys at home as well!
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Car Sun Shades
Have you ever planned a road trip with your children specifically based on the position of the sun in the sky? I did it many times, only because there are few things worse than the horror of a child staring at the sun with no way to reduce their exposure to it. I wish I'd had these sun shields for my car's back windows; I'm sure those trips would have been much easier!
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Car Seat Cooler
Your car will heat up in the summer sun no matter where you live, which means hot seats and sweaty babies in car seats. These "Cool Mee" liners for car seats help create a breathable layer and promote better airflow in those stuffy seats. And anything that reduces the amount of time a child spends as a puddle of sweat is a good thing!
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Middle Seat Organizer
Road trips with kids require constant snacks and entertainment. This clever organizer fits in that so-called tiny "middle seat" in your car and provides a nice stable table top, container, and cup holders for your backseat guests! There are even pockets on the side to stow away additional items, like coloring books or handheld games!
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SiriusXM Subscription
During an epic meltdown in the car in my daughter's first year of life, I frantically searched for a radio station that would calm her down. The instant I flipped to "Kids Place Live!" on SiriusXM, she stopped fussing and actually started giggling. From that day on, a subscription to SiriusXM has been an invaluable part of our lives. The commercial free radio is particularly wonderful to allow us to listen to music as a family without the distractions, and the variety from kids to news to sports to all types of music is really a gift!
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Seat Saver
By the time you've mastered the art of the unexpected diaper change, it'll be time for you to experience the joy of the car seat change as well. These seat savers are designed as extra protection on top of your washable covers, so that you may be prevented from truly putting everything but the baby in the washing machine. Make sure you purchase one that's designed for your make/model of car seat, but rest assured that almost every model has one that works!
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Wireless Kids Headphones
So your child wants to listen to "Happy" by Pharrell or the Frozen soundtrack on endless repeat, but that's just not your cup of tea for a three-hour road trip? Invest in these headphones and let them be extra happy on their own! They're safely set for volume limits for kids, and the fact that they're wireless makes them easy to stow and use in any seat in the car!
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Foldable Cart
You might not consider a foldable cart a gadget, but when your arms are full of kids or kid stuff, this cart is pure magic! It stows so easily in your car and turns into a wheeled cart with no trouble at all! The bonus is that it's lightweight, so small kids can maneuver it with groceries or sports goodies or whatever else you're carting around!
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iPad Holder
It's time for a long car trip, and you want to have the kids watch a movie on your iPad without the temptation of them holding that pricey piece of electronics for a long time. Invest in this simple car solution, which includes a handy seat-back pocket for other goodies as well! This helps you control the content and keep the electronics safe all at the same time!
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Extra Emergency Lights
There is nothing quite like the panic and fear of having your car break down at night with a child in the car. Plan ahead for any unexpected incidents by keeping these flashing emergency lights in your car. Turn them on and they instantly become electronic flares that will alert other drivers to your car and help them safely avoid you! I've got three just sitting in my spare tire in case anything comes up!
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Seat-Back Protectors
No matter how hard I try, I can't get my daughter to stop putting her feet on the back of my seat. So instead of yelling and fighting every day, I've installed seat-back protectors! Now I don't have to cry over dirty leather seats every other day nor nag about keeping them clean!
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Bluetooth Speakerphone
Talking on your phone in the car is a big "no-no" but sometimes your ability to talk and listen on a speakerphone is horrible. Solve that issue with the Jabra Freeway system, which provides noise cancelation and crystal-clear sound. It even announces the name of the caller when your phone is ringing!
