I won’t drive my car without these two affordable gadgets in the trunk

A decade ago, smart drivers would always carry jumper cables and maybe a tire patch kit in their trunk. Now, in 2025, I’ve made sure that our vehicles carry two cheap but critical gadgets instead.

I now carry a portable, battery-powered jump starter in each vehicle, as well as a separate portable, battery-powered air compressor that can be used to fill a leaky tire. What’s amazing is that some innovative manufacturers are now combining both products into a single unit.

A dead battery can increase your stress levels at a minimum, and can be genuinely life-threatening if your battery fails in a remote area outside of cellular coverage. What a portable car charger does is provide enough power inside of a small battery pack to get you on your way, and includes short cables to connect to each terminal on your car’s battery.

A portable jump-starter isn’t one-size-fits-all. Larger vehicles require more charging power. Most portable chargers are rated for a specific size of engine, so the Scatach 011 jump starter (on sale for 47 percent off at $36.99 at Amazon) will accommodate a 9.0-liter gas engine. What I look for are what’s known as “spark proof” reverse polarity protection, so even if you accidentally connect the cables incorrectly, it shouldn’t spark or even discharge. Most, like this one, include a flashlight or some other bonus feature.

Amazon

(Be a little cautious of claims that these battery jump starters can handle 20 or 30 jumps at a time. This ZEVSO starter, 37 percent off or $58.99 at Amazon notes that you’ll need to charge it fully to charge a completely dead battery. But it also includes ports to charge your smartphone in a pinch, so you can let relatives know where you are.)

The other gadget I’ve come to appreciate is a portable, battery-powered air compressor. I live on a hill, and my driveway slopes slightly in such a way that my car sits at an angle. Over time, I’ve found that exacerbates any slow leaks. Although I can refill my car’s tires for free in California, the gauges at the service station aren’t always accurate.

I bought this Avid portable air compressor last year for $89.99, and it’s been worth every penny. Right now, it’s on sale for $56.08 at Amazon, a deal that takes 38 percent off.

What’s great about it is that you can run it off the car’s internal power (the “cigarette lighter”) or off the compressor’s integrated battery pack. Even better, you can simply dial in your preferred PSI rating using a digital readout. Connect the inflator, press the trigger, and the compressor will automatically inflate the tire to the specified pressure, then shut off. Naturally, you can inflate basketballs and other inflatables with the included tips. It’s smart, easy, simple, and cheap — what I want in a gadget like this.

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I wasn’t aware of a new breed of hybrid “combo” devices that add both a portable battery charger and air compressor to the same package, but a number of those exist, too. The most popular of these seems to be the VTOMAN X1 (34 percent off or $66.49 on Amazon), which offers all of the features of the standalone devices mentioned above. Some customers have mentioned that the device can overheat if the compressor is used repeatedly and extensively, but VTOMAN simply recommends pausing the inflation until it cools off.

If this makes you nervous, there are also some big-name brands in the space at big-name prices: a DeWalt DXAEPS14 for $199, and a Stanley J5C09 on sale for $117.52 which charges with an extension cord.

Whatever you end up buying, just simply haul them out every so often and make sure that they have a full charge. That usually means just tapping one of the buttons to light up the display. If you do jump your vehicle, recharge the battery as soon as you get home.

Sure, you can always call AAA, or a kind neighbor or friend. But gadgets like these can get you on your way in a few minutes, rather than waiting hours for a tow truck. I think they’re a good investment for my vehicles, and I think they’re a must-have for yours.

The portable power compressor I own is on sale for $56