The 8 best things to keep in your car emergency kit
Sometimes the right tool can mean the difference between minor inconvenience and a major problem.
Spring calls for long drives and open windows, but seasonal transitions can take a toll on your car. The temperature swing can stress your car, leading to a dead battery, tire pressure and other surprises if it’s been a while since your last service. So take a page from the Boy Scout guidebook and be prepared: Make sure you're equipped with everything you need to handle all manner of car-mergencies. That might mean packing an all-in-one toolkit or taking a piecemeal approach, buying just the items you consider essential or don't already have.
Below I've rounded up some of both. Although I haven't tried every product personally, each one earned top marks from thousands of Amazon customers. Consider the following emergency supplies before your next road trip!
Update, April 12, 2025: We checked all product prices and availability. We replaced the power bank, which was out of stock, with one that's larger and more capable, and the jump starter with a slightly different, more affordable, model.
It may not have everything, but this roadside emergency kit has a lot: jumper cables, repair tools, a basic first-aid kit and much more. Indeed, there are some things in here I wouldn't have thought to pack, including a safety whistle, a folding shovel (which is also a saw, hoe and pickax) and safety gloves. You also get a hand-crank flashlight, roadside reflective triangles, a reflective vest, an emergency blanket and a tow strap. But you'll have to look elsewhere (like below) for things like flares, phone chargers and a tire inflator.
Whether you're changing a flat tire or need to attract the attention of a passing driver, it's hard to beat a road flare — especially one with a ring of 12 bright LEDs and nine different illumination modes. These ingenious warning-wheels are brightly colored, magnetic, rechargeable and waterproof. There's also an integrated hook you can use if there's no convenient magnetic surface. Better still, there are three additional LEDs up top for flashlight use. This is the four-pack, but you can also get them in sets of three, six, eight or 12.
Is that tire punctured, or does it just have low tire pressure? Either way, it needs inflating, and this portable air compressor will get the job done quickly and efficiently. Rechargeable and battery-powered, this gizmo includes a digital pressure gauge readout so you can see the current pressure and then set it to where it needs to be. Once the air pump hits that pressure, it automatically shuts off. Plus, it doubles as a power bank and triples as a flashlight.
Read my full Zgzuxo portable tire inflator review.
A dead car battery can be a minor inconvenience or a life-threatening danger. To make sure it's always the former, keep a portable jump starter in your safety kit. Way better than jumper cables (because you don't need a second vehicle), this handy power brick can start just about any vehicle — even big pickup trucks. It has an LCD screen so you can see exactly what's happening, powerwise, and USB ports for charging your phone or other devices. There's also a flashlight, compass and carrying case.
Worth noting: Amazon is home to several zillion of these things, all from unknown brands. DBPower may not be a household name, but they've been around a lot of years, and I've used several of their products.
It's not fun to think about, but in mere seconds you could find yourself trapped in a car that's on fire or underwater. Two things might block your chance of escape: a stuck seat belt and a door that won't open. The Resqme (res-q-me, get it?) combines a seat-belt cutting tool and a tempered-glass-window breaker, the latter designed to shatter a car window with just a simple jab. Stick one on your keychain or someplace else that's easily accessible from the driver's seat, and you'll have two less things to worry about.
It's the rare flashlight-needed situation that wouldn't be improved by a headlamp. That's because a flashlight requires a hand to hold it; otherwise, you have to put it on the ground, try to angle the beam where it needs to go, keep it from rolling away, etc.
With a headlamp, all you need is a head for hands-free illumination. This one has a dozen different lighting modes (wide, narrow, red, etc.), a motion-sensing on-off switch (just wave your hand in front of it) and a waterproof design. Plus you get a pair of them, just in case your helper needs light too.
Your phone isn't much good for calling for help if it runs out of juice, and if you're stranded at night, the last thing you'll want to do is devote more battery power to its flashlight. This high-capacity power bank includes built-in cables (compatible with pretty much every mobile device there is), a Qi wireless charging pad and a dual-LED flashlight — one that's almost certainly brighter than what's in your phone. It even has built-in solar panels for recharging on the go.
If you're stuck fixing a tire or pitching a tent in the dark of night, you'll be happy to have a lantern you can set down anywhere. This ruggedized water-resistant model shines a full 360 degrees and doubles as a power bank: Just plug in your phone or any other mobile device that needs juice. It also has five modes of operation.
