Prepare your car for autumn: the small items you'll actually use
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by Verpakkingdeals.nl
5 min reading time
From September onwards, you'll be driving more often in the dark and with wet windscreens. Here's what should be in your car — and what you'd better leave at home.
In mid-September, you notice it for the first time: you get in at six o'clock and it's already twilight. Two weeks later, you're driving to and from work in the dark, the windows fog up, and you're using your phone as a flashlight to look for something that rolled under the seat. Most annoyances in a car aren't technical problems — they're small things you don't have on hand.
Below is a straightforward list for autumn: what belongs in your car, why, and what to look for when buying. No expensive gadgets, just items you actually use every week.
Your phone: in view, but not in your hand
Navigating with your phone in your lap is the worst of all options: you look down longer and don't see anything happening around you. A holder brings the screen into your field of vision and keeps your hands free.
When choosing, the main factor is how you attach it. A magnetic car phone holder (€4.95) works with a metal plate on or inside your phone case; you place the phone on it with one hand and remove it just as easily. Pay attention to two things: the weight of your phone with its case, and whether the plate covers a wireless charging coil. If you frequently switch cars, a holder that clips onto the air vent is more practical than one you stick on.
If you're using navigation and music, the battery drains quickly. A compact 3000 mAh power bank (€14.95) fits in the glove compartment and is enough to give your phone a boost on the go. Keep in mind: a power bank left in a cold car for months will lose charge. Take it out occasionally to recharge.
Light that always works
Using your phone as a flashlight works — until you need it to make a call. A separate light in the glove compartment is therefore not a luxury. The problem with flashlights in cars is that the batteries are dead when you reach for them.
A mini LED flashlight with a hand crank (€14.95) solves that: you wind it up yourself, so it works even after six months in the dark. Handy when changing a light bulb, looking for a house number, or if you need to find something that's behind the seat. For those who also use their car for camping or DIY, a solar lamp with power bank function (€32.00) is a step up: it provides broader light and can charge your phone.
Parking, groceries, and the coin that's never there
Two classics from the same category. In a blue zone, a parking disc belongs behind your windshield; how long you can park varies per location and is indicated on the signs there. A battery-operated parking disc (€14.95) sets itself, so you don't have to squint at the clock while turning it.
And then the shopping trolley token. A keychain with a shopping trolley token (€4.95) is permanently attached to your keyring, so you always have it with you — unlike the loose euro coin that's always in your other jacket. Add a foldable shopping bag (€7.95) to the door pocket: it takes up hardly any space when folded, and you won't have to buy a bag at the checkout anymore.
Items you lose
Keys between the seats, a bag left in the trunk: a Bluetooth tracker shows you the last known location in the app and makes the tag beep when you're nearby. The Smart Finder key tracker (€14.95) is also available in white (€14.95), and as a 3-pack in black (€24.95) for keys, bag, and suitcase simultaneously.
Two practical caveats. Bluetooth has a limited range: you can find something in and around the car, not in another city. And before buying, check if the associated app works with your phone. If you want to keep it simple: a keychain with a mini whistle (€2.95) costs almost nothing and is handy when walking in the dark.
Small maintenance you can do yourself
A loose screw in a license plate holder, a clip from upholstery, the battery cover of your car key: you don't need a toolbox for that, but you do need the right size. A 5-piece precision screwdriver set (€3.99) fits in the glove compartment and covers the small screws that don't fit standard tools.
Add a set of loose batteries. Car keys, parking discs, and flashlights all run on button cells or AAAs; a pack of Panasonic AAA batteries, 4 pieces (€9.95) prevents you from having to search for them on a Saturday evening. Don't store batteries loosely among coins or keys — they last longer in a bag or small box.
And the things that are mostly fun
Not everything has to be practical. Mirror covers with flag motifs (€0.95) or a car mirror cover with the Finnish flag (€4.95) are mainly intended for tournaments, country themes, and supporter drives. They are cheap, but do check if they fit snugly around your mirror cap: something that rattles at a hundred kilometers per hour will be removed after one drive.
A glove compartment that makes sense
Put the list together and you end up with six things: holder, power bank, flashlight, parking disc, coin on your keys, and a bag. Most trips are covered with that. Tidy up once a season — empty packaging, old receipts, batteries you no longer trust — and you'll find what you're looking for in the dark.
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