'Tested & Trusted' Expert Picks on Sale Now; Get Early Prime Day Deals on the Automotive Gear and Tools We Trust
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This story was updated with new products and information in June 2024.
The Gear Team is always testing the latest and greatest in automotive tools, parts, gear, and accessories. From windshield wiper blades and portable tire inflators to car coolers and home EV chargers, we've put hundreds of products through our ringer to bring you the best of the best.
Right now, a ton of the products we've tested and trust are on sale leading up to Amazon's annual summer blow-out sale. Prime Day arrives on July 16 and 17, 2024, but you don't have to wait to get your hands on some of the best gear, tools, cleaning products, and automotive accessories you can buy.
See all the stuff the gear team has tested
Tested & Trusted
The Gear Team does hands-on tests of popular products, tools, and car gear in a variety of categories, pitting popular, bestselling, and even brand-new products against the competition in real-world testing and letting our readers know which ones are the best, which will get the job done, and which ones to avoid.
We've tested everything from tools and shop gear to car-cleaning products and compiled the winners and top performers from each test on our Tested & Trusted page, where readers can find all our Best Overall winners and top gear picks in one place.
Check out these great deals below on products, gear, and tools we've recommended to our friends and would buy for ourselves.
20V Cordless Tire Inflator
If we were shopping for a portable tire inflator to keep in our car, we'd pick the Avid Power Cordless. With a faster inflation time than the competition, plus the battery's USB port for charging phones and such, our choice for Best Overall Tire Inflator turned out to be a pretty easy call.
Tested: Best Portable Tire Inflators
G29 Driving Force Racing Wheel and Floor Pedals
While we didn't put a bunch of sim racing setups head to head (yet), this wheel-and-pedal combo from Logitech is highly recommended for both beginners and experienced racers. At $100 off, this is a marvelous deal (and it might go even lower come Prime Day).
How to Build a Killer Sim Racing Setup
Genius 1 Smart Car Battery Charger
Effective and user-friendly, our Best Overall Battery Charger/Maintainer was the NOCO Genius 1. It employs a lower 1.0-amp setting to begin a slow, steady charge. It's designed to work with the gamut of battery options—regular lead-acid, AGM, and lithium.
Bluetooth Pro OBD-II Scanner
While techs and mechanics need a fully functional, plug-in diagnostic tool, the average car lover can get by with an affordable Bluetooth scanner. When we set out to find the Best OBD-II Scanner, the Gear Team chose the BlueDriver as our Best Overall, noting its tile-style interface was exceptionally easy to use, and we had no issues finding codes, tests, and other data.
EzyShade 10-Layer Car Cover
A funky mix between a universal and model-specific car cover, we tabbed the EzyShade as our Best Outdoor Car Cover. The underside was soft, and plastic clasps kept everything secure through a few storms. The outer layer is marketed as waterproof, and we observed no water penetration during our month-long test. We wish it felt a bit more durable, but the reflective color did a fantastic job of keeping the heat out. Make sure you use the sizing chart to get the right one for your vehicle.
Meguiar's Quik Wax Instant Gloss
We named Quik Wax our Best Spray Car Wax. Along with its ease of use, we were pleasantly surprised how little work was needed to apply. It's "quik" for sure—simply spray and wipe. Done. If you simply want a quick shine, Quik Wax is the stuff to buy.
Wet/Dry Vacuum, 6-gallon, 4HP
This shop vacuum was named Best for the Typical Garage. The six-gallon capacity strikes an excellent balance between size and storage, and the price won't break the bank. We loved how easy it was to move around, the low noise level, and its attractive price point.
RhinoRamp MAX
When we tested the Best Car Ramps for 2023, we chose the RhinoRamp Max as the best for trucks thanks to the sturdy material, supreme grip, and 17-inch-wide base. The ramps nest and stack out of the way too.
Wash Wax All
Our favorite Waterless Car Wash product not only cleans efficiently but leaves a smooth, shiny, just-waxed look. The scent is pleasant as well. This 32-ounce bottle should go a long way on your car, truck, RV, boat, motorcycle, side-by-side, et al.
Tested: Best Waterless Car Washes
150W Car Power Inverter
For a light-duty power inverter that does a little bit of everything, the SuperOne 150W is our pick. Featuring two USB, one AC, and two cigarette lighter–style ports, there's room for a host of different gadgets. The cupholder design is nice, but only if you have the room to spare (a road-trip beverage is the priority, right?). It's rated for 150 watts, which might not sound like a whole lot but is enough for most electronic devices necessary for a pleasant family road trip.
Tested: Best Car Power Inverters
RYOBI ONE+ 18V Cordless 1/2" Impact Wrench Kit
The Ryobi surprised us with its performance-to-price ratio. With a respectable loosening torque reading, it'll tackle all but the most difficult jobs on your car, so we named it our Best Budget Cordless Impact Wrench. We liked the grip, feel, and balance of the tool, and its low weight relieved some strain. It's not built to produce 700 foot-pounds of torque—but it's not priced that way, either.
best cordless impact wrenches tested
Big & Fast Cars
Call us biased, but we gotta plug this kids' book from the Road & Track Crew. It's a veritable encyclopedia of automobile knowledge aimed at car-loving kids, and at this price, you may as well start your Christmas shopping early.
Carpet & Upholstery Cleaner (2-pack)
Our choice for Best Overall Car Carpet Cleaner, Adam's was effective against multiple types of stains, budget-friendly, and easy to use. It cleaned up mud and wine stains with ease, wasn't horribly messy to use, and dried quite quickly. Our team agreed that the fruity scent was pleasant and far better than some other cleaners' smells.
Best Car Carpet Cleaners Tested
BD310 Bluetooth OBD-II Scanner
The Ancel BD310 is our choice as the Best Display OBD-II Scanner for Home Use. We loved the scanner's happy medium between corded and Bluetooth capabilities and felt the app's interface was excellent. The BD310 was quick to connect and display codes, and it provided many of the perks of expensive scanners while staying affordable. You can use it with just the corded interface, or connect it via Bluetooth and use the free app to access more data, diagnostic resources, and performance testing.
M12 Compact Inflator Kit
This little guy will change the way you inflate tires at home or at the track. Milwaukee's M12 Compact Inflator works like a charm without making you mess around with air compressors or tanks. The kit linked here includes a battery and charger, which explains why it might seem pricey. Still, we felt that it paid for itself almost instantly. The digital screen is easy to read and navigate, and the buttons are easy to press with gloves on. Simply input the pressure you desire, and the inflator goes to work. Set and forget—brilliant. This is a must-have for any track day, and we loved it at VIR for Lightning Lap 2024.
lightning Lap Track Gear We Tested
Star Tron Enzyme Fuel Treatment
Look, we aren't fuel scientists. But when we use this stuff, bad gas-related things don't happen. A standard eight-ounce bottle treats 48 gallons of gas for up to two years, so one bottle lasts a long time for the likes of motorcycles, ATVs, and lawnmowers. Thanks to the shape of the bottle and the small-diameter spout, Star Tron has no need for a funnel. Got some extra? Pour it in your car. Or leave it on a shelf in the garage. You'll find a use for it.
Swirl Killer 9mm LT Polisher
Robust but also comfortable and ergonomic, the 9mm Swirl Killer was our choice for Best Overall Car Buffer. The concave rubber handhold did an excellent job of reducing vibrations, and the 5-inch backing pad and is compatible with any 5-inch hook-and-loop pad or bonnet. Best of all, it also comes in 12-, 15-, and 21-inch versions.
16-Gallon 6.5 Peak HP Wet/Dry Vac
If you're looking for a wet/dry vacuum for a job site or other large-mess areas, Craftsman's option was our pick for Best Shop Vasc for Large Messes. The 16-gallon behemoth was unstoppable, guzzling everything in its path. The vacuum rolls around nicely, and a unique hose design with more flexible sections on each end allows for superior usability. Attachments include a nice squeegee-like wet nozzle to aid in liquid pickups.
The one drawback is storing this beast, but Craftsman does offer a 12-gallon option. And if you need something larger, a 20-gallon vacuum exists, too.
Pivot Handheld Cordless Vacuum
Black+Decker performed well in our test of the Best Car Vacuums. The wide-mouthed crevice opening did a great job sucking up debris, but the most attractive feature is the pivoting head, hence the name.
The long crevice opening, paired with up to 200 degrees of pivot angle, allows the Pivot to get into typically inaccessible places. Battery life is so-so, coming in at just around 11 minutes, the noise level is pretty average, and dumping the dust is tricky due to a small, cramped collection chamber. Aside from that, the Pivot does an excellent job cleaning cars quickly, and the pivoting function offers unique angles.
Tevlaphee Universal Steering Wheel Brake Lock
Unlike most steering-wheel locks, the Tevlaphee locks the wheel against the brake pedal, inhibiting both the wheel from turning and the brake pedal from being depressed. Overall, it's the best steering wheel lock we tested.
best steering wheel locks, tests
Spill-Free Funnel
A spill-free funnel is the best solution to avoiding messy coolant refills. The Lisle Spill-Free Funnel comes with four caps, five adapters, and a stopper, allowing you to prefill the funnel and safely transfer any leftover coolant to an overflow or empty bottle. The four cap styles cover a large swath of common radiators, and the adapters help you put the funnel in the right spot. The cap holds the funnel upright, placing it at the highest point in the system to help massage air out of the nooks and crannies. It's a low-budget solution to a high-pressure headache.
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