4 automotive gadgets perfect for holiday gifting

• Everyone needs this tiny trash can for their car
• A tiny chapstick holder makes a great stocking stuffer
• A Bluetooth key tracker that can do it all
• A wireless OBD2 scanner for the tinkerer in the family

With the Holiday season upon us, it’s time to start shopping (and budgeting) for those hard-to-find gifts that make the car nerds around us happy. It’s a tough niche to fill — what do you get someone who already has everything they need for what they do? And don’t even get me started on what to bring to things like Dirty Santa or work parties.

Luckily, I’ve found some car-themed gifts that are always crowd-pleasers and are regularly used by the people I hand them out to. Not every gift for your car has to scream, “Look at me and all my horsepower,” even though I do like those from time to time. Instead, these four gifts can be enjoyed by anyone, and that’s the best kind of gift, isn’t it?

Everyone needs this tiny trash can for their car

It keeps your car clean while also being discreet

Some newer cars do come with trash cans embedded somewhere in the interior nowadays, and while that’s plenty handy, it’s only a recent trend. For instance, my 2022 Volkswagen doesn’t have its own can. Thus, you can find this exact Accmor Car Trash Can in both my and my wife’s cars now.

There are much larger options out there, admittedly, but they’re mostly made of cloth and, to be honest, a bit gaudy. They never blend in well with an interior, and to top it all off, if your trash can is too large, it takes longer to fill, which usually means the trash sits there for longer. That thought doesn’t ever sit right with me. Instead, I just toss the contents of my tiny can out each time I stop to fill up with gas. It’s that easy.

A tiny chapstick holder makes a great stocking stuffer

Whether you’re a lip balm or chapstick fan, this one is for you

Living in West Texas, I know a thing or two about wind and what it can do to your lips, especially during this time of year. Thankfully, this little driving companion keeps me from worrying about it. Instead of having to shove your chapstick or lip balm into a jacket pocket, where it could melt, this little plastic tube allows you to keep your lips hydrated and chapped-free on the go.

The best part about this little guy is how easy it is to hide. I have mine stuck to my steering column close to my indicator stalk, so I don’t even have to reach around or across anything else to grab my cherry Chapstick, to quote Katy Perry. It also works well when stuck to center console storage or on the bottom of a door compartment.

A Bluetooth key tracker that can do it all

Air tags are good for one thing, but this keychain attachment has more uses

Nothing makes me angrier in 2025 than when a product can only do one thing, and that’s just about the perfect definition for Apple Airtags. However, Life360‘s line of Tile products can do much more, all while working seamlessly with whatever device you’re pairing it with. Whether you’re an Android user or deeply entrenched in the Apple Ecosystem, the Tile keychain attachment is the easiest and best way to keep track of your keys and stay safe while doing so.

While it does work well as a tracker within the Life360 app, the little indentation you see also functions as an SOS/Emergency call beacon. My wife had one of these when we first met in college, and I quickly bought one of my own. The three-year battery life ensures that I rarely have to worry about it draining down, and when put in anti-theft mode, Tile trackers can’t be detected by certain Bluetooth scanners. It’s a win-win-win all the way around.

A wireless OBD2 scanner for the tinkerer in the family

Whether you’re a full-time mechanic or just a hobbyist, it helps to know exactly what’s going on with your car

As my entire family will tell you, I’m a tinkerer. I enjoy the process of taking things apart and putting them back together, and that includes the several cars I’ve owned over the years. However, in order to know exactly what I need to take apart, I have to know exactly what’s wrong with all of my big boy toys. That’s where this handy Bluetooth OBD2 scanner comes in.

Whether you opt to leave the scanner in or not, the OBD2 connector (which can be found in most cars just above the gas pedal) tells you exactly what error code is causing your car trouble. I’ve used mine to diagnose something as simple as a faulty tire pressure sensor all the way to detecting exactly which O2 sensor needs replacing on old clunkers. The wireless connectivity lets me read out all the potential errors either on my phone or iPad, and keeps me certain that each part I’m buying is the right one.