Five essential gadgets for your car

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Airinum’s founder, Alexander Hjertström, has been on a quest to battle poor air quality ever since his childhood asthma was retriggered on a trip to India in 2014. The Swedish firm’s first product, a stylish “urban” mask with multiple filter layers, initially proved popular in Asia, but word spread globally during the Covid pandemic. Since then, the threat posed by airborne viruses may have lessened but the problem of poor air quality certainly hasn’t. 

Air quality in enclosed spaces is generally worse than outdoors

It was suggested to Airinum by an investor that in-car air purification should be its next product. It’s perhaps counter-intuitive for city dwellers, but air quality in enclosed spaces is generally worse than outdoors, and especially in moving vehicles; one 2023 publication by Imperial College London describes how “car users experienced higher exposure levels to [air pollution] whether or not they had their windows open or closed… high concentrations of exhaust gases and particles [enter] their vehicle through the vents.” 

Filtering systems in the latest cars are getting better, but Hale (as in exhale, inhale) offers a standalone remedy, claiming to filter out 99 per cent of airborne particles including VOCs, dust and bacteria. Its form cries out “Bluetooth speaker” but it’s even easier to use than that; it sits neatly in a universal cup holder, you turn it on (and up and down) using the ring at the top of the unit, and that’s pretty much it. It’s relatively quiet, it runs up to 24 hours on a charge (depending on the fan speed you’ve chosen) and a red light lets you know when its HEPA filter needs changing. 

While it was designed for in-car use, it doubles as a portable, multi-use-case personal air purifier; a clip-on stand lets you adjust the angle of the unit to the horizontal, depending on whether you’re sitting at a desk or reclining on a sofa. I’ve come to find its gentle breeze pleasantly reassuring. 

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The wheel thing 

Fanttik produces a range of handy tools, of which this is probably my favourite: a tyre inflator that’s the size and shape of a chunky padlock. The “U” unclips to reveal a short hose equipped with a standard Schrader valve connector; just set your preferred PSI on the digital display (or use its vehicle-appropriate default settings if you’re not sure), connect it to your under-inflated car tyre and away it goes. It would have trouble coping with a juggernaut, but when fully charged (via 5V over USB-C) it’s ideal for compact car top-ups. Cyclists and rugby players will appreciate the attachments suitable for bikes and balls that are tucked in the base.

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A perfect vacuum

Immediately recognisable as a Dyson cordless, this unit has been billed as the most powerful handheld vacuum. I can’t attest to this, but I foolishly placed my hand over the motorised head while the machine was on “MAX” and let out a yelp of shock as it clamped my hand firmly to the unit. It dealt admirably with the detritus that piles up rapidly in our family car (dried mud, toddler’s snack crumbs) and I used it for more than a week before it needed its first full recharge (the runtime is listed as 50 minutes). Three attachments – motorised brush, crevice tool and combined brush/wide nozzle – are plenty, and it’s small enough to pop on a garage shelf.

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Candid cameras 

For comprehensive documentation of your car’s existence, day and night, this kit covers all bases. At its heart is a rotating 360-degree dashcam that mainly looks straight ahead, but turns its beady eye when it detects nefarious activity, or in response to your voice commands. An additional thumb-sized cam covers the rear of your vehicle, and a puck-shaped 4G module, hardwired to your fusebox, provides always-on connectivity (NB: you supply the SIM). Everything connects together via long USB cables, neatly tucked away, of course. It takes some setting up, but it does as it’s told, the footage is crystal clear, and when the car’s parked it’ll alert you to suspicious characters hovering nearby.

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Meet the car doctor

This semi-pro diagnostic tool – essentially a 7in tablet in a very sturdy case – will scan your vehicle’s systems, from airbags to tyre-pressure monitors and beyond, and produce a report complete with fault codes and explanations. A thick cable is secured to the top of the tablet and runs to your car’s OBD-II port (most commonly found beneath the steering wheel); when the ignition and tablet are turned on, you can trigger a smart diagnosis mode that detects your make of vehicle and establishes which parameters it can measure. What you do with the resulting data depends on your under-the-bonnet capabilities; my own strategy is to call a mechanic, but compulsive tinkerers and the car-curious will find it invaluable. 

@rhodri