Car emergency kits should be tailored to your needs.

 

 

 

Emergencies are hard to predict, but it’s easy to prepare for these unexpected scenarios with a comprehensive car emergency kit. In this guide, we’ll recommend five of the best car emergency kits currently available. When choosing these products, we considered their affordability, overall quality, tool contents, and customer ratings.


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Why Do You Need A Car Emergency Kit?

A car emergency kit can come in handy in the event of a mechanical breakdown, inclement weather, a collision, or a flat tire. While it’s impossible to know when any of these unfortunate events may occur, it’s smart to be prepared. The best car emergency kits give you peace of mind and ensure that you’re ready regardless of the situation.

 

 

5 Best Car Emergency Kits

As mentioned, we selected these five car emergency kits based on their contents, price tag, overall quality, and customer ratings. When reading through customer reviews, we made sure to look for buyers who tested the products so that we understood how the kits fared in real-life emergencies.

 

 

#1 Best Overall: First Secure Car Emergency Kit


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The First Secure Car Emergency Kit includes key tools like 10.0-foot, 8-gauge jumper cables, nylon tow straps, a 250 PSI air pump, a 7-piece tire repair kit, and a 48-piece medical supply kit. Unlike many other kits, the tools included are high-quality and durable, which is why we chose it as the overall best car emergency kit. The kit does not include a space blanket or cold weather gear, so it may not be the best car emergency kit for drivers who regularly drive in cold conditions. This product also includes a tire repair kit, but it’s unclear whether this includes tire sealant and patches.

What Customers Are Saying: With about 2,000 Amazon customer reviews, the First Secure Car Emergency Kit holds a 4.7 out of 5.0-star rating. Eighty percent of buyers give the kit a full 5.0 stars. Buyers report that the air pump may take some time to fully inflate a tire, but it is well-made. Common complaints regard the kit’s first-aid supplies – though there are 48 pieces included, most of the supplies are bandages.

Key Features

  • Approximately $55 per kit
  • 10.0-foot, 8-gauge jumper cables
  • Air compressor (12-volt, 250 PSI)
  • Tow rope (11.8 feet, 10,000-pound capacity)
  • Tire repair kit
  • Window breaker
  • Tire pressure gauge
  • Multi-tool
  • Reflective warning triangle
  • LED headlamp flashlight
  • Electrical tape
  • Bungee cords
  • Cable ties
  • Work gloves
  • First-aid kit
  • Storage bag

 

 

#2 Best Value: Lianxin Roadside Assistance Emergency Kit


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The Lianxin Roadside Assistance Emergency Kit is a 142-piece pack with items like 8.0-foot jumper cables, a small tool kit, a tow rope, and an emergency hammer. Compared to other emergency kits on this list, the Lianxin product is compact and budget-friendly. We also like that it has a hand-crank flashlight rather than a battery-powered one. However, this emergency kit does not have any tire repair tools or a space blanket. Its first-aid kit is also very basic.

What Customers Are Saying: Backed by over 1,600 Amazon customer reviews, this emergency kit holds a 4.7-star rating, and 81 percent of buyers give it a full 5.0 stars. Customers like the kit’s toolbox, high-quality jumper cables, and affordability. Though negative reviews are the minority, some report the tow straps are not durable enough for heavy hauls. 

Buyers also mention that the first-aid kit does not have many useful items. Additionally, the car emergency kit does not come with instructions, so you’ll need to know how and when to use these tools before an incident occurs.

Key Features

  • Approximately $40 per kit
  • 8.0-foot jumper cables
  • Tow rope
  • 9-piece tool kit
  • Insulated work gloves
  • Safety hammer and seatbelt cutter
  • Hand-crank LED flashlight
  • Reflective warning triangle
  • Raincoat
  • Ice scraper
  • First-aid kit
  • Storage bag

 

 

#3 Runner-Up: Lifeline AAA Excursion Road Kit


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The third product on our list of best car emergency kits, the Lifeline AAA Excursion Road Kit is a comprehensive product backed by AAA. The road kit includes 76 auto safety and first-aid components, including 10.0-foot, 8-gauge jumper cables; a tire air compressor; an LED aluminum flashlight; and a 45-piece first-aid kit. AAA also offers a Winter Safety Kit that includes cold-weather essentials like fleece gloves and a folding shovel.

This kit is pricier than other products on this list, and it also does not include any tire repair tools other than the air compressor, nor does it include a space blanket.

What Customers Are Saying: The Lifeline AAA Excursion Road Kit holds a 4.8-star rating with about 400 Amazon customer reviews. Based on several customer reviews, the jumper cables, air compressor, and flashlight are durable, high-quality pieces. However, buyers are disappointed by the basic first-aid kit and the cheap quality of the other tools included. 

Key Features

  • Approximately $73 per kit
  • Double-sided carry case
  • Air compressor with pressure gauge
  • 10.0-foot, 8-gauge jumper cables with vinyl-coated clamps
  • Emergency warning triangle
  • LED aluminum flashlight with batteries
  • Flathead and Phillips head screwdriver
  • Pliers
  • Gloves
  • Duct tape
  • Poncho
  • Utility knife
  • Bungee cord
  • Whistle
  • Two shop cloths
  • 10 cable ties
  • Assorted first-aid kit with 25 bandages
  • Storage bag

 

 

#4 Roadside Rescue Emergency Assistance Kit


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The Roadside Rescue Emergency Assistance Kit comes with 110 pieces, including jumper cables, a tow strap, an emergency blanket, and a magnesium fire starter. The kit is also compact and could easily fit inside your vehicle’s trunk or under a seat. If you’re not comfortable using a kit without guidance, this product comes with a driving safety sheet with 10 essential tips in the event of an emergency. However, this emergency kit does not include any tire repair tools.

What Customers Are Saying: The Roadside Rescue Emergency Assistance Kit holds a 4.8-star rating with over 600 Amazon customer reviews. Eighty-three percent of buyers give the kit a full 5.0 rating. Most buyers report that the kit is easy to store, comprehensive, and durable. However, some customers do note that the jumper cables are not of the highest quality.

Key Features

  • Approximately $40 per kit
  • 8.0-foot, 8-gauge jumper cables
  • 12.0-foot tow strap
  • Two bungee cords
  • 20 zip ties
  • Electrical tape
  • Emergency blanket
  • Flashlight
  • Magnesium fire starter 
  • Mechanic gloves
  • 11-in-1 multi-tool
  • Tire pressure gauge
  • Rain poncho
  • Windshield breaker
  • Seat belt cutter
  • Whistle
  • Warning triangle
  • 64-piece first-aid kit
  • Storage bag

 

 

#5 First Aid Only All-Purpose First-Aid Kit


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If you’re looking for a high-quality first-aid kit or want to augment your existing car emergency kit, we recommend the First Aid Only All-Purpose First Aid Kit. The kit comes with 299 pieces of first-aid equipment, including multiple types of adhesive bandages, burn ointments, antibiotic ointments, and several pain relievers. The kit also includes helpful tools to use when cleaning or dressing a wound, like scissors, gauzes, and a first-aid guide.

What Customers Are Saying: With more than 34,000 Amazon customer reviews, this first-aid kit holds an impressive 4.8-star rating, making it one of the best car emergency kits we’ve seen. Customers report that the kit is well thought out, but it may not be comprehensive enough for certain medical situations. Buyers recommend adding anti-nausea medication and sterile gloves to the kit.

Key Features

  • Approximately $17 per kit
  • Multiple types of adhesive bandages
  • Alcohol wipes
  • Rescue blanket
  • Antibiotic ointment packets
  • Aspirin tablets
  • Burn gel packet
  • Butterfly wound closures
  • Gauze
  • Cotton swabs
  • Finger splint
  • First-aid tape
  • Tweezers
  • Rubber gloves
  • Moleskin
  • Storage bag

 

 

What To Look For In The Best Car Emergency Kits

When shopping for the best car emergency kits, consider the area you live in and what car troubles you frequently face. Drivers living in colder regions may want to find an emergency kit with warm gloves, a space blanket, and a car battery charger. If you frequently get flat tires, look for a kit with tire sealant and an air compressor pump. It’s likely no one kit will have every item you need, but you can find the best roadside emergency kit for your situation.

Below, we’ve listed key items to look for in a car emergency kit.

  • Heavy-duty jumper cables
  • Tire air compressor with pressure gauge
  • Tool kit
  • Comprehensive first-aid kit
  • Work gloves
  • Flashlight, preferably hand-operated so you don’t need extra batteries
  • Seat belt cutter
  • Windshield breaker
  • Towing strap

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best emergency car kit?

After reviewing several roadside kits, we named the First Secure Car Emergency Kit the best car emergency kit. The kit includes several key tools like jumper cables, a tire air compressor, and a towing cable, and it has positive customer reviews from buyers who tested the products in real-life emergency situations. It’s also affordable.

What should be in a car emergency kit?

We recommend having jumper cables, a tire inflator, a basic tool kit, a comprehensive first-aid kit, gloves, a flashlight, a seat belt cutter, a windshield breaker, and a towing strap in your car emergency kit. These items should be able to get you out of most side-of-the-road emergencies.

What should I put in my car emergency winter kit?

We recommend adding fleece winter wear, a car battery charger, a safety blanket, and an ice scraper to your car emergency kit for the colder months.