Keep your car clutter-free with our favorite seat back organizers
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Be honest, is your car a bit of a mess? Take a look at our favorite seat back organizers that can help your vehicle stay clean and tidy. If you’re someone who wants to be prepared for any situation, you probably like to keep some essentials in your car. Although you can store many things in your trunk, you may want some other items closer at hand. If this sounds like you, or if you have children, you may find that your car’s available storage just isn’t enough.
The right seat back organizer can change this, though, letting you store more than you might think while also keeping your car looking nice and organized. To find a great seat back organizer for your car, you should consider what you’ll be storing inside it. Some seat back organizers will better suit your needs than others, but there are still some fundamental features that work great for everyone. Take a look at our favorite seat back organizers to help you find one that can make your car a cleaner place.
Top Backseat Organizers of 2022 Reviewed in Detail
H Helteko Backseat Car Organizer: our pick
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This H Helteko seat back organizer comes in a pack of two, and the organizers are made from flexible, durable material and are compatible with all car seats. The material is waterproof and easy to clean, so you won’t have to worry too much about the kids making a mess in the backseat. The organizers consist of two large opaque pockets, a large central pocket made of flexible netting and two side water bottle holders also made of the same netted material. A clear pocket at the top of the organizer is specifically designed for holding tablets, and on either side of this are pockets that can hold pens, crayons and other small items. With so much storage space, your children should have everything they need to stay entertained on long car rides.
Pros
Many pockets of various sizes
Clear pocket specifically for tablets
Two organizers included in this pack
Cons
Straps gently press on front passenger’s back
Reserwa Car Backseat Organizer: another great option
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This Reserwa seat back organizer comes in a two pack, with two large mesh pockets at the base of the organizer and two medium-sized mesh pockets above them. The organizers also have two smaller pockets with space for items like a pack of tissues or a pen, but they can also be a great place to hang your sunglasses. The two mesh pockets at the top of the organizer are great for holding water bottles. There’s also a clear pocket designed to hold tablets, with a space to attach headphones and a charging cable so you can keep watching videos or listening to music while charging the device.
Pros
Made from durable waterproof material
Clear tablet pocket with headphones/cable space
Pockets of many shapes and sizes
Cons
Straps loosen over time when organizer’s full
Reserwa Updated Backseat Organizer: also consider
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Here’s another Reserwa product, a two pack of seat back organizers that are durable and water-resistant. Each organizer has eight pockets in total, including one large mesh pocket at the base of the organizer and four smaller mesh pockets in the middle and at the top. The center of the organizer has three smaller pockets, and the clear tablet holder can protect your child’s device from sticky hands and sneezes. There’s also a space in the tablet pocket for headphones and a charging cable. The organizer’s attachment straps are in a great place as well, and they won’t press into your back or head when you’re sitting in the front seat.
Pros
Easy to clean, offers protection to tablets
Adjustable straps, fits all kinds of vehicles
Pockets store items both large and small
Cons
Tablet can lean forward unless straps tight
Lusso Gear Back Seat Car Organizer: another option
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If you’re looking for a product that’s equally practical and stylish, consider this durable Lusso Gear seat back organizer. It’s available in a variety of colors that can suit every taste, and we especially love the tan color, as it has a nice vintage feel to it. This organizer attaches to headrests via an adjustable strap, so you won’t need to worry about any straps digging into your back. The organizer’s reinforced shoulders prevent it from sagging, and also reduce your need to tighten the straps. It also has a large zipper compartment, with two mesh pockets for holding drinks on either side of it. There are three more open pockets that you can store things for easy access, and there’s also a hidden pocket large enough to fit a tablet and another zipper pocket at the top.
Pros
Strong, sturdy material
Available in several colors
Different-sized pockets that can hide contents
Cons
Tacticool Car Seat Back Organizer: also try
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This Tacticool seat back organizer is an excellent choice for those who want something a bit more compact for their car. It has two large pockets with velcro closures, one medium-sized pocket and two smaller pockets as well, and it attaches to the car seat with a strap around the headrest and another at the seat’s base. This organizer is available in three different colors, and you can purchase it as a single organizer or in a set of two. It has a capacity of 50 lbs, so you can fit everything you need into this compact and tidy space. As a bonus, show your patriotism on the go by attaching the included American flag patch. This organizer also comes with a 150-day warranty, and hopefully you won’t need to use it but it’s nice to have just in case.
Pros
Anti-scraping molle vehicle panels
Waterproof coating inside pockets
Available individually and in packs of two
Cons
Some found it gave off unpleasant odor
Buying guide: seat back organizer
We try to find products that will be great for your needs, but we totally understand if you want to do your own research before making a purchase. Keep reading to learn more about some seat back organizer features and find the perfect organizer for you.
Consider the number of pockets you’ll need
The number of pockets you should look for depends on the sizes of the things you want to store and whether or not you want to store them together. You may want to store a notebook and pens next to each other, and this would require two different-sized pockets.
If you want your organizer to have a pocket for snacks, think about whether you’re going to place all snacks in one pocket or in multiple pockets instead. Decisions like this will affect the size and quantity of the pockets you’ll need, so keep this sort of thing in mind.
Choose a seat back organizer with different sized pockets
The items you choose to store in your seat back organizer will likely change over time, or even depend on the kind of journey you’re making. If you’re a nurse and a parent, there may be times when you’ll want to have all your work gear in the organizer, and other times when the organizer instead holds your kids’ favorite snacks and toys.
For this reason, it’s a good idea to choose a seat back organizer with pockets of various sizes. If you opt for only small pockets, you won’t be able to store many larger items. Alternatively, opting for only large pockets can mean that any smaller items you’ve stored in the organizer will likely become more difficult to find.
Hide your mess and find items more easily
When looking for seat back organizers, you’ll find many with pockets made of mesh material that lets you see the pockets’ contents. This can save you some time when you’re looking for something you’ve stored, but many people feel that an organizer looks a bit tidier when the items it holds are hidden from view.
You may want to consider purchasing an organizer with both opaque and transparent pockets, so you don’t miss out on the benefits of either kind of pocket. You should also consider whether you need fastening pockets or if you want the pockets to remain open. If you want closing pockets, you may want something your children can easily open, like velcro fastening.
If you want a more secure option, consider a hidden pocket with a zipper. Your child may never know it’s there, but if they do they can open it with no problem.
What’s a good material for a seat back organizer?
Whatever material your seat back organizer is made from, it should be water-resistant, durable and easy to clean– polyester material is an affordable option that ticks all these boxes.
You may also want to choose a material with a little stretch if your kids are at the age where they may pull at the organizer. Look for a product with reinforced stitching– this lets the organizer withstand pulling from both the weight of products and your children tugging at the material.
Attachment Options
When looking at customer reviews, the main complaint about seat back organizers is either the need to constantly tighten their straps or their interference with passengers in the front seat.
Look for a product with fully adjustable, secure straps. Read the product’s description to figure out where the attachment straps will sit on the front seats and determine if it will cause you any discomfort. You may need to contact the manufacturer to get the exact measurements, but the customer questions section on the product’s page might also provide you with a quick and easy answer.
Do your children use a tablet?
If your kids use a tablet and like to have it mounted on the seat in front of them, you’ll need to consider how they can watch their tablet once you’ve installed a seat back organizer.
Look for an organizer with a clear tablet pocket. This will not only offer protection to the tablet, but it should also hold the tablet in place so your little ones can watch their favorite movies and shows comfortably without having to use their hands.
Some other features to look for include a gap in the pocket for headphones and a space for a charging cable. This will allow your child to listen to their movie while the tablet is held in place, and also allow you to charge it while your child continues to use it.
Consider the weight capacity of each pocket
You should consider how much weight each pocket can hold. This is an important consideration, as a pocket that’s large enough to hold a box of tissues may not have the weight capacity to hold something of similar size but a heavier weight, like a large coin purse or a portable gaming console.
Car Seat Back Organizer FAQs
Q: Are car seat back organizers and car caddies the same?
A car seat back organizer is a car caddy, but a car caddy is not a car seat back organizer. A car caddy can also be used to describe organizers not placed on the back of a car seat, and you can use a car caddy to compartmentalize items in your vehicle’s trunk.
Q: What can I store in a car seat back organizer?
Some pockets are designed to hold specific items, such as tissues or water bottles, but you can pretty much customize a car seat back organizer to suit your needs. As long as the products you place in each compartment are not too large or heavy, you can store anything you want inside.
Q: Can I purchase a car seat back organizer with a cooler attached?
You can purchase seat back organizers with a cooler compartment, but you may struggle to find a product where the cooler is not the main feature, as most have a large main cooler compartment and only a couple of other small compartments.