Best Valentine's Day gifts for car lovers
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Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is the biggest time of year to let the people you love know you care. Many of us have car enthusiasts in our lives that we care about deeply, but it can be difficult to track down those perfect gifts for car lovers if you don’t share that particular passion yourself. That’s why we’ve gathered up some ideas to help point you in the right direction – some for the driver and some for the car. Without further ado, check out out our selection of some of the best Valentine’s gifts for car lovers just below.
Valentine’s Day gifts for drivers
$169.99 at Amazon
You’re never too old for LEGO and that makes this one of the most universal gift ideas for car lovers. It features 1,471 pieces that come together to create the iconic 1960s Ford Mustang. When it’s all said and done, the car will stand over 3 inches tall, 13 inches long and 5 inches wide. The roof panel and door are removable to show off a bit of the interior and it’s even enhanceable to taste thanks to a LEGO “supercharger, rear ducktail spoiler, beefy exhaust pipes, front chin spoiler, and a nitrous oxide tank.” A LEGO kit of this caliber would make a great gift for anyone who’s interested in cars.
$299.99 at Amazon
Naturally, this one is a bit on the pricier side, but it’s well worth the cost. Chances are, you’ve heard all about the Nintendo Switch. After all, it’s the second best-selling home video game console of all time. What you might not know, though, is that it’s home to a mountain of fantastic racing games. Not only can you play the modern classic kart racers Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled, but you can also play more “serious” racers like WRC Generations, NASCAR Heat Ultimate Edition, Gear Club Unlimited 2 and many, many more. If you have a gamer in your life who loves cars or racing, you can’t go wrong with a gift like this.
$199 at Amazon
Sticking with the video game theme for one more recommendation, this Thrustmaster racing wheel is for when you really want to provide a substitute for the real thing. A good racing wheel can crank the realism of a racing game up to 11. This particular wheel is for use with an Xbox or a Windows PC, but you can get similar products that work with a Playstation or even a Nintendo Switch.
$109.99 at Amazon
This 1:43 scale slot car set from Carrera is an awesome kit to get anyone started on their slot car journey. It’s more than enough to serve as a stand-alone set, but it’s also expandable if you or the person you’re gifting it too really wants to get nuts. There are certainly more “realistic” slot car sets out there, but this one features fun gimmicks like turbo boost and loop-de-loops, which we think outweighs any potential realism.
Car accessories that make great Valentine’s Day gifts
$30.99 at Amazon
A good car vacuum makes a great gift because it’s one of those things that could benefit nearly anyone, but most people just don’t think to buy one for themselves. This car vac by ThisWorx is consistently one of the most popular options available on Amazon and for good reason. It weighs only 2.4 lbs, making it super lightweight and easy to maneuver around a vehicle. The vac plugs into your car’s 12v lighter port and features a 16-foot long power cord to give you some extra slack when cleaning all the way in the back. The motor provides 106w of cyclonic force and the included HEPA filter is removable and washable. In addition to the vacuum itself, you’ll also get a flathead attachment, an extendable attachment, and a brush nozzle as well as a carrying bag, filter brush, and a spare HEPA filter with your purchase. If these features sound good to you, but you’re looking for a bit more power, you can check out the updated version of this vac, too, or check our list of the best car vacuums.
$6.97 at Amazon
This is a fun gift idea that’s pretty unique and won’t break the bank. This specialty car cleaning tool looks like flubber and feels like it too. It’s meant for cleaning the nooks and crannies of your car and it’s dead simple to use; just smoosh it into any hard-to-reach place in your car interior, slowly pull it back out, and it should easily grab all of the dust and crumbs that would otherwise be unreachable. It’s also great for cleaning things like keyboards and some electronics around the house!
$9.99 at Amazon
This Hotor 2-gallon Car Trash Can is the best-selling automotive garbage can on Amazon and, again, is just one of those things that most people could use but simply refuse to buy for themselves! This one features a lid, keeping your trash tucked away where it should be and some side storage pockets to store snacks and other items. A big selling point for this trash can is that it’s 100% leakproof. When it isn’t in use, it can be collapsed and stored to save space, but it’s probably a good idea to keep it available for use at all times.
$58.72 at Amazon
Nothing can ruin your day faster than a dead car battery. This Avapow jump starter can help fix that problem pretty easily, though. This thing can jump start a battery with no secondary car needed, you pretty much just hook it up and go. It can jump cars, SUVs, and even boats with up to 8.0-liter gas or 6.5-liter diesel engines. It’s rated at IP65 water-resistance, will operate in nearly any weather and features 8 different safety protection systems. Not only will this unit jump your car, like many others it also acts as a portable power pack featuring a built-in USB port as well as wireless charging capabilities for your phones, tablets and other devices. It also features multiple LED light functions including an SOS mode. Last but not least, this jump starter includes jumper cables, a USB-C charging cable and storage case with your purchase.
$31.99 at Amazon
A portable tire inflator is a great thing to keep in your trunk. Rather than pulling into a gas station to use their air compressor, this little thing can pump your tires up in a flash. This AstroAI inflator comes with three nozzles and will work with any Schrader valve on cars, SUVs, motorcycles, and bicycles. It can pump up tires at a speed of 35 L/Min and can inflate 195/55/R15 tires from 0 to 35 psi in under 5 minutes. The gauge is professionally calibrated to show a reading within 1.5% of your actual tire pressure and is even programmable, so you can just set your desired pressure and let the machine do the work. It’s got a large, backlit screen that displays pressure units like PSI, kPa, BAR or KG/CM. There’s also a built-in flashlight for if you’re working in the dark. The included accessory adapters will also allow you to also use this inflator on balls, air mattresses, balloons, and other small inflatables.
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