Try These Creature Comforts to Take Chill Out of Winter Driving

Winter is approaching quickly, and for many that means slapping on the snow tires, stocking up your car’s emergency supply kit and topping off the windshield wiper fluid. But winter car prep doesn’t end there. If you’re cold-blooded like me (as I type, my feet are perched on a heated foot rest under my desk), you and your family may need a few creature comforts in the car to keep you from dreading those icy-cold morning carpool runs.

Related: Get Winter-Ready for the Road

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With Cars.com editors stationed in Denver, Detroit and Chicago, we’re well-versed on this topic. Here are some of our staff’s must-have creature comforts for winter car travel:

Cozy Lap Blanket

Keep a blanket in the car to throw over laps on those chilly mornings until the seat heaters kick into butt-toasting turbo mode. The Barefoot Dreams Dream Blanket Pillow ($67) does double duty by folding into itself to make a pillow for napping on the way to Granny’s house.

Cozy Wearable Blanket (aka Poncho)

Ponchos are all the rage this season. Throw White House Black Market’s poncho ($120) on over leggings or yoga pants (hey, you can even throw it on over your pajamas – we won’t judge) for a dose of instant warmth and style while running out for milk and bread before a winter storm hits.

Emergency Battery Power

Jump-start your frozen car battery from the comfort of the driver’s seat. The Pocket Jump is a tiny battery charger that fits in your purse. It can jump-start a reluctant car battery by plugging into the 12-volt outlet, and it doubles as a cellphone or tablet charger. Become an early backer on Kickstarter and you can pre-order the Pocket Jump for $40.

In-Car Power Strip

For longer trips, a little electronic diversion will help keep every passenger in the car blissfully distracted from the winter chill creeping in. The Smart AC Automotive Power Strip ($34.99) has two USB ports and two AC outlets to keep everyone’s devices fully charged.

Hot Coffee

Keep your morning joe super hot even when it’s extra cold outside with this Dual Heated Coffee Mug ($12.99) that plugs into your car’s 12-volt outlet to stay perfectly toasty.

Oversized Polarized Sunglasses

Winter’s short days mean we’re often driving in the dark, but when there’s snow on the ground and the sun is out, the glare can be impressive (that’s code for intolerable). A quality pair of polarized sunglasses can make all the difference in the world, not to mention they can make you look like a glam queen or king in the car even when you’d rather still be in bed. Try copper- or rose-colored lenses for the best visibility in snowy conditions. Give Maui Jim’s offerings a try. There are tons of styles to choose from, and the women’s selections are stylish and high-quality, not to mention perfectly sized for slightly smaller faces.

Touch-Screen-Friendly Gloves

Many of our staff members admitted to swooning over heated steering wheels in our test cars, but not many of us are lucky enough to enjoy this feature in our own cars. In this case, a light pair of gloves with touch-screen-capable fingertips are a necessity. Isotoner’s smarTouch Gloves are just right, and they’re available in men’s and women’s sizes. Throw these on ($26.95) with your poncho and oversized sunglasses and you’re ready for the (icy) road.

‘Wave’ for a Dose of Winter Road Cheer

Give a little “Wiper Wave” to say thank you to a motorist who lets you into their lane, a quick hello to a friend behind you in the carpool line or simply to make stressed holiday shoppers and commuters laugh. They’re probably about as thrilled to be out in the winter cold as you are. Why not make them smile?

Cars.com illustration by Paul Dolan