This year, why not mix style and comfort by investing in some new car gadgets to bring your vehicle up a notch? While you’re at it, you could even spoil some of your friends and family with the exact same tech!

You will need to weigh your options and carefully choose the right products before filling your shopping cart. That’s where we come in! We will teach you how to make the right choices in this special holiday article.

Bonus: a new playlist that will put you in the Christmas spirit and get you ready to ring in the New Year!

USB chargers and cables

It’s a well-known fact that electronic devices have become an integral part of our lives, but they use a lot of power!

So, first things first, check what type of charging port your vehicle has:

• Option 1: USB port
• Option 2: cigarette lighter socket

Option 1

The best part about this option is that all you have to do is buy a charging cable for your phone, tablet or other mobile device. But which one do you choose?

Length
You can figure out how long your charging cable needs to be by answering the following two questions:

• Will you only be using the cable to charge your phone when it’s close to the port?
• Or will the cable also be used by your front-seat passenger and those tagging along in the back?

Durability
We live in a climate with four distinct seasons where the temperature goes from one extreme to the next. If you want to buy or gift a new USB charging cable this December, it has to be able to stand up to the cold.

If the cable will be in your vehicle full-time, it has to be able to withstand whatever winter decides to throw at it!

On top of cold temperatures, external factors can damage your cable and electronic devices. We recommend choosing a cable that is covered in a thick, yet flexible plastic.

Make sure that the connector tip is strong and that it can put up with being pulled or twisted. The cable should stay in one piece if someone sits on it, if it gets stomped on by a pair of winter boots or if something (like coffee) accidentally gets spilt on it.

Option 2

The same advice that we gave for the first option also applies to cigarette lighter sockets. The only differences are the following features: 

• Multiple ports so that you can charge several devices at once
• Some chargers even allow you to connect to an FM frequency so that you can listen to music from your phone. This is a great option if you have an older vehicle that doesn’t have Bluetooth or an AUX port.
• Make sure that the charger you choose is nice and snug once it’s plugged into the cigarette lighter and that the cable doesn’t disconnect when tugged on. It would be a shame if you couldn’t handle or even touch your device in fear that it may come unplugged.

The best cellphone accessories

Many of us use our phones as GPS devices to get from point A to point B—they make driving a breeze, no matter what app you use!

When the voice on your navigation app is hard to hear and the directions seem a bit sketchy, it’s good to have visual support to let you know (in real-time) where you are on the road!

There are several different plastic models to choose from:

• The kind that stick right on top of your dashboard and can be adjusted to fit the width of your device using two spring arms
• The kind that can be suction-cupped to the inside of your windshield
• The kind that clip straight onto your vehicle’s interior air vents

We would like to remind you that it is forbidden to handle any mobile or electronic device while driving. We invite you to refer to the laws in place in your province.

Consistent comfort

During the winter, we spend a lot of our time indoors. Whether that means chilling at home, cozying up at the cabin or cruising around in our vehicles! Our windows are usually sealed up tight and staying comfortable is key when driving on snowy roads in -25 °C.

If your vehicle doesn’t have heated seats, you should really invest in some heated seat covers. They are easy to install and are a lifesaver when you need to warm up quickly!

For those who are lucky enough to have heated seats, we recommend doing a quick once over to make sure that they are still doing the trick.

A gift that keeps on giving!

If you’re the type of person that leaves all of their holiday shopping until that last minute and never knows what to buy, an Ultramar gift card is for you! Most of us need to put gas in our vehicles and would be more than happy to do so (free of charge) with a prepaid gift card! Painless to pick up at the pump, easy to gift to family and friends and extremely useful!

Winter holiday tunes

Ah! The winter holidays. The perfect time to unwind, move your body and just enjoy some quality time. If you really want to get into the holiday spirit, you have to set the mood! To help you make the most of this time of year, we have put together a new holiday playlist with several different styles of music to keep everybody happy!

Happy holidays!