6 Must-Have Car Accessories For Dog Owners

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Dogs have been our constant companions for a millennium. They've been with us through good times and bad times, countless wars, famines, celebrations, deaths, and births. Dogs have even earned the moniker "man's best friend," as a way to describe their ceaseless loyalty and unwavering friendship to humanity. Unsurprisingly, dogs continue to play a very large role in many of our lives today. They share our homes, our food, and, in many cases, even our beds.

Dog lovers around the world regularly ditch the indoors to spend some quality time with their furry friends, playing fetch, hiking, or even just going for a good walk. While some people may be able to step out their front door and do all of this, others must get in their cars and drive to the nearest park, beach, or trailhead. However, if you've ever taken your dog on a car ride, you probably understand the challenges that driving with your pet can entail. 

Dogs are wonderful creatures, but they can also be messy, and they sometimes get nervous or motion sick while riding in a vehicle. However, there are some tips you can follow to keep your pet comfortable on drives, and many dog owners purchase car accessories specifically for their furry friends. These devices can contribute to your pet's safety and comfort and help keep your ride clean. We scoured the net and found several products that may help dog owners keep their cars comfy and fresh, and we based our selection on price, user reviews, and practicality. That said, we'll cover our methodology later. Now, to help keep our canine companions cozy and happy, here are six must-have car accessories for dog owners.

One of the major downsides to traveling with pets is the mess they can leave behind in our cars. Not only do dogs tend to shed a lot, but they may also drool, vomit, have mud on their paws, or go to the bathroom on our car seats. We can't blame our furry friends. After all, they're animals, and sometimes, they get carsick or just can't hold it any longer — surely, many of us humans can relate. But that doesn't make cleaning up the mess any less off-putting.

Luckily, we have some options when it comes to protecting our cars' interiors and keeping our pets comfortable. The URPOWER Dog Car Seat Cover, available at Amazon, could be a great way for dog owners to keep their car seats clean while traveling with their canine companions. The product is both waterproof and weatherproof, meaning it can hold up to whatever your furry friends throw at it. It's designed to fit most vehicles, from cars to trucks and SUVs, features side panels to protect your doors from scratches, and includes mounting loops and seat anchors to keep it secure as you cruise. The cover can be used in either your back seat or your vehicle's cargo area, and the smell-resistant material is built to stay fresh, no matter how rowdy your dogs get. The cover costs $44.96 and has 4.6 out of five stars based on nearly 40,000 customer reviews.

Try as we might, it's impossible to avoid pet hair completely. We can put down whatever we want, and yeah, seat covers and blankets are a huge help. But at the end of the day, at least some hair and dander is going to make its way onto our clean surfaces, especially in a car, where you have lots of cramped and hard-to-reach spaces. When that inevitably occurs, we can either let it be or find a way to clean it up. The problem is that it can be incredibly tricky to remove even small amounts of pet hair.

Fortunately, there's a time-tested solution for removing pesky pet hair that's both affordable and efficient. Scotch-Brite Lint Rollers have been around for a while, and they're go-to tools for pet owners around the country. Most of us understand how lint rollers work, but if you don't, here's a quick rundown. They're basically rolls of tape with the sticky side facing out. The roller handle allows us to pass these tools over things like clothes, furniture, and even car seats to remove lint, pet hair, and other unwanted debris. Then, when one layer is full of trash, simply remove it and toss it in the garbage bin. Scotch-Brite lint rollers feature 100 sheets each, and you can purchase refills for the handles. The three-pack, available at Amazon, costs $16.99 and provides you with enough rollers to keep one in the car, one in the house, and one at work for emergencies. The rollers are extremely well-rated by customers and feature 4.6 out of five stars based on nearly 24,000 user reviews.

Despite our best attempts at cleanliness, traveling with dogs is messy. Even if we somehow manage to prevent our pets from leaving behind hair, dander, and bathroom accidents, we'll still need to deal with window smudges, paw prints, and any other treats our furry friends decide to leave us. When the inevitable messes appear, we can try to clean them up with household supplies and paper towels, or we can opt for a dedicated car care kit.

The Armor All Premier Car Care Kit, available at Amazon, contains everything you need to whip those interior automotive spaces into shape, and it could be a solid buy for anyone who likes to travel with their dog. It features a tire cleaner, multi-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, an air freshener, a scrub pad, and more. The various products included in the kit cover all your bases — allowing you to detail your vehicle like a pro — and are capable of removing grime, smudges, oil residue, and numerous other stains and unwanted marks. The items can all fit neatly into a travel box or bucket, which you can then store discreetly in your trunk, cargo area, or behind a seat, allowing you to be prepared for spills and accidents wherever your travels take you. The Armor All kit costs $43.97 and features 4.5 out of five stars based on nearly 15,000 customer reviews.