In today's fast-paced world, parents find themselves spending a significant chunk of their day shuttling the kids to school, sports, and other activities. In fact, a quick Google search places the average between 30 minutes to 3+ hours every day! All that time spent playing chauffeur accumulates countless miles on the family vehicle, essentially turning the car into a second home.
Help make that time behind the wheel a little more enjoyable with our guide full of automotive gifts for busy parents. Whether it's the daily school run or weekend sports tournaments, these gifts will not only improve family travel experiences but also add a touch of comfort and organization to busy lives. Our selection spans various price points, ensuring there's a perfect gift for every budget.
Seat Covers
Anybody who’s had a child ride in their car knows that no surface is safe from the havoc and mess they can wreak in a matter of mere minutes. That’s why these first few gift ideas are the perfect choice for busy parents. Whether the person on your list is still trying to preserve the cleanliness of their car or has already given up completely, a quality seat cover will provide protection from the worst messes and stop further destruction to the vehicle’s upholstery.
Parts Via offers various styles of seat covers from manufacturers like Covercraft, Coverking, WeatherTech and TigerTough. Look for a rugged, custom-fit option to ensure maximum durability and long-lasting protection.
Floor Mats
Floor mats take the brunt of dirt, debris, mud, snow, and other elements that kids track into a vehicle with them – not to mention spilled sippy cups and ground-in cracker crumbs. Suffice it to say, those standard carpet floor mats that come with a vehicle have a tough time keeping up with the mess.
Busy parents are better served with a set of heavy-duty aftermarket floor liners made of rubber or TPE. The sturdy construction won’t curl, crack, or break down over time and the high-walled designs help contain messes and spills. Look for a set that are laser-measured for a custom fit, like those engineered by WeatherTech, Husky Liners, or 3D Mats to ensure placement without any shifting or sliding. Find a great selection of floor mats (and cargo liners too) right here on Parts Via.
Kick Mat/Backseat Organizer
While we’re talking about gifts for parents to protect their vehicle during family travel, we would be remiss not to mention the almighty kick mat. The steady thump, thump, thump of a child kicking the back of your seat is not only annoying, but can also leave dirt, scuffs, and potential damage to the seat back.
Kick mats are a great way to protect the back of the vehicle’s seats, while also providing additional organization. (Something a parent on the go can always use more of.) Here at Parts Via, we recommend the WeatherTech Seat Back Protector, which is both stain-resistant and water-repellant and offers built-in pockets great for packing away snacks, toys, or games.
Under Seat Organizers
For those parents whose family vehicle also happens to be a pickup truck, consider the gift of under seat storage. Made of heavy-duty thermoplastic, these organizers are custom-designed to mount under or behind the rear seat, creating additional, discreet cargo space. Built-in dividers keep things tidy and prevent cargo from shifting.
Wireless Cellphone Charging Dock
The importance of hands-free devices while driving cannot be overstated – especially during family travel. With precious cargo in the backseat, parents can’t be taking the risk of fiddling with cellphones, cords, and/or chargers. Check out the clever 2-in-1 cellphone holders and wireless charging docks made by Scosche Industries. Available in a variety of mounting options, these clever gadgets provide hands-free calling and navigation while also charging up low batteries. Safe, secure, and convenient, what’s not to love?
Child Car Seat Protector
Not everyone loves the look of aftermarket seat covers, particularly if they jumped up a few vehicle trim levels for supple leather or soft suede. A rubber car seat protector serves as a great compromise for those parents who need a little extra protection but don’t want to cover up the entire back seat.
Again, WeatherTech takes our top pick here. The brand’s Child Car Seat Protector is made of High-Density TPE material, which not only helps contain damaging spills and messes but also protects against the unsightly depressions a bulky car seat makes on leather or cloth. Pair it with a quintessential Baby on Board sign, and you’ve got a perfect holiday gift for right around $50.
Travel Snack and Drink Containers
Speaking of containing spills and messes, no family vehicle is complete without some handy travel snack and drink containers. Designed to accommodate little fingers, these accessories also ensure parents aren’t still digging Goldfish crackers out of their seats when the kids hit high school. Parts Via offers a wide variety of food storage solutions from RV and travel-friendly brands like Progressive International, Camco, Coghlans, and Camp Casual.
Car Cleaning Accessories
Clean, tidy, and organized are not three words most busy parents get to use on a regular basis. Help them out with gifts like car cleaning wipes, a tiny trashcan, and bag holder, so those three words can finally apply to them.
Car cleaning wipes will take care of any spills or dust in a busy parent’s vehicle, while a small trashcan is an excellent way to provide a place for children to put their trash so it doesn’t wind up stuffed into cupholders, side doors, or under the seat. A bag holder is a great way to make sure that plastic bag is always handy when needed – like when a child starts to get sick on a long road trip.
Portable Jump Starter
Getting stranded with kids can be scary and intimidating. Alleviate the worry with a portable jump starter, that way a parent doesn’t have to flag down a passing motorist or rely on someone’s good will to help jump their car. Compact and powerful, these portable solutions offer enough cranking power to get the vehicle back up and running – and many newer options also offer built-in features for phone charging.
First Aid Kit
Sometimes all it takes to calm a child freaking out over a paper cut or small injury is a band aid. Slap that bad boy on and suddenly the injury is healed! Give the gift that allows a busy parent to also be a superhero with a first aid kit. Even more importantly, a first aid kit will allow a parent to be prepared for whatever inevitable injury, scrape, bump, or bruise their child gets while out and about.