Using some pretty impressive technology, Bluetooth kits enable you to use your phone while keeping your eyes firmly on the road ahead.
Car Stereo, Apple Car Play, Car Speakers & Audio
Apple Car Play allows you to put your streaming music straight into your cars built-in display and stream music straight from your iPhone, you can also use it for built-in directions so you never miss your destination.
Best hands-free car kit: Brilliant Bluetooth car devices from £14
The use of mobile devices behind the wheel for anything other than making contactless payments while stationary is illegal and you’ll be subject to a £200 fine plus six points on your driver’s license if caught. Fortunately, hands-free car kits offer a simple way of accessing some of your phone’s key features without breaking the law or endangering others.
By connecting your phone to one of these handy devices, you can make and take calls, access maps and directions and listen to music without having to worry about being pulled over by the police. Some Bluetooth hands-free kits play music directly, while others can output audio through your car’s stereo system, either using a USB or auxiliary input or by transmitting a short-range FM signal which gets picked up by the radio. Three speakers offer virtual surround sound, and dual-mic technology provides noise cancellation while you’re on calls, which can be easily accepted with your voice. Amazon’s long-awaited entry in the automotive industry is a successful one, providing older cars with both a Bluetooth receiver and voice control via Alexa.
The Echo Auto attaches to your dashboard via the included air vent mount and needs to be connected to a power source via its microUSB port. Once up and running, you can hail Alexa and have her execute all the commands you’ve become accustomed to using through the various other Alexa-enable items dotted around your home.
If you’re already part of the Alexa ecosystem and enjoy the voice-controlled user experience then you’ll get a lot of mileage out of the Echo Auto. The kit also comes with a dual-port USB-A charger as part of the package, providing a handy way to charge your phone or any other devices in your motor that are in need of a top-up. The Pioneer MVH-S420BT is unlike the other entries on this list in that it’s a stereo system offering all of the functionality you could ever want from a hands-free car kit. Once in your car, it can operate as an FM radio player, stream music from your phone, double up as a speakerphone while on calls, has a handy USB port to charge devices and there’s even a companion app that supports the use of Amazon Alexa.
You can easily receive hands-free calls, play music from your phone via Bluetooth, a Micro SD card or U disk in MP3, WMA and WAV formats. This small, lightweight transmitter features a very easy to use button layout and is perfect for those wanting simplicity and connectivity on a budget. It attaches to an easy-fit metal sun visor clip with a strong magnet, making it easy to stow out of sight when you leave the car and runs from a built-in battery, which charges via a standard micro-USB port.
The simplest devices are designed specifically for hands-free calling and clip onto either the sun visor, a spot on the dashboard or a ventilation grill. More recent cars and stereo systems may have accessible inputs, like a USB port or a 3.5mm jack, that make the whole business of adding Bluetooth much, much easier. While you can find kits that connect into an auxiliary port at the back of the stereo – which means getting hands-on, pulling it out and potentially rewiring – most people go for an FM transmitter.
Some kits and devices keep these minimal and super-size the buttons so that you can adjust the volume or take a call quickly, but others are too fiddly to use when you’re out on the road. Some of these kits use voice activation, motion detection or the noise of the car door closing to turn on and off, saving you the bother of remembering.
Car stereo fitting – any good experiences with Halfords?
The first issue was that the guy stuck the connector to the window pillar without scratching the paint back to metal. They fixed that, but a stick-on isn’t as good as a roof mounted antenna.
Pure and Halfords unite to drive in-car DAB radio
The Pure head units come in cheaper than most comparable in-car stereos, and should be compatible with approximately 50% of UK cars thanks to the standard single DIN connection. The two new units follow in the footsteps of the Pure Highway 300Di in-car DAB system (below), which is an add-on to bring digital radio to pretty much any car. The partnership between Halfords and Pure, which began around a year ago, aims to capitalise on the growing in-car digital radio market.
Product recall: Halfords i-Size Revolve car seat – Which? News
Halfords has issued a recall of their i-Size Revolve car seat due to a safety concern that has been found with the rotating locking mechanism. This could lead to the seat rotating while in the locked position, which could be dangerous in the event of a car crash. Due to the danger this could pose, Halfords is recalling all i-Size Revolve child seats.
Unlike some other websites that publish reviews, we crash-test each child car seat we test and carry out fitting checks so we can tell you which give the best protection and which you should avoid.
Add Alexa to Your Car £24.99 C&C @ Halfords
Seems to be £10 cheaper than elsewhere, mixed reviews but adds a bit of smart tech to an old car.
The 5 best Bluetooth car adapters
At the very least, your Bluetooth adapter should be able to play music and make hands-free calls through your car’s stereo system from your smartphone — but you should also consider the means of connection and the additional features while shopping. Some adapters plug into your car’s 12-volt auxiliary power outlet (also known as a DC connector or, formerly, your cigarette lighter).
Others use the auxiliary (or aux) input that looks like a headphone jack, and some might even work through a car’s cassette player. For example, an adapter that plugs into the 12-volt outlet won’t need a power source, but it’ll probably require that you tune your Bluetooth to a specific radio station.
Aux adapters, on the other hand, play straight through your car (no radio frequency required), but they often need regular recharging. These five Bluetooth adapters come in a wide range of types to suit most cars, and they have some pretty cool additional features, too. This one plugs into your car’s 12-volt power outlet and uses a vacant radio frequency so you can make hands-free calls and listen to your music. In addition to its convenient on-device buttons, single USB charging port, and flexible gooseneck, it also has a large, easy-to-read screen that even lets you check up on your car’s battery voltage.
It’s both a transmitter and receiver that plugs into your 12-volt outlet so you make calls, stream music, and charge two devices at once while you’re at it. (The trade-off: It’s incompatible with some car models, so check the list at the bottom of the description before you purchase.) There’s a lot going on with this one: It requires a 3.5-millimeter jack, has a multifunction button that sticks to your dash, and comes with an additional USB charger that goes into your car’s power outlet. Simply plug it into your car’s auxiliary input to enjoy hands-free calls with its built-in mic and music with a 66-foot Bluetooth range.
Slip it into the cassette drive, and between the premium chip and the Bluetooth 5.0 tab that hangs out, you’ll be able to make calls and listen to music through your car’s stereo using your phone.
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