The Best Car Emergency Kits

What is the best car survival kit? With a decent assortment of higher-quality supplies than many of the kits we researched, the Top Gear kit gets our pick for best basic emergency car kit. At just $32, this emergency kit also won’t break the bank. We like the 14-function multitool that makes it easier to find the tool you need instead of rummaging through the bag for separate tools. 

The high visibility reflective safety vest, warning triangle, and 12-hour light sticks are designed to keep you safe while you work on your vehicle. The LED flashlight works with a hand squeeze pump, so you never have to worry about keeping fresh batteries on hand.

STDY is one of the most popular emergency kits on the market thanks to its affordable price and solid selection of supplies that should work for most folks. We're big fans of its included jumper cables, tire repair kit, tow rope, and battery-free LED flashlight. For around $40, it's hard to beat the selection of this best car survival kit.

We like that the safety vest, reflective triangle, first aid kit, poncho, and emergency blankets round out a solid kit to prepare you for any time of day or various weather conditions. Still, it's not free of faults since it doesn't come with an air compressor, which kind of negates the tire plug repair kit.

First Secure has one of the strongest selections of tools on this list—everything in the bag focuses on getting you back on the road without calling a tow truck. The tire plug repair kit and air compressor can help fix small flats long enough to get to a service center. We love that this kit costs less than $50.

Beyond fixing flat tires, this kit comes with a heavy-duty tow rope to help you get unstuck when the tires don't provide enough traction. It's also great for helping others, especially if you have a truck. The bungee cords are great for securing loads anytime or sagging panels after a fender bender.

The Kolo Sports roadside emergency kit has all your bases covered with its widely assorted 156 pieces. We like that there's a good selection of tools to help you make more substantial repairs—either on the roadside or in an auto parts store parking lot.

Our favorite tools are the screwdrivers, sockets, pliers, and utility knife that come in their own hard toolbox inside the kit. If those were the only tools, this kit wouldn't be so amazing, but it also comes with an adjustable wrench, electrical tape, cable ties, tow rope, and multitool.

The Victor Covered offers the key basics for around $50. If you get a flat tire, the tire sealant can patch it in a hurry, and the air compressor can get you rolling in no time.

The rain poncho will keep you dry in wet weather, and the included blanket is actual fabric (not Mylar) and can warm you up or help with first aid. The flashlight does require batteries, but they’re included with the kit.

Unlike other kits that claim 50 items when 25 of them are bandages, the Performance Tool kit comes clean with the claim of “49 pieces with an assortment of 15 items,” so it gets high marks for honesty. This kit may be small, but it’s mighty when it comes to repairs: it includes jumper cables, split joint pliers, electrical tape, a tow rope, and a snap blade knife.

On the downside, it’s pretty bare-bones when it comes to survival equipment, so you should add in other basics like a blanket, reflective gear, and some extra food and water.

We like that Thrive’s first aid kit comes in a separate pouch, so it’s easy to pull out for minor cuts and scrapes. The first-aid kit also includes scissors, tweezers, pins, and burn gel, which isn’t often included in more basic kits.

The socket wrench is another unique feature of the Thrive kit, along with a razorblade knife. Its compact size makes it good for small vehicles, but we definitely found quality lacking in this kit, especially the tools.