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Your lighter socket can power food warmers, electric heaters, hairdryers, and more
Your car isn't an endless fountain of free power, but even stock alternators are often capable of putting out more power than OEM accessories require to run. That extra juice is accessible through a cigarette lighter or dedicated 12-volt accessory socket.
But that humble little cigarette lighter socket is capable of more. Here’s a list of the top ten appliances and accessories we like to plug into our cars.
How does it plug in: Cigarette lighter or inverter. Do you need an inverter: Depends on the unit.
Portable food warmers come in several configurations, but they're all designed to perform the same function: keep your food warm.
Basic units are just that—boxes that warm up your food. A little. Maybe if you're lucky. Other devices are essentially portable 12-volt ovens, crock pots, or even microwaves. However, higher amperage devices sometimes require a more robust connection to your battery than the typical cigarette lighter socket can provide.
How does it plug in: Cigarette lighter or inverter. Do you need an inverter: No.
This is the gold standard, so it's where everything begins. Since cigarette lighters were originally introduced, they have evolved into a de facto power socket for cars, and that has led to the industry-wide adoption of the cigarette lighter socket as a mobile power source for personal electronics.
If you have a modern cellphone, chances are any cigarette lighter charger with a mini USB connection will work with it, and other personal electronics will often run off a universal 12-volt USB adapter with little or no hassle involved.
How does it plug in: Cigarette lighter or an inverter. Do you need an inverter: Not technically, but you should.
There are a ton of reasons that most cars use heaters that rely on the engine's coolant. It's a simple process, the heat is there anyway—so it would go to waste otherwise—and using another method would needlessly complicate matters.
If your heater is on the blink, though, plugging an electric heater into your cigarette lighter might be a more affordable option. The heat output isn't going to be the same, but it might be enough to tide you over until the next paycheck.
How does it plug in: Cigarette lighter. Do you need an inverter: No.
Rear window defrosters are electric already, but they break, and it's often expensive to repair a rear defroster grid. Front defrosters can also break if the blower goes out, or the heater and air conditioning break, in which case plugging in a 12-volt defroster might be a better solution than smearing the window with your shirtsleeves every morning.
How does it plug in: Cigarette lighter or direct wiring. Do you need an inverter: No.
Some cars come with built-in seat warmers, but for the rest of us, they have portable units that can be plugged into a 12-volt socket. While they may not do a whole lot to warm you up, a pair of hot crossed buns can do wonders for your perception of how warm you are on an especially cold commute.
Eric Raptosh Photography / Getty Images
How does it plug in: Cigarette lighter or inverter. Do you need an inverter: Depends on the unit.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are electric coolers. These devices aren't true refrigerators, and oftentimes they aren't great at taking warm things and cooling them down.
Others do that job just fine, while some are designed to cool down cans. Still, you can also find combo cooler/warmer units if you want to hit two birds with one stone.
How does it plug in: Cigarette lighter, direct wiring, or inverter. Do you need an inverter: Not unless you really want to.
Portable air conditioners that run off a cigarette lighter plug aren't really in the cards, but a 12-volt can still do a great job of moving air around in the compartment without needing to crack a window. Electric fans can also be useful in helping defrost windows in some situations.
How does it plug in: Cigarette lighter or inverter. Do you need an inverter: No.
Whether you're looking for a miniature dirt devil or dust buster, or a small canister vac is more your style, nothing makes cleaning your car easier than a portable vacuum.
These units are typically underpowered compared to non-portable vacuums, but they're easier to use than stringing a power cord down to the curb.
Merethe Svarstad Eeg / Getty Images
How does it plug in: Cigarette lighter or inverter. Do you need an inverter: Yes, unless you want to take forever.
Hairdryers require a lot of juice to run, so units that are designed to plug into cigarette lighters are typically anemic compared to the ones you may be used to.
Still, something is better than nothing, and you can always pick up an inverter if you absolutely need to dry your hair right this instant.
How does it plug in: Cigarette lighter or direct wiring. Does it need an inverter: It is an inverter!
If you want to plug something into your cigarette lighter, and you can't find a version that's specifically designed for it, then a car power inverter is what you're looking for.
Small appliances and electronics can be used with inverters that are plugged directly into cigarette lighters, while heavier loads require beefier inverters that are connected directly to the battery.
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