5 Great iPod Car Accessories

Nowadays, iPods are overwhelmingly popular not only amongst trendy teenagers, but just the average adult as well. Small and portable, they allow us to carry music, videos, podcasts, audiobooks, and more everywhere we go - including the car. Here are 5 great iPod car accessories.

While you could keep your iPod on the dashboard or in a bag when you play it in the car, a more secure and more stylish option is a car mount. The Kensington Car Mount for iPods secures easily to your windshield or dashboard, while keeping it in view and within easy reach.

It's compatible with the iPod Nano (Gen 1,2,3); iPod (Gen 3,4,5); iPod Classic; iPod Touch; and iPhone.

This car mount has unique features that makes it one of the best iPod car mounts I've seen. The flexible arms mean you can control where it is in your car, it doesn't take up much space, it won't block the other controls on your dashboard. The adjustable padded cradle will secure your iPod - not damage it. There's also no installation required.

The Kensington K33412US Car Mount is easy to use, secure, and most of all, it's affordable. It costs less than many of the other car mounts on the market, but it's performance is superb.

When you're in the car, sometimes all you have is the radio. Annoying commercials and limited music selection. But if you've got your iPod and an FM transmitter, then you can play your entire iPod library through your car stereo.

The Griffin 9501-TRIPCB iTrip is compatible with every dock connector iPod, including the iPod nano and the video iPods. You simply plug one end into the cigarette lighter power adapter in your car and the other end into your dock connector. Then, you adjust the radio station channel on your iTrip to the same one as your car. Some FM Transmitters don't work very well, but the Griffin 9501-TRIPCB does! It is arguably the best Griffin FM Transmitter to date. It even charges your iPod (since it's powered by your car), so it won't drain your battery like other FM Transmitters do.

The iTrip is an excellent value that will make your commutes more pleasurable and road trips less tense. It also makes a great gift for teenagers!

An alternative to a FM Transmitter is a Cassette Adapter, which also plays your iPod through your car stereo. In my opinion, if your car still has a cassette player, a cassette adapter is a better option than an FM Transmitter. The sound that comes out will be more clear.

My wife uses the Belkin Mobile Cassette Adapter every day on her way to and from work and she says it works wonderfully: the sound comes out loud and clear. It's also easy to use. The cassette goes in, you plug the cord into the earphone plug of your iPod, and it plays! No channel adjusting required. And not only does it work with any iPod, it is also compatible with anything with a 3.5mm audio jack, including other mp3 players or a laptop.

Many of the newer cars today have a 3.5mm audio jack built in, so you don't need a cassette adapter or an FM transmitter to play your iPod through your car stereo. If that's the case for you, definitely consider getting the Cables to Go iPod Dock Connector to 3.5mm Cable. A good friend of mine had one and he said it was the best ipod car accessory he ever bought.

The sound quality through the cable comes out extremely high quality. It's inexpensive as well, compared to a cassette adapter or an FM transmitter. It's also easy to use - just connect the cable from the dock connector in your iPod to the audio jack! This means that you can not only connect your iPod to your car, but also to anything else with an audio jack, such as a friend's laptop (e.g. if it doesn't have iTunes to play your music).

If you don't like the idea of a dashboard/windshield car mount for your iPod, then you can alternatively try the TuneDok, which is a cup holder mount.

It comes in two pieces, the TuneDok and the AirGrip suction cup. Just put your iPod in the TuneDok and the TuneDok in the suction cup, which goes into your cupholder. The folks at Belkin have conveniently included three different suction cup sizes for different sized cup holders.

The TuneDok is a well-thought out product. There's height-adjustment capability to ensure you a perfect fit for your iPod, a cable-management clip to eliminate loose or tangled cords, a rubber base to eliminate any possible scratches... This cup holder mount offers you a secure, safe, and convenient place to put your iPod in your car, no matter how bumpy the roads may be, so you can focus on your driving!

It goes for about the same price as the Kensington Car Mount above, so it just depends on your personal preference on where you would like your iPod to be, the cupholder or the dashboard/windshield? (Note: the Belkin F8E467 TuneDok is compatible only with the full-size iPod models, however, there is another TuneDok model that IS compatible with the Nano.)