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In 2024, nearly every new car will feature an advanced infotainment system with various levels of Bluetooth compatibility. Bluetooth allows drivers to effortlessly stream music from their smart devices, as well as take hands-free calls through the car’s speaker system. There are still many older model cars on the road that aren’t equipped with this tech. Luckily, there’s a simple and affordable way around this issue for the many of us who are riding our older vehicles until the wheels fall off. With a Bluetooth car adapter, many modern wireless features become easily available to drivers of older cars. For many, you simply plug the adapter into your car lighter or aux port and connect to it wirelessly to allow your phone to play audio through your car speakers, just like if the feature was built-in. Here are some of the best Bluetooth car adapters available at Amazon.
$17.99 at Amazon
This Imden Bluetooth 5.0 FM Transmitter provides clear sound and is compatible with smartphones, laptops and tablets. It has smart quick charging efficiency of up to 80% and will reduce power dissipation. There is also a car locator function that saves the location of your vehicle and sends it to your phone so you can find it easily.
Key Specs
- Connectivity: Bluetooth V5.0
- Power Source: Corded Electric
- Charging: QC3.0
The Comsoon Bluetooth 5.0V Receiver For Cars connects to the AUX port in the car and will let you use Bluetooth whenever you need it. This adapter comes with a built-in microphone that has intelligent noise reduction and digital signal processing.
Key Specs
- Connectivity: Bluetooth V5.3
- Power Source: DC
- Charging: 2.5 hours
- Battery Life: 16 hours
$25.99 at Amazon
The Syncwire Bluetooth 5.1 FM Transmitter provides high-quality audio and has built-in noise compression. It has a USB and a Type-C port that allow you to charge two devices simultaneously.
Key Specs
- Connectivity: Bluetooth V5.1 FM Transmitter
- Power Source: Corded Electric
- Maximum Power: 38w
- Charging: QC3.0 dual USB
- Assistant Support: Siri, Google Assistant
This UNBREAKcable Bluetooth 5.0 FM Transmitter For Car is compatible with most modern iPhones and Android smartphones. It includes voice navigation, hands-free calling and a strong microphone. This adapter comes with a 3-year warranty and lifetime service.
Key Specs
- Connectivity: Bluetooth V5.3
- Power Source: Corded Electric
- Maximum Power: 38w
- Charging: QC.3.0 and PD 20w
- Warranty: 3-year warranty and lifetime support
$25.99 at Amazon
The Sumind Bluetooth FM Transmitter has a large LCD screen that displays incoming calls, song titles and the battery voltage of your car. The flexible hose makes it easy to rotate and move around. The adapter has CVC (clear voice capture) technology that creates a full duplex sound that suppresses noise and wind.
Key Specs
- Connectivity: Bluetooth V4.2
- Power Source: Corded Electric
- Charging: QC3.0 and 2.4A
- Assistant Support: Siri and Hey Google Assistant
$54.99 at Amazon
If you’re already a part of the Amazon Alexa ecosystem, then this one is a no-brainer. It works just the same as many of the other Bluetooth adapters out there, but it’s fully compatible with Alexa. That means, if you’ve got some Echos at home and a few smart home devices, you’ll be able to control most or all of it by simply speaking to your Echo Auto. Naturally, you’ll also be able to listen to all of your favorite music, podcasts and audiobooks as well.
Key Specs
- Connectivity: Bluetooth
- Power Source: Corded Electric
- Charging: QC3.0
- Assistant Support: Amazon Alexa
- Warranty: 1-year limited warranty and service (extended warranty available)
Frequently Asked Questions
What features do Bluetooth car adapters have?
Bluetooth adapters provide many great benefits to you and your car. They allow you to listen to navigation, play music and take calls hands-free while driving. They also let you charge phones, laptops and tablets, some adapters have two ports that can charge multiple devices at once.
Are there any drawbacks to Bluetooth adapters?
One drawback of these adapters is that they will never match the quality of Bluetooth that comes standard in newer vehicles. Another problem you could face is if you don’t have an AUX jack or cigarette lighter, then you are out of luck.
Bluetooth adapter vs FM transmitter
FM transmitters are able to transmit Bluetooth from your phone over FM radio frequencies and will be picked by your vehicle’s radio. On the other hand, Bluetooth adapters use digital transmissions that provide better sound quality and carry more information than FM transmissions.
