Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Cell phones, sunglasses and loose papers in your car can causeaccidents. Reaching for a runaway pen or soda bottle may distractyou. Why not stash them in handy holders? Initially, most storagewas designed to prevent cargo from rolling around in the back ofvans, trucks and SUVs. Today, a variety of organizers solve storageproblems in passenger cars. Most containers are lightweight andportable enough to tote into the office or home.
Two new products are space-savers that loop over the back of thefront seat. One is Case Logic's $28.99 ABS-20 (www.efunctional.com), an organizer with a nylon trayand padded foldable wrist rest, storage compartments and meshpockets. Want something smaller? Creekside Products' Cargo Tote(www.creeksideproducts.com) is a net that hangs fromyour car's headrest and can be rolled up when not in use.Creekside also sells a roomy fabric Cargo Tray for $24.95, and alarger tray, the Cargo Mini, for $39.95. Both pop open easily on aspring mechanism.
Perfect for the working traveler, the $119.95 Mobile OfficeConsole (www.autoacessory.com) is belted in to the passengerseat. Its nonskid workstation is large enough for a laptop, withslots for files. It has a fold-out writing surface, compartmentsfor small items, and holders for cell phones and cups. Smallerconsoles fit between seats and range from $10 to $20 at the samesite.
Visor caddies come in all sizes. The $5.99 Axius Visor Organizerfrom Auto Barn (www.autobarn.net) holds receipts, pens and coins.
New passenger cars usually have trunks equipped with nets, butyou may need something sturdier. Cargo AIP (www.cargoape.com)offers interlocking plastic egg-crate panels you put together tosuit your space. Twelve cost $29.95.
Editor and consultant Jill Amadio has been reporting on theautomotive industry for 24 years.
