12 Cheap Bluetooth Car Adapters, Ranked From Best to Worst

Don't have a high-tech infotainment system in your car? With Bluetooth car adapters, you can enjoy hands-free audio on the cheap and make hands-free calls (in some cases). By simply plugging one of these adapters — most are under $30 — into the audio port in your vehicle, you can connect wirelessly to your phone and stream everything from music to podcasts over your car's speakers.

To find out which option is best, we tested 12 Bluetooth car adapters and evaluated them on three core features: design, wireless audio quality and ease of use. We also awarded extra points for any special features. Here are the Bluetooth car adapters on the market right now.

Credit: Anker

The Mpow Bluetooth 4.1 Receiver 2-in-1 is simply the best Bluetooth car adapter you can buy. The device is small and exceedingly easy to plug in and start using, and it comes in a compact design

The 2-in-1 plugs in to your car's audio port (or, if you want to use the adapter on other devices, you can plug it into a headphone jack). My phone immediately recognized the handset, and within seconds, I was wirelessly streaming audio through my car's speakers.

The Mpow 2-in-1 has a built-in microphone that allows for hands-free calling. It wasn't the best microphone I've ever used, but it gets the job done. On the device, you'll find some buttons that allow you to quickly pause and play music, end a call, increase or decrease volume, and more. All of the buttons are easy to access, well-designed and responsive.

Overall, Mpow's 2-in-1 is a winner.

Credit: Mpow

TaoTronics makes one of the best Bluetooth car adapters on the market. And at its affordable price, it's a stellar value.

The TaoTronics Bluetooth Receiver is similar to Mpow's in that it plugs in to your car's audio port for wireless streaming. The device was easy to set up, and it connected to my phone in a flash. Several buttons on the side made it easy for me to switch between songs, pause and play audio, and pump up the volume. There's also a button on the side that helps you quickly activate voice assistants like Apple's Siri.

The TaoTronics comes with two microphones. One of them listens to your audio, while the other helps to drown out ambient noise. That resulted in outstanding call quality even when I had the window open.

Credit: TaoTronics

The Mpow Bluetooth Receiver Streambot Mini was a treat to use. The diminutive device plugs in to the audio jack on your car speaker and runs on a long-lasting battery that can keep a connection to your phone all day. Connecting the Streambot Mini to my phone was a cinch, and I like that it comes with a longer cord to use when the shorter connector made for too tight a fit between the radio and my car.

Using the Streambot Mini was pretty simple. I connected it to my phone and could immediately wirelessly stream music to my car's speakers. The Play/Pause button is perfectly placed for easy, no-look access, and buttons on the side let you quickly increase or decrease volume.

I used the Streambot Mini for wireless calling. It worked pretty well, but the microphone quality wasn't the best.

Credit: Mpow

While many car Bluetooth adapters are small and plug in to your car's audio port, where they'll remain, the Anker SoundSync Drive is designed for a bit more flexibility. But there's one problem.

I don't like putting adhesive on my dashboard, but that's how the SoundSync Drive works. You take the circular unit and place it anywhere on the dash. However, because  the unit has a strong adhesive, you'll find that it won't come off your dash so easily after prolonged use.

The device itself has a nice design and worked well over a wireless connection to my phone. One of the benefits of the SoundSync Drive's design is that you can place the adapter closer to where you are, which improves call quality. However, the Drive's buttons are flush with the case, so if you want to change your volume without looking, you might find yourself fumbling to find the button or even hit the wrong buttons entirely. That was a problem for me on a few occasions.

Credit: Anker

The Mpow Bluetooth 4.1 Receiver with One Key is a simple Bluetooth audio adapter that plugs in to your car's audio port and wirelessly connects to your phone. I found that the wireless connection was stable, though at times during music playback, there was some interference in the signal. I'm not sure whether this was because of the device or my phone.

Like other Mpow devices, this one is small and easy to use. And its big button on the side makes it easy to quickly play and pause audio without taking your eyes off the road. This Mpow device had solid battery life, and its call quality wasn't bad. But if you don't mind spending a few extra bucks, you should get the Mpow Bluetooth 4.1 Receiver 2-in-1, which is a better option.

Credit: Mpow

There's nothing to dislike about the Nulaxy Bluetooth Receiver. The device is small and simple to set up, and it plugs directly into your car's audio port for wireless connectivity. A button on the side gives you control over your music, and the device's built-in battery lasts all day on a charge.

Like some others in this roundup, the Nulaxy Bluetooth Receiver has noise-cancelling features that aim to improve call quality. And while the TaoTronics adapter offered better noise cancelling, the Nulaxy delivered solid performance.

There Nulaxy has volume controls, but I would have liked more options to activate voice assistants. Overall, the Nulaxy is a good option given its very low price.

Credit: Nulaxy

Out of all the Mpow devices the company sells for wireless communication in the car, the Mpow Bluetooth Receiver for Car would be my last pick.

Unlike the other Mpow products we reviewed, the Mpow Bluetooth Receiver is a bulky, circular unit with an adhesive on the bottom that sticks to your dash. While that allows for better call quality, it also makes it harder to find the right buttons and controls without looking at the unit while you're driving.

The Mpow comes with one feature you might like if you want to keep your device charged on the go: a car-lighter adapter that has two USB ports on the back. Simply plug this in to your car lighter, and connect your iPhone or Android device on the other end, and you can charge your handset while you ride.

Sure, the Mpow Bluetooth Receiver has more bells and whistles than other options do, but at least in my time with it, that didn't translate to a better overall experience.

Credit: Mpow