Halfords Emergency Breakdown Kit
Size 430 x 230 x 140mm
Price £39.99
Tel 08457 626625
Web www.halfords.com
Comments If ever there was a product that does exactly what it says on the, erm… bag, this is it. Practically all of the kit's contents are geared towards getting you back up and running again and, perhaps more importantly, helping you to work safely while pumping up the tyres or investigating where that odd noise is coming from. The tyres are particularly well catered for here: there's a basic but effective foot pump as well as an accurate, pen-style tyre pressure gauge. You'll be pleased at the inclusion of disposable gloves, too, especially if you have to handle a filthy wheel during a tyre swap. However, although the torch, jump leads, warning triangle and tow rope are all of a reasonable quality, this kit feels a touch too dear considering what's actually included.
Verdict A bit too expensive, especially as no first-aid kitis included.
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Michelin Motorist Set
Size 340 x 200 x 200mm
Price £39.99
Tel 01980 676400
Web www.caeurope.co.uk
Comments On a shop shelf, this kit looks very appealing. The combination of Michelin's well-respected brand name coupled with the smart, durable bag appear to justify the price. But it's a different story when you look inside, as there's not that much included. The most striking product is Michelin's excellent foot pump, which works superbly. But the same cannot be said for the jump leads, whose clamps felt plasticky. Although a torch is supplied, batteries are not – we wonder how many people have been caught out by this? The first-aid kit is also disappointing: it covers basic first aid but it's nowhere near as comprehensive as the AA's offering.
Verdict Far too dear considering how little is included.
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Car Parts Direct European Travel Kit
Size 500 x 140 x 230mm
Price £69
Tel 01332 290833
Web www.carparts-direct.co.uk
Comments Priced at a touch under £70, you would expect this kit to be good, and in a lot of ways it is: the contents seem to have been carefully selected. A tyre-fix aerosol, for instance, is arguably more practical for getting you going quickly at the roadside than a wheel wrench and tyre compressor. Similarly, a fire extinguisher seems a blindingly obvious product to include, but this is the only kit on test to have one. To comply with European legislation, there's a bulb set, warning triangle, GB sticker, high-visibility vest and beam bender kit included.
Verdict Very pricey, but overall quality and choice of accessories justifies the cost.
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AA Emergency Breakdown Kit
Size 450 x 120 x 120mm
Price £29.99
Tel 01455 822000
Web www.a1motorstores.co.uk
Comments This and Halfords' kit (opposite page) are pretty even in terms of equipment supplied. This one doesn't have a foot pump, tow rope, or pressure gauge, but a first-aid kit, high-visibility vest and a foil blanket help to redress the balance. The first-aid kit is comprehensive and includes thoughtful touches such as medicated wipes and saline eyewash pods, which would come into their own were you unfortunate enough to have an accident while driving. The bag, however, seems like a casualty to cost cutting: it's a touch small and there are no straps or pockets inside to organise its contents. However, it does have a Velcro pad on its base, which will help to stop it sliding about while you're driving.
Verdict A worthy and cheaper alternative to Halfords' Emergency Breakdown Kit.
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RAC Essential Motoring Kit
Size 500 x 220 x 180mm
Price £29.99
Tel 08705 722722
Web www.rac.co.uk
Comments It can be very frustrating having a kit that comes in a bag or case that's too small, causing you to struggle to re-pack its contents. But the RAC seem to have taken this to the opposite extreme with this huge bag that's almost half a metre long – at least there's plenty of space to accommodate any extra bits you may want to add. In essence, this is a very practical kit: the tyre pressure gauge, tread depth gauge, telescopic wheel wrench, bulb kit and fuse kit, are all well considered. And a high visibility vest, pair of gloves, warning triangle and torch, cater well for emergency maintenance. Especially as batteries are supplied for the torch, too.
Verdict A comprehensive kit, equally as good for preventative maintenance as it is for emergency maintenance.
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The Pink Toolbox Co. Car Kit
Size 330 x 180 x 140mm
Price £24.99
Tel 01983 248678
Web www.pinktoolbox.co.uk
Comments Now here is an unusual kit: it is well priced, well thought-out and most of its contents are of very high quality but the colour may not appeal to some. Everything in the kit – and we really do mean everything – is bright pink. The high points of the ensemble are the top-quality torch, the emergency hammer and cutter, quite possibly the best quality jump leads of all kits in this test, and a very versatile phone charger. The charger connects to many of the most popular mobile phones thanks to a selection of adapters, and could literally be life saving if your mobile's battery dies at a time when you need it most. Our only whinge is that batteries for the torch and the mobile phone charger are not included in the package.
Verdict This is certainly a well thought-out kit, but the colour may be to everyone's taste.
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RAC Accident Kit
Size 260 x 210 x 110mm
Price £24.99
Tel 08705 722722
Web www.rac.co.uk
Comments A product whose name says it all. This kit is very obviously designed to help with the after effects of an accident. On a practical level, though, the high-visibility vest, emergency hammer, cutter and torch are rather let down by the omission of a warning triangle and gloves – surely both are essential when broken glass and mangled metal are likely to be present. However, a very thorough first-aid kit does help to redress the balance somewhat. Perhaps the product's greatest asset is its Accident Pack, which seems to have been designed with the intention of avoiding legal wrangles later on: it includes a disposable camera, a tape measure and even a note pad complete with a pen and crayon.
Verdict A good and interesting concept, but it's let down by some obvious omissions.
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Blackspur TK200
Size 440 x 310 x 90mm
Price £28.57
Tel 01902 353636
Web www.blackspur.co.uk
Comments This product has a different focus to most of the other kits here and we reckon that hands-on motorcaravanners will love it. There's a smattering of basic tools such as pliers, screwdrivers and an eight-inch adjustable spanner, and any electrical problems would be well catered for. As well as a good selection of spare fuses, there is that near-magical ingredient which has solved countless electrical gremlins over the years: insulation tape. The case opens out flat, for easy access to its contents, and everything sits in its dedicated slot, or strap. Although a tyre compressor, jump leads, wheel wrench, and tow rope are supplied, surprisingly an emergency triangle is not included.
Verdict A genuinely useful and practical emergency kit.
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Motormania Safety Xtra Kit
Size 400 x 150 x 170mm
Price £29.99
Tel 01332 222490
Web www.motormania.co.uk
Comments We get the feeling that somebody has really thought this product through because, despite the contents being similar to many of the other kits on test here, there are also lots of additional, clever touches. The gloves, for instance, are gauntlet style and run halfway up your forearm, so your cuffs and shirt will be protected and stay clean if you have to carry out any dirty, emergency maintenance. Motormania has solved the problem of torches being supplied without batteries, too: instead, a 12V lead light is supplied. We were surprised, and disappointed, to find no first-aid kit, but the wheel wrench, 80 x 60cm reflective foam mat, high-visibility vest, raincoat and stretchy tow rope notch up the points.
Verdict Contents are much better thought through than most.
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RAC Euro Kit
Size 460 x 180 x 110mm
Price £34.99
Tel 08705 722722
Web www.rac.co.uk
Comments Most Continental countries require motorists to carry certain items to ensure that they remain legal while on the road. This kit contains many of these most critical items. Specifically: spare bulbs, a high-visibility vest, headlight beam adapters and a warning triangle. Also included are a selection of fuses, a first-aid kit, and the obligatory torch. It echoes the trait of other RAC kits such as the provision of a sufficiently large bag, to make re-packing a doddle, and the inclusion of batteries. Nevertheless, we feel that this package is a touch too expensive. The first-aid kit is best described as containing only the essentials, and we feel that the addition of some basic tools would make bulb-changing a good deal easier.
Verdict This kit contains almost everything that you need to carry with you to ensure you remain legal while travelling on the Continent.
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