It is way too easy to be distracted while driving. Between fumbling with your phone, eating, checking on-screen GPS, or whatever the case may be, your eyes, more often than not, are not entirely focused on the road. Even checking your speed while you’re driving takes your eyes off the road momentarily. That’s where a heads-up display (HUD) can help you focus on the road and keep yours and other’s safety in your field of view.
How Do Heads-Up Displays Work?
A head-up display puts most of the valuable information that you need while driving (speed, mileage, etc.) and places it either on your windshield or on a miniature display above your steering wheel, in your line of sight. This way, you can keep your eyes focused on the road, but still know exactly how fast you are going.
There are generally two kinds of HUDs on the market: ones that plug straight into your cigarette or USB port in your car, and ones that connect to your car’s OBD2 reader. Regardless, both have GPS technology that accurately track your speed, but when you’re able to plug directly into your car’s OBD2 reader, you get the same readings as your car’s instrument console, which is more accurate than the former.
Of course, not all cars are built the same; older cars (we’re talking that Corolla in your driveway that has enough mileage to circle the Earth 25 times) probably doesn’t have a computer system for a HUD to plug into. That’s why it’s best to find a HUD that can do the following:
- Use GPS for older cars, and connect to newer cars
- Display speed and mileage information clearly without distraction
- Additional features like speeding alerts and fatigue alarms are a bonus
For as much time as we spend in our cars, it’s important to take safety seriously. Keep your eyes on the road with our recommendations for the best head-up displays below:
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1. Acecar Heads-Up Display
BEST OVERALL
Affordable and full of features, the Acecar HUD prioritizes your safety by providing all the information you need right on your windshield. By plugging the HUD into the OBD2 port in your car, the Acecar can display your engines RPMs, speed and even engine temperature. But if you’re still rocking and rolling in your 1987 Toyota Corolla, you can still use the GPS mode to track your speed. Not a bad $30 investment for your overall safety.
2. LeaningTech Original Digital Universal Car HUD
EASY SETUP
Simply plug this into your the cigarette lighter in your car and you’re ready to go. The HUD displays bright green numbering on your windshield that automatically adjusts in brightness from day to night. It displays your speed, mileage and even how long you’ve been on the road. Speaking of drive time, you can even set drive time alarms to sound to ensure you aren’t getting too tired behind the wheel.
3. Timprove T600
AMAZON’S CHOICE
This tiny HUD can be placed inside of any car and provide you with speed, driving distance, driving direction and other information. This HUD uses satellites to accurately track your speed as you drive, so much so that this compact unit has over 300 user reviews with an 85% approval rating. Keep in mind that information is displayed on a tiny display that you place above your instrument console — it does not display the information on your windshield like other displays.
4. AceCar F8
MOST FEATURES
It’s like taking the instrument panel out from behind the steering wheel and placing it on top of your dash. Admittedly a bit large and clunky, the Acecar F8 needs the extra room for all its features, including displaying speed, mileage, voltage, oil temperature, water pressure — just about everything your dash can do. But if you have an older car, you’ll have to settle with the basic GPS mode for speed readings.
5. Vjoycar C60
GREAT VALUE
Set this HUD on your dash and the easy to read green digital display will help keep your eyes focused on the road. Beyond speed and mileage, this device can alert you when you are speeding or when you’ve been driving for long stretches and might need a break. Don’t mistake it’s affordability for limited functionality.