Tom's Guide Verdict
Bringing together an air pump, jumper cables and a tire repair gear, the First Secure Car Emergency Kit is a bargain at $80. It packs a lot into a small bag but lacks basics like a fire extinguisher and shovel.
Pros
- +
Contains tire inflator and repair kit
- +
Includes tow strap, jumper cables and multi-tool
- +
11 major items
- +
Small bag
Cons
- -
Lacks fire extinguisher and shovel
- -
No roadside assistance
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Size: 14.1 x 10.2 x 4.1 inch
Weight: 8.9 pounds
Number of items: 11
Jumper cables/length: Yes/10-feet
First aid kit: Yes
Air pump: Yes
Shovel: No
Flashlight: Yes
Fire extinguisher: No
Roadside assistance: No
With an $80 price tag, the First Secure Car Emergency Kit can provide a lot of peace of mind on the road. This kit is close to a complete road-worthy safety package, squeezing a lot into a small bag and can help with accidents and roadside calamities. On the downside, the bag doesn’t leave room for adding extra items.
Packaged in a 14.1- x 10.2- x 4.1-inch blue nylon bag, the First Secure Car Emergency Kit crams a lot into a small space. The case lacks reflective stripes that can boost visibility during night work, but does feature webbed dividers to make it easier to stash and find the needed gear. Unfortunately, there’re no outer pockets to add your own stuff but was skinny enough to fit under a front seat. All that comes together to earn it a place on our list of the best automotive emergency car kits.
While it claims to have 90 items, the actual gear count was closer to 11 major safety-oriented pieces. They include a tow strap, plastic safety triangles, a pair of work gloves and a headlamp that’s powerful enough for some roadside repairs. Instead of tools, the Car Emergency Kit has cable ties and electrical tape, as well as a hammer for breaking a window. The stand-out item, however, is a Leatherman-like multi-tool for quickie repairs. All told, it weighed in at a reasonable 8.9 pounds.
Unlike others, this roadside kit focuses on tire safety. Its air compressor’s 9-foot power cord means it can pump up any tire on all but the biggest trucks and the kit includes attachments for balls and mattresses. The pump tops out at 250 pounds per square inch (PSI) of pressure and took 2 minutes and 10 seconds to pump a tire from 20 to 35 psi. That’s slow compared to the Everlit pump, which took 52 seconds to do the same thing.
It’s a good thing it came with a pencil pressure gauge because the one included on the pump was way off, reading 80 psi when it was closer to 30 psi. Unlike other roadside safety gear, the First Secure Car Emergency Kit also includes a Tire Plug kit for filling a hole left by a nail. It may not be a permanent repair, but combined with the tire inflator, it should get you to a gas station.
While the jumper cables are 10-feet long, the clips aren’t marked for positive and negative voltage. This could lead to confusion about polarity, especially at night. The kit contains neither a shovel nor any roadside assistance plan - two things the JustinCase kit offers.
First Secure's first aid kit is adequate, and packaged in its own red bag. It has rolled bandages, gauze pads, scissors, tape and a roll of elastic tourniquet for serious bleeding.
The kit comes with an accident report form and lifetime warranty on its items; just scan the included card to register. Because it’s stocked with lots of useful gear, the First Secure Car Emergency Kit can handle many major disasters but would be better if it had a fire extinguisher in the bag - or, at the very least room to add your own.
