The Best Car DVD Players

  • Dave Sepulveda

Kids can get pretty restless during long car rides. With a car DVD player, you can keep them occupied while you drive. Plus, when compared to digital services and more expensive tablet options, a car DVD player just makes a lot of sense. These days, car DVD players are better than ever, with high-quality screens and low prices. Get ready for a blast from the past, because car DVD players are here to stay.

What to Look For

To find the best car DVD players for our list, we took considered these three key features: battery life, screen size, and resolution. If HD video is your priority, we recommend checking out Naviskauto’s 1080p pair of DVD players. The screens have better clarity and more detail than just about every other option on the market. But if battery life is your main concern, then Boifun’s extra-large portable DVD player is the device for you. With up to six hours of playtime, it lets you watch epic movies to your heart’s content. For more information on these and other first-rate DVD players, keep reading.

Dbpower 9″ Rechargeable Portable DVD Player

A modern classic

This portable DVD player can be used on your lap or mounted to a car headrest, and it includes a rechargeable battery with plenty of battery life.
Best Overall

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Setting up a car media system doesn’t have to be expensive. This affordable DVD player can be used anywhere from cars to planes thanks to its swivel screen. You can fold the screen facing outwards and use the included headrest mount to set it up in your car. Or use it clamshell-style with the perfect viewing angle no matter your setup. Since this DVD player has a built-in battery and comes with a car charger, you won’t have to worry about it dying mid-road trip. Instead of purchasing another expensive tablet and more data for streaming movies, this DVD player offers a great inexpensive alternative.

Pros:

  • The screen is bright and clear. Even in daylight, the image doesn’t get washed out.
  • This DVD player has excellent anti-shake. Even a bumpy road won’t deter it from smoothly playing movies.

Cons:

  • It’s a bit bulky, so it can take up quite a bit of space.

Wonnie 15.4‘’ Swivel TFT Screen DVD Player

Deck out your ride

Upgrade your car with this extra-large DVD player that works well at home or on the road thanks to its fully rotating swivel screen.
Runner Up

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Most portable DVD players have a screen size of about 10 inches or less, but not this one. This option from Wonnie boasts a beautiful, bright screen measuring 15.4 inches. With such a large screen, this DVD player works well for multiple viewers. It can be easily mounted to a car headrest, and the screen swivels 180° to lay flat. When you’re ready to watch at home, it swivels side to side as well to optimize your viewing angle. The brightness and volume can both be adjusted either on the device or using the remote. We like to have the screen brightness lowered at night to make it easier to fall asleep.

Pros:

  • It has a screensaver function to prevent burn-in. Thus, if you leave a movie on pause, the image won’t get burned into the screen.
  • It’s about half the weight of a laptop of similar size. You can easily carry it around with one hand.

Cons:

  • Unfortunately, a headrest mount doesn’t come included.

Fangor 10.5″ Dual DVD Players for Car Headrest

Two screens are better than one

Thanks to this dual-screen setup, which can play movies synchronously and separately, keeping passengers occupied in the backseat has never been easier.
Dual Monitors

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When one monitor just won’t cut it, you might want to opt for a dual-screen DVD player setup like this one. The screens sync up automatically — all you have to do is plug some cables in, drop in a DVD, and you’re off to the races. Maybe you just want to spruce up your ride with some screens. They can connect to phones and use USB or SD drives, making them adaptable to almost any type of media.

Pros:

  • The remote works from the front seat. You can play and pause or change the volume without needing to look back.
  • The mounts have a quick release to easily detach and attach each screen. This makes it easy to remove them for safekeeping.

Cons:

  • The volume on the DVD players isn’t super loud, though you can plug in headphones.

Naviskauto 1080p 10.5″ Dual-Screen Portable DVD Player

Discover the details

With this high-def DVD player, you'll notice more visual details thanks to its excellent resolution and crisp colors.
Best Resolution

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Once you’ve seen 1080p, it’s hard to go back to 720p. With these 10.5-inch screens, you’ll quickly appreciate the HD resolution. You can play DVDs, connect a phone or tablet, and even load movies onto a USB drive or SD card. This two-screen DVD player kit comes with mounting hardware to install in your car. And if the backseat passengers can’t decide on what to watch, each screen has its own DVD player, so you can have two separate movies playing. Or, to watch the same movie, you can simply connect the screens with the included cable.

Pros:

  • You can use the AUX output to use your car’s sound system. Make sure that your car has a compatible 3.5mm audio input.
  • The anti-skip engineering works well, with no stuttering while you ride. It also keeps DVDs from getting scratched when the car shakes from bumps in the road.

Cons:

  • Each DVD player is a bit hefty, weight-wise.

Boifun 15.6″ Portable DVD Player

Movie marathons on the move

This car DVD player features a long six-hour battery life and a huge beautiful screen.
Best Battery Life

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When it comes to portable DVD players, we prefer something with enough battery life for a few movies. Boifun’s portable DVD player hits the spot in battery life, with a maximum of about six hours. That’s plenty for most uses. Another noticeable feature of this DVD player is the high-quality HD screen and substantially loud speakers. This makes for a more immersive viewing experience. The controls are intuitive, so this device works well for all ages.

Pros:

  • The picture quality stands out as better than most car DVD players. It’s comparable to a laptop screen.
  • The DVD door locks in place, keeping it from accidentally opening. The locking mechanism is solidly constructed and durable.

Cons:

  • The buttons could be more responsive, they can be tricky to press.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use a USB drive or SD card with a car DVD player?

If your car DVD player is compatible, playing movies off of a USB or SD card is easy. First, connect the drive or card to your computer. Next, make sure your files are compatible with the player — MP4, MPEG, and AVI are common playable formats. Drag those files onto the drive and then connect the drive to the DVD player. You may have to use the DVD player’s remote or control buttons to find the files.

Do portable DVD players come with car power adapters?

Yes, generally most portable DVD players include a car adapter for the 12V lighter socket. If one is not included, you can generally find inexpensive ones on Amazon. To find a compatible adapter, check the AC wall charger for its voltage and amperage output and match the car adapter to that. The voltage must match exactly but amperage can usually be greater than the wall charger.

About the Author

Dave is a proud self-proclaimed computer geek and enjoys modding video game consoles. When he's not voiding warranties, he plays piano and video games on stream. In fact, he built his own home studio, so his expertise spans a wide range of areas. If you're looking for a tech-head for advice, Dave is your guy.

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