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Never drop fries in the dreaded 'car crack' again with this $25 'Shark Tank' gadget
Losing everything in the gap between the car seat and the console is frustrating. This No. 1 bestselling invention can help.
As a writer and editor who handles organizing and cleaning beats, I can’t get enough of a good problem-solving product. And I thought I knew about (and bought) them all: the clear shoeboxes for storing everything from lightbulbs to gift bows. The divided organizers for junk-drawer bliss. The lazy Susans for my spices and condiments. All the usual suspects. But then I came across a solution to a pesky problem that truly floored me: The Drop Stop. This brilliant $25 gizmo sent from the heavens fills the gap between your car seat and the center console — you know, the abyss that swallows everything from pens to chicken nuggets and everything in between. Literally.
Crumbs, dropped items, you name it — this gizmo's got you (and your car seat gap) covered.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve dropped my iPhone into the car-crack abyss, then had to dig it out, scratching my hands and messing up my manicure. Or worse, having to stop the car to move the seat and unearth it (talk about first-world problems).
As seen on my favorite show of all time, Shark Tank, the Drop Stop seat gap filler will solve your butterfinger issues from now until eternity. And it’s a whole lot safer than searching for things while you’re driving.
Made of squishy neoprene, the Drop Stop conforms to fit any car’s gap, squeezing into a quarter-inch space up to 3 1/2 inches. And the material easily wipes clean (I know this because a Werther’s Original popped out of my mouth and onto the Drop Stop — but at least it didn’t fall into the gap, never to be seen again).
Not convinced it’s necessary? Perhaps you should grab a flashlight and check out your car’s crevices to see what’s in there. Then we’ll talk.
As a mom of two kids, I’m always in the car shuttling the little ones back and forth. And the things that have fallen into that gap are unbelievable: lanyards, Shopkins, M&Ms, markers, credit cards, keys, change, earrings, mascara, almonds, bottle caps, fries, gum, candy wrappers, breath mints, rings, gummy worms ... need I say more?
A post shared by Drop Stop (@thedropstop) on Aug 8, 2019 at 12:13pm PDT
Since the Drop Stop is black just like the rabbit hole, it’s nice and discreet — I barely notice it’s there. To install, you just slide it over the seat belt catch (there’s a slot). It even moves with the seat when you go forward or back.
This is one of those products that I never realized I needed because I didn’t know it existed. But now that I have one, I’ll never go back to leaving my gap unattended. Will you? And I'm not the only one who's obsessed with these. Over 51,000 Amazon shoppers gave them a perfect five-star rating.
If you're worried that these may be a hassle to install, thousands of shoppers say it actually couldn't be easier. "Installation is a breeze," this five-star reviewer wrote. "I simply looped the seatbelt latch through the Drop Stop hole, and when it's time to insert the Drop Stop between the seat and the console, I just stretch it out to make it thin, slide it into place, and release."
You may also be tempted to save a few dollars and snag some of the knockoffs out there, but reviewers say this Shark Tank-approved original is the one to buy. "Don't do it," this shopper said while comparing this to an alternative version. "There is a huge difference in the installation and the aftermath ... The cheap knockoff? It tore a little every time I slid the seat forward/backward ... Get this and save yourself some rage headaches."
One shopper who often drops their phone while driving even said this has made their life so much easier. "I just got these a little over a month ago and they have stopped my phone from falling in the gap between my seat and the console several times, any of which could have led to an accident as I fished around for the phone under my seat while driving," the reviewer explained.
The only con a few shoppers had for the Drop Stop, though is its tight fit. But, as one shopper admitted, "That's the point."
Each package comes with two universal-fit Drop Stops — one for the driver side and one for the passenger side. As if this genius product wasn’t enough, you’ll also get two free gifts (I won’t ruin the surprise for you).
If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
