Buyer's guide
What to check before you buy a tsurikawa, a hanging car diffuser or a car candle.
How to choose a tsurikawa
A tsurikawa is the hanging hand strap from Japanese trains, carried into JDM car culture. Here is what separates one from another. New to these? What is a tsurikawa
What it is made of. Most tsurikawas sold online are a nylon or PVC ring on a strap. Ours are handmade from resin with chopped carbon fiber, so the carbon settles differently in every pour and no two are exactly alike. Most hang from an IWhip fabric strap, and a few designs come on leather.
Where it will hang. Off the rear tow hook is the classic spot. Inside, it goes on the seatbelt, the headrest or the mirror. On a lowered car it is fine to let it drag on the road.
The design. Bunnies, moons, butterflies, flowers, a cloud, barbed wire hearts and a gold drip. Pick the one that matches the car, or the person you are gifting.
The rules. Some states, including California, Minnesota and Pennsylvania, limit what can hang from a rearview mirror, and Florida bans anything that blocks the driver's view. Check your state before hanging anything from the mirror. And a tsurikawa can look like a tow point. It is not one, so never tow with it.
The price. Plastic rings run about $7 to $25. A handmade resin and carbon fiber tsurikawa from IWhip is $30. Shop tsurikawas
What to look for in a hanging car diffuser
How long it lasts. Sellers claim anything from 30 days to 3 months. Ours last about 60 days.
What is inside. Ours are hand poured with real dried botanicals under a natural wood cap.
How it works. The wood cap soaks up the oil and gives off the scent. Before you hang it, pull out the plastic stopper under the cap. After that, tip it at least once a week to wet the cap, but don't soak it: a saturated cap can drip, and oil can mark a dashboard.
Heat. A hot car makes the oil expand, so keep the bottle upright and wipe any spill straight away with warm soapy water.
Where it hangs. From the mirror or the sun visor, as long as it does not block your view. The same state rules apply as for a tsurikawa.
The price. $7 each, or any 4 for $20, in 13 scents. Shop diffusers
Car candles
Each car is hand sculpted from natural beeswax. A statement piece for the desk, the shelf or the shrine. $40. Shop candles