[Kate 87]

I’ve been thinking about keeping my ResQVac in the glovebox instead of the kitchen drawer, but I’m not sure if it can handle getting hot in the summer or cold in the winter. Has anyone kept it in their car for a while and noticed any issues?

[TommyWires]

I get the appeal of having it in the car since that’s where a lot of accidents happen, but I’d be more worried about the masks getting warped or the seals drying out from the heat. I’ve seen rubber stuff go stiff after a summer in a glovebox. If you’re set on it, maybe just check the masks every few months.

[Jenna Writes]

I think it really depends on where you live and how crazy your temps get. I’d be less worried about the device itself and more about the masks getting stiff or misshapen over time. Gloveboxes get surprisingly hot in the summer even on mild days. Maybe keep it in a pouch or something if you do go that route.

[Oliver Brooks]

I’ve had mine sitting in the car since last fall and honestly I think it’s tougher than people give it credit for. We get some pretty extreme heat here in the summer and it’s been through that plus freezing mornings without any visible damage. The masks still fit fine and the plunger moves smooth. I say go for it, just maybe toss it in the trunk or under a seat where it’s not sitting in direct sun all day.

[PixelKevin]

I’ve kept mine in the door pocket for about six months now. It’s been through both freezing mornings and those days where the car feels like an oven, and I haven’t noticed anything off with it. The masks still fit fine and the plunger moves smoothly. I’d say go for it.

[no_sleep]

Mine’s been living in the center console for about eight months now. Survived a brutal summer and a few freezing weeks without any issues. The masks still look fine and the suction works like it did on day one. Only thing I’d say is make sure it’s not bouncing around loose, but that’s true for anything.

[Jackson_H]

I’d probably pick the trunk over the glovebox since that plastic gets soft in direct sun.

[Sophie Nguyen]

I keep mine in the glovebox and it’s been through a full year of Texas weather without a problem.

[Chris Reed]

I keep one in the van and it’s held up fine through a couple of hot summers.

[Devon Lee]

I’m probably the odd one out here but mine stays in the car full time and it’s actually been fine through two summers now. The glovebox seems to keep it out of the worst of it. I do check the masks every few months just to make sure they haven’t gotten weird or warped, but so far nothing.

[Sarah]

I keep mine in the car, but not in the glovebox. I have a little pouch thing that sits on the floor behind the passenger seat. It’s been through a few seasons now and it still looks fine to me. I kind of forgot it was even back there until I read this, so no complaints here.

[Rob K1]

Carried mine in the door pocket for about a year and a half. Not the glovebox, the door. Probably gets more sun than the console does depending on how you park.

What I noticed was the masks getting a little stiff. Not cracked or warped, just not as soft as they were when I first got it. Still worked fine when I tested it on a cushion to make sure the seal held, but I wouldn’t say it came out of that summer completely unchanged.

The thing that got me was more the heat cycles than the cold. Winter never seemed to bother it. But sitting in a parking lot in July with the windows up, that plastic gets genuinely hot to the touch. I’d grab it and think about how the one-way valve or the plunger seal might not love that forever. No signs of actual damage yet, but it’s one of those things where you won’t know it failed until you actually need it.

Ended up moving it to the trunk in a small bag with some other emergency stuff. Stays cooler back there, out of direct sunlight, and I don’t have to look at it every time I reach for a pen. If you’re going to keep it in the car, I’d just say don’t leave it somewhere it’s baking in direct light all day. The plastic seems okay with normal interior temps but I wouldn’t push my luck.

[Tom C]

Mine has spent a few months in the center console just because I forgot to bring it in. No issues so far, but honestly the heat concern seems like overthinking it. These things are just plastic with a plunger. If it gets warped or stuck, you’ll notice when you grab it, not before.

[Jamie Kell]

I’d be more worried about the masks than the device itself, honestly. Heat and cold can make silicone or rubber get stiff or brittle over time, and that’s the part that needs to seal properly when you actually need it. The plastic body will probably be fine. I haven’t done a full summer with mine in the car, but I’ve left it in a hot trunk for a few weeks by accident and it still works when I tested it. The valve felt a little stickier afterward but not enough to make me think it’s broken. I guess it depends on how long you plan to leave it there. A few months, probably okay. Years of baking in a glovebox, I’d swap it out or bring it inside during the worst of the season. That’s more of a long term wear thing than an immediate failure thing.

[Mike in TX]

Plastic and silicone will take a lot more abuse than people give them credit for. I’ve had random first aid stuff bake in my truck for years and the only thing that ever went bad was the adhesive on a tape roll. The bigger issue with keeping it in a car is actually remembering it’s there, not the temperature. Out of sight, out of mind until you actually need it, and if you’re digging around a glovebox during a choking emergency you’re already in a bad spot. Kitchen drawer makes more sense for most people because that’s where the food is. But if you eat in your car a lot, sure, keep one in the console. Just check the masks occasionally if it’s been through a brutal summer. I wouldn’t lose sleep over it.

[Tommy Burrel]

If you’re in an area with real temperature swings, the glovebox is the worst spot for it. I’ve seen cheaper plastic stuff warp and get brittle from sitting in a hot car, and that’s not something you want failing when you actually need it. Kitchen drawer sounds like the smarter call to me.

[EthanFree]

I keep mine in the car but not in the glovebox. I figure if the mask is in a sealed pouch it should be fine, but the device itself in direct sun all day would probably get more wear than I want. I guess I just don’t see the point of moving it unless you eat in your car all the time.

[Paul Graves]

I’m in the opposite camp. I grabbed one for the car right away and it’s been sitting in the console for about eight months now. No weird smells, no warping, masks still fit fine. I’d rather have it there and not need it than realize I left it on the kitchen counter when something happens at a restaurant.

[Kate 87]

Good points all around. Guess I’ll just leave mine where it is for now.

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