The right accessories don’t just improve your ride — they can save your trip, your machine, and in some cases your life. Here are the ten ATV accessories every rider should own, regardless of experience level or terrain.
1. Full-Face Helmet
The single most important piece of kit you’ll ever buy. A DOT- or ECE-certified full-face helmet protects your skull and face from roost, branches, and the unexpected. Don’t cut corners here — your budget starts with the helmet, and everything else follows.
“A $200 helmet protects a $200 head” is the oldest lie in riding culture. Buy the best helmet your budget allows.
2. ATV Winch (2,500–3,500 lb Rated)
Trail recoveries happen to every rider eventually. A properly mounted winch with synthetic rope turns a potentially hours-long ordeal into a 15-minute inconvenience. Synthetic rope is lighter, safer when it snaps, and won’t rust. Match the rating to at least 1.5× your machine’s weight.
Arguably the highest ROI accessory on this list — you’ll only need it once to understand why it’s non-negotiable.
3. Skid Plate / ATV Chassis Armor
Your machine’s undercarriage is exposed to rocks, roots, and terrain that wants to eat differentials and oil pans for breakfast. A full skid plate system — front, mid, and rear — is cheap insurance against a costly repair that ruins your weekend and your wallet.
See ATV protection accessories →
4. ATV GPS / Trail Navigation Unit
Smartphone apps work in a pinch, but a purpose-built ATV GPS unit with preloaded trail maps, glove-friendly operation, and full sunlight readability is a different tool entirely. The Garmin Tread series was purpose-built for ATV and UTV riders — and it shows.
5. ATV Rear Cargo Rack / Bag System
Tools, snacks, first aid, hydration, rain gear — it adds up fast. A quality ATV cargo bag system designed for rear racks keeps everything accessible and secured so it doesn’t become a projectile when the trail gets rough.
6. ATV LED Light Bar
Trail riding after dusk — or pushing through dust, fog, or thick canopy — exposes the limits of factory lighting fast. A forward-facing ATV LED light bar mounted to the front rack or A-arms transforms low-light visibility and meaningfully improves safety on technical terrain.
7. ATV Handlebar Grip Heaters
Cold-weather ATV riding is a different animal, and numb hands are a control liability — not just a discomfort. Heated handlebar grips are a low-cost, easy-install upgrade that extends your riding season significantly, especially at elevation or during early spring trail openings.
8. Trail First Aid / ATV Emergency Kit
You’re often miles from cell service and further from a hospital. A trail-specific ATV emergency kit — including a tourniquet, compression bandages, and a mylar blanket — covers the gap between injury and extraction. Hope you never need it. Know you have it.
Pair with a satellite communicator like the Garmin inReach Mini if you ride remote terrain regularly.
9. Aftermarket ATV Tires
Factory ATV tires are a compromise. Matching your rubber to your primary terrain — mud, rock, hardpack, or mixed — is one of the highest-impact performance upgrades available without touching the engine. ITP, Maxxis, and Kenda all offer terrain-specific options across multiple price points.
10. ATV Tow Strap / Trail Recovery Kit
Even with a winch, a complete ATV recovery kit — tow strap, tree saver, D-ring shackles, and gloves — prepares you to help someone else or accept help when the geometry doesn’t favor self-recovery. Every group should have one, and every rider should know how to use it.
