I tested 19 Best Jump Starters: These 3 are my FAV

When you are looking for a jump starter or booster pack, every manufacturer “claims” they got the best deal. They want to show you the numbers and charts to prove that their jump starter is the best. This is what they have to do to sell more. I found out that some of this can be true but that’s not always the case.

This is why I purchased 19 of the highly-rated jump starters on Amazon to test them myself and find out which of these are the Best Jump Starters for you to buy.

Best Portable Jump Starters (My Picks for You)

After testing for more than 100 hours and spending several cold nights (alone) in my garage, I found these jump starters to be the best among all.

These jump starters made my recommendation list because they provided:

• Power needed to jump start your vehicle (even with a complete dead battery).
• Safety features like reverse polarity and short circuit protection.
• Durability of the jump-starter battery pack itself and the clamps.
• Features like USB charge out, DC power out and portability.
• Best value for money without sacrificing on power.

For everyday cars and small-medium trucks and SUVs. (Gasoline)

Best for most: TrekPow A18 ($60 on Amazon)

If you are looking to buy a jump starter for your car or a small/medium truck or SUV then TrekPow 800A is the best jump starter for $60.

In my testing, it jump-started a 4.6L V8 truck without any problem. It has enough power to jump-start modern, everyday vehicles without any problem.

It has solidly built clamps, reverse polarity and short circuit protection, and two USB ports to charge your smartphone or other USB powered gadgets. And if you ever connect the jumper leads in the wrong order, it will beep to let you know about that.

It also has a voltmeter on the battery clamps which tells the voltage of the car battery. A nice feature I have seen in mostly shop jump starter or battery chargers.

The flashlight on this jump starter is not the brightest but still decent. I don’t like the placement of the flashlight on this jump starter because it is on the side rather than being on the top. Still, it provides decent illumination in the dark.

It charges via USB-C and comes with a USB-C to A cable but does not come with a charger. So you have to use your own or buy a new one.

If you find TrekPow for $80 on Amazon, I would steer you towards NEXPOW G17 which is $70 on Amazon. It has more power than TrekPow, around 1500amps advertised than the 800A on TrekPow.

In my testing, it also jump-started a 4.6L V8 on the first try. It has metal clamps and reverse polarity protection with an alarm. It also has two powered USB ports and a 12V DC out socket.

There is also a new version of NexPow G17 that has come out recently. This new jump starter provides 2000 peak amps and its $80 on Amazon. It can easily jump start a 5L V12 gasoline engine and has all the “compulsory” safety features including reverse polarity protection and short circuit protection.

Upgraded Pick: Noco GB40 ($100 on Amazon)

If your budget is around $100, then I would suggest you buy Noco GB40. In my testing, Noco GB40 performed well and had no trouble in starting the same 4.6L V8 engine.

It has really strong metal clamps that don’t flex when clamped on the battery post and also has reverse polarity protection. It has an LED light, instead of the alarm, to let you know that you have connected the jump starter in the wrong way.

This booster-pack also has a USB charge-out port to charge your smartphone or tablet or any other USB powered gadgets. It has two bright LEDs that are on the top of the unit rather than on the side.

This charges via micro-USB (which is a little slow) and come with a wall adapter and a cigarette lighter adapter.

For Large Trucks, SUVs and RVs. (Gasoline)

Best for most: BEATIT G18 ($100 on Amazon)

For $100 BEATIT G18 is really a winner when it comes to jump starting large Trucks and SUVs.

In my testing it had no problem jump-starting a 6.7L V12 engine without any problem. It has reverse polarity protection and an LED light to tell you if you have connected the jumper cables in the wrong order.

Clamps on this jump starter are not metal but built solid. They don’t flex or bend when connected to the battery posts. It charges through USB-C and can also provide power through the same USB-C port.

It also has two other powered USB ports that can be used to charge your smartphone or a tablet. 

Upgraded Pick: RuggedGeek RG2000 Sport ($200 on Amazon)

If you can spend around $200 for a jump starter, I would suggest you to buy RuggedGeek RG2000. This is also one of my favorite jump starters on the list.

It has the same (if not more) power as the BeatIT G18 but also has some other extra features like 60W USB-C charge out port.

Why do you care about 60W USB-C charge out port? Well, for me I travel with my laptop a lot and this powerbank can charge it through the USB-C port, as if I am plugged in to the wall.

The battery clamps on this jump starter are also made out of metal and have reverse polarity protection. It also has an alarm to tell you if you connected the jumper cables in the wrong order.

It is also smaller in size than BeatIT so you can fit it in your pocket or backpack too.

For bigger Diesel Engines, Semi Trucks or if you own a car lot.

Best for most: Noco Genius Boost GB150 ($300 on Amazon)

Noco GB150 is a pricier jump starter but it is powerful enough to jump start a 8L or maybe even a 10L diesel engine. Yep. It costs around $300 but you are paying for it’s raw power.

My friend Dan owns this jump starter and I have tested this jump starter on his 7.3L Diesel engine without the truck’s own batteries connected. The truck started from cold like normal, on the first try. That is impressive.

It has metal jumper clamps and thick cables. This jump starter also tells you the battery voltage so it is easier to diagnose if your truck’s battery is dead or good.

This can also charge your smartphones and tablets (which is probably something you are never going to do if you buy this) and has all the safety features like reverse polarity and short circuit protection. And this thing is heavy. And durable.

Upgraded Pick: Noco GB500 ($1500 on Amazon)

And if you drive a Semi and you need to jump start it somewhere, the Noco GB500 is the beast to buy. It costs $1500 but delivers 20,000 Cranking Amps so this thing can even jump start a plane or something.

This jump starter also has 24V output to jump start big diesel engines. It has big, heavy-duty metal clamps and has all the safety features that other Noco branded jump starters comes with.

For Motorcycles, Dirt-bikes and ATVs. (Gasoline)

For motorcycles or ATVs, you need to consider the battery clamps on the jump starter because if they are large, they might not fit on the (small) battery posts on your motorcycle or ATV.

In my testing I have found out that the small clamps, typically made out of plastic fit really well on these small battery posts.

With motorcycle and ATV engines, usually being under 1L, any jump starter can really jump start the engine even if your battery is totally dead.

I would recommend, my most affordable pick, TrekPow 800A as this jump starter only costs 60$ on Amazon. The clamps are perfect for motorcycle battery posts and it is small enough to be stored in the motorcycle storage compartment or backpack.

How I tested all of the 19 jump starters?

On a Saturday night, I looked on Amazon for jump starters and bought 19 jump starters that had most reviews or in general piqued my interest. After hitting the “place your order” button I went to sleep.

In the next week, all the jump starters arrived. I unboxed them and put them on charge. Some jump starters came with a little bit of charge like the ones from Noco, RuggedGeek, TrekPow and Clore Automotive but I still topped these all of. I read through their manuals (not something I do most of the time) to see what is the recommended charging time.

Some jump starters charged through USB but did not come with a charger in the box. Also, I noticed that jump starter that charged through DC 12 or 15-volt adapters were much faster in finishing the charge than the ones charging through regular USB. I also found out that USB-C charging was faster too due to the new technology called power delivery or PD. 

Rugged Geek RG2000 Sport had USB-C charging with PD and it was fully charged (from 30 to 100%) in under 2.5 hours. I had to use my MacBook’s USB-C charger to do so as the included wall adapter was not sufficient enough to deliver 60W of power.

Then the next day I was ready to test these jump starters on some of the vehicles I own and some other vehicles my friends owned. I also took these jump starters to my friend’s garage where he had a lot of vehicles that were never started in a year or more. I thought this was the perfect situation to put these jump starters to test and find out which jump starter is best in performance and worth my money.

Here is the list of vehicles I tested these jump starters on:

• 2016 Toyota Camry 2.5L Hybrid (Gasoline)
• 2014 Toyota Tundra with a 4.6-liter V8 (Gasoline)
• 2014 Ford F350 6.8L V10 (Gasoline)
• 2018 Ford F150 3.0L (Diesel)
• 2013 VW Passat 2.0L TDI (Diesel)
• 2005 Mazda 6 2.0L (Diesel)

I also tested these jump starters on two motorcycles and 1 ATV for versatility.

• 2012 Kawasaki ZX6R 600cc (Gasoline)
• 2013 Honda Shadow Phantom 750cc (Gasoline)
• 2017 Honda Foreman 4×4 500cc (Gasoline)

I begin my tests by disconnecting the negative ( – ) terminal from the batteries that were inside the vehicles. I did this to simulate a completely dead battery.

I also purchased a bad battery from a local auto store to simulate a “bad battery situation” for each jump starter. The bad battery I purchased from the auto store measured at around 9-10 volts and was unable to turn on the lights or start the ignition.

Then in the next couple of days, I ran my jump start tests on different vehicles for multiple times and measured cranking amps provided by each jump starter.

I then punched these readings into a spread sheet and exported an easy to read chart.

These are the cranking amps that one jump starter took to start a cold engine. I recorded this data using a digital clamp meter (to measure amps) and made a chart comparing each jump starter. This might not be the most accurate data, but still, it is enough to show the performance of each jump starter next to others.

Safety Features

To check the safety features of each jump starter I did a really stupid thing: connected the black clamp of the jump starter to the positive post on the battery and the red clamp of the jump starter to the negative post on the battery, on a parts car.

During this test, I wore protective glasses and gloves in case anything goes wrong. I tested 19 jump starters and found out that 16 of those who claimed to offer this feature did not cause any spark and gave warnings about the battery connection.

Some jump starters like from Noco, RuggedGeek, BEATIT, GOOLOO, and ROAV had a warning/error red light that came on when the jumper cables were connected in reverse order. While on the other hand some jump starters like Clore Automotive, Weego and TrekPow beeps to alert the user. Weego 22s’s beeping was less noticeable (near a busy road) among all other jump starters. 

In my opinion, loud beeping over flashing LEDs is a good and more straightforward way to alert the user that he/she did something wrong and needs to double-check the connections on the battery terminals.

Usually, error lights are somewhat hard to see under sunlight but you can probably see the lights if you get under the shade of the hood. In short, if your jump starter has reverse polarity protection you are covered for the most part.

Note that if your vehicle’s battery is too low (6 volts or less) and the jump starter does not detect that it is connected to the car. You have to enable “manual mode” to allow power to flow through cables and doing so will disengage all the safety features including short circuit and reverse polarity protection.

I do not advise you to do this on purpose even if you know your jump starter has reverse polarity protection and leave this feature only for those accidental situations. I did this so you don’t have to. 

Jumper Clamps and Cables

I tested clamps for their feel, clamping force and durability over time. I was surprised to see that out of 19 clamp sets, only 8 were made out of metal. Though plastic clamps were not as bad as I thought they would be.

There were some poor quality plastic clamps too and three clamp sets have already broken in under 9 months. The broken clamps are from:

• DEWALT DXAEJ14
• Schumacher SJ1328
• Roav Jump Starter Pro

Some plastic clamps have a metal hinge pin holding the two sides of a clamp and they seem more durable and don’t twist or flex as much as the ones made of only plastic do.

I also found out that for motorcycles and ATVs, the bigger clamps were harder to clamp on battery posts and small ones worked perfectly. 

Cable length on all the jump starters is about the same, except for the big less portable ones. On the more portable ones, the cable length is around 8 to 10 inches and it is just enough length to connect the jump starter to the battery posts and place it somewhere near.

Cable thickness was also my concern too but all the jump starters have thick cables, around 10 to 6 gauge and the cables did not get warm or anything during the testing.

Extra features

All of the jump starters had USB charge out features except Clore Automotive, Weego, and Schumacher. Some jump starter also had 12, 15 and 16-volt dc out so you can power things like laptops, hard drives, or anything that runs on these voltages.

One of my fav jump starter, RG2000 Sport from RuggedGeek has a USB-C charge out port that delivers 60W of power so you can charge your laptops or smartphones at much faster speeds.

All the big, less-portable jump starters have compressors built into them. I found that Clore Automotive performed better than all other and provided consistent results than any other air compressor – jump starter combo.

The tiny tire inflator that comes with Rugged Geek RG1000 is tiny and slow.. Like slow-slow. During emergencies, it can for sure get you to the nearest tire repair shop.

All of the jump starters that I tested had flashlights built-in and they all are great, some are brighter and some are less but they work in the dark and that matters most. 

Of course, it would be impossible to test 19 jump starters just by myself so I gave these to my friends to test and review for 6 months.

My favorite jump-starter packs.

From all the 19 jump starters that I tested, these 3 are my absolute favorites. They have all the safety features, durable built quality, and everything else a geek like me can ever ask for.

Noco Genius Boost GB40

This jump starter claims to jump-start vehicles with gasoline engines that are up to 6L and diesel engines that are up to 3L.

I had no trouble jump-starting my 8-cylinder 4.6-liter truck with battery disconnected completely from the vehicle. Noco claims that this jump starter can jump start a vehicle with a dead battery for up to 20 times but in my testing, that number was probably close to 8. And you are not going to jump-start eight dead cars in a row.

Apart from jump-starting vehicles, it also has a couple of features like a standard USB port to charge your electronics like a smartphone, a tablet or anything that charges through a standard USB port.

This jump starter also has a flashlight with a couple of different levels of brightness and can also be used as an emergency SOS signal if you are stuck somewhere.

The LED is bright and will surely get someone’s attention when you need it.

Battery clamps on this unit are built solid with thick wires (around 8 gauge) and provide solid clamping force so you don’t have to worry about the clamps slipping or not making good contact with the battery terminals.

It also has safety features like reverse polarity protection so if you ever connect it the wrong way to the battery terminals (like I did on purpose for testing this) it flashes the red light and won’t let you jump or damage anything in your car or your wallet.

This jump starter also has a manual override feature for the batteries that are really low or completely dead. Keep in mind that if you enable this feature, all the safety features like reverse polarity and short circuit protection will also be disabled. When enabling manual override, just be careful and connect the jumper leads correctly.

Noco does not tell anywhere on the jump starter or the box about the capacity of the internal battery, so I took apart my jump starter to find out a Noco branded Element X10 3-cell lithium battery which 11.1 volts and has a capacity of 2150 mah battery.

That much power from such a tiny battery is really impressive. There is also a temperature sensor on the battery which shuts the unit off when the battery gets hot.

I went on camping and took this jump starter with me. There I charged my iPhone two times with this, used it as a camping light, and jump-started my friend’s car. The battery came down to 25 percent during my 3-day trip.

This jump starter comes with a carrying pouch, a micro USB charging cable, a cigarette lighter to USB adapter, jumper cable leads and the jump starter pack itself. This jump starter can be charged from any USB charger that has a micro USB end.

I tested it with the 2.1A Samsung wall charger and it took around 4 hours until it was fully charged. Considering its size you can store it in your trunk or glove compartment without taking much space.

RuggedGeek RG2000 Sport

This jump starter is the bigger brother of the RG1000 (which I also tested and reviewed) and has a lot of cool new features.

For starters, it has double the cranking amps of the RG1000 at 2000 amps and can jump-start vehicles with engine sizes up to 8L for gasoline and 6L for diesel. That is a lot of jump-starting power in such a small form factor.

I had no trouble jump-starting my friends Ford F350 which has a 6.8-liter gasoline engine with the vehicle’s battery disconnected. The truck started normally without any hiccup and after I ran my test for 4 times, the battery drained down to 57%.

This jump starter has metal jumper clamps with great clamping force and solid cables. It also has the IntelliBoost technology which protects your car and the jump starter itself from accidental reverse polarity connections. So even the salesman in your nearest car dealership can use it if you know what I mean.

This jump starter is also IP66 rated meaning that you don’t have to worry about it getting damaged from water splashes or dust and debris. This rating is important if you want to store this on a boat.

It also has a bright LED that can be viewed easily in the sunlight and the bright flashlight helps you in the night time. This jump starter comes with a carrying case, a 12V cigarette lighter adapter, USB-C to USB-C and USB-A (normal USB end) cable, nice thick jumper leads and a USB-C wall charging brick.

You must be thinking why USB-C? Well, I was surprised to see that as well because I had no idea that jump starter manufacturers cared about modern ports and making their gadgets more easy to use.

The USB-C port on the jump starter delivers power according to the PD standards and can charge your USB-C devices like modern laptops or smartphones at the fastest possible speeds.

This also gives the flexibility to carry just one USB-C cable (and not a dozen different micro USB or whatever) for all your gadgets.

I tested it’s USB-C PD capabilities by charging my 13inch MacBook Pro and after one full charge on my laptop, the jump starter dropped to 33%. I have never charged laptops through power banks so I can’t tell if that is a good number. But still, I was impressed with the capabilities of this jump starter pack. Other than USB-C it also has quick-charge 3.0 compatible dual USB-A ports.

This jump starter does not have any DC power out but I don’t complain because in return I get USB-C which is the standard lately on all modern devices, but your iPhone. iPhone still charges through lightning.

For $200 this might be an expensive jump starter for most, but if you are a geek like me and enjoy the latest technology, you will enjoy it as much as I do.

NEXPOW 1500A

NEXPOW claims that this jump starter can start vehicles with engine sizes of up to 6.5L for gasoline and 4L for diesel. And can jump-start these up to 300 times.

Now I think that this jump starter can easily jump start a 6.8L engine (with a weak). But that that “300 times” is too much of a marketing scam.

Anyways, this product is not bad. In my testing I was able to jump-start the 6.7L V10 on the first try with the truck’s battery drained down to 6 volts.

This jump starter also claims to work well in temperatures up to -4 so I did a cold test by putting this unit in the freezer for 30 minutes and then giving it a go. My test was not as cold as the jump starter’s operating temperature specs but it took 4 tries and fired the big 6.7L V10 right up.

The jumper clamps are made from metal (so no worries of breaking or flexing these) with good clamping force and when I was doing the cold test I noticed that the clamps grip well even with wet hands.

This jump starter also checks my safety checklist with reverse polarity protection, overcharge protection and short circuit protection. If you ever accidentally connect the jumper leads in the wrong way, the jump starter will beep loudly to let you know that you have done something wrong.

It also has dual USB ports with one of them compatible with quick charge 3.0 so you can charge you android devices at fast speeds and really take advantage of the 21,800 mah battery inside.

The flashlight on this jump starter is bright and comes handy if you are jump-starting in the dark. It comes with smart jumper cables, USB-C cable, and a carrying case.

It does not come with a wall charger. Not even the cigarette lighter one for your car. I don’t find this as a problem because most of us already has a USB charger laying around.

I bought this for $80 on Amazon and I think it has a lot of power for the price I paid.

Rest of the jump starters that I tested.

These are the other jump starters I tested to see if they are up to the manufacturer’s claims. You can read my detailed review down bellow to find out if a specific jump starter meet your needs.

TACKLIFE T8

This jump starter from Tacklife claims to jump-start vehicles with engine sizes up to 7L for gasoline and 5.5L for diesel. This jump starter came in with a 51% charge so I topped it off before testing it. Just make sure you switch the jump starter on before you charge it. Don’t ask me how I know this.

In my real-world testing, it was able to jump-start a 4.6L V8 gasoline engine just fine. I also tested this jump-started with a bigger 5.7L gasoline engine and it took a couple of tries but fired right up.

I think the 7L claims are a bit too high, or for a vehicle with a weak battery but not a completely dead one. After 4 jump-start tests, the battery came down to 60% from a full charge. It can easily provide around 7ish jump-starts on a full charge.

This jump starter is built solid and has a nice weight to it. There is a bright display that tells the remaining charge on the jump starter so you won’t have to guess by looking at indicator LEDs. Clamps on this unit are made from metal with plastic outer casing to protect it from shorting itself out.

The jump starter has the usual safety features like short circuit and reverse polarity protection. In my testing, it gave an error when connected to the battery in the opposite order. If there is a green light on the jumper cables, it means you have connected it the proper way and you are good to jump your car.

The flashlight on this jump starter is blindingly bright and comes very handy when working in the dark. It also has a couple of USB ports that come handy when you need to charge your phone.

There is also a bright red LED that can be used to signal for emergency and help. It also has a compass, I mean who even uses compass these days? We have maps and compass on our phones.

This jump starter comes with a car cigarette lighter charger, a wall charger, a USB cable, a 12V DC out with cigarette lighter adapter, and a nice hardshell case to store all this.

The included hardshell case has a separate compartment for accessories and the jump starter so you won’t need to whip the whole package out when just need to charge your phone.

For $80 and a 2-year warranty, I think this is a good deal. And the customer service is also very helpful and responsive.

DBPOWER 600A

This jump starter is built very solid and feels quality in the hands. This jump starter from DBPOWER claims to jump-start your vehicles with engine sizes of up to 6.5L for gas and 5.2L for diesel.

In my testing, I had no problem jump-starting a 5.7L V8 engine on a truck in my friend’s garage. I disconnected the battery (because the battery was good in this case) and connected the jump starter to the truck directly. The truck started without any hiccups so I think most cars will be fine too with this jump starter.

After the first jump, the battery was still at 100% so I gave this jump starter a stress test. I repeatedly jump-started the truck 6 times in a row (still the battery disconnected from the vehicle) to put some strain on the jump starter and it started the vehicle each time. That’s impressive. It did get a little warm but nothing to worry about.

After my continues tests, it drained down to 53 percent. I also tested this jump starter on a 2008 F350 with a 6.8-liter V10 gasoline engine (and disconnected the battery from the truck) and it fired up right away.

Battery clamps on this jump starter are built solid with great clamping force and nice thick cables. Just keep in mind that the jump starter cables are always live (once connected to the battery pack).

Note that this booster pack does not have any reverse polarity protection or short circuit protection. So if you connect this the wrong way, it is going to damage the car.

This jump starter also has a flashlight with different mods like strobe and SOS, and can even charge your smartphone or other electronics through its dual powered-USB ports.

It can also charge your laptop if you are into that with the included 8 in 1 laptop charging adapter and you can switch between different voltages like 12, 16 or 19 voltages. One thing I noticed is that the laptop adaptors can be used to power other things that take DC voltages like printers, portable hard drives, refrigerators or even wireless routers.

The LCD is a really nice addition instead of the LED battery indicators. It tells you the exact amount of battery power left so you don’t have to guess the remaining power by looking at the LEDs typically found on other models.

This jump starter comes with a nice hard-shell carrying case so you can put the jumper cables and store it in your car for times when you need it.

For $70 and a three-year warranty, this is really a one steal of a deal.

RuggedGeek RG1000 Safety Plus

This jump starter is the best and most popular offering from Rugged Geek. This brand was founded by a bunch of geeks to make some rugged technology for the everyday consumer.

This jump starter from RuggedGeek provides 1000 cranking amps and can start vehicles with engine sizes up to 7L for gasoline and 3.5L for diesel according to the claims on its packaging.

In my testing, I was able to jump-start a 5.7-liter gasoline engine (with the battery disconnected from the vehicle) without any problem and the battery on the unit did not drop from 100 percent.

I thought, hmmm that’s not a big deal since it’s advertised for 7L. So I went to my friend Dan who has the Ford F350 with a 6.8-liter V10 engine and tested the jump starter there. It would not be a fair test if I did not disconnect the vehicle’s battery and tried to start the truck just by a jump starter.

I took the ground off the battery and connected this jump starter and asked Dan to fire it up. And guess what? The truck took a little bit of spinning but this little jump starter did its job and the truck started. I and Dan were both impressed to see that.

And the battery on the jump starter was down to 87% after this. Then I put some stress on the jump-started and started the truck three times in a row while still only connected to the jump starter.

And now I know why this product is rated 5-star on Amazon.

Battery clamps for this jump starter feels solid in the hands with great clamping pressure so you are always making a good connection with the vehicle.

The jumper cables also have INTELLIBOOST technology which (in lay man’s term) so if you ever connect the cables in reverse or short circuit, it will protect your car and the jump starter itself from any damage.

Other than jump-starting, this little gadget can also charge your smartphone or other gadgets like iPad or AirPods.

Like my previous mention, this jump starter also has the DC cable accessory to charge your laptop or power up other devices that require 12, 16 or 19 volts. It also has a nice bright flashlight and USB ports.

This jump starter comes with a nice carrying case, DC wall power adapter, cigarette lighter charger, 9 of the most common laptop/DC jack adapter and a freaking Air Compressor. Yes. You did not read it wrong. It comes with an air compressor.

What more could you get for 140 dollars. And if you do not want an aircompressor or price tag of $140 is a little out of budget, you can choose the regular RG1000 which is just as good as this one, for only $100. And the smaller one charges through the regular micro USB cable so you can plug it anywhere.

BEATIT G18

This jump starter is built like a brick – not like it’s unusable but like really solid. You get my point?

Anyways. It packs a whopping 21,000 mAhs and 2000 cranking amps in a small package that can be easily stored in your glove compartment or trunk.

It claims to jump-start vehicles with engine sizes up to 8-liter for both gasoline and diesel engines. But that can’t be true because diesel engines don’t need spark plugs instead they rely on compression to raise the temperature of the air to the point where diesel fuel combusts instantaneously.

In layman’s term: diesel engines generally require more power to start than gasoline engines. This jump starter could start diesel engines with up to 5.5-liter with its 2000 peak cranking amps.

In my testing on a 6.7-liter gasoline engine, it fired it right up without any problems, with the battery of the vehicle completely disconnected. As with other jump starters that I tested, I started the vehicle multiple times to put some stress on this jump starter and it performed really well. It dropped down to 81 percent after 4 jump starts which means it can probably do 20 jump starts at least with a full charge.

BEATIT also claims that their jump starter does really well in cold temperatures so to test it I put it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Don’t do this to your jump starter as doing this may damage it. I did it so you don’t have to try this and know that this thing will work in cold.

I then hooked it up to the truck (with the truck’s battery still disconnected) and tried to jump-start it. It took some starter spins but finally jump-started the vehicle. All batteries (including lithium-ion) get affected by cold temperatures but some do better than others.

This jump starter performed really well in this test too but dropped to 36 percent in just one jump start. Then after an hour or so it came back to 61 percent. Still, it took 20 percent to jump-start the vehicle after being put in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Battery clamps are also really solid but not as strong as my previous mention. Still, they don’t feel loose on the battery terminals so you don’t have to worry about loose connections. The jumper cables also tell you the voltage of the battery so you know if it’s time to replace it.

Like all good-quality jump starters, this also has reverse polarity and short circuit protection so you have peace of mind there. This jump starter also has a really nice bright light and a bright LED display that is easy to see outdoors.

It comes with smart jumper cables, a wall charger, a USB-C charging cable, and a nice hardshell carrying case to put everything in storage. This jump starter also delivers power on USB-C port that is limited to only 15w rather than 60w as RuggedGeek RG2000 does.

This means that the battery pack itself will charge a little slow and you can’t charge your laptop through USB-C. But most smartphones charge just fine.

This jump starter also has dual USB ports with quick charge 3.0 for android smartphones and you can also charge your smartphones wirelessly if they support qi standard. I don’t think wireless charging makes sense on a portable pack like this as it would be awkward to hold this and your phone while you are using it.

In a nutshell, for 99 dollars, this is a great little jump starter that performs neck to neck with RG2000 from Rugged Gear when it comes to jump-starting a vehicle with a (totally) dead battery.

GOOLOO 800A

This jump starter from GOOLOO is well praised on Amazon and there are a couple of reasons why.

GOOLOO claims that this jump starter can provide 800 peak cranking amps and can jump-start vehicles with engine sizes of up to 7L for gasoline and 5.5L for diesel.

In my testing, it jump-started the Toyota Camry with a 2.5L gasoline engine without any problem. Note that I disconnect the battery from the vehicle completely to carry out these tests and check the performance of these jump starters.

After that, I jump-started the vehicle 4 more times to see how it affects the performance of the jump starter. The battery came down to 50 percent which was expected.

The jumper cables are built solid and I like how the plastic part of the clamps cover up the metal so there is no risk of accidental short circuits. These cables also have red and green lights indicating if you have hooked it up the wrong direction which makes it super-safe to use.

I gave it to my friend who went on camping with his wife and kids. His car had a weak battery and this little jump starter saved him from a lot of trouble.

These were his words: really, this is an awesome product. It’s compact and has a lot of power. And really easy to use. Can I keep this one? And you know what I said? Yes, you can keep it.

This jump starter is also really safe to store and use because of all the protection built into jumper cables and the battery pack itself. This jump starter comes with a set of smart jumper cables, a wall charger and a cigarette lighter charger for your car, and a micro USB cable to charge it. It also comes with a carrying bag so you can store all the accessories when not in use.

The wall charger is certified by UL which means that it won’t catch on fire in the middle of the night.

And oh, It also has dual standard USB charging ports with support for quick charge 3.0. I totally forgot to mention that. For 70 bucks, you get a solidly built jump starter which can hold it’s charge for a long time so you can’t go wrong here.

Clore Automotive JNCAIR 1700

Let me tell you this up front: it is not meant to be stored in your car or SUV so don’t buy this if you plan to store in your car. It is a good option if you keep it in your garage or RV.

With that out of the way. This thing is seriously powerful. I tested this by jump-starting the big F350 truck with a 6.8L V10 engine (without the vehicle’s battery connected) and it started it up without any problem.

I repeated my jump-starting test 4 times and it performed really well without showing any signs of weakness or lack of power. When it comes to power I think it delivers more than 1700 peak cranking amps but the main thing is it started the (cold) engine every time.

Clore uses PROformer battery technology in this jump starter which means that this battery is going to hold a charge for longer periods, is very safe and is going to last a long time. The battery clamps on this jump starter are really solid with good clamping force and the wires are thick 2 gauge and long enough for easy access.

This thing also has an air compressor and at first I was like, it can’t be any good like all other jump starter air compressor combos. But oh boy, I was wrong. It is a little bit slow when compared to standalone air compressors but still gets the job done in a decent time.

The battery life on this jump starter is also really good too and you can easily give like 20 jump-starts (on completely dead cars). It has a nice work light but I never found any use for it mainly because of the size of the jump starter.

It’s big and I treat it like a jump starter and nothing more (that’s what my mind tells me). But that flashlight is bright and can be quite useful in some situations. This jump starter also has the reverse polarity alarm so it’s really difficult for you to mess up here.

With the unit off, connect the jumper leads to the dead car if the light is green, you are good to go. And if you messed it up and connected the jumper leads in the wrong order, the jump starter will alarm you and the light will flash amber.

This jump starter also has overcharge protection so it is not harmful to keep it plugged in. But I won’t suggest you keep it plugged in all the time if you are only going to use it once a month. In short, this is a great product but only if you are going to use it in your garage, or store in your truck (if you are going camping) or in your RV.

Also, keep in mind that it is a jump starter at first and then an air compressor and if you are deciding between this and some other jump starter to buy (of this category) then I would suggest getting this one.

I have tested Stanley’s fatmax and it is not worth any of your money despite being its low price. If you want a cheaper option you can look at JNC550 for $160 which gives 550 cranking amps instead of 1700 that this beast of a jump starter does.

This thing can jump-start a dead cow.

Artek 800A

This jump starter from Arteck provides around 500 amps claimed to jump-start vehicles with 6.0-liter gasoline engines and 4.0-liter diesel engines.

I tested it on a 4.6-liter V8 engine with the vehicle’s good battery completely disconnected and it jump-started it fine on the first try. I was really impressed by the power from this jump starter that is barely bigger than my iPhone.

I also tested this jump starter on the Ford F350’s 6.8-liter engine (with of course the battery disconnected from the vehicle) and it struggled a lot. I was unable to get the truck started. This was something I did not expect from this jump starter as it can only deliver so much power at a time.

I also tested this jump starter by putting this in the freezer for 30 minutes to simulate cold temperatures, and it performed well and jump-started the 4.6-liter V8 after the third or maybe fourth try. I had to rub it in my hands and sit on it for a couple of minutes to normalize the battery temperature.

The battery clamps on this jump starter have strong clamping force and are wide so they will fit most side-mounted battery terminals too. This jump starter also has a bright flashlight but like the jumpstarter from Anker or should I say, “Roav”, it is also side-mounted which does not make it an ideal work light.

You can also charge your smartphone, tablets and other USB powered gadgets with its dual-powered USB ports that support QuickCharge 3.0 for faster-charging speeds. This jump starter itself charges via micro USB which is convenient for most people but not charges as fast as USB-C does with PD technology does.

You get micro USB charging cable, jumper leads and the jump starter pack itself. It does not come with a carrying/storage case or a charging adapter.

That’s not as bad when you consider the $45 price of this jump starter.

TrekPow A18

This jump starter from TrekPow is similar in power outputs as the previous mention, Arteck 800A.

It also provides around 500 cranking amps and claims to jump-start vehicles with engine sizes up to 6.0-liter for gasoline and 5.0-liter for diesel.

I think they went a little bit too far with their claims about a diesel engine. With 500 cranking amps, you can only start a diesel engine that is like 3.5ish-liter.

This jump starter is built nice and feels great in hands. I tested this jump starter on my truck that has a 4.6-liter V8 engine and it performed similarly to Arteck 800A jump starter.

n my testing, I found that this jump starter is really good for gasoline engines that are up to 5.0-liter. The battery clamps on this jump starter are very similar to Arteck 800A with strong clamping force so you don’t have to worry about any loose connections or sparks on the battery terminal.

But unlike the Arteck this jump starter has protection for short circuit and reverse polarity. The flashlight on this thing is not bright but can help you look in the trunk when it’s dark.

You can also charge your smartphone, tablet and other USB powered devices through its dual USB ports that support quick charge 3.0 or through the USB-c port which supports 15w output.

This jump starter charges through USB-c and comes with a 1-foot USB-C charging cable and jumper leads but with no carrying case or charging adapter.

For $15 more than Arteck, this jump starter has USB-C and the included USB-C cable is noticeably also more durable.

Imazing IM23

This jump starter from Imazing provides 1500 peak amps and claims to jump-start engines up to 8L for gasoline and 6L for diesel engines.

In my testing, I found no issue when starting a 5.6L gasoline engine on my friend’s truck and it fired it right up. I ran my tests multiple times to see the strength of this jump starter and the battery dropped to 53% after 4 jump starts.

This jump starter has metal clamps (same as my other mention: NEXPOW) with plastic shielding to protect from short circuits. The battery clamps provide good clamping force and are easy to operate even with wet hands. It also checks the safety features with its reverse polarity, over-charge, and short circuit protection.

Flashlight on this unit is not the brightest but still good for dark situations. It also has SOS and strobe mode built-in which can grab anyone’s attention from far away.

This jump starter has a couple of USB ports with quick charge support so you can charge your smartphones or tablets at the fastest possible speeds. The booster pack itself charges through the standard 12v dc input as well as micro-USB. In my testing, I found out that charging through 12V DC input isn’t much faster than charging through micro-USB.

It also has a 12V dc out that can be used to power other devices and comes with a cigarette lighter adapter so you use a portable air compressor with this jump starter as well.

It comes with all the useful accessories. This includes a 12V DC wall charger, a car cigarette lighter charger, a micro-USB cable, 12V cigarette lighter accessory adapter, and a not-so-hardshell carrying case.

The carrying case has two seperate compartments which help store and organize all the included accessories and the jump starter pack itself. For 60$ you get nice metal jumper cables with all the safety features and a 2-year hassel free waranty.

And if you can grab one for as low as 40$, as I have seen it discounted on Amazon, instead of the retail price oof $60, it’s a pretty sweet deal.

JUMTOP N12

This jump starter pack has claims to jump start engines up to 8L for gas and 6.5L for diesel. In my testing for gasoline engines, In my testing, it had no problem jump starting a 5.6L and a 6.7L gasoline engines. It jump started both of these engines (from cold) on the first try.

The clamps on this thing are made up from plastic but don’t feel cheap or flex too much. The plastic clamps are same as TrekPow. My concern is where the jumper cable is connects to the clamp, the joint is not as strong and might break over time. During my testing period of around 9 months, it has not broken or come loose, yet.

This jump starter also has reverse polarity protection and beeps to let you know that you have made wrong connections with the battery. This is really a must-have feature on any portable jump starter as this can protect the lithium battery inside and the vehicle itself from electrical damage.

Apart from jump starting it also has a couple of usb ports with quick charge 3.0 support. These usb ports can come quite handy in emergencies when you want to make a phone call and your phone’s battery is dead.

This jump starter charges through usb-c with 15 watts but the charging adapter is not included in the box. It comes with a nice carrying case. Most people have a usb charger already so I think it is not a problem.

But for $86 I think the charger should be included in the box. Overall, this jump starter is durable and has all the reverse polarity protection but there are other other jump starters who offer more for less money.

Bolt Power N02

This jump starter from Bolt Power provides around 1000 amps of power when jump-starting the vehicle and the manufacturer claims it can jump-start vehicles with engine sizes up to 7.0-liter for gasoline and 5.5-liter for diesel.

In my testing, it jump-started a 4.6-liter V8 engine on the first start with the vehicle’s battery disconnected. I stress tested the jump starter by jump-starting the vehicle 5 more times and it did not break a sweat, started the vehicle (even a 5.3L gasoline) right up every time.

The battery dropped down to 51 percent after 6 jump starts which is impressive.

Battery clamps on this unit are built solid, with good clamping force and are easy to operate. This jump starter has short circuit protection but I didn’t see anything about reverse polarity protection.

The flashlight on this jump starter is ok at best and not as bright as some of the other jump starters I tested. It also has dual USB ports with quick charge 3.0 so you can charge your smartphones, tablets and other USB powered devices on the go.

The LCD is easy to read in direct sunlight and has a backlight which helps to know the battery percentage in the dark. This jump starter also charges with a standard 12V DV jack so you can plug it straight into the cigarette lighter with the included adapter.

This jump starter does not have reverse polarity protection so be careful when connecting it to your vehicle. Also I found out that this jump-starter is not good at holding it’s charge for longer periods of time. I charged it a full 100% and left it for around 2 months in my truck and the battery went down to 23% without even me touching this unit.

This jump starter comes with a set of jumper cables, a 15v dc wall adapter, 12 DC cigarette lighter adapter, a multifunction charge cable for smartphones and a carrying case. This jump starter also comes with a 1-year warranty.

The not-so-good one’s.

These are not the absolute best jump starters. There might be some durability issues here or their lack of power or some necessary features or are too expensive for what they offer.

Weego 22s

This jump starter from Weego claims to jump-start vehicles with a 5L gasoline engines and 2.5L diesel engines. That is really impressive (if it works) for a jump starter of this size.

I tested its capabilities on a 3.0L V6 engine by disconnecting the vehicle’s battery because it was in good condition. The Weego 22s wasn’t able to even spin the starter motor.

I thought maybe I got a faulty unit. I contacted Weego and they sent me another jump starter without asking too much about the problem. I connected the new jump starter to my test vehicle and still nothing.

I started researching online and found out that Weego was not seeing any power on the battery clamps so it was not turning on. This is a safety feature to protect Weego from going bad.

But what is the point of a jump starter if it can’t even jump start a vehicle with a completely dead battery so you drive a little and go to the nearest auto store for a replacement?

This jump starter needs to see at least 6+ volts on the battery to jump-start the vehicle. I tested this jump starter on a “known weak battery” and it jump-started it just fine.

And I tested all other jump starters by disconnecting the vehicle’s battery completely and they all started up just fine. I like the battery clamps on this jump starter. They are designed in a odd shape and have good clamping force, easy to open, and the way they are built feels like they are going to last.

As long as your battery isn’t completely dead, this thing will surely jump start it just fine.

Roav 800A by Anker

Anker makes great products and is famous for its smartphone accessories like charging cables, wall chargers, and wireless chargers. Now Anker also makes jump starter for vehicles under the child-brand, Roav.

This jump starter from Roav claims to provide 1100 peak cranking amps and 800 sustained cranking amps to jump-start your vehicle. It can jump-start 6.0-liter gasoline and 3.0-liter diesel engines and in my testing, it jump-started a 4.6-liter truck without any problem.

There is no battery meter on the jump starter but just LED lights that tell how much charge is left so I can’t tell you how much juice one jump-start took. After testing this jump starter for 4 times it drained down to about 75 percent (3 out of the 4 battery indicator lights were lit).

The battery clamps are also built very solid and I have no complaints about them. The jumper leads also have all the safety features like reverse polarity and short circuit protection so you are covered there. And he cables read out the battery voltage once you connect it to your vehicle.

The flashlight on this jump starter is bright with different flashing modes like strobe and emergency SOS but I found the placement of the flashlight to be very odd. It is not on the top side of the jump starter (like where the ports are) but on the side of the jump starter.

This made it unusable for me because when you put it down the light is towards you and not towards the workspace. As for accessories, this jump starter comes with a carrying case, a USB-C to USB-A charging cable and safety jump starter leads.

This jump starter does not come with a charging adapter for your car or home use. You can use any wall charger that provides 15w of power. There is also no charge out function on the USB-C port so you are only limited to the dual standard USB charging ports.

Overall, it’s a “Okay” jump starter but it could have been better. I’d like to see at least a cigarette lighter charger in the box and a USB power out through USB-C port. I can’t recommend this one for now.

Schumacher SJ1328

I really don’t know how to pronounce the name of this brand but their jump starter is really solid. “Sh-oo-m-ah-kh-r” claims to provide 1100 peak cranking amps and 800 sustained cranking amps.

For me, peak cranking amps are nothing than just a marketing term and in my testing, it jump-started my 4.6-liter truck (with truck’s own battery disconnected) just fine.

Then I tested this by jump-starting my friend’s Ford F350 that has a 6.8-liter engine and it took 3 or 4 motor spins and some pedal presses on gas and finally fired it up.

Clamping force on the battery terminals is really solid but the plastic part on the clamps feels loose and broke in my testing in under 5 months. I have seen other people also who are complaining about the durability of the jumper clamps.

I have owned it for around 6 months now and it is still going well and working as supposed to. The air compressor in this unit took 3 minutes to inflate my tire from 22 psi to 34 psi. It is a little weak. I have used its compressor to fill tires, inflatable toys, and balloons and it has worked just fine.

This jump starter has a built-in charger with overcharge protection but the much needed reverse polarity and short circuit protection are not there. It comes with just the jump starter itself and the jumper cables (which are non-removable.)

I don’t really want to recommend it to anyone and I think Clore Automotive JNC550A is a better option rather than this.

Clearly not worth anything.

These jump starters don’t work and I have also found that the customer support is not there in case anything goes wrong. I would not recommend you to buy these jump starters.

Stanley FatMax

As the name suggests this jump starter is fat. Stanley claims that this jump starter can provide 700 peak cranking amps to jump starter you vehicle. I mean it looks like (considering the size of it) that it should provide more than just 700 peak cranking amps.

But in my testing, I had trouble starting a 3.0 liter V6 gasoline engine. It jump-started a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine just fine but that need way less cranking amps than the advertised “700 peak cranking amps”. So that’s no good right? I thought the same.

I begin reading the 19-page manual and charged this thing up to a hundred and tried jump starting again. Still the same results. I did some research online to find out that other people are also having the same problem as me.

It is good enough for jump-starting a car with a weak battery but if you are in a situation where your battery is completely dead (under 2 volts) then this jump starter is not going to help you.

And there is not even overcharge protection so if you leave it on charge for a long time, the battery inside is probably going to get damaged. That is really a dumb design. And that compressor? Oh, it stopped working after filling just one tire.

I wish I had read some comments on Amazon before ordering this jump starter, but taking it apart made me learn some new things. I don’t think this jump starter is really worth your money.

DEWALT DXAEJ 14

I want to tell you upfront that DeWalt is the name brand not the manufacturer of this jump starter. This product was actually built by Black & Decker.

Well, this is the first jump starter that I received from the bunch that I ordered for testing. It was packaged well and arrived within three days. I was happy to see it and the build quality amazed me. It feels like a great product.

I disconnected the battery on my truck (as the battery was perfectly ok) and hooked this jump starter to the vehicle. It jump-started on the first try and I was amazed by that. I tested it four more times (after letting the truck cool down between test intervals) and it jump-started the truck without any problem.

The battery dropped to 74% which was expected because I was jump-starting a 4.6-liter V8 engine.

After the next few days, I was in my friend’s workshop and there was a dirt bike that needed a new battery. Luckily I had the jump starter in my truck so I took it out, connected the jumper cables to the battery terminals and asked my friend to start the bike. There was nothing. Not even a single crank.

I thought that’s weird because I had fully charged it the other night and the battery meter on the jump starter was reading 100%. I let it stay connected to the dirt bike and waited for 15 minutes so it can charge up the battery a bit and then tried to start the dirt bike again. Still nothing.

I thought there might be something wrong with the bike or maybe it was not supposed to jump-start the dirt bikes. Which is weird I know.

I allowed the battery on my brother’s car to drain overnight to test this jump starter and I had no luck jump-starting the vehicle with this jump starter.

I thought, ok maybe I am doing something wrong. I looked up the manual and contacted Dewalt to just find out that this was a Black & Decker product just branded as Dewalt.

So I contacted Black & Decker and was asked to leave my name and contact number (6 times) so their “skilled technician” would contact me and help me to resolve my problem.

Well, today over 9 months have passed and I have not received a single call from Black & Decker. So do I recommend this product? Hell No.!

Jump Starter Terminology.

I made this fun infographic to explain the terminology used by jump starter manufacturers to sell their products.

So, what makes a “good jump starter” ?

After testing these jump starters for more than a 100 hours I have concluded some factors that make a jump starter a good jump starter.

Power

You want a jump starter that is going to have enough power to jump-start your vehicle even if your car battery is completely flat. Jump starter is a tool and there is no point in having a jump starter with you if it can’t jump-start a car with a dead battery.

Finding the power output of a jump starter can be quite tricky because of all the numbers, like “peak amps” or “joules” manufacturers put on their units for marketing’s sake.

It’s good for them because this way they impress more people and sell more units but not so good for an average consumer who has a hard time finding a perfect jump starter for his/her vehicle.

Let’s break this down into simple terms that most of you guys can understand. Jump starter has two jobs to do when starting a vehicle with a dead battery:

• Providing power to the car’s electronics, computer, engine oil pump, and fuel pump.
• Providing power to starter motor which moves the crankshaft and starts the engine.

So instead of the peak amps, you should be looking at cranking amps (or cold cranking amps if you live in a cold place) because the higher the cranking amps a jump starter provides, the more power will be there to start a bigger engine.

Also note that if you live in an area where it’s cold most of the year, like Alaska or North Dakota or any other place where it is mostly winter year around, you want to look into cold-cranking amps of any jump starter you want to buy.

This tells how much a jump starter can output at 0-degree Fahrenheit or -18 degrees celsius for 30 seconds without dropping below 7.2 volts. In winters, the engine oil is usually thick which causes more resistance in the engine. This requires more power to start it. 

This is why I tested all the jump starters by completely disconnecting the vehicle’s battery (which was a known good battery) so the only thing starting the vehicle was the jump starter itself.

This gave real results for a situation that any automotive owner simply doesn’t want to face. Any jump starter that is going to start a vehicle with a completely dead battery can also jump-start a vehicle with a weak battery.

Safety

Safety should be your priority when shopping for a jump starter because this way you are sure that nothing bad is going to happen even if you connect it to the car in the wrong order.

This also means that you can give it to anyone and not worry about anything because they are not going to mess up their car or the jump starter pack.

Durability & Portability

When it comes to the durability of any jump starter pack, the jumper clamps are the only part that is going to take the most beating.

In my testing, I found out that jumper clamps that were made out of metal were not only durable but better at applying constant pressure to the battery post. This ensures a secure connection between the jump starter and the battery.

The jumper clamps that are made out of plastic are not bad but they don’t feel as sturdy and flex a bit when connected to the battery post. There might be some durability issues with jumper clamps made out of plastic down the road.

The jumper clamps that are made out of plastic but have a metal pin in the hinge are sturdier than the ones that are completely made out of plastic.

The second thing I think that might have trouble is the socket where the jumper cables connect to the battery pack. Luckily, all of these sockets are well built and don’t seem like they are going to get loose or get out of place.

All of the jumper-sockets are built well and I found no durability issues there.

Almost all the jump starter comes with a carrying case or pouch of some sort to store the jump starter pack and the accessories together.

I found out that the hard-style carrying cases that come with some of the jump starters not only improves portability but also ensures that nothing gets damaged when stored in the car.

Accessories

Some of the jump starters come with different dc jacks and phone charging cables. These are always a welcome addition but they take up extra space and you are going to lose them in some time – I lost most of mine in a couple of months.

Versatility

I think that jump starter should do more than just starting your car when you need a jump. The modern-day jump starters are light-weight and portable which is all thanks to the lithium battery technology.

These jump starters are not much different than power-banks that we use to charge our phones or tablets or even laptops. So it is always a good idea to make sure that the jump starter you are going to buy has a couple of USB-ports to charge your tablet or smartphone

Because you never know when you need to make a phone call, share your location or call emergency services and your phone battery is dead. Some jump starter models also have a 12v dc out to power other 12v appliances. Also, almost all the jump starter has a built-in flash-light though some models are brighter than others.

Some jump starters have a tire-inflator built-in or come separately (as an accessory). In my opinion, these are not gimmicky but can prove quite useful when you need that little bit of air in your tire to drive to the nearest auto shop.

When talking about gimmicks, wireless charging in a jump starter does not make any sense at all. You can’t hold your phone and the fat jump starter at the same time. Or if you do, you will look ridiculous. 

Value for money

You should never spend your money on any product or feature that you are never going to use or take full advantage of. This is no different when it comes to jump starters.

If you own a sedan or a small car and don’t plan to buy a truck anytime soon, then you should not waste your money by buying a jump starter that is rated for a 7L gasoline or diesel engines.

Similarly, if you plan on buying a truck (or a vehicle with a large engine size) soon, then it is probably a good idea to buy a jump starter that can easily jump start it.

More powerful jump starters are safe to use on the smaller engines because the jump starter is only going to provide the necessary current that is needed when jump-starting a vehicle.

FAQs

These are the questions that people asked me during my testing. I thought it would be a good idea to include these here so anyone can benefit from these.

I have jumper cables. Why do I need a jump starter?

If you can’t start your vehicle and you have jumper cables with you, you also need another car (from a friend, family or a stranger) to jump-start your car.

But if you have a jump starter, all you need to do is connect it to your vehicle, and just start it as you would normally do. You don’t have to wait for another person with a car (who is willing) to park near your car and give it a jump.

Carrying a jump starter can save a lot of time and hassle. And you can even help others and save their day. Be their super-hero.

How jump starter works?

Jump starter works by supplementing the power (in form of Amps) to the vehicle’s battery that is too weak to start the vehicle on its own.

After connecting the jump starter to a vehicle with a dead or a bad battery, you would just start your vehicle as you would normally do. You do not need to remove any cables or unscrew any terminals.

How to connect the jump starter?

It is very simple and really easy. Just connect the red jumper clamp to the positive post on the battery and the black jumper clamp to the negative post.

Some jump starters have reverse polarity protection so if you ever connect the cables in the wrong order, the jump starter will not provide any power and damage anything in the vehicle.

What jump starter do I need?

It depends on the engine size of the vehicle you drive. For sedans, you would generally need a jump starter that can provide around 300-400 cranking amps to start the engine.

If you have a bigger truck with large displacement engines, you will need something more powerful with 700 or more cranking amps or more. 

Also note that diesel engines require more power than their gasoline equivalents. This is because the ignition systems are different in both engines.

Gasoline engines use spark plugs instead of glow plugs in the diesel engines. Glow plugs require more electrical energy to glow hot requiring more cranking amps.

Can you use a jump starter on a motorcycle?

Absolutely yes. I have tested some of these jump starters on motorcycles and they work great.

You just have to check the clamp size before buying a jump starter for your motorcycle or ATV. Small jumper clamps are work better on the battery posts on motorcycles or ATVs than big ones.

Can you jumpstart a boat?

Yes. Anything that has an engine and a starter motor can be jump-started. You just need the right jump starter with enough cranking amps to do the magic trick: jump-starting it.

How much cranking amps do you need to start the boat depends on what motor or engine you have. 

Can I take a jump starter on a plane?

If your jump starter has a total capacity of less than 100wh, then you are allowed to take it with you on the plane. 100wh is usually equivalent to 26,000 mah.

Can you overcharge a jump starter?

You can not overcharge a modern jump starter due to all the overcharge protection circuitry built in the battery pack. This prevents the lithium battery inside from catching on fire or causing unwanted explosions. 

Can you jumpstart a car in the rain?

Yes, you can jump-start a car in the rain. Is it going to be safe? Well, the 12V of a jump starter are nothing to worry about even in the rain. Also, the car’s hood is going to offer some protection from rainwater.

Just don’t slip in the mud and you’ll be safe.

Can a jump starter damage my car?

If you connect the jump starter the wrong way, and the jump starter you are using does not have any reverse polarity protection, then it is going to send the 12volts to the car in the wrong order. This is probably going to fry the sensitive electronic components that run on 5 volts like the ECU. 

Similarly if you use a 24V jump starter on a 12V car, you are going to fry the sensitive electronics or even the starter motor.

A simple way to tell if your car is 12V or 24V is by looking at the battery inside. Usually if there is one battery inside the vehicle then it is probably a 12V system and if there are two batteries, it is a 24V system. You can also look on the battery sticker so see the voltage.

Is it safe to keep portable jump starters in a car?

Yes. Portable jump starters are designed to be stored in a car. Just don’t park your car under the direct sunlight because that can lead to the inside temperature rising too high.

No matter how good of a protection is there in a jump starter, lithium batteries are lithium batteries and if they are exposed to too much heat for a long period, they are going to go bad. Or even catch on fire and explode.

Why does my car battery keep dying?

Don’t buy a jump starter if your car battery keeps dying without you doing anything wrong. Your car battery has gone bad and needs replacement. I would recommend you to buy a maintenance-free battery.

Can jump starter start an automatic transmission car? 

Yes. Jump starters can start an automatic transmission car just fine. Jump starters are just like car batteries (but on steroids, the good kind tho) and so there shouldn’t be any problem there.

How many times can I use a jump starter before it needs recharging?

It depends on what jump starter you are using. Most jump starters can provide more than a couple of jumps before they need to be recharged. Like the Noco GB 40 can jumpstart a medium-size truck (with a complete flat battery) for around 5 to 7 times before needing another charge. 

Are jump starters safe to use on hybrids?

Yes. Hybrid cars also have an engine and a separate 12v battery which is used to start that engine and power all the electronics. I tested the jump starters on a 2016 Toyota Camry Hybrid and found out the jumpstarters to be safe for this car. 

Conclusion:

After testing all of the jump starters from different manufacturers, I have come to know that price and size don’t indicate power output and performance of a jump starter.

If your budget is around $60, TrekPow A18 is a great choice for most people. I have sometimes seen it as low as $40 on Amazon. You don’t get a wall (or a car) charger with TrekPow but you can always use any usb charger that you already have for your smartphone or tablet.

Noco Genius Boost GB40 is also a great jump starter pack but it retails for around $100 on Amazon. By spending $40 more, you get metal jumper clamps, a wall charger and a car charger, and overall a more durable jump starter that is definitely going to last you a long time.

So,

Which jump starter did you buy or are planning to buy?

Let me know your thoughts and we can discuss anything (in the comments below) that I might have missed in this article.

Sources:
Cranking Amps vs Peak Amps
A study on time-dependent low temperature power performance of a lithium-ion battery.
How does a portable jump starter work?
How do lithium-ion batteries work?
Jump Starter Buying Guide ConsumerReports