Imagine turning on the key and the only thing you hear is a “click, click, click…’ sound and no engine turning. Well, this is bound to happen at some point without prior warning. It may be caused by a bad battery, frozen battery, bad electrical connection that is draining the battery.
Starting a car with a drained or faulty battery is easier and safer with a good jump starter. It will produce adequate peak and cranking current to get you going, comes with many safety features to protect you, your cars electrical and the jump starter itself.
To get yourself out of the fix, you need a reliable jump starter. This device will boost your battery allowing the engine to turnover and ignite.
Choosing The Right Jump Starter
Choosing the best jump starter is both a challenge to both inexperienced and seasoned car users and motorists. This is because the reliability of a battery is influenced by many variables including engine size, climate, temperature, engine type, remaining charge in the car battery, etc. The below some characteristics which will assist you to find a good product:
- Capacity: This is rated in mAh (milliamp-hours) or Ah (Ampere-hours). A booster with a slightly higher capacity than the recommended value is better than that with same or lower capacity;
- Cranking Current: This is the electrical current produced in short bursts. It should be higher than the recommended current;
- Peak Current: Unlike cranking current which is short-lived, peak current will be generated for a longer period and is usually not as high as the cranking current. The jump starter should produce slightly above the manufacturer recommended peak current;
- Engine Type: Diesel engines usually require higher peak and cranking current compared to their petrol/gasoline counterparts. This is because the latter engine is much smaller than the earlier;
- Engine Size: The bigger the engine the more powerful the jump starter should be. Four-cylinder petrol engines are suited with starters rated between 150 and 200A, six cylinders 200-250A and eight cylinders 250-300A. Four-cylinder diesel require 300-400A, 6 cylinder diesel 400-500A, and between 600 and 700A for eight cylinder diesel;
- Climate/Weather: Batteries can lose up to 50% of their usable cranking current in cold temperatures. This means that people living in cold regions should go for jump starters that produce twice the standard value; and
- Safety Features: Top jump starters will come with several safety features including over-current protection, overload protection, over-voltage protection, and overcharge protection.
Best Jump Starters in 2023
10. Stanley, J5C09 Jump Starter with Compressor
This high-powered jump starter from Stanley produces up to 1000 peak amps and 500 instant starting current/amperes.
The 12-volt unit is ideal for standard vehicles, motorcycles, lawn mowers and can also be used to charge personal electronics via the USB outlet. The unit includes high-powered 270-degree rotating LED light, reverse polarity alarm and a 120PSI compressor with gauge.
9. Beatit, 600A Peak Portable Car Jump starter
Coming with a 14000mAh capacity, the Beatit jump starter delivers up to 600 Peak amperes. It provides about 30 times and is suited for diesel engines not exceeding 4.0 liters or gasoline engines with a maximum of 5.5 liters. The jump starter is perfect for cars, boats, motorcycles, sleighs and features heavy-duty cables and clamps that can handle the high current.
The jump starter features the mistake-proof design using spark-proof technology and reverses polarity protection. Moreover, it is also protected from overload, over-current, and short circuit by using the high-quality circuit board, chip CPU and cables.
8. DBPOWER, 600A Peak Portable Car Jump Starter
Starting diesel engines up to 5.2L or petrol/gas engines with a maximum capacity of 6.5L is not a problem with this DBPOWER jump starter.
The 18000mAh portable unit delivers 600 amps of peak and can offer up to 30 cranking cycles. The smart unit can also charge laptops, tablets, smartphone and other portable devices. For added security, it comes with short-circuit protection, over current protection, overload protection, overcharge protection and over-voltage protection.
7. NOCO, Genius Boost Sport GB20 UltraSafe Lithium Jump Starter
Delivering up to 400 Amps, this 12-volt NOCO jump starter will easily get your car running even in the coldest of weather. This powerful lithium battery generates up to 4,650 Joules and one charge can deliver as many as 20 jump starts.
The stylish battery comes with an advanced safety feature to protect your other battery and car’s electrical. These include reverse polarity protection, spark-proof technology, mistake-proof design and safe connection to the battery. Besides, ATVs, motorcycles, cars, and lawnmowers, it can also charge tablets and smartphone. However, it isn’t designed for engines bigger than 4 liters (4,000cc) or diesel engines.
6. Anker, Compact Car Jump Starter
This compact car jump starter from Anker will start any petrol/gas engine rated 3 liters or below or diesel engines with a maximum capacity of 2.5 liters.
The 12-volt unit comes with a 10,000 mAh capacity and 400A peak current. The power booster can be cranked for up to 15 times before getting drained while it needs 3 hours to recharge the 10,000 mAh battery. To protect the unit and vehicle’s electrics, the jump starter comes with advanced safety features including protection against reverse polarity, over-voltage, surges, undercurrent and more.
5. Clore Automotive, Jump-N-Carry JNC660 Jump Starter
Producing up to 1700 peak amps, this jump starter is among the most powerful on our list. The Jump-N-Carry JNC660 uses PROFORMER battery technology that is able to deliver higher cranking and peak current for much longer.
It comes with 46-inch heavy-duty AWG cables for efficient delivery of current while the built-in voltmeter indicates the battery’s state. You can also charge personal devices such as smartphone, laptops and tablets using the 12volt DC outlet.
4. Nekteck, Multifunction Car Jump Starter
Jump starting a car with a drained or dead battery is easy with this portable jump starter by Nekteck. With a capacity of 16800mAh and delivering 600Amps at peak, this charge booster is what you need during any emergency.
It’s effective for petrol/gas (maximum 6L) and diesel (maximum 5.0L) engines. The jump starter can be cranked up to 15 times and includes over-current, over-charge, over-voltage, and short-circuit protection. Charging laptops, smartphone and other devices are possible via the USB outlet.
3. Spartan Power, Portable Car Jump Starter
The Spartan Power jump starter is among the trendy and stylish car jump starters in the market. While it may appear smaller than some of its rivals, this unit packs quite a punch to get your engine running.
The jump starter has a 20,000 mAh capacity and produces up to 900 amps at peak. It comes with 2 USB ports, built-in 3-mode LED flashlight: bright, strobe & SOS. The spark-proof technology provides overload protection, undercurrent protection and short-circuit protection.
2. KMASHI, Car Jump Starter
The KMASHI car jump starter comes with 12,000mAh power bank has a 600A peak current and cycles up to 20 times. The device is recommended for diesel engines not exceeding 5 liters and gasoline engine with a maximum capacity of 6 liters.
The compact jump starter also comes with a 2.1A output for phones, tablets and other personal electric accessories. Protection against over-current, over-charge, over-voltage, short-circuit, surges/spikes and reverse polarity is the standard feature in this jump starter. The built-in LED flashlight give you a handy access in the dark.
1. Energizer, 11100mAh with Built in UL Lithium Battery Jump Starter
The Energizer jump starter will provide the needed charge whenever you need it. This portable unit has an 11100mAh capacity which is more than adequate for most standard cars on out road.
The lithium battery is UL approved to offer you good service and safety and can also charge personal accessories like tablets and phones. In what appears as standard, the smart clamps of this jump starter protect your battery from short circuit, over-current, reverse polarity, reverse charge, over low voltage and over high temperature.
The power boosters are compact and easy to carry along and also feature smart charging and 12V DC outlet for charging tablets, laptops, smartphone and more. Finding a good jump starter by going through these best jump starters in this review.
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