Top 6 compared
The best car jump starters
A dead battery in a mall parking lot or at the cottage, boosted on your own in a few minutes.
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The top 6 at a glance
A jump starter is a lithium battery pack with its own clamps: clip them on, wait for the light to say it’s safe, and start the engine, with no second car and no cables strung between two hoods. Small packs suit a compact or a sedan; bigger ones are rated for pickups and diesels. Most also charge a phone and have a flashlight, and some add a tire inflator.
Cold is the real test. Lithium batteries give less power as the temperature drops, and most packs are rated to work down to about −20°C, so on the coldest nights one is best kept in the house and carried out to the car. Peak amps and engine ratings are each maker’s own and measured differently, so they compare within one brand’s range, not across brands.
What matters
- A working temperature that reaches your winter lows.
- USB-C charging, so a phone charger can recharge it.
#1NOCO Boost GB40 Jump Starter (1000A)
$100–$150
Rated for gas engines up to 6.0L, the GB40 gives as many as 20 starts on one charge and has spark-proof clamps that won’t fire if they’re connected the wrong way around, plus an IP65 case that keeps out slush and road spray. NOCO started out in Ohio in 1914 as Nook & O’Neill.
What owners say: Owners call it a lifesaver: simple to use, small enough to keep in the car and strong enough for the job. How long it holds a charge is where they split.
Heads up: Its diesel rating stops at 3.0L, so bigger diesel trucks need a stronger pack.
A closer look: NOCO rates it to work from −20°C to 50°C, so through a cold snap keep it in the house and take it out with you. A full recharge takes about three hours over USB-C, and the flashlight has an SOS mode for a roadside stop at night.
- 20 starts per charge
- Spark-proof clamps
- Shrugs off slush and spray
- Recharges in about 3 hours
- SOS flashlight mode
Best for: Sedans, minivans and mid-size SUVs
- Engines up to
- 6.0L gas, 3.0L diesel
- Peak current
- 1,000A
- Working temperature
- −20°C to 50°C
- USB charging (in / out)
- USB-C in and out
- Flashlight
- 100 lumens
- Weight
- 1.1 kg (2.5 lb)
#2NOCO Boost GB50 Jump Starter (1500A)
$200–$300
The GB40’s bigger brother, for a pickup, a van or a bigger SUV: rated for gas engines up to 7.0L and diesels up to 4.5L, with up to 30 starts per charge and a 200-lumen flashlight, twice as bright as the GB40’s. The same spark-proof clamps and rubber-armoured IP65 case come with it.
What owners say: Vans start as readily as cars with it, owners report, and they’re surprised it’s so simple to hook up for something this compact. The price and battery life each split opinion.
A closer look: Plug it in after every boost rather than waiting for it to run low, since a full recharge over USB-C takes about five hours. The microfibre bag from the box keeps the clamps and cable together, so nothing goes missing in the trunk.
- 30 starts per charge
- Spark-proof clamps
- Rubber-armoured, water-resistant case
- Recharges in about 5 hours
- Microfibre storage bag
Best for: Pickups and vans, diesels too
- Engines up to
- 7.0L gas, 4.5L diesel
- Peak current
- 1,500A
- Working temperature
- −20°C to 50°C
- USB charging (in / out)
- USB-C in and out
- Flashlight
- 200 lumens
- Weight
- 1.2 kg (2.7 lb)
#3TREKURE TK50 Jump Starter (6000A, 26,800mAh)
$100–$150
For the biggest engines on the road: rated for every gas engine and diesels up to 12L, so a V8 pickup or a heavy-duty diesel is covered. Its 26,800mAh battery leaves plenty over for phones on a long drive, and a force-start mode gets a completely dead battery to take a boost.
What owners say: Owners recommend it readily: it starts their vehicles every time, it’s smaller than they expected for the power, and it doesn’t need recharging often.
A closer look: Its handle tucks into the body for carrying, and the storage bag keeps the clamps with it, so it rides tidily in the trunk or under a seat. Its two USB ports charge phones while you wait for help, and TREKURE covers it for two years.
- 50+ jumps per charge
- Starts a completely dead battery
- 26,800mAh battery
- Hidden carry handle
- 2-year warranty
Best for: Big gas and diesel engines
- Engines up to
- All gas, 12L diesel
- Peak current
- 6,000A
- Working temperature
- −20°C to 60°C
- USB charging (in / out)
- USB-C cable in; 2 USB out (18W)
- Flashlight
- 800 lumens
- Weight
- 0.64 kg (1.4 lb)
#4TREKURE TK60 Jump Starter with Magnetic Work Light (4000A)
$75–$100
Small enough for the glove box at about 0.42 kg (0.9 lb), with a 2,000-lumen full-panel LED light that sticks to the hood by its magnet, so both hands are free for the clamps on a dark January evening. It’s rated for gas engines up to 9.0L and diesels up to 6.5L, and the light has strobe, red strobe and SOS modes.
What owners say: It boosts a dead battery without trouble, owners say, and recharges to full in about three hours; for what it does, they find it compact.
A closer look: TREKURE asks for at least half a charge before each jump and a recharge every three months if it sits unused, so check it whenever the seasons turn. If a battery is too drained for the clamps to detect it, press the BOOST button; set to red strobe, the panel doubles as a warning light behind a stopped car.
- BOOST button for drained batteries
- Keep at least half charged
- Red strobe warning mode
- Recharge every three months
- 2-year warranty
Best for: Working under the hood after dark
- Engines up to
- 9.0L gas, 6.5L diesel
- Peak current
- 4,000A
- Working temperature
- –
- USB charging (in / out)
- USB in and out (type not stated)
- Flashlight
- 2,000 lumens (magnetic panel)
- Weight
- 0.42 kg (0.9 lb)
#5AstroAI B8 Jump Starter
$30–$50
Light, at about 329 g (0.7 lb): small enough for the glove box or a motorcycle bag, with ten built-in protections, from reverse polarity to over-temperature, and smart clamps that show a green light when it’s safe to start. AstroAI rates it to work from −20°C to 50°C, and it charges a phone too.
What owners say: Owners count it among their car essentials, say it handles bigger jobs than its size suggests and find it good value.
A closer look: Push the clamp plug fully into the pack before connecting, then clip red to the positive terminal before black. Only start the car once the clamp light turns green; a red light and a beep mean the clamps are on the wrong way around.
- Clamps glow green when safe
- Beeps if clamps are reversed
- 10 safety protections
- Fits a motorcycle bag
- Recharges in 3 hours
Best for: Cars and motorcycles, packed light
- Engines up to
- 9L gas, 7L diesel
- Peak current
- 3,000A
- Working temperature
- −20°C to 50°C
- USB charging (in / out)
- USB-C in (A-to-C cable); 18W USB out
- Flashlight
- 3 modes (lumens not stated)
- Weight
- 0.33 kg (0.7 lb)
#6WOLFBOX MegaVolt24 Air Jump Starter with Air Compressor (4000A)
$150–$200
A jump starter and a tire inflator in one, for a soft tire as well as a dead battery: it’s rated for gas engines up to 10L and diesels up to 6L, and its 160 PSI pump stops by itself at the pressure you set. The 88.8Wh battery also charges a laptop over its 65W USB-C port.
What owners say: Owners find it powerful and solidly made, an emergency tool they’re glad to carry, and easy to use. Battery life and how quickly it gets the job done are the mixed points.
A closer look: Set the pressure, fit the hose to the valve and let it run: WOLFBOX says it takes a 315/70R17 pickup tire to 36 PSI in about two and a half minutes. There’s no wall charger in the box, so use a 65W USB-C laptop charger, which recharges it in about two hours.
- 160 PSI tire inflator
- Stops at the set pressure
- Charges a laptop
- 3.8 in pressure display
- 5 inflation modes, 3 nozzles
Best for: Dead batteries and soft tires
- Engines up to
- 10L gas, 6L diesel
- Peak current
- 4,000A
- Working temperature
- −20°C to 60°C
- USB charging (in / out)
- 65W USB-C in and out; USB-A out
- Flashlight
- 400 lumens
- Weight
- 2.4 kg (5.3 lb)
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1NOCO GB40 | #2NOCO GB50 | #3TREKURE TK50 | #4TREKURE TK60 | #5AstroAI B8 | #6WOLFBOX MegaVolt24 Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best for big engines | Best work light | Best budget | Best with compressor | |
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 8.8 |
| Price | $100–$150 | $200–$300 | $100–$150 | $75–$100 | $30–$50 | $150–$200 |
| Engines up to | 6.0L gas, 3.0L diesel | 7.0L gas, 4.5L diesel | All gas, 12L diesel | 9.0L gas, 6.5L diesel | 9L gas, 7L diesel | 10L gas, 6L diesel |
| Peak current | 1,000A | 1,500A | 6,000A | 4,000A | 3,000A | 4,000A |
| Working temperature | −20°C to 50°C | −20°C to 50°C | −20°C to 60°C | – | −20°C to 50°C | −20°C to 60°C |
| USB charging (in / out) | USB-C in and out | USB-C in and out | USB-C cable in; 2 USB out (18W) | USB in and out (type not stated) | USB-C in (A-to-C cable); 18W USB out | 65W USB-C in and out; USB-A out |
| Flashlight | 100 lumens | 200 lumens | 800 lumens | 2,000 lumens (magnetic panel) | 3 modes (lumens not stated) | 400 lumens |
| Weight | 1.1 kg (2.5 lb) | 1.2 kg (2.7 lb) | 0.64 kg (1.4 lb) | 0.42 kg (0.9 lb) | 0.33 kg (0.7 lb) | 2.4 kg (5.3 lb) |
| Best for | Sedans, minivans and mid-size SUVs | Pickups and vans, diesels too | Big gas and diesel engines | Working under the hood after dark | Cars and motorcycles, packed light | Dead batteries and soft tires |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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