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A dead car battery can be inconvenient at best and an emergency at worst, which is why everyone needs a portable jump starter. Even the best car batteries can fail for one reason or another, so a portable starter should always be among your road trip essentials, especially if you plan on leaving the main road and driving someplace where help may not be easy to get. We’ve chosen the Halo Bolt Air as our best overall portable jump starter, but read on to see which model best fits your needs.
How we chose the best portable jump starters
Hailing from a family of mechanics, auto parts retailers, and racecar drivers, my entire life has been a 40 year deep dive into all things automotive. Suffice it to say that I’ve had ample opportunity to learn what to look for in a great portable jump starter.
I tested a slew of the latest jump starters for this article, looking not only at their battery-boosting capabilities, but at additional features like tire pumping, device charging, and more. I also considered factors like portability, display quality, and price, then compared my findings against those of other professional reviewers. What’s more, I checked the reviews of buyers on Amazon to ensure that my picks reflected the actual experiences of people who have owned them.
The best portable jump starters: Reviews & Recommendations
Best overall: Halo Bolt Air
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Specs
- Weight: 2.5 lbs
- Dimensions: 3.82 x 7.17 x 1.6 inches
- Amperage: 500
Pros
- Great for most drivers
- Very compact
- Air compressor
Cons
- Air compressor hose somewhat short
The Halo Bolt Air is such a great car jump starter that it verges on perfect. It is exceedingly compact, small enough to store in your glovebox or seatback pocket. Despite its size, this device delivers everything most drivers need for an on-the-go jump. Not only is it powerful enough to jumpstart just about any passenger vehicle, but it has an integrated air compressor, USB ports for charging devices, and a flood lamp in case you need to use it along a dark road. It’s intuitive to use, a bright display shows all necessary info clearly, and it’s highly durable. We really had to split hairs to find fault with it. Maybe the air compressor hose could be a smidge longer? But that’s not much of an issue. For all practical purposes, this is the ideal battery jump starter.
Best budget: AstroAI S8
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Specs
- Weight: .95 lbs
- Dimensions: 4.5 x 7.9 x 3.7 inches
- Amperage: 1500
Pros
- Very affordable
- Intuitive operation
- Flashlight
Cons
The AstroAI S8 outperforms all other sub-$50 jump starters thanks to its versatile starting capabilities, highly intuitive operation, and quality flashlight. It delivers more than enough oomph to start vehicles of any size, and it weighs less than a pound, making for easy storage. The integrated flashlight is plenty bright and has several operating modes for illuminating your environment or signaling for help. Built-in USB ports allow it to charge your devices in a pinch. The capacity is rather low, however, so you’ll likely want to avoid charging devices in lieu of its actual purpose—jumping dead batteries—as it only has enough juice in it for a jump or two in the first place. But for an affordable emergency option, it’s hard to beat.
Best value: Stanley J5C09 Portable Power Station Jump Starter
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Specs
- Weight: 17.8 lbs.
- Dimension: 11 x 7.5 x 13 inches
- Amperage: 1000
Pros
- Higher capacity power station
- Air compressor
- Bright work light
Cons
- Largest and heaviest on the list
If you’re looking for a jump starter that can perform a wider range of tasks—and are willing to forgo a bit of portability—check out the J5C09 from Stanley. As a jump starter, it provides more than enough output to jump vehicles of any size, but it also offers an air compressor, a work light that is bright and swivelable, and power station capability. USB and 12V car plug ports allow you to charge a variety of devices, and its 228 Wh capacity is more than enough to charge a device or two with multiple battery jumps to spare. Its biggest drawback is that it is the largest option on the list, but it’s still highly portable thanks to the chunky integrated handle.
Best compact: YESPER Portable Jump Starter
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Specs
- Weight: .68 lbs.
- Dimensions: 0.93 x 2.99 x 5.82 inches
- Amperage: 1500
Pros
- Super compact
- Big output
- USB port
Cons
When your priority is portability above all else, go with this tiny jump starter from YESPER. Weighing in at under a pound and about the size of a deck of cards, there is no starter smaller—at least not one that offers such solid performance. With its above-average capacity and output, it’s capable of starting most vehicles, and it even has an integrated flashlight and USB port for charging devices. It doesn’t offer much beyond those essentials, but for such a miniscule package, it does its job surprisingly well. It’s also very affordable.
Best design: Gooloo GT4000s
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Specs
- Weight: 2.3 lbs.
- Dimensions: 9.05 x 3.93 x 2.12 inches
- Amperage: 4000
Pros
- Lots of smart design elements
- Fast charging
- Powerful output
Cons
The Gooloo GT4000s is an exceedingly well-considered battery jumper. Compact yet powerful—that 4000A output will jump just about anything, including a semi truck. It’s highly durable, boasts a bright, easy to understand display, has a bright flashlight, USB-A and DC ports, and offers 100W charging via USB-C for a laptop or other large device. Its rapid charging is also two-way, meaning that it can charge itself fast, allowing it to be jump-ready within three minutes. It also has a large capacity, providing roughly 60 jumps on a single charge. The most glaring downside is its lack of an air compressor, but for jump start purposes it is just about perfect.
Best rated: Clore Jump-N-Carry
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Specs
- Weight: 18 lbs.
- Dimensions: 5.1 x 14.1 x 16.3 inches
- Amperage: 1,700
Pros
- Loved by experts and amateurs alike
- Intuitive operation
- Built-in charger
Cons
Having looked at dozens of portable jump starters, I’ve found that few to none are so universally appreciated as the Clore Jump-N-Carry. Easy to use and powerful enough to start the majority of vehicles, it’s not hard to see why it would be so widely hailed. It’s also super durable with long, tough cables, and is equipped with not only a DC charging port but a built-in charger, so you’ll never have to worry about losing an adapter. While there are no additional functions like air compression, flashlight, or USB charging, it is as reliable at doing its primary task-–jumping dead car batteries—as can be.
Best splurge: NOCO Boost X GBX155
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Specs
- Weight: 7.1 lbs.
- Dimensions: 8.18 x 4.84 x 13.51 inches
- Amperage: 4,250
Pros
- High output
- Fast charging
- Great device charging
Cons
For drivers willing to spare no expense, the NOCO Boost X GBX155 offers outstanding performance worthy of its high price tag. With a 4,250A output, it’s more than strong enough to jump anything except very large semi-trucks. Its fast-charging capability means it can go from empty to ready-to-jump in five minutes, and its 60W USB-C PD output allows it to charge large devices like laptops or tablets. The 500 lumen flashlight is plenty bright for work or emergency situations. It’s dead simple to use. At this price it does seem like it should have an air compressor, but beyond that, it’s a stellar jump starter.
What to consider when choosing portable jump starters
There are many factors to consider when deciding which portable jump starter is right for you. Below are the factors we considered most important when writing this guide.
Amperage
The amperage of a car jump starter determines how large an engine it can boost. While many of the products on this list offer upwards of 1000 amps, in reality you won’t need more than 500 to start the average passenger vehicle like a car, truck, or SUV. For larger RVs you’ll likely want to look above 1000, and for larger diesel engines or semi-trucks, the more the better.
Capacity
A starter’s capacity translates into the number of jumps it can deliver between recharges, or the amount of device recharges it can provide if it’s equipped USB ports. Unfortunately, jump starter capacity reporting is all over the map, with some brands listing in watt hours, others in milliamps or amp hours, and others still not listing the capacity at all. Check if the capacity is listed, and if not, let the reviewers be your guide.
Portability
Not long ago, portable jump starters weren’t very portable at all, but these days they can get surprisingly compact. Our recommendations range in dimensions from about those of a deck of cards to roughly the size of a shoebox, so pick according to your storage space, capacity, and desired features. Typically speaking, the more features and capacity, the bigger and heavier, but not always.
Additional features
Jump starters can come bolstered with a range of features beyond their battery-boosting capabilities. While I think that an air compressor and flashlight tend to be the most useful, consider whether you also want the ability to charge external devices, fast-recharging, work lighting, or a particular style of display.
FAQs
Yes, car jump starters work by providing a surge of power strong enough to crank the engine and keep the vehicle running. This, however, means a particular starter must be powerful enough to match your engine displacement. All of the products listed above can start a passenger vehicle of any size.
The battery in modern jump starters have a lifespan of around 10 years, and can typically be relied on for upwards of 100,000 starts. You can usually count on them to hold a charge for at least three months between recharges, though most brands recommend checking the charge every 30-60 days.
Starter output is measured in amperage, and most passenger vehicles—cars, trucks, and SUVs—can be started with 400 amps. If your battery is completely drained, however, you may need upwards of 600 amps. For large diesel engines, aim for at least 1000 amps.
With jumper cables you need to have another vehicle to provide a charge. The key benefit of a jump starter is that you can boost your own battery, making it more convenient or even essential if you tend to park where a second vehicle may not be available.
Yes, though it may require a more powerful starter, especially if you have a larger engine requiring greater displacement. Keep in mind that if your battery is completely dead, a starter is only a temporary solution and it is likely that you will need to replace the battery as soon as possible.
Let your car run for at least 30 minutes after a jump. This should provide enough charge for it to start itself, but if it requires another jump you likely need to change the battery or look for another issue with the electrical system. If your alternator isn’t working, for example, running the car won’t charge the battery. It won’t start up again.
Final thoughts on the best portable jump starters
While a portable car jump starter isn’t a long term solution to a bad battery or major electrical issue with your vehicle, it can be a big help in a pinch, especially if you’re parked somewhere where help isn’t available or you’re in a hurry. Having faced my fair share of dead batteries, I always keep a starter—which happens to be the Halo Bolt Air, our best overall pick—tucked in the seat pocket of my small SUV. Never leave home without one.
