The Best Portable Jump Starters of 2023

We all know the feeling, and it’s not a good one: you try to start your vehicle, only to be greeted with silence instead of the purr of the engine. The battery is dead, and now you have to flag down a random stranger to give you a jump, or call for assistance. Or do you?

As it turns out, you can solve your own problem with the use of a portable jump starter. These little devices can be as small as a paperback book, yet pack enough power to start a standard vehicle several times. Heavy-duty models can even jumpstart trucks and boats.

These gadgets connect to your vehicle’s battery in the same way that traditional jump cables do. The difference, of course, is that the other end is occupied by an judgement-free electronic device, rather than a stranger in the grocery store parking lot.

Many of the jump starters we looked at bundled in a few extra features. Most have a flashlight of some sort, plus one or more USB ports for charging mobile devices. 12v sockets were also quite common, air compressors and inverters sometimes made an appearance, and there’s at least one with inbuilt speakers.

Having these extras might seem like a gimmick, and in some cases, they probably are. You typically aren’t adding much if any extra weight or cost to get them, though, and chances are you’ll use some of them more than you expect.

A lack of additional features like these wasn’t a deal-breaker for us, but when choosing between two otherwise similar jump starters, we went for the one with useful extras.

You typically charge a portable jump starter the same way you’d charge a power bank: from a wall outlet, car accessory port, or USB socket. Better ones hold their charge for a long time (18+ months), so you can keep them in your vehicle until they’re needed.

It’s worth being careful with this, however: like anything with a battery in it, exposing them to extreme heat isn’t a great idea. Keep your portable jump starter in the trunk if possible, or the glove compartment if not, rather than leaving it on a seat or in a footwell.

Remember to check the battery level every once in a while as well, so you know you’ll have a full charge when you have to rely on it. Most of the jump starters we recommend have an onboard display to make this easier.

While they can hold their charge a long time, it’s still worth using your portable charger regularly to keep the battery in good shape. Assuming it has a USB port, you don’t need to do much more than plug your phone into it for an while, once every two or three months, then stick it back on the charger. Easy.

With all of that out the way, let’s get into it. These are our recommendations for the best portable jump starters on the market in 2023.

Basic Jump Starter: NOCO Boost Plus GB40

When buying any portable jump starter, you need to consider how often you’re likely to use it. If it’s only for emergencies and you probably won’t use it more than once or twice a year, there’s no need to buy the same thing you’d get for an auto shop. Extra features and value for money become more important.

If that sounds like you, the NOCO Boost Plus GB40 is the way to go. Sensibly priced, with enough power to turn over most standard passenger vehicles, it’s the ideal jump starter to leave in your trunk or glovebox for when the worst happens.

Capable of putting out up to 1000 peak amps, the company rates it as appropriate for anything up to a 6L gas vehicle or three-liter diesel. If you’re close to that limit I’d suggest going for something a little more heavy duty, but pretty much any domestic use is fine.

Lightweight by the standards of these things, the GB40 tips the scales at a mere 2.4 pounds. It’s pretty small as well: at 7.7 x 3.2 inches, and well under two inches thick, it’ll fit easily in your bag or glovebox.

As with many (but not all) small portable jump starters like this, you get a few useful extra features thrown in. There’s a 100-lumen flashlight that’s fine for signaling in an emergency or attaching the jump cables at night, and a 12W USB-A port for charging your phone or other small mobile devices.

You won’t want to plug your phone in too often, though, at least not if you want to leave enough juice to jump your vehicle afterward. With a battery capacity of just 24Wh, I’d suggest keeping it fully charged most of the time.

It comes with a basic microfiber bag that will prevent scratches and keep the (fairly short) cables from getting lost, but that’s about it: we’d have liked to see a hard case in the box. That said, you can buy one at a reasonable price, and if you’re going to leave the GB40 in your vehicle, we’d suggest doing so for extra protection.

All in all, this is a good basic portable jump starter that’s small, light, and does what it promises for most domestic vehicles. If you’re simply looking for a little peace of mind when it comes to being able to start your car, the GB40 is really all you need.

Buy on Amazon

Lead-Acid Jump Starter: Clore Automotive Jump-N-Carry JNC660

If you’re going to need to do more than the occasional jump start, the Clore Automotive Jump-N-Carry JNC660 is our pick. It’s an extremely reliable, versatile, and durable product that has become the favorite of tow truck drivers and rescue vehicles.

First off, the bad news: This is a big boy, weighing in at 18lbs and measuring 16.3 x 14.1 x 5.1 inches. That’s down to the use of a bulky lead-acid battery specifically designed for jump starting, rather than the lithium-ion version used in most smaller models.

While heavy, lead-acid batteries deliver strong sustained cranking power and an unmatched service life. Plus, if it ever does wear out, the internal battery is replaceable (you can buy the replacement battery on Amazon). 

The JNC660 is much more rugged than the smaller versions, with a heavy-duty casing protecting internal components from wear and tear. Extra-long 46” cables make it easy to hook up to batteries in any vehicle, with industrial-grade clamps on the end to penetrate corrosion on battery connectors. 

The Jump-N-Carry JNC660 can power accessories via its built-in 12V port, although it lacks USB ports for mobile device charging. The battery itself charges via a built-in cable, which pulls out when needed. It’s also designed to be left plugged in if desired, so it will always be fully charged when it’s needed. 

Long story short, if you’re looking for a rugged, professional-grade jump starter, go for the Jump-N-Carry.

Buy on Amazon

Jump Starter With Air Compressor: Lokithor JA301

Ever had a dead battery and a flat tire at the same time? No? Well, for those unfortunate souls out there who have, the Lokithor JA301 is their savior. 

This compact jump starter includes a built-in 150PSI air compressor, plus extra connectors that let you inflate anything from a football to an air mattress. There’s also a 2000 peak amp jump starter, a flashlight with strobe and SOS modes, and a USB-A port for charging your mobile devices.

You can also check both your battery voltage and tire pressure before trying to jump or inflate them, making the JA301 a useful maintenance tool as well. This multi-function device can’t yet drive your vehicle on autopilot or change your oil, but we’ll see what Lokithor comes up with in next year’s model.

The JA301 impressed us when we reviewed it: it’s lightweight by the standards of this kind of device, and fits in a glovebox or under a seat. All of the various functions worked well, and while we’d have liked to see longer cables included (a common complaint), they were just lengthy enough to do the job in our testing.

With up to 30 months of standby time, it’s the kind of vehicle “first aid kit” you can just leave in the car and largely forget about until it’s called into action. Reasonably-priced and easy to use, it’s an easy device to recommend.

Buy on Amazon

Heavy Duty Jump Starter: Schumacher DSR ProSeries

Need to jump start a semi truck or large boat? Look no further than the Schumacher DSR ProSeries. This bad boy can put out up to 4400 peak amps, more than twice the rating of our other top picks.

This is more than enough juice for even the largest vehicles, including class 8 vehicles such as commercial semi trucks, garbage trucks, and even fire engines if you happen to have one of those in your backyard. 

This is definitely the best portable jump starter for trucks, as it packs enough power for just about any non-military vehicle out there. It also has 60-inch jumper cables, which are helpful for reaching into the deep engine bays of commercial vehicles, and supports jumping of both 12v and 24v vehicle batteries. 

As you would expect, the downsides are bulkiness (41.2lbs, 14 x 10 x 8 inches) and an above-average price tag. For those who need the heavy-duty power punch of a 4400 amp jump starter, though, this is an excellent choice.

Buy on Amazon

Lightweight Jump Starter: Scosche PBJ300-1 PowerUp 300

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the 41lb pick above, you have the Scosche PBJ300-1 PowerUp 300. This little guy weighs just 1.4lbs, and measures 10.1 x 5.3 x 2.9 inches. It’s nearly pocket-size, and certainly small enough to throw in a bag or your glove box. 

Aimed at smaller vehicles, the 300 peak amps is enough to jumpstart four and six cylinder engines up to 3.5 liters. If you have something larger, the company also makes a 600 amp version, although I’d probably look at some of the other models on this list at that point.

The PBJ300-1 has a USB-A port for charging mobile devices, along with a flashlight to help see what you’re doing in a dark engine bay. The light also has an SOS mode in case of a genuine emergency.

As you’d expect with a compact device like this, the jumper cables on this unit are quite short. The manufacturer doesn’t include a wall charger in the package, but there is a travel case, 12v car adapter, and a USB-A to USB C cable in the box.

Buy on Amazon

All-in-One Jump Starter: Michelin Power Source XR1

Michelin is one of the best-known names in automotive accessories, so it’s hardly surprising that the company has come out with a portable jump starter. What is surprising, however, is just how much more the company’s Power Source XR1 can do beyond just firing up your vehicle.

Michelin has really gone for gold with the extras here. As well as two 12v DC ports and a USB-A socket, there’s an inverter with a pair of 110v wall outlets as well. Don’t expect to run your hair dryer off them — maximum sustained output is only 200 watts — but they’d be fine for small appliances like a fan or laptop.

The fun doesn’t stop there, though. There’s a 260psi air compressor tucked away behind a flap on one side, and an AM/FM radio and a pair of stereo speakers built in. If you’d rather listen to podcasts or stream your own music, you can do that via an aux cable or Bluetooth instead.

Turning to the actual jump-starting capabilities, the cables are usefully long (a relative rarity in this space), and the 1000 amp peak output is enough to start pretty much any domestic vehicle. It’s not the smallest or lightest portable jump starter out there, but given everything it can do, it’ll easily justify the space in your trunk.

Buy on Amazon

---

Main image via Viktollio/Shutterstock.com, product images via Amazon, image of JA301 connected to car battery via author