The beefiest of battery chargers, car jump starters can sit ready to inject a brief but powerful jolt of electricity into a dead battery to get an engine running again. Also known as battery boosters, these products are the ultimate cure for a dead car battery.
There was a time when car jump starters required the arms of Popeye just to lift them into position. The good news is that you can put away the spinach – most modern jump starters are small enough to fit inside your glovebox and can weigh less than a kilogram, thanks to rapid developments in battery tech.
Of course, a trickle charger is always a nice thing to have when you’re leaving a car parked for a while. But jump starters are there for the worst of times. When you need to drive your car, but the battery has drained flat, a jump starter can be a lifesaver. And if your battery hasn’t degraded enough, a jump starter can also prevent the need for a new battery as well. The trouble is, a car battery nowadays has a lot to deal with.
The best car jump starters tested 2024 at a glance:
The best jump starter: NOCO Boost X GBX45 – Buy now from Amazon
Editor’s pick: NOCO Boost Plus GB40 – Buy now from Amazon
The most versatile jump starter: Worx WX852.1 Jump Starter – Buy now from eBay
As modern cars are packed with electrical features that can quickly drain a car battery, it can take only a couple of weeks of inactivity before your battery lacks the power to start your car. It especially doesn’t help if you have a wired dashcam installed, either. And with car jump starters happy to sit in your glovebox until needed, it’s worth the investment for when the worst happens. We’ve found the best jump starters and tested a handful to find out how good they really are.
How we tested the jump starters
Most of the jump starters you see below were tested almost to their limits. We tried them out on a set of used vehicles that were bought for under £1500 each. All had dead batteries at the time of testing, and we mounted the jump starters where they were based to see if we could kick some life back into them again.
The conditions outside were mild and damp. Each vehicle hadn’t been driven for weeks between them, and this was deliberately done to try and simulate a situation where you might require a jump starter in the moment. With an MG TF, we even left the lights on when parked to replicate somebody doing it accidentally.
What we look for in jump starters
Primarily, they need to be good at feeding life into dead batteries. So, power is the key aspect of the things as well as being capable to jump a variety of engines. Most jump starters are suited to petrol and diesel engines of a certain size, so really, the bigger the better in this case.
Next up is portability. Keeping a jump starter in the boot of a car can be very handy if and when the battery suddenly dies. Size and weight come into the portability question, so the easier a jump starter is to carry around, the more points it will receive on that front.
In terms of value for money, we’re a lot more flexible because quality jump starters will often have a premium price tag on them. They’re built for slightly different segments and purposes, much like cars, and so we will bear this in mind once we round up our findings. We will score a product well if we think it’s worth the cash.
The best car jump starters tested 2024
The best jump starter
But that's not the only thing that impressed us. When you want to use it as a power bank, it'll charge up your phone within record time. When you want to use it as a torch or assist battery jumping in low-light conditions, it'll do so with no effort required. The LEDs are immensely bright and useful for other tasks.
The build quality feels premium and expensive. You get the impression that NOCO appeal to a higher-end market than the others - and despite the GBX45 costing a sizable margin more than the competitors on test, we ultimately feel like it's worth it. It's worth paying the extra because you'll appreciate that it's an extraordinary machine both in quality and capability, and a great companion to keep in the boot of your vehicle.
Read our in-depth, singular review of the NOCO Boost X GBX45 here.
Review by Aaron Hussain
Pros
- Great quality item with premium materials
- Flawless performance and ease of capabilities
- Charges up phones very quickly and powerful lights
Cons
- Possibly overkill if you only own a Supermini
| Weight: | 0.59kg |
| Dimensions: | 9.19 x 12.6 x 20.9cm |
| Max engine capacity: | 6.5-litre petrol/4.0-litre diesel |
| Amps: | 1250A |
| Extras: | Flashlight, power bank |
Editor's pick
Rrp: $124.95
Rrp: $124.95
We tried the GB40 out on a 2.4-litre petrol-powered Volvo V70, and found it to be an instant success. I hooked up the terminals, pressed the power button, and the 5-cylinder tank simply switched into life like it suffered nothing. I found the unit very easy to place in the battery well, yet both of the clamps took a great amount of effort to open up due to their stiffness.
The build quality is second to none, too. Both the GB40 and GBX45 use the same materials and construction, and it's clear that both cater to a premium market that runs along the same lines as CTEK. The power bank feature is also a God-send for charging your phone on the go, and not only is your mobile device charged quickly, but not a lot of power is taken from the device. This applies to both GB40 and GBX45 models.
Review by Aaron Hussain
Pros
- Same premium-level quality as the GBX45
- Effortless at jump-starting a dead battery
- Very versatile with the lights and power bank features
Cons
- Not useful if you have an enormous engine
| Weight | 225g |
| Dimensions | 11.7 x 20.8 x 10.7cm |
| Max engine capacity | 4.0 litre petrol, 3.0 litre diesel |
| Amps | 1,000A |
| Extras | Power bank, flashlight |
The most versatile jump starter
Nevertheless, I found it a bit tricky at first to spit some life back into the engine. For instance, it went into an over-voltage safety mode on my first attempt. After repositioning the clamps, the engine slowly cranked into life, and all was well. I'll give the benefit of the doubt by suggesting it was user error that the car didn't fire up first time - the clamps were positioned slightly differently.
The build quality was a little bit less tactile than the NOCO units, but this is to be expected as the brand branches into other machines other than jump starters.
Review by Aaron Hussain
Pros
- Torch functions are varied and very useful
- Magnetic base is a huge plus point
- Capable and powerful enough
Cons
- Build quality cannot match the NOCOs, despite the price point
| Weight | 475g |
| Dimensions | 31 x 10 x 12cm |
| Max engine capacity | 4.0 litre petrol, 2.0 litre diesel |
| Amps | 1200A |
| Extras | Power bank, many flashlights |
The best heavy-duty jump starter
Nowhere on the Draper's instructions does it suggest what the maximum engine size is for the unit to fire up. We can assume therefore, that you'll be pretty safe, no matter how small or large your engine may be. Nevertheless, it'll happily charge up whatever your engine may be with ease. It's a huge help that the leads are a bit longer than the others, which is great if you need to place the unit a distance away (within the battery) from the terminals.
I like how it also comes with an air compressor unit; that's a little more fragile-feeling than a standalone unit, but it does the job amicably in the event of an emergency.
Review by Aaron Hussain
Pros
- Multiple functions, including an air compressor
- Longer leads than the others, which is useful for reaching them across the engine bay
- It feels durable enough, partly due to its weight
Cons
- Immensely heavy at a whole 7kg, making it not as portable as the others
- Tricky to position in an engine bay
| Weight | 7kg |
| Dimensions | 34 x 19 x 35cm |
| Max engine capacity | Not listed |
| Amps | 800A |
| Extras | Light, power bank |
The best value jump starter
It’s also a safe option for jump-starting; the GOOLOO makes use of several very clever safety features, including AI monitoring, to ensure no sparking, overcharging, or short-circuiting occurs. Doubling as a power bank and flashlight, it’s also a versatile option to keep in a glovebox. It even features a small in-built compass, a testament to the tough go-anywhere design of this battery booster.
Pros
- Great value for money, considering the capabilities on hand
- Excellent safety features integrated
- Loads of different variants available
Cons
- Exterior plastics aren’t as nice as others
| Weight: | 0.88kg |
| Dimensions: | 19.5 x 12.5 x 10.5 cm |
| Max engine capacity: | 6.0-litre petrol/4.0-litre diesel |
| Amps: | 1500A |
| Extras: | Flashlight, power bank, compass |
Best jump starter for battery care
Rrp: $199.95
Rrp: $199.95
This is an ideal portable battery starter but also works as a battery maintainer and trickle charger. The internal battery will stay charged for a full year, meaning you won't need to worry if you forget about it, and it can even be optioned with a solar panel to achieve totally off-grid charging. The best part, however, is the Adaptive Boost technology that will not only restart a dead battery, it'll also work out the safest and most efficient way to restart a dead battery. Mind you, it'll take about 15 minutes to do this.
Pros
- Multi-purpose use, including trickle charge functions and power bank
- Build quality is immensely good to reflect the price point and target market
- Has a sleek, modern design that we like very much
Cons
- Not a quick car jump starter, making emergency situations tricky
| Weight: | 1.4kg |
| Dimensions: | 24.8 x 9.8 x 7.8cm |
| Max engine capacity: | N/A |
| Amps: | N/A |
| Extras: | Trickle charger, battery maintainer, power bank |
Best jump starter for features
Like the GOOLOO Jump Starter 2000A, the X7 makes use of AI to keep everything safe and cool, even using a unique honeycomb design to dissipate heat. The 5.1-inch screen is easy to read and serves to show the tyre pressure, complete with PSI, BAR AND KPA readings. It's an excellent choice for any driver, especially if space is a premium.
Pros
- Outstanding jump start performance
- Compact unit which can easily be stored away in the boot
- Also tops up tyres effectively, which makes it versatile
Cons
- Short leads, which could make positioning tricky
| Weight: | 989g |
| Dimensions: | 12.7 x 19.5 x 10.7 cm |
| Max engine capacity: | 10-litre petrol and diesel |
| Amps: | 4240 |
| Extras: | Tyre inflator, pressure gauge, flashlight, power bank |
Best jump starter for portability
The body of the product is no bigger than a typical power bank, and it doubles as one too. It’s also very easy to use and is finished in red with a pleasingly retro-inspired decal on the top. While the included wires (a mains charger, 12V charger and jump cables) will take up a bit more room, it’s an impressively miniature battery charger.
Pros
- Genuinely small design, making it easily storeable
- Doubles as a torch and power bank
- Pretty good value for money at around £60
Cons
- Not suitable for diesel engines
| Weight: | 0.28kg |
| Dimensions: | 13.2 x 7.5 x 2.4 cm |
| Max engine capacity: | 4.0-litre petrol |
| Amps: | 400A |
| Extras: | Flashlight, power bank |
FAQs and things to remember with car jump starters
What features should I look for in a car jump starter?
Engine sizes have been shrinking in recent times, and unless you’re running a huge land yacht of a car, you won’t need a hugely powerful jump starter. While portable battery chargers are comfortable with almost any engine, most jump starters will cover up to 6.0-litre petrol and 4.0-litre diesel engines. But you should always check the rating before you buy.
There’s some serious voltage running through both a jump starter and a set of jump leads, and electricity can cause pain and fire if not used properly. Look for non-sparking leads as well as protection against overcharging and reverse polarity. After all, for the money you’re paying, you should expect it to be safe to use.
Additionally, many of the jump starter power packs feature a torch and USB ports for charging a smartphone or tablet. In the event of a breakdown, both features could prove very useful and are worth the small price premium.
What should I do with the battery if it needs jump-starting?
If the battery was flat, ask yourself why. It might be something simple like an interior light left on, but if not, it could be time to replace the battery. If that’s the case, you’ll want to prioritise replacing the battery at the earliest opportunity.
A jump starter pack is very useful, yet should only really be used if you can get to an automotive store or safely at home. Batteries deteriorate over time, and their performance suffers in cold weather. A battery tester is a useful tool to check the condition of your battery to make sure it’s still got some life left, or whether you need to charge it up or buy a new one.
Can jump starters do other things?
If you pick the right one, they absolutely can. Each of the jump starters we tested had multiple functions other than a couple of clamps and a load of electrons yearning for release. The two NOCO units are power banks and torches, and this is incredibly useful for camping or going on holiday.
If you want the last word in jump starter/torches, Worx will happily oblige with the WX852.1. It doubles as an inspection light as well as a powerful LED torch. It’s even shaped like one, which helps massively when you need to use it that purpose.
Aaron Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He is obsessed with classic cars and anything with a fascinating story to tell.
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