![]() You shouldn’t really need more than that, since you can just recharge it after you use it. Every reputable company builds enough capacity into its packs for you to perform a handful of starts-enough to get you started a couple of times in case you need to pull over on your way home or on your way to a shop or auto-parts store. Capacity doesn’t directly affect how large an engine a model can start or how dead of a battery it can fill in for the measurement reflects only how many times the device can perform a start. But this is a pretty pointless metric when you’re shopping for a jump starter. Some jump-start packs have only a small error light to warn you of a reverse connection, but the best ones, including our picks, have both a light and an audible alarm that you won’t miss.Ĭapacity: Many companies brag about the overall capacity of their jump starters, which they generally list in mAh (milliamp hours) just as the makers of USB battery packs do. If you screw up, you’ll get an alert and a chance to try again. But the reverse-polarity protection built into each of the jump starters we tested confirms that each clamp is on the correct post before completing the circuit. If you confuse them and connect positive to negative and vice versa without that protection, you’ll get sparks at the connection and potentially damage your car’s battery or electrical system. When you hook up a jump starter to your battery, you need to connect the positive (+) clamp to the positive post, and then attach the negative (-) clamp to the negative post. Then, when you combine all the other features these have to offer in one device for under $100, it’s almost a no-brainer.Safety features: While most jump starters have a suite of safety circuits to prevent sending more current or voltage than they’re designed to handle, reverse-polarity protection is what makes them notably easier to use, especially for people who are concerned about getting the connections wrong. I’d rather rely on myself, a portable jump starter, and call it a day. And when it does happen, knowing that I have a fast, easy, safe solution ready to go gives me peace of mind.Īnd honestly, these days, I don’t really want to flag down a random person on the side of the road and ask for a jump. Most people don’t realize their car battery is dead or low until it’s too late, and no one wants to deal with that situation. I have one in both of my vehicles, and my significant other has one in hers. So, should you buy one and store it in your trunk? In my opinion, yes, 1000%. Neat, right? Is a Portable Car Jump Starter Worth Buying? Cory Gunther / Review Geek Some even have integrated air compressors. Use it like a lantern while you’re changing a flat tire on the side of the road. If your battery doesn’t have enough juice, you can’t start the car.Īdditionally, many portable car jump starters come equipped with LED lights that double as a flashlight, lantern, or flashing SOS lights in the case of an emergency. You’ll need at least 150 CCA to start your average compact car, but larger trucks and SUVs often need a bigger battery offering upwards of 400-650 amps. When that happens, you’ll need a boost. Every car battery has a cold cranking amperage (CCA) rating, which is how much amperage power it can deliver to turn over the engine. When your car battery gets too low, even though your door or dash lights still come on, it doesn’t have enough power to start the engine. How Portable Jump Starters Work Cory Gunther / Review Geek It uses all that battery power to turn over the engine when your car battery is dead. While some larger options use a battery similar to what you’ll find in an automobile, portable car jump starters like we’re talking about today use lithium-ion batteries, the same type of battery in your smartphone-only bigger. ![]() These devices output a large amount of power quickly and safely, enough to turn over the engine in a car.
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