The Gooloo GT 6000 packs 27,000 mAh of power capacity and 6,000-amp peak current, by far the most powerful device in our roundup, which allows it to quickly jump-start vehicles ranging from a small motorcycle to a heavy-duty truck with a 12.0-liter diesel engine.

For peace-of-mind, large power capacity like this means the GT6000 offers two years of standby time. That can be a blessing since this type of device can sit idle in your trunk for a long stretch of time before it’s ever needed, if at all. When this portable jump starter does require more juice, it’s ready to jumpstart a vehicle after just 7 minutes of recharging.

The Gooloo GT6000 also stands out for its number of charging ports. The 100-watt USB-C in/out can top off the battery from empty to full in 1.4 hours while the 15 volt/10-amp DC port can be used to power assorted car accessories like portable tire inflators, power inverters, and more.

Also convenient, the 12-volt/cigarette-lighter charge cord that can recharge the battery in a pinch. I found this device’s 3.2-inch screen–which is larger than most—simplifies checking battery level, charging output, temperature, and jump-start status.

Not to be overlooked are the GT6000’s abundant safety features, 10 in total and the most of the devices tested here, that guard against inadvertent sparking, reverse-polarity, overheating, short-circuiting, and more. A bonus is the IP65 waterproof rating assures it’s safe to use this in damp conditions. Also handy for roadside issues are the built-in LED with three lighting modes: flashlight, strobe, and SOS. Extra illumination can be helpful when making repairs or working in low-light situations.

The Gooloo GT6000, which has more power than most motorists need, is expensive and heavy. I found the 3.2-inch monochromatic screen washes out in direct sunlight and can be challenging to read. Those grievances aside, this is a go-to jump starter if you want maximum, quick power.

Full Gooloo GT6000 Review

Key Specs

The AstroAI S8 is not the most powerful jump starter I tested but it’s low-priced and easily fits in a car’s glove box or backseat pocket. It’s also limited to vehicles with up to 6.0-liter gas or 3.0-liter diesel engines but that covers a lot of cars since the average engine size in the U.S. is roughly 2.4 to 3.0 liters for gas-powered vehicles. I used it several times without issue.

It provides built-in protection against reverse polarity, overcurrent, overvoltage, overload, overcharge, over discharge, and short circuiting. It also comes with a USB A to USB C charging cable, two 5-volt/2.4-amp USB-A output ports, a nylon storage bag, and an LED flashlight with normal, strobe, and SOS modes.

The interface is the most basic of the units tested, consisting of only an off/off button and four blue LEDs to indicate power level in 25-percent increments up to 100 percent. Oddly it doesn’t have a shut-off button and automatically powers off after 30 seconds but it does have a boost button.

Read the Full Review of the AstroAI S8 Portable Jump Starter Here

Key Specs

The Etenwolf Helios J1 squeezes 16,000-mAh and 2000-amp of peak lithium power into a lightweight device for a bargain price compared to more powerful jump starters. It can jump start vehicles with up to 8.0-liter gas and 6.5-liter diesel engines, and Etenwolf claims it can fully recharge in two hours, provide up to 35 jump starts with a full charge, and hold a charge for up to 18 months.

I found it to be one of the easiest jump starters to use in part due to its 3.2-inch display—the same size as the Gooloo GT6000, but the Etenwolf’s didn’t wash out in bright sunlight like the Gooloo.

This device’s safety features including spark protection and reverse-polarity protection that guards against switching the positive and negative cables and battery terminals. I would feel comfortable handing it to someone who had no prior experience jump-starting a vehicle.

The built-in LED’s two flashlight modes supply plenty of light for most after-dark tasks and it also has strobe and SOS functions. An IP65-rating guards against water and dust intrusion.

A drawback is the lack of a boost button that can help to quickly revive almost completely dead batteries. There is an 18-watt USB-A out and a 30-watt USB-C in/out for charging phones and other devices. Given the power it provides at this price, it’s perfect for car owners on a tight budget.

Key Specs

With the added rubberized casing plus an IP65 water-resistance rating, the Noco Boost Plus is the portable jump starter I’ll pull out when it rains in Oregon, which is very often outside of summer. Its spark-proof and reverse polarity protection make it ultra-safe to use in wet or dry conditions.

While its 1,000-amp peak power rating can crank up to 6.0-liter gas and 3.0-liter diesel engines, at 2,150 mAh it has the lowest capacity of any product here so the battery won��t hold a charge as long when stored compared to other jump starters with a higher mAH rating. This is adequate but I would not recommend going with an mAh rating lower than this.

Its 100-lumen flashlight has the most modes of the jump starters I tested, six total, which include 100-, 50-, and 10-percent; blink, SOS, and strobe. It also comes with 1-foot USB-C charging cable but has only one 5-volt/2.1-amp USB-A output port.

Key Specs

At 25 pounds, this portable jump starter pushes the boundaries of “portable.” For motorheads with multiple vehicles and a garage or shop, however, this is a device to consider. With 1,700 peak amps, it’s not the most powerful of the portable jump starters in the article, but its 68-inch, 2-gauge jumper cables are easily the longest and thickest of the recommended devices here.

Further establishing its credentials, it plugs into a 120-volt wall outlet, and its 22,000 milliamp-hour battery is replaceable so it’s not ultimately disposable like other portable jump starters.

A built-in digital voltmeter shows the battery’s state of charge before and after a jump start and a high-intensity LED lights up dark workspaces. It only has two low-powered USB-A ports, one 2.1-amp and one 1.1-amp, so unlike the other portable jump starters it can take a long time to charge, say, a dead smartphone battery. Included is a 12-volt outlet to charge small electronic devices—ones you would plug into a car’s cigarette-lighter port, like a tire inflator, for instance.

Key Specs

For years, with all the old cars I’ve owned, I’ve relied on a Battery Tender trickle charger that provides a slow and steady amount of current to keep their batteries charged. If you have vehicles that you only drive on occasion, the Battery Tender Charge N Start 4120 serves dual duty as a 4-amp trickle charger and a jump starter. But having two devices in one comes with the tradeoffs of not having ports to charge devices or a boost button.

The portable jump starter has 1,200 amps of current which is enough to jump start 6.0-liter gas and 4.0-liter diesel engines. There is a built-in flashlight and safety features for a spark-proof connection, reverse-polarity protection, and temperature compensation to automatically adjust charging, preventing undercharging in cold weather, and overcharging in heat to help increase the battery’s lifespan.

I had zero issues using it to jump start several vehicles large and small and the simple push-button interface presented no challenges. It trickle-charges regular lead-acid batteries and gel-cell batteries, as well as lithium batteries. It has a microprocessor that automatically maintains an ideal float voltage and keeps the battery at 100–percent capacity without overcharging during long-term storage.

This is larger than other trickle chargers I’ve used which impacts placement. When using a trickle charger, it’s ideal to place it under the hood of the car close to the battery. The Charge N Start 4120 is more cumbersome to tuck away under the closed hood of some vehicles although a 6-foot extension cable that attaches to separate low-profile battery-charging clamps allows placing the device away from the engine. This way, you can run the cables under the hood to the battery and place the Charge N Start 4120 in another location, say on a shelf next to a wall outlet.

Key Specs

I advise keeping both a portable jump starter and a portable air compressor in your vehicle. The Noco AX65 conveniently combines these devices into one. For a combo device, it doesn’t skimp on either function since the jump starter has an impressive 16,000 mAh capacity anddelivers 2000 amps of peak power while the tire inflator pumps out 67 liters per minute of airflow, which converts to 2.3 cubic feet per minute (CMF)— well above average for the portable tire inflators I’ve tested.

The portable jump starter is compatible with vehicles that have gas engines up to 8.0 liters and diesel engines up to 6.0 liters. Included are safety features like spark-proof and reverse-polarity protection. It also has an intuitive interface that consists of several well-marked buttons and a bright digital display so that it’s easy for anyone to use.

It doesn’t offer the array of output ports that some of the other portable jump starters in this roundup provide like multiple USB-C and USB-A ports, and USB-C in/out port, the only one available. However, its 60-watt USB-C port that quickly charges the device from 0 to 100 percent in about an hour and provides robust power for portable electronics such as phones, tablets, or even laptops.

The tire inflator can deliver between 15 and 100 pounds per square inch (psi) using buttons and a digital display on the front panel. It has auto shutoff and memory settings like other air compressors I’ve tested but adds technology that pauses and then resumes inflation when a set pressure is reached to ensure proper inflation. It comes with a USB-C cable, microfiber storage bag, a Presta adaptor and inflation needle, and a 3-foot braided air hose that’s resistant to oil, gas, grease, chemical, UV, and abrasion.

Key Specs

Owners of large vehicles —RVs, camper vans, and trucks with up to 8.0-liter gasoline engines or 6.5-liter diesels—may want to consider this portable jump starter. It doesn’t have the most capacity out of the devices included here but its hefty 2,000 amps of peak current is designed to crank larger engines and Battery Tender says it can supply up to 50 jump-starts for each full charge.

The simple interface is just an on/off switch and an LED indicator. Spark-proof and reverse polarity protection ensure power isn’t sent to the battery clamps if they aren’t correctly connected.

It doesn’t have a boost button so it may not jump start deeply-discharged batteries, and is short on output ports compared to similarly priced jump starters, with only a 5-volt/3-amp USB-C in/out and a 5/9/12-volt USB-A quick-charge port that won’t charge as many personal electronics as fast. It does come with a convenient 12-volt outlet/cigarette-lighter adaptor, and a 120-volt wall plug for faster recharging of the internal battery. It also has an exceptionally bright two-beam LED flashlight and comes with a sturdy clamshell nylon carrying case.

Key Specs