Best portable jump starters for cars, trucks and diesels (plus battery maintainers for cars and motorcycles)

A dead battery on a cold morning is one of the most common ways a day goes wrong. A portable jump starter lets you restart the car yourself, with no second vehicle and no cables stretched across a parking lot. As winter and holiday travel approach, it's also one of the most practical things to keep in the car or give to a new driver.

This page covers four true jump starters, sorted by the size of engine they're rated for and how you'll use them. In a separate section, we cover two battery maintainers. A maintainer does a different job: it keeps a parked vehicle's battery healthy so you never need the jump in the first place.

Best jump starter for most cars

If you drive a sedan, hatchback or small SUV, you don't need the biggest pack on the shelf. You need one that's easy to use under stress and small enough that it actually stays in the car. The GB40 fits that brief:

• Its clamps are spark-proof and protected against reverse polarity, which matters most for people who rarely open the hood.
• A manual override handles very flat batteries.
• A boost mode is there for faster starts.

• NOCO Boost Plus GB40 — best for sedans, hatchbacks, small SUVs and new drivers.
  • Rated for up to 6.0 L gas / 3.0 L diesel.
  • Up to 20 jumps per charge.
  • USB port for devices and an LED flashlight up to 100 lumens.
  • Measures 7.7 × 3.2 × 1.7 in and weighs 2.4 lb.
  • 1-year limited warranty.
  • Skip it if you drive a full-size truck with a large V8 or a big diesel.

Best for trucks, SUVs and big diesels

Bigger engines need more starting current, so this is where the engine rating matters most. Check your engine's displacement and fuel type in the owner's manual. Then pick a pack the maker rates at or above that size.

• The GBX55 steps up from the GB40 while staying compact. It has heat, cold, starter and battery status indicators.
• The GOOLOO GP4000 has the highest engine rating here. Its catches are a roughly 5-hour recharge, no wall charger in the box and fewer published specs.

• NOCO Boost X GBX55 — best for pickups, large SUVs, vans, boats and RVs with 12V starting batteries.
  • Rated for 1750 A peak, for up to 7.5 L gas / 5.0 L diesel.
  • Boost Mode starts in about 60 seconds.
  • USB ports for phones, tablets and computers.
  • 200-lumen LED with 5 modes.
  • Weighs 41.28 oz.
  • 1-year limited warranty.
  • Not meant for heavy-duty diesels above 5.0 L. Skip it if you only drive a compact car; the GB40 is enough.
• GOOLOO GP4000 — best for drivers of large gas or diesel engines and those in cold climates.
  • Rated for 4000 A peak, for engines up to 10.0 L.
  • 60+ jump starts per charge.
  • Spark-proof smart clamps with reverse-polarity protection.
  • Works from -4°F to 140°F.
  • Dual USB plus USB-C in/out, and a flashlight with strobe and SOS modes.
  • Takes about 5 hours to recharge, and a wall charger is not included.
  • Skip it if you want detailed published specs. GOOLOO's page lists no battery capacity, size or weight.

Best pro-grade jump starter for the garage

Glovebox lithium packs are built for occasional emergencies. If you jump-start vehicles often, as in a home workshop, on a farm or across a fleet, cables and clamps become the priority. Clore's JNC660 is built around heavy 46" #2 AWG welding cable and industrial-grade clamps. It also has a built-in voltmeter and an automatic charger.

• Clore Jump-N-Carry JNC660 — best for home mechanics, small workshops, farms and multi-car households.
  • 1700 peak / 425 cranking amps, 12V.
  • PROFORMER battery designed for jump starting.
  • 12V DC accessory outlet.
  • Weighs 18 lb.
  • 1-year limited warranty.
  • Skip it if you want something small to keep in the car. It also has no USB ports listed, so it isn't a phone power bank.

Keep the battery healthy: battery maintainers

These two are not jump starters; both are sold as 12 V battery chargers and maintainers. A maintainer plugs into a wall outlet and connects to a parked vehicle's battery. It keeps that battery topped up for weeks or months, which is ideal for:

• classic cars
• seasonal convertibles
• motorcycles in winter storage
• a second car that rarely moves

It prevents the dead battery rather than rescuing you from one.

• CTEK NXT 5 — best for classic, weekend and seasonal cars, and for motorcycles and powersports.
  • 4.3 A charging for 12 V batteries from 1.2–160 Ah.
  • Supports WET, MF, Ca/Ca, AGM, EFB, GEL and LiFePO4 batteries.
  • Desulphation, reconditioning and AGM modes, with temperature compensation.
  • IP65 rated.
  • 5-year warranty.
  • Slow to recharge a large, deeply flat battery.
  • Skip it if you need a jump right now or only have 6 V batteries.
• Battery Tender Junior (021-0123) — best for motorcycles, ATVs, scooters and lawn tractors in storage.
  • 12 V, 750 mA, automatic 4-stage charging for 3–30 Ah lead-acid batteries (flooded, AGM, GEL, sealed).
  • Spark-proof, reverse-polarity and short-circuit protection.
  • 12.3 ft total reach, with ring terminals and alligator clips included.
  • 5-year limited warranty.
  • Skip it if your bike has a lithium battery or you mainly need to maintain a full-size car battery.

How to choose

Engine size the maker rates it for

This is the single most useful number. Makers rate packs by maximum engine size, often with a lower limit for diesel than for gas. Diesels are harder to crank, so match both your displacement and your fuel type. Peak-amp figures are measured differently by different brands, so the engine rating is the fairer comparison. Here's how three of our four jump starters are rated (no engine rating is listed for the Clore JNC660):

• GB40: up to 6.0 L gas / 3.0 L diesel
• GBX55: up to 7.5 L gas / 5.0 L diesel
• GP4000: up to 10.0 L gas and diesel

Lithium pack vs garage unit

• Lithium packs like the NOCOs and GOOLOO double as power banks, and the NOCOs are compact enough for a glovebox (GB40) or under a seat (GBX55).
• Heavier garage units like the 18 lb Clore use a battery built specifically for jump starting. They trade portability for heavy-duty cables and clamps.

Choose by where the unit will live: the car, or the garage.

Safety

For beginners, look for spark-proof clamps and reverse-polarity protection. These help prevent damage if the clamps go on the wrong terminals. The GB40 and GP4000 list both. Status indicators (GBX55) and smart clamps with status lights (GP4000) make it clearer when the connection is right. A manual override (GB40, GBX55) is a tool for very flat batteries; read the manual before using it.

Extra uses

USB charging turns a jump starter into a roadside phone charger. For more on that side of things, see our power banks explainer. A built-in light helps at night. The GBX55's light is rated at 200 lumens, double the GB40's 100; GOOLOO gives no lumen figure for the GP4000.

Maintainer vs jump starter

They do different jobs:

• A jump starter gets you going when the battery is already dead.
• A maintainer keeps a stored vehicle's battery from going flat.

Many people with a weekend car or a motorcycle benefit from owning both.

FAQ

How many amps do I need in a jump starter?

Start from your engine size and fuel type, not the amp number. Choose a model the maker rates for your displacement, with some headroom if you live somewhere cold or drive a diesel.

Can a jump starter replace a battery maintainer?

No. A jump starter gives a short burst to start the engine. A maintainer keeps a parked battery charged over time. If a vehicle sits for weeks, a maintainer is the better tool.

Can I use a battery maintainer on a lithium battery?

Only if the maker lists support for it. The CTEK NXT 5 lists LiFePO4. The Battery Tender Junior is listed for lead-acid types only.

Is a jump starter a good holiday gift?

For a new driver or anyone who parks a car for long stretches, it's a very practical one. Pick the model by the size of their vehicle. For more ideas, see our gifts for car lovers and gifts for dad. A dash cam pairs well, too.

Prices change often — especially around Black Friday and holiday sales — so we don't show them here. Follow the store links to see the current price and availability.