Own and drive any brand of vehicle for long enough, and you'll end up needing one sooner or later. A battery boost or jump-start, that is. An empty battery in your car can come from far too many reasons, from a battery nearing the end of its life to somebody accidentally leaving the dome light on.
Whatever the reason for your dead battery, if your Jeep won't start there's one solution: You need a boost. You can get one by calling a tow truck, by relying on a set of jumper cables and the kindness of strangers, or you can get a portable jump pack. Only one of those options lets you get your car started immediately and by yourself, and it's the same option that actually can give you handy portable power whenever you're away from a wall socket.
Portable jump starters, also called battery boosters, jump boxes, and probably a handful of other nicknames all work the same way. They have a small 12-volt battery with enough power to crank over your engine enough times to get it started. From there, everything else is an added bonus feature. Some of those are great, and some of them aren't necessary, but what you want is up to you.
Our pro tip: A battery booster won't give you a boost if it's dead too. So check your portable power pack at least once a month and give it a charge as needed to make sure it's there for you when you need it. Some of the better packs have a light to tell you how much charge they have remaining.
There are several features to decide on, so we also posed the question to the JeepForum.com community. So, without further ado, here are the best portable jump starters for Jeep owners.
Noco's jump boxes were recommended by a handful of users including Goodoldjeep, gmiller0737, kzim93jpz, and more.
The company's GB40 is one of the most popular options, with a 1,000 amp capability that can start gas engines up to 6.0 litres and diesels up to 3.0. Thanks to the lithium-ion battery, it is extremely compact but has enough charge for up to 20 jump starts. It has convenient USB charging (and can provide 5V power to your devices via USB), and easy to see lights to tell you power remaining and to make sure you're properly connected to your car. It even has a flashlight with three power levels to let you see your work, SOS, blink, and strobe functions. All with a convenient storage case.
We had recommendations for the Halo Bolt from users including BenO'K and 93YJ4Fun. Halo has rebranded as Mophie, so we're following along with your recommendations. The company offers plenty of choices, but we like the Powerstation Go with a built-in air compressor. Why? Because it lets you solve two problems in one: a dead battery as well as a flat or low tire. It holds a 15,000 mAH battery that lets you jump start nearly any vehicle. It also includes a compressor that can fill up your tires with an adjustable automatic pressure setting so you can turn it on and walk away. A two-year warranty completes the package making this a great emergency solution for your Jeep.
User hardwaregrrl recommended the Hulkman Alpha85, saying they've been using it for two years. The 85 offers 2000 peak cranking amps, enough to get your car fired up on even the coldest days. Thanks to the lithium-ion battery inside and clever electronics, Hulkman says that their charger can go 18 months in storage without losing charge. The large display tells you exactly how much power you have, if you're charging or discharging, and if you have your car's battery connected properly so you know it's ready to go. It will also give you USB-A, USB-C, and 12V car outlet power to let you charge your portable devices or give you some juice on the road. When it comes time for charging the pack, impressive 65W power lets it top up in under two hours. A fraction of the time of other options.
We put the JNC 660 on the list because some of you said you weren't happy about lithium-ion packs. This is a more conventional jump pack that uses a sealed lead-acid type battery. Plenty of people prefer the old reliable, we get it. Big and bulky, that might take up more room in your trunk, but it's also reassuring compared with some smaller models. Knowing that it can bounce around in your trunk a few times without worry. With 1700 amps of charging, it can start nearly any gas or diesel engine. 46-inch cables mean that you aren't straining to find somewhere to put your jump box where it won't come in contact with moving engine parts once you've started the car. It also has a 12V power plug and an easy-read voltage gauge to let you know when it's time to charge the pack up again before use. The 12V battery is also replaceable, so the unit isn't expensive and hazardous electronic waste down the road.
User flcracker64 asked about the Autowit unit and it's one we put on the list. Why? The innovative design uses a supercapacitor instead of a battery.
The big difference with a capacitor is that it can't help you if your car's battery is fully drained down to near zero volts. Fortunately, that rarely happens. Below 11 is where you'll probably need a boost, and below 9 volts your car is effectively "dead" as far as lights and gauges and the ECU are concerned.
A supercapacitor booster pack draws the low-voltage power remaining in your battery and stores it as 12V power. It can store up to 800-amps this way and can then deliver all of that power at once back to your car when you want to start the engine.
So as long as you have some power left in the battery, a supercapacitor converts that small voltage into the voltage needed to start your engine. It's fascinating, but also complicated. So we understand if you decide to stick with old tech. But this new option can start a gas engine up to 7.0 litres in most conditions without any of the risks of a lithium battery sitting in your trunk.
I can second, and third, the recommendation for Gooloo jump starters. I have 2 of them, and have used one extensively. They hold a charge forever, are easy to use, and can be used quite a bit on one charge.
Neighbor of mine was having a battery issue. Ends up good battery was bad, and his alternator belt was loose. I ended up having to jump start his car 10 times just to get him home. Used that same pack on the same charge to jump start my extra car that has been sitting forever. And when on a mountain drive it jump started a car for a family that was stranded in the snow.
They was all in one charge. It has 5 battery level lights, and after that it went down one light.
One thing I strongly suggest is not using it to charge your phone and things. Keep this for your cars. Get yourself a cheaper phone charger for the other.
GOOLOO Jump Starter Battery Pack 1200A Peak 18000mAh SuperSafe Car Starter (Up to 7.0L Gas or 5.5L Diesel Engine) with USB Quick Charge and LED Light,12V Lithium Jump Box Booster Portable Charger,Gray https://a.co/d/0lmMSUl
I have also had the halo jumper. They work. But this Gooloo is a much much better product from experience.
The guy is asking about a portable jump starter recommendation.
I agree with all the posts on maintenance, prevention, and so on. But that's not what he's asking.
I think a dual battery is a great solution for a lot of people. But that's not what he's asking.
The jumper I posted above has started everything I have used it on, up to a 26' diesel box truck. Was completely surprised by that one, but it didn't even need any extra fiddling.
I have also had the cheap battery box similar to the one lwbfl just mentioned. The major downside to those is that it's a lead acid battery, and won't last as long and is definitely larger and heavier.
The benefit that he was able to use it as a battery which is impressive and smart. And it has a few other convenient functions as well.
Keep it on track guys. Everything you guys posted is great info. Just irrelevant to this thread. Mostly.
My jump starters have been used more to help stranded people than for my own vehicles. Back in the day I would have to move my car into position, open hoods, connect cables, and so on. Not that I mind helping people, but that's a time consuming drag.
Now I see someone in need of a jump and I grab my small book sized kit, open it up, attach to the battery. They start up. Close hood and they are on their way in minutes. So much better, quicker, efficient. And every single person I've ever helped like this has been amazed by that small little item and planned on buying one for their car. They didn't even know something that small could do it. They were in the huge heavy battery jumper mindset that didn't make sense to lug around. Every person that buys one of these gems for their car is potentially one less family stranded. It's at the very least another person that can help another stranded motorist because it makes it easy for them to help.
A dual battery setup is awesome, but it can't do those things. There's a place for these jumpers. They just want to know what the best one is.
That kinda cracks me up. If you use a cell phone, you have a Chinese made lithium battery. If you have a laptop, you have a Chinese made battery. Even if you have a desktop computer, you have a (small button CMOS) Chinese battery.
I get that the stuff from China is labeled as cheap. I'm not for how their government goes about their business either. But one thing doesn't equal the other.
There is plenty of Chinese junk made. There is plenty of junk made everywhere, including in the United States. Would i prefer buying American? Yes.
Chinese, as well as products made in most countries, is made to spec. If you give cheap specs, it's a cheaply made product. If you give great specs, you get a great product (most of the time).
Being in the tech world for way too many years, I saw this in action constantly. Take laptops for instance. There are, or were, 4 laptop factories. Some brands are amazing. Strong, bullet bulletproof, well made, whatever you want to call the brand. Some brands just suck. They are cheap, flawed, and a general pain in the rear.
What's the difference? They were all made in the same 4 factories. They built then to the specs given by the OEM. The specs decide what's cheap and crappy, not the factory or where it's located.
Again, I am NOT advocating buying Chinese over other products. I am for being aware of what you're saying vs what you want to be true. If it costs a few bucks more for something and I have the choice, I'll buy American. If I have the choice of buying something made cheap and crappy over something that works and is well made, I'll spend my money on the better product.
By the way, my jump starters have been in my cars for years. Sometimes in the back seat in the middle of summer in California and I know the temps are higher than I should want to store these. I don't lose any charge due to heat.
The guy is asking about jump starters.
Your answer is like someone asking about what spark plug is best and you telling them that they need an LS swap, because that's what worked for you. I get the strong feelings regarding China. I have them too. It's not relevant to the question.
The better lithium ones have a button that you press when the battery is deader than dead. Usually it takes about 20 to 30 seconds. It gives an extra boost and does a kinda quick charge to the battery so it has a little to work with. It might take a few times doing it depending on the state of the battery. But it eventually works with the worst batteries.
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