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 second that It's worked well after recommendations here and elsewhere, once when my Jeep had a COMPLETELY dead battery from leaving the lights on . Also had no trouble starting my wife's 5.6 liter Mercedes.
[You can't always go from the specs on the box, especially the off brand and Amazon stuff]
I was given a HALO last year and have already used it a number of times on my CJ-7 (and my daily driver Honda Pilot, too). It has worked great for me. A single charge of the battery works for several (at least 4??) jumps. Using it is idiot-proof— literally just hook it up and push one button. Can’t yet comment on how badly it degrades over time or through repeated charging cycles.
I'll second this post for HALO Bolt. A few years ago someone gave us each one for our cars. I was totally skeptical because I've had several other full size battery jump start/charger packs and they never worked worth a darn. The first time I pulled out one of the HALOs I was blown away. Easiest thing ever to use and that thing will jump a car whether the HALO has full bars or 1 bar on the charge level indicator. We were so impressed we then bought a number of them for other members of the family the next Xmas; they make a great gift and very reasonable.
Ive got the jump and carry 660
Actually have a few of them. Work great! The li-ion ones I've tried all failed to start my tuck with no battery in it or a stone dead battery, heck they won't even start my snowmobile when the battery is dead flat. I think they look for voltage to initialize. The jump and carry will start without a battery even in the car no problem. We own a shop so the get used near daily just moving stuff around and last for years. I'm sure there are li-ion batterys that work I've just not seen one yet.
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.
Update on my NOCO genius boost GB40. My Jeep has dual AGM batteries and 250 amp alternator. I realize the question was for the best Jeep boost, but I haven't needed it for the Jeep. Everything else, yes. Since I posted I have used it as a primary battery on my gas powered wood splitter, started two diesel tractors, dropped it on a hot manifold and melted the plastic off the back. Put epoxy putty over it and still works like a charm. Much better than the other two cheapy packs only good for one use
Sorry about the multiple pictures here. I had a hard time figuring out how to import this stuff on this site.
I have the little compact charger depicted in the photos and when I needed it when my Jeep died in the park it did not work.
I have an old big boy charger that looks like the JNC 660 in this forum. I charged it up and have it in my Jeep now. I used this years ago with great results. I am thinking there is just no zergatron space for the little one to work. Big seems better here to me.
I tried to return it on Amazon after 33 days but they would not take it back. They said 30 was the limit. Cost $100... ,,,, POS.
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. Also had no trouble starting my wife's 5.6 liter Mercedes.
