A fully charged jump starter can be a lifesaver in many different situations. You can ride worry-free about your car's battery and even stop to help others facing the dead battery issue. Most of these starters can also act as a power bank for your other smaller devices like phones and modern USB-C charging laptops. However, this is only possible if you invest in a high-quality car jump-starting kit.
Factors to Consider in Jump Starters
"What makes a car jump starting kit high-quality?" You ask. Let's find out. These are the key factors you must consider before buying a portable jump-starting battery for your car.
Battery capacity
Battery capacity is one of if not the most important factor to consider when buying jump starters. It is measured in mAh, and the larger this number, the better performance you can expect. A minimum viable capacity for jump starters is around 10000 mAh. Anything below this mark is not worth your hard-earned money. On the other end of the spectrum, 20000 mAh is more than enough to jump-start most cars for more than 30 times on a single charge. That said, most of these battery packs also include USB output ports that can be used to fast charge phones, laptops, and anything with a USB connection. So, for that use, you can find car jump starting kits that go as high as 30000 mAh.
Power delivery
The power delivery of a car jump starting kit will determine the largest engine it can start and how much time it will take. It is generally measured in Amps, and 1000A is the bare minimum to look for, with high-end starters going as high as 3000A at their peak output. However, a better way to gauge performance is by looking at the largest engine the starter can spin. The bare minimum for this is a 6L gasoline engine and a 3L diesel engine; anything below this is pretty much useless. But, if you're looking for the best performance, some premium starters can produce 8L gasoline and 8L diesel engine startup in record low time.
Additional Features to Look for in Jump Starters
Once you've secured the right power and capacity, it's time to look at additional useful features to make the final purchasing decision easier.
USB ports
The jump starter you buy should have at least one USB output port. This will come in handy for charging phones and laptops on long road trips and also prevent you from getting stranded with a dead car and phone battery. Also, make sure this USB port supports fast charging; otherwise, it will take too long to charge anything, and you won't be able to take advantage of their humongous battery capacities.
LED flashlight
Say your car battery dies in the middle of nowhere at night. It is dark outside, and you don't have any light source. Trying to plug the alligator clips in this darkness can lead to even bigger disasters. A bright LED flashlight is a must-have on all portable car jump starters.
