Portable Jump Starter Buyer Guide: 600 vs 2000 Amps, Honestly

TL;DR

• A 1000 to 1500 peak-amp lithium jump starter handles every passenger car and most light trucks. This is the right tier for 95 percent of drivers.
• Cold weather kills cheap units. Look for a unit rated for jump starts at minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit, not just at 32.
• Skip the lead-acid bulky units. Lithium has been the right answer since 2018, smaller and lighter with longer shelf life.

Sizing it right

Manufacturers love big peak-amp numbers. What matters more is cranking amps (the sustained current during the actual start) and the rated cold operating temperature.

• 4-cylinder gas: 400 to 600 cranking amps
• 6-cylinder gas: 600 to 800 cranking amps
• V8 or diesel: 800 to 1200 cranking amps

Peak amps are 2 to 3 times cranking amps. So a unit advertised at 1500 peak amps is roughly 500 to 750 cranking amps. Pick a unit one tier above your engine size so you have margin in cold weather.

Brands worth your time

NOCO is the category leader for a reason. The GB40 (1000 amp) and GB70 (2000 amp) cover passenger and truck respectively. Other good options include the DeWalt DXAEPS14 and the Schumacher SL1656 for budget.

Browse: NOCO and lithium jump starters. For diesel and V8 owners: high-amp jump starters.

What to skip

• Combination jump-starter-plus-tire-inflator units. They do both jobs at half quality.
• No-name brands with vague amp ratings. The peak amp number is fiction without an independent test.
• Anything sold as a phone power bank that also jump-starts. The capacitor is too small to crank a cold engine.

Where this fits with the rest of the kit

A jump starter pairs with a portable tire inflator and a dash cam for a complete trunk kit. If you find yourself needing to jump-start the same car twice in a winter, that is often a sign the battery is going. Check the math with the Sell or Keep Verdict.