Car and garage · Comparison
Portable jump starters compared: pocket packs, compressor units and booster boxes
Jump starters range from a pack that fits a glovebox to a box the size of a car battery. Which kind suits you? This page compares seven current units on what their listings state, peak amps, the engine sizes they name, whether they include an air compressor, and how much they weigh, and groups them into the three kinds you will see.
Quick picks
Who each model fits, judged on this page's criteria. Full figures and the reasons to skip each one are further down.
We earn a commission if you buy through the Amazon links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Commissions never decide which products are listed or how they are described.
-
NOCO Boost GB20 (lithium pack)
Small cars and motorcycles, kept in a glovebox: the lightest stated weight here, rated in its listing for gas engines up to 4 litres.
- Peak amps stated 500 A
- Gas engines up to 4.0 L
- Weight 1.0 lb
-
Antigravity XP-10 (lithium pack)
A compact pack for gas or diesel vehicles that the listing describes as up to 7.3 litres.
- Peak amps stated 600 A
- Weight 1.7 lb
-
Clore Jump-N-Carry JNC325 (pack)
Mid-size and larger cars and trucks: the listing names gas engines up to 8 litres and diesel up to 6.
- Peak amps stated 2,000 A
- Gas engines up to 8.0 L
- Diesel engines up to 6.0 L
-
DEWALT DXAELJ18C (lithium pack with USB power bank)
Cars, trucks and boats with 4, 6 and 8-cylinder engines, as the listing describes, plus a USB power bank.
- Peak amps stated 1,800 A
-
LOKITHOR JA401 (pack with air compressor)
Large gas and diesel engines (the listing names 10 and 8 litres) and a tyre inflator in one unit.
- Peak amps stated 3,750 A
- Gas engines up to 10.0 L
- Diesel engines up to 8.0 L
-
STANLEY J7C09D (booster box with air compressor)
A garage or truck unit with a 120 PSI inflator, for 4 to 8-cylinder gas and diesel vehicles, as the listing describes.
- Air compressor named Yes
- Weight 17.0 lb
-
Clore Booster PAC ES5000 (booster box)
A garage or shop unit for repeated jumps on a range of vehicles.
- Peak amps stated 1,500 A
- Weight 18.0 lb
On this page
What we compared and why
- Engine size the listing names. Makers rate jump starters by the gas and diesel engine sizes they say the unit can start. Compare that with your engine, which your owner's manual or registration gives in litres.
- Peak amps. Every listing leads with peak amps. Makers measure them in different ways, so we show the figure but compare engine ratings first.
- Air compressor. Some units include a tyre inflator. It adds weight and bulk but replaces a separate inflator in the car.
- Weight. A 1 lb pack lives in a glovebox; an 18 lb booster box lives in a garage or a truck bed.
The models compared
| Model | Peak amps stated | Gas engines up to | Diesel engines up to | Air compressor named | Weight | Amazon link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOCO Boost GB20 (lithium pack) | 500 A | 4.0 L | Not stated in listing | Not stated in listing | 1.0 lb | See on Amazon |
| Antigravity XP-10 (lithium pack) | 600 A | Not stated in listing | Not stated in listing | Not stated in listing | 1.7 lb | See on Amazon |
| Clore Jump-N-Carry JNC325 (pack) | 2,000 A | 8.0 L | 6.0 L | Not stated in listing | 2.8 lb | See on Amazon |
| DEWALT DXAELJ18C (lithium pack with USB power bank) | 1,800 A | Not stated in listing | Not stated in listing | Not stated in listing | Not stated in listing | See on Amazon |
| LOKITHOR JA401 (pack with air compressor) | 3,750 A | 10.0 L | 8.0 L | Yes | 5.5 lb | See on Amazon |
| STANLEY J7C09D (booster box with air compressor) | Listing gives two values | Not stated in listing | Not stated in listing | Yes | 17.0 lb | See on Amazon |
| Clore Booster PAC ES5000 (booster box) | 1,500 A | Not stated in listing | Not stated in listing | Not stated in listing | 18.0 lb | See on Amazon |
Table values are read from each product's current Amazon listing at the time of this page's build and normalised to one unit by us. "Not stated in listing" means the listing does not give the figure; "Listing gives two values" means the listing states it two different ways, so we show neither.
NOCO Boost GB20 (lithium pack)
Who it fits: Small cars and motorcycles, kept in a glovebox: the lightest stated weight here, rated in its listing for gas engines up to 4 litres.
Skip it if: Your engine is larger than 4 litres or diesel; the listing names no diesel rating.
Antigravity XP-10 (lithium pack)
Who it fits: A compact pack for gas or diesel vehicles that the listing describes as up to 7.3 litres.
Skip it if: You want the engine rating split by gas and diesel; the listing gives one combined figure.
Clore Jump-N-Carry JNC325 (pack)
Who it fits: Mid-size and larger cars and trucks: the listing names gas engines up to 8 litres and diesel up to 6.
Skip it if: You also want a tyre inflator; none is named for this unit.
DEWALT DXAELJ18C (lithium pack with USB power bank)
Who it fits: Cars, trucks and boats with 4, 6 and 8-cylinder engines, as the listing describes, plus a USB power bank.
Skip it if: You want an engine rating in litres to compare; the listing names cylinder counts instead.
LOKITHOR JA401 (pack with air compressor)
Who it fits: Large gas and diesel engines (the listing names 10 and 8 litres) and a tyre inflator in one unit.
Skip it if: You want the lightest pack; the compressor adds bulk.
STANLEY J7C09D (booster box with air compressor)
Who it fits: A garage or truck unit with a 120 PSI inflator, for 4 to 8-cylinder gas and diesel vehicles, as the listing describes.
Skip it if: You want something for the glovebox; it is one of the two heaviest units here.
Clore Booster PAC ES5000 (booster box)
Who it fits: A garage or shop unit for repeated jumps on a range of vehicles.
Skip it if: You want an engine-size rating to compare; the listing gives none, and it is a large box.
The three kinds of unit
Sort jump starters by size first, because size decides where the unit lives and whether it is in the car when you need it.
| Kind | Weight in this table | Where it lives | Units here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small lithium pack | about 1 to 3 lb | Glovebox or door pocket | NOCO GB20, Antigravity XP-10, Clore JNC325 |
| Pack with air compressor | about 5 to 6 lb | Trunk or under a seat | LOKITHOR JA401 |
| Booster box | about 17 to 18 lb | Garage, shop or truck bed | STANLEY J7C09D, Clore ES5000 |
The DEWALT DXAELJ18C has no weight in its listing data, so it is not placed by weight; its listing describes a lithium pack with a USB power bank.
A small pack that is always in the car is often more use than a large box that is in the garage when the battery goes flat away from home. A booster box suits a household with several vehicles, a farm or a shop, where it is used often and kept in one place.
Engine size: the comparison that matters
Peak amps lead every listing, but makers measure them in different ways, and our jump starters by engine size guide shows how a maker's peak and cranking figures can differ widely for the same unit. The more useful figure is the engine size the maker names. Find your engine's size in litres in the owner's manual or on the registration, then check:
| Engine rating in the listing | Units here |
|---|---|
| Gas up to 4 L | NOCO GB20 |
| Gas or diesel up to 7.3 L (one figure) | Antigravity XP-10 |
| Gas up to 8 L, diesel up to 6 L | Clore JNC325 |
| Gas up to 10 L, diesel up to 8 L | LOKITHOR JA401 |
| 4, 6 and 8-cylinder engines, no litres | DEWALT DXAELJ18C, STANLEY J7C09D |
| None stated | Clore ES5000 |
Diesel ratings are lower than gas ratings for the same unit because diesel engines are harder to turn over; if you drive a diesel, read the diesel figure, not the gas one.
Compressor or not
Two units here name an air compressor: the LOKITHOR JA401 and the STANLEY J7C09D (120 PSI in its listing). A compressor turns the jump starter into a tyre inflator as well, which is handy if you would otherwise carry one. It also makes the unit heavier and larger. If you already carry an inflator, a pack without one is smaller.
Which one if...
- One small car, kept in the glovebox: NOCO GB20, if your engine is within its 4 L gas rating.
- SUV or pickup, gas or diesel, and you want a small pack: Clore JNC325 or Antigravity XP-10.
- Large engines plus a tyre inflator: LOKITHOR JA401.
- A garage or shop unit for several vehicles: STANLEY J7C09D or Clore ES5000.
Reading the table
Every figure comes from the current listing; we did not check these seven against the makers' own pages for this page. "Listing gives two values" means the listing states peak amps two different ways. "Not stated in listing" means it gives no figure.
What this page does not tell you
We have not used these units and we do not rank them. Follow the maker's manual for connecting any jump starter; we give no instructions here.