A portable car starter pack is now a reality when it comes to ailing batteries, booster cables and the help of a friendly neighbor are a thing of the past. Car starter packs are evolving with new combinations of power, capacity and features – most now come with USB ports capable of charging your phone or other devices.
We’ve tested a selection of the best car starter packages to see which is the best in terms of value for money, performance, and other handy features.
Read on for our list of the best mini jump starter packs…
How did we test them?
To test launch performance, all jump-start packages were used on the 1.6-litre petrol engine, and we expected the engine to rev five times in five seconds each, with a time rest between two minutes.
Each was fully charged before the test started, and the battery status was recorded when we finished. We also evaluate each starter for practical features such as cable length and clamp size, specifications and weight. Guides are also evaluated, as are safety and options, including sockets. As always, price from multiple online sources is the final factor.
Identify
Since our previous winner, the MSC Waterproof Car Jumper and the Power Bank, were discontinued, our previous runner-up Clarke JSM300 took the spot for the jump starter pack. the best. It is only about £10 more expensive than the MSC. The Ring RPPL360 is impressive, but ultimately loses out due to its price and accessories compared to the cheaper and extremely good Clarke JSM300. The Clarke JSM400 comes in at third with a heavyweight Ah rating, although it’s a bit more expensive than the jump starter packs that precede it.
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Clarke JSM300 Micro Jump Start and Power Pack
The JSM300 is Clarke’s mid-range Jump Start device that offers a neat balance between capability and price. Despite only weighing 627g, the Clarke has 12Ah, easily enough for all of our tests; we also measure up to 109 amps when the motor rotates. Like many of its competitors, it flashes an LED to show it’s connecting, then turns solid green to show it’s ready.
While many more amperage products offer a wide range of voltages, it’s rather unusual to find 5V, 12V, and 19V adapters (for laptops) at this price point. The JSM300 also comes with a four-in-one multi-plug connector with a 30-pin Apple (a bit outdated), Lightning plus mini and micro USB. The zip-up case is sturdy and large enough to hold the battery and various accessories, secured with elastic straps. It also includes a power supply and a car charger. The jumper socket is masked, but the two USB outputs (4A combined) are not.
Ring Fast Charge Jump Starter RPPL360
- Price: Around £100
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Contact: ringautomotive.com
The Ring has a more modern design than some of the competition as it uses the latest in lithium-cobalt battery technology and offers PD30W fast charging USB-C output along with standard 2.4A USB.
It hardly weighs 691g and the 37cm conductor is practically, if not the longest. The double-shielded jump-start connection, first a rubber cap and underneath is a spring-loaded, plastic cover, which is a good idea, if a bit awkward to use.
It works great and is noticeably better than other Rings we’ve tried. We also like the green ‘ready’ light. It succeeded in all five tests and still shows four blue status LEDs at the end.
Clarke JSM400 2100mAH Jumpstarter
This Clarke model has a monster Ah rating and is the heaviest of our trio, at 930g. The hard, zip-up case contains the power supply and car charger plug, eight adapters for DC 19V output, and a four-way connector for most phones. It is clearly designed with everyday practicality in mind, not just for emergencies.
It powered our discharged battery from just 3V to quick switching for all five tests, and all five LEDs remained lit at the end. The LED on the Smart Cable is also on, even though the lead is shorted. If you need more Ah for larger engines or diesel engines, or to power multiple devices, this is the option for you.
Launch ESP-150 Car Jump Starter
This 15Ah rated li-polymer battery can cope with most cases, but at 731g this comes at the expense of portability. It can charge mobile devices via two USB sockets (1A and 2A), and includes a power supply and car charger plug along with a nothing-for-nothing multi-USB lead for Apple devices.
The digital display shows the battery status and there is a boost button, which acts as an on/off button for the 32cm starter cable. All of those amps now translate to five perfect scores, while only losing about 10% of the total. However, this impressive device is a bit expensive even with its specs.
Draper Expert Lithium Jump Starter 15067
There’s a lot to like about this powerful Draper 12Ah, starting with the sturdy hard case, complete with USB connectivity and car charger. Like the MSC Plus, it has eight useful laptop adapters, along with a four-in-one universal charging cord that includes various permutations of Apple and USB accessories. It easily completed our tests, although the battery status lost an LED and a few points. We like the long, 42cm lead and the option to charge at 12V, 16V or 19V, although an additional USB socket would be nice. A great product and almost a podium.
GC PowerBoost
Supplied in a hard case, the PowerBoost boasts a neat OLED display and three USB sockets: two 18W USB-A sockets and one 60W USB-C that can power a laptop. All have lids and bright LEDs. This device is also unusual, as it can charge car batteries, although that takes a lot of energy and time.
It’s IP64 rated against moisture and dust, at 16Ah its capacity is one of the largest we’ve tested, but it’s also the heaviest at just over a kilogram. The sturdy clamps are large and grip well, and the leads are a reasonable 41cm long. Even with a 10V battery, it still spins the motor with ease. We love the GC, but that price tag can’t be ignored if starting a car is its primary role.
MSC Overland Plus Power Bank & Jump Starter
With a whopping 18Ah on tap, the MSC winner’s Plus version barely flinched in our starting tests, ending up with battery status remaining at 100%. Housed in a sturdy, zippered case, it’s IP65 dust/water resistant and comes with a power, USB, and car charger. In addition, it has eight adapters for charging the laptop; a good performance on our HP. It looks like there’s only one USB, but it has a multi-way cable to make life easier. Huge capacity, if it weighs 919g, this device can do almost anything.
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Halfords Advanced Lithium Jump Starter
- Price: Around £60
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Contact: Halfords.co.uk
We think this is a well-made product, even though it only comes with Smart Connect and a USB charging cord; no cover and charging socket and USB is not covered. The smart socket has a rubber outer shell plus a plastic version that slides inside, which is impressive, if a bit difficult to plug in.
A torch is fitted to the end of the jump starter, pointing directly at the clamps, although without the flashing mode as on the MSC. Out of five attempts, it managed to spin the motor more than four times, though all were slower and half-hearted than the Overland, reflecting a lower capacity of 6Ah. On the fifth attempt, it completely failed and in the end, only about 60% of the charge remained. Not a bad result, but we have a feeling that if there were any other engine problems, it would be a struggle to get it started.
Laser 7405 Jump Starter Multifunction
The new product from Laser performed well in our initial tests, completing all five and keeping the four LEDs glowing at the end, despite its low Ah. It includes some unique touches, such as a clear, red LCD screen that clearly shows the playing status when starting. It has two USB sockets, one of which is QuickCharge 3.0, and in addition, it has a USB C socket for input or output – all of which are cutting edge. Charges via micro USB, although power supply and car charger are not included. An impressive unit, light at 559g, but too new for us to get a higher price tag.
NOCO GB40 Genius Boost Plus 1000A Jump Starter
- Price: Around £110
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Contact: no.co
This has top build quality and a tough, no-nonsense shell – a good job, with just a fiber bag for protection. It’s the smaller of the two NOCOs we’ve tried, and we like the clean layout with large buttons for light and on/off, and a simple LED setup that makes correction impossible. The heavy duty croc clamps were connected via a large plug/socket and it turned the motor nicely. However, it has lost one of the LEDs at the end, weighs 905g, has only one USB socket and is not cheap.
Ring RPPL250 Wireless Jump Starter
This ring has 5V and 9V USB sockets and an integrated QI wireless charging board. We had to use it on battery at 11V, and although it did spin the motor, it was slower than its rivals. In the end, only three of the four LEDs were lit. It is like a power bank with some emergency functions.
NOCO GB50 Boost XL 1500A Jump Starter
- Price: Around £135
- Rating: 3 stars
- Contact: no.co
As the name and price suggest, this is a step up from the GB40, in terms of power and size, but still without a hard case and only a covered USB socket. The design and quality remain the same, but at 1.1kg it’s the heaviest and most expensive unit here. As with the smaller version, the instructions are very good and it is designed to start the battery down to 2V. Once again, the dual seven-mode LEDs shine useful light into the croc clamps, towards the connections. The motor flipped over quickly and in all five tests, leaving three of the four LEDs on.
If you need to keep the engine lit while accelerating the battery, check out our list of best test light…
