Battery booster buying guide: Key features and specifications

Battery boosters, jump packs or jump starters – whatever you want to call them – are an essential tool for any garage owner or DIY enthusiast, especially during winter. 

Increased load is placed on batteries during the colder months and, often, this renders them useless and unable to start the vehicle. This is where a battery booster comes to the rescue, rapidly recharging your flat battery to get the vehicle moving once more.

Battery boosters are a quick fix – they won’t restore the health of your battery if it’s past its best. For that, you need a dedicated battery charger, or perhaps a new battery. 

Anyway, without further ado, let’s take a look at the key features of a battery booster to help you work out which model is right for you.

Size and weight

Are you looking for a more compact, lightweight model that’s easily portable, or a larger machine that can jump start more vehicles without needing to be recharged? Size and weight are key factors to consider, as the smaller your jump pack, the less juice it’s likely to have (although battery technology is progressing at a rapid rate). 

Output voltage 

Are you expecting to jump start 6v, 12v or 24v vehicles? The majority of vehicles use 12v batteries so, as you’d expect, most jump starters are built to work with 12v batteries too. There are options out there to suit larger commercial vehicles using 24v batteries, however, so make sure you choose a jump pack that’s appropriate for your needs.

Boost peak rate and cranking rate

The higher these numbers, the more power the battery booster has. Essentially, for smaller, 4-cylinder petrol engines, a cranking rate of around 200 amps should suffice. The larger the engine, the higher this number needs to be. 8-cylinder diesels, for instance, will demand a cranking rate of around 700 amps. 

Battery capacity

Measured in Ah, the higher this figure, the longer the jump pack’s battery is likely to last. If you’re expecting to jump start a number of vehicles each day and don’t want to have to charge your booster regularly, go for a larger battery capacity (20 Ah or higher). 

Brand and warranty

This one should go without saying, but make sure you choose a product from a reliable, trusted brand – preferably one that offers a warranty as standard. Our SIP products have a 12-month warranty as standard, for instance. 

Find your perfect battery booster

Ready to start shopping? Explore our expansive range of battery boosters online today and place your order – we deliver nationwide!