Jumper Cables: When you try to start your automobile and find the battery is dead, it may be annoying at best and dangerous at worst, depending on where it happened. Purchasing a quality pair of jumper cables is like insurance; hopefully, you’ll never need it. But if you do, you already have the tools you need in your car to jump-start your vehicle fast and effectively. For the demands of the typical motorist stuck with a dead battery, we searched for the optimal mix of price, length, wire thickness, and construction when forming our suggestions.
2023’s Top Jumper Cables
Energizer ENB216 (16 Feet)
BEST BASIC JUMPER CABLES
This set, from a trusted manufacturer, is a reliable all-arounder at a fair price that delivers a fantastic mix of functions that most drivers will find necessary most of the time. Thicker cables (with higher gauge numbers) are less conductive than more comprehensive, two-gauge wire. Moreover, a two-year guarantee is included.
Cons & Pros
- The 16-foot length should cover most circumstances.
- Down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, the wires are still flexible.
- Consists of a carrying bag
- There have been several concerns that the bag is excessively tiny and rip-prone.
- Although the wire can only support 175 amps, clamps are rated for 800 amps.
Cartman BC0420K (20 feet)
BEST WITHIN BUDGET
This affordable set is the most significant overall value because of its three-year guarantee. Even though the four-gauge cables are less effective than the two-gauge wires used by the Energizer, they are still not the least effective. Additionally, longer jumper cables are advantageous when placing the other vehicle next to or side by side with the car that requires a jump start is difficult.
Cons & Pros
- Four-gauge wires provide excellent conductivity.
- With a 20-foot length, numerous automobiles can be jumped from behind.
- Include a carrying bag and a brush for cleaning batteries.
- The current transmission by four-gauge wire is less than that of thicker (lower-gauge) cables.
- Maintains flexibility at -13 degrees Fahrenheit while others melt
AUTOGEN Heavy Duty Jumper Cables with Built-In LED Lights
BETTER IN THE DARK
Batteries may die at any time, even in bright sunlight. The battery-powered LED lights in the clamps of the AUTOGEN cables eliminate the need to construct a separate under-hood light or hold a flashlight between your teeth while attempting to connect the jumper cables. To turn them on or off, flip a switch. The much greater cost of these cables may not be justified by just one selling point alone. Still, when combined with its 30-foot length, high conductivity, one-gauge pure copper wire, and five-year guarantee, the AUTOGEN cables are a compelling argument.
Cons & Pros
- The extra-thick one-gauge wire assures that the current should still be sufficient to jump the most significant gas or diesel engines, giving the 30-foot length more flexibility when you can’t get two cars near one another.
- It is still malleable at -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- more costly than the alternatives, heavier than average at 10.96 pounds
- Since it is longer, more storage space is needed.
Horusdy AB001 (25 feet)
BEST FOR UNSURE DRIVERS
This kit from Australian tool company Horusdy prevents you from mixing up the cable connections with reverse polarity protection. An alarm will sound, and a red LED will light up if you disconnect them.
Cons & Pros
- Protection against polarity reversal
- One-gauge wire with a 600-amp rating can handle a variety of cars, and cables with a 20-foot length provide placement flexibility down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 20-foot length requires extra space in the car, and the storage
NOCO Boost Plus GB40
BEST FOR WHEN YOU’RE ALONE
You may use This stand-alone jump-start method if no one can help you. It can take a while before assistance arrives, depending on where you are and when you need a jump-start. A 23-inch, eight-gauge wire with positive and negative connectors links the car’s battery to the 1,000 amp NOCO Boost Plus GB40 power source. The lithium-ion battery has a 20-jump start capacity and can be recharged through a USB port.
Cons & Pros
- No need for a second car
- Small and convenient to store
- If you connect to the incorrect terminal, it warns you.
- Pricey
- Charged to function
- Should not be kept at temperatures below -4 degrees Fahrenheit or over 122 degrees Fahrenheit
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These jumper cables provide the most outstanding value in price, functionality, cable length, cable structure, wire gauge, and extra features like polarity protection (in case the wires are accidentally crossed). The majority of the time, whether the two automobiles are side-by-side or nose-to-tail, a 16-foot cable will work. 20 to 25 feet, sometimes 30 feet, is preferred when the automobiles are parked behind one another. Some may choose bigger, heavier wires to start large V8 or diesel engines, but remember that such will take up trunk room.
We rate each jumper wire using the following weighted metrics:
- Price (25%)
- Manufacturer Reputation (15%)
- Gauge/thickness (15%)
- Length/weight (15%)
- Extra features (10%)
- Safety features (10%)
- Storage (5%)
- Warranty (5%)
The Best batteries for trucks and cars
(FAQs)
What Makes Jumper Cables Required?
You may jump-start a dead automobile battery using jumper cables, booster cables, or jumper leads (all three words refer to the same device). The batteries in your running and non-starting cars are connected via wires. You may leave in five minutes rather than waiting for a service truck, even if you have an auto club membership or new-car roadside assistance.
How Do I Jump-Start My Car? Which Wire Goes On First?
Place the parking brakes on both vehicles, switch off both ignitions (even the dead car), and open the hoods. Black is negative (-), whereas red is cheerful (+).
- The dead-car positive (+ or POS or red or more significant) terminal should have a red cable clamp attached.
- Connect the other red end to the donor car’s positive terminal.
- Connect the black wire to the donor car’s negative terminal. Make sure all the appropriate cables are connected.
- The black cable’s other end should be attached to a metal engine compartment component that isn’t painted, not the negative battery terminal.
- Make onlookers leave.
- Start the donor vehicle, then increase the engine speed to 2,000 and 3,000 rpm. Keep the engine from racing.
- The dead car’s engine should be started. Keep the connections connected for five minutes after it doesn’t begin before trying again.
- Once the vehicle with the dead engine has started, unplug the cables in the following order: the black line on the quiet car comes off first, the black cord on the good vehicle, and the red thread on the dead car.
- Run the jumped automobile for at least fifteen minutes. This will make it possible for the alternator to recharge the battery.
The Hood: How Do I Open It?
Two steps are required to open the hood: By the driver’s door, there is a hood release that is either under or on the bottom portion of the dashboard. Please take a good tug on it. It requires more effort than the button or lever that opens the trunk. The hood will somewhat open up. Pull the hood release twice if it says “2X” on it. It will make the hood entirely unlatch.
Pull the inner release once if your car doesn’t have “2X” on the hood release, then walk to the front of the vehicle and look for the safety-catch lever in the opening below the hood. You may need a torch to view the lever. To locate it, start in the center and move your hand left or right. Use an old cloth or paper towel since it will be filthy. Push it up, left or right. Between the grilles may be the safety catch. In such a case, pull it. Extend the hood.
Some hoods feature springs or struts and can maintain their opening independently. For most others, a prop rod will rest flat on a clip. Once you’ve let go of it, swing it up and into a hole or slot on the underside of the hood (typically indicated by an arrow).
In the trunk is my battery. Who Do I Call?
There will be a jump-starting post with the letters “+” or “POS” (positive) in the engine compartment. It could be necessary to raise or slide back a flap. Start by attaching a red cable to it, then carry out the subsequent stages described above.
What Drives Up the Price of a Jumper Cable?
- Length: Costly cables are longer.
- thicker (one-, two-, or four-gauge) battery wire
- powerful clamps
- A bag for the cable
- Additional features like reverse polarity detection or LED clamps
What Does Battery-Wire “Gauge” Mean?
“Gauge” refers to the battery wire’s thickness. Thicker wire equals a lower number. The most common are two-, four-, or six-gauge jumper cables. Faster leaps are produced by thicker wire since it conducts electricity more effectively but is also heavier and bulkier.
Which Is Better: A Jumper Cable or A Battery Jump Starter?
Each has its purposes. If another automobile is accessible, a jumper cord almost always works. If the internal battery of a battery jump starter ($50 to $200) is ultimately charged, it will function effectively in warm or chilly temperatures. Cheaper jump starters may lack the strength to start your vehicle in cold weather.
What Can I Do So My Old Car Starts More Reliably?
Get a charger-maintainer for batteries. It preserves the battery’s full charge while charging it. There is no danger of injury if the gadget is kept on for extended periods. Check out our ranking of the “Best Car Battery Chargers-Maintainers.” Affordable devices start at around $25.
