If you own a car, you should always travel with something to re-charge your battery, in case it dies. Determining whether you store jumper cables or a portable charger in your trunk is a choice in itself. There are pros and cons to both. So, jumper cables or portable chargers, which is right for you?
If you’re looking for some great jumper cable options, the table below summarizes our top choices for 2020. The highest rated options are the Energizer 1-Gauge 800A Heavy Duty Jumper Battery Cables and the CARTMAN Heavy Duty Booster Cables.
| Product | Gauge/ Current Capacity | Key Features | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | -1 guage/800 amps | -PVC coating on the clamps -Thick insulation on the cable -25 feet cable length -Stainless Steel Clamps | Check Price Now! |
 | -2 guage/600 amps | -Aluminum conductor with a copper coating -conductor alloy is resistant to corrosion -cable has T-neoprene coating -Cables are tangle-resistant | Check Price Now! |
 | -4 guage/450 amps | -Highly versatile to adopt in all extreme weather conditions -Premium material -Suitable for all types of vehicles -PVC insulation | Check Price Now! |
 | -4 guage/NA | -Best for commercial and personal use -Polarity labels -Available in four different lengths -T-neoprene coating | Check Price Now! |
 | -2 gauge/600 amps | -Parrot clamps have an ergonomic design for easy application -copper-clad Aluminum material -tangle-free design | Check Price Now! |
 | -4 guage/500 amps | -Conductor has an Aluminum coating -20 foot heavy-duty cable -Insulation to assure 100% safety -Travel bag -Gloves for extra safety -Clamps have sharp teeth | Check Price Now! |
 | -4 guage/300 amps | -Ideal for medium-size or small vehicle -20 foot length -High-quality, heavy-duty clamps -UL certified | Check Price Now! |
 | -0 guage/NA | -Clamps insulated with high-grade rubber -Premium quality PVC coating -25 foot length | Check Price Now! |
 | -1 guage/800 amps | -Cables come with copper-clad Aluminum -Thermoplastic insulation -clamps have a Parrot teeth design | Check Price Now! |
 | -2 guage/600 amps | -Available with a length of up to 25 ft -Color-coded for ease of use -Clamps are made of copper | Check Price Now! |
How Does a Vehicle Battery Die?
A battery in a car or truck can die for a variety of reasons:
- If lights were left on inside the vehicle
- If the headlights were left on
- If you haven’t started the vehicle in a long time
- The temperature is very cold
- Your battery is old and needs to be replaced
Regardless of the cause, in order to drive your vehicle, you will need to recharge the battery. Most batteries can be jumped once and will be fine; they don’t need to be replaced. However, if your battery is more than three years old, you may want to consider getting a new one, should the battery die for no known reason.
Jumper Cables: Pros
The benefits of carrying jumper cables are that:
- Jumper cables are cheap to purchase. Most sets cost under $50 and will last a long time. We have recently compiled an extensive review of the best jumper cables if you’re looking to purchase yourself a pair.
- They require no regular maintenance. There is nothing that needs to be done to them.
- Jumper cables are easy to use. Just be cautious not to touch anything with or to the metal clips when one side is attached to a vehicle.
Jumper Cable: Cons
- If they are a cheap set, and have a light gauge wire, they might not be adequate when charging a truck battery.
- You need another vehicle to connect them to; without a running vehicle jumper cables are useless.
- They come in many different lengths and you might not have one that is long enough if you are parked in an odd position.
- Jumper cables conduct electricity. They must be used with care.
You may abe interested in our post on how to jump a car without another car for methods that do not involve the use of jumper cables to get you going again in a dead battery situation.
Portable Charger: Pros
It should be noted that with portable charger we are referring to jump starters, which contain a rechargeable battery bank that stores energy and allow you to jump start you’re vehicle with out assistance from another car. These are different from battery chargers, such as the Noco Genius G3500 or AGM battery chargers, which you plug into the wall and slowly recharge your vehicle’s battery, usually overnight.
- You don’t need another vehicle to jump start your car. The stored energy in the portable charger/jump starter is typically all that you will need to jump a vehicle.
- You don’t need to worry about having the proper length cables. The cables attached will work on any vehicle, no matter how it is parked.
Portable Charger: Con
- Portable chargers need to be charged before they can be used. They do require maintenance in the way of making sure the storage reserves are always full.
- They can be expensive. Depending on the model and the size you get, the cost can vary greatly.
- They have a shelf life. Portable chargers do not last forever, like jumper cables. Because you need to charge their internal batteries, just like a car battery, the batteries will eventually stop taking a charge.
- They cannot get wet. If you left your jumper cables out in the rain, not much can happen to them, however, if you left your portable charger out, it might not work properly after.
Regardless of which you choose, you should always have, at least a set of cables with you. If you tend to travel to remote areas, or work long hours where there are not many people around when you get off, you might want to consider a portable charger; then you can still get home without calling for help.
Also keep in mind that it is always advisable, regardless which you use, to keep the clips clean and free of grease. The clips attach to the batteries and if they are dirty or greasy, they might not conduct electricity properly or the clip can slip off the battery mount.
Last, make sure that you know how to use them before you need them. No one wants to have to read the owners-manual of the vehicle, when they are already stressed out, to be able to charge their battery.
If you aren’t prepared for a dead battery, you may end up walking home. Because chances are you don’t have a handy portable electric scooter stored in your trunk.