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Gosh, I wish that I had read that CR article before buying another jump starter, the Noco GB 30, to replace the RAVPower that I gave away in August. Noco is near the bottom of their test results.
Though they do name a winner (Antigravity Batteries XP-10), it is disconcerting that with both vehicle battery and jump starter at low temperatures (0F), none of the starters were able to do the job. This is the most important use case, so it kind of negates the value of buying them. I get the same result from a much larger battery pack that I bought years ago -- no go in the cold.
My family and I all have fairly recent batteries and have not needed a boost since I bought a couple of jump starters last year. I mainly use mine for charging a cell phone without worrying about turning off the engine or not being able to take the phone and battery with me if needed.
The takeaway is: don't depend on these jump starters in winter.
Though they do name a winner (Antigravity Batteries XP-10), it is disconcerting that with both vehicle battery and jump starter at low temperatures (0F), none of the starters were able to do the job. This is the most important use case, so it kind of negates the value of buying them. I get the same result from a much larger battery pack that I bought years ago -- no go in the cold.
My family and I all have fairly recent batteries and have not needed a boost since I bought a couple of jump starters last year. I mainly use mine for charging a cell phone without worrying about turning off the engine or not being able to take the phone and battery with me if needed.
The takeaway is: don't depend on these jump starters in winter.
