[IanRTL]

I was given one for Xmas as a gift. I don't remember the brand or specs off hand, but I've been wanting one for awhile. They're extremely convenient to have for a variety of purposes. If your battery was that far discharged, it's not surprising the truck was slow to crank. The jump starter appears to have done its job, though.

 

[IanRTL]

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.

I see these as a first line of defense. If they aren't able to do the job to jump the vehicle in very cold situations, at least there will be enough juice left in them to ensure your cell phone is charged to call AAA. They state that they shouldn't be subjected to temps above and below a certain range, but I still keep mine in the truck anyways.

 

[IanRTL]

Well, shoot. I have the Pilot Instaboost one. It appears that it didn't perform all that well in CR's testing in general. I don't know how they got a price of $100, though. It is $59.99 at Costco. In the limited time I've had it so far, I've liked it. For its price, it has great features. I haven't had to use it for jump starting yet, but I know it's there in case I do. It says the temp limit is 120 degrees for it. I usually leave my windows down about an inch so the inside of the truck doesn't get blazing hot in the summer. I'll likely keep it in its storage pouch in the glove box anyways.