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Essential · $100GoodNo Upgrade pickOther well-backed products sit too close to the chosen ones to be a separate level.
Absolute · $130BestEssentialSmall size and strong clamps
AbsolutePower rated up to 12 liters
Essential · NOCO Boost Plus
Reviewers found it the smallest jump starter they tried, weighing under two pounds, with an IP65 water-resistant case. Its clamps open wide and grip well, and several reviewers called them the best they used. It started a drained 4-liter V6 three times in a row and has a boost mode for dead batteries.
Pro: A compact, rugged jump starter with strong clamps that starts small to midsize vehicles.
Con: Its small battery may manage only one or two jumps per charge; leads are short.
No Upgrade pick. Other well-backed products sit too close to the chosen ones to be a separate level.
Absolute · Gooloo 6000-Amp
It is rated for all gas engines and diesels up to 12 liters, and started a test car using boost mode. It doubles as a power bank with many ports, including 100-watt USB-C, and recharges fully in 1.4 hours. Its larger clamps are easy to use with gloves on, and its standby time is up to 24 months.
Pro: Power rated for all gas engines and diesels up to 12 liters, not just 3.
Con: It likely won't fit a glovebox, and its screen can be hard to read.
Essential · $66Good
Upgrade · $139Better
Absolute · $153BestEssentialStops at a set pressure
UpgradeAir mattresses and rafts
AbsoluteFour pressure presets and stored fittings
Essential · Avid Power Cordless
A cordless inflator that runs on its own 20-volt battery or plugs into the car's 12-volt outlet. You set a target pressure on the digital display and it shuts off when reached. It has an LED light, a USB port for charging a phone, and valve adapters. It weighs 2.6 pounds and took 4:14 minutes to reach 30 psi.
Pro: A cordless inflator that stops at a set pressure and runs off the car socket.
Con: Not recommended for larger truck tires, and still a bit loud.
Upgrade · DeWalt 20V
It runs from a 20-volt tool battery, the car's 12-volt socket, or a wall outlet with an added adapter. A dial sets the target pressure, and it stops automatically there. A high-pressure hose handles tires, and a high-volume hose fills and deflates air mattresses and rafts. The gauge reads within 1.5 psi.
Pro: Fills heavy-duty truck tires to 80 psi, which the Essential isn't recommended for.
Con: Battery and charger sold separately, and it is bulkier than most portable inflators.
Absolute · Milwaukee M18
A console-style inflator that runs on an 18-volt tool battery. It holds four pressure presets, stops at the target, rechecks after three seconds and tops up if needed. It has a 36-inch hose, a brass screw-on chuck and stored fittings for bike tires and balls. It weighs 8.7 pounds.
Pro: Fills a tire to 45 psi in 2:47, about three times faster than the Essential.
Con: Needs a tool battery sold separately, has no other power source, and is heavy.