#JumpStarter

Between the invention of the self starter and the end of the 20th Century, the best portable car jump starters weren’t something you carried with you. They were heavy lead-acid automotive batteries that only garages and tow truck drivers used. Everyone else carried (and still should) jumper cables, which require two cars and enough knowledge not to short them out. If you had a dead or weak battery and you were on your own, you had to get to a phone or flag down another motorist to have a chance of getting going again.

They’re everywhere today, but lithium-ion jump starters only first appeared in 2013. Now there are thousands of them (see our favorite portable jump starters), and what was once an expensive specialty product is affordable enough that most people should keep one in their car. They’re not only convenient, but safer than using jumper cables, as all the good ones detect reverse polarity. This prevents injuries from sparks and arcing; possible fires; and damage to a car’s battery and even electronics. In an emergency you don’t need another vehicle to get your car started, plus they almost all have flashlights and various USB ports to act as giant chargers and battery banks.

A dead car battery can ruin your day in a hurry…but it doesn’t have to.

Given that most cars today are automatics, a portable jump starter has become a necessity.