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Trying to start your car and discovering it has a discharged battery is troublesome at best and at worst, depending on where it happens, can put you in danger. Investing in a good set of jumper cables is an insurance policy: Hopefully, you’ll never need to use them. But if you do, you can jump-start your car quickly and efficiently with equipment already in your car. When making our recommendations, we looked for the best combination of price, length, wire thickness and construction for the needs of the average driver stranded with a dead battery. Looking For Car Accessories? Match your car to your style with varied car accessories like seat covers, floor mats and more. Get competitive pricing from top brands here. Advertisement THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT AND NOT EDITORIAL CONTENT. Please note that we do receive compensation for any products you buy or sign up to via this advertisement, and that compensation impacts the ranking and placement of any offers listed herein. We do not present information about every offer available. The information and savings numbers depicted above are for demonstration purposes only, and your results may vary. Explore Options On Amazon M23 Connector
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2-yr warranty, remains flexible even at -40°C, copper clad aluminum cables
Red/black insulated exterior, backed by an AmazonBasics
4 size options, UL-Listed, 5-yr warranty
A sturdy all-arounder at a reasonable price, this set, from a proven brand, offers a great combination of features that will be what most drivers need most of the time. Thick, two-gauge wire allows more electricity to flow than thinner cables (with higher gauge numbers). It also offers a two-year warranty.
This inexpensive set carries a generous three-year warranty, which makes it the best overall value we’ve seen. The four-gauge cables carry less juice than the Energizer’s two-gauge, but they’re still far from the least efficient. Plus, the longer jumper cables are good for situations where it’s not easy to park the other vehicle nose-to-nose or side-by-side with the car that needs the jump start.
Best When It’s Dark
Best When It’s Dark
AUTOGEN Heavy Duty Jumper Cables with Built-In LED Lights
Dead batteries don’t only happen when the sun is shining. Instead of trying to rig a separate under-hood light, or holding a flashlight in your teeth while you attempt to connect the jumper cables, the AUTOGEN cables come with battery-operated LED lights built into the clamps. Just flick a switch to turn them on or off. That party trick alone might not justify the significantly higher price of these cables, but combine them with 30 feet of length, high-conductivity, one-gauge pure copper wire and a five-year warranty and the AUTOGEN cables make a strong case for the added outlay.
With reverse polarity protection, this set from Australian tools manufacturer Horusdy ensures that you don’t get the cable connections mixed up. If you connect them incorrectly, a red LED will light and the set will emit an alarm.
Best For When You’re Alone
Best For When You’re Alone
This is a self-contained jump-start solution for when there’s no one to give you a jump. Depending on where and when you need a jump-start, it can be a long wait before help comes. The NOCO Boost Plus GB40 is a 1,000 amp power source that connects to the vehicle battery via a 23-inch, eight-gauge cable with positive and negative clamps. The lithium-ion battery allows for 20 jump starts and is rechargeable through a USB connector.
The jumper cables here represent the best combinations of price, performance, cable length, cable construction, wire thickness (gauge) and special features such as polarity protection (in case you mistakenly cross the cables). A 16-foot cable works in most situations if the two cars are side-by-side or nose-to-nose. If the cars are behind each other, 20 or 25 feet is preferable, and some reach 30 feet. Some will want thicker, heavier cables to start big V8 or diesel engines, but remember that those will take up trunk space.
We evaluate all jumper cables based on these weighted metrics:
Jumper cables, booster cables or jumper leads (all three terms describe the same product), let you get a jump start on your dead car battery. The cables connect the battery of a running car to the battery of your dead (won’t-start) car. Even if you have an auto club membership or new-car roadside service, you can be on your way in five minutes, quicker than waiting for a service vehicle.
Put both cars in neutral, set parking brakes, turn off the ignitions on both cars (including the dead car), open the hoods. Red is positive (+), black is negative (-).
Opening the hood takes two steps: There is a hood release either under or on the lower part of the dashboard by the driver’s door. Give it a good tug. It takes more effort than the button or lever that opens the trunk. The hood will pop open a little. If the hood release has the marking “2X” on it, pull it twice. It will completely unlatch the hood.
If your car doesn’t have “2X” on the hood release, pull the inside release once, then go to the front of the car and find the safety-catch lever in the opening below the hood. A flashlight can help you see the lever. Start in the middle and run your hand left or right to find it. It will be dirty, so use a paper towel or old cloth. Push it left or right, or up. The safety catch may be between the grilles. If so, give it a pull. Lift the hood.
Some hoods have springs or struts and will keep themselves open. For most others, there will be a prop rod laying flat on a clip. Release it, swing it up and into a slot or hole on the underside of the hood (often marked with an arrow).
The engine compartment will have a jump starter post in the engine compartment, marked “+” or “POS” (positive). You may have to lift or slide back a flap. Connect a red cable to it as your first step and follow the remaining steps above.
“Gauge” is the thickness of the battery wire. A lower number is thicker wire. Most jumper cables are two-, four-, or six-gauge. Thicker wire conducts more electricity and thus results in quicker jumps, but it’s also heavier and bulkier.
Both have their uses. A jumper cable works virtually every time, if there’s another car available. A battery jump starter ($50 to $200) works well in warm or cool weather if its internal battery is fully charged. In cold weather, cheaper jump starters may not have enough power to get your car started.
Get a battery charger-maintainer. It charges the battery and maintains the battery at full charge. The device can be left on for weeks at a time with no risk of damage. See our list of “Best Car Battery Chargers-Maintainers.” Useful devices start at less than $25.
Rik is equal parts geek, gearhead, and driving enthusiast. He’s been reviewing cars, auto electronics, and car accessories for over 25 years, and he’s held staff positions with Motor Trend, Consumer Reports’ autos team, and Wirecutter, the NY Times Company’s product-review website. Rik has also written DIY auto-repair manuals for Haynes. And he likes nothing better than to be exploring new places in a great vehicle.
Waterproof Junction Box A car-crazy California kid, I’ve been writing and talking about vehicles for 25 years on TV and radio, in print and online, including AAA magazines in Arizona, Oklahoma, Northwest Ohio, South Dakota and the Mountain West, as well as BBC Autos. I serve as vice president of the Western Automotive Journalists, a professional group for automotive writers based in San Francisco, and have no relation to McKeel Hagerty of Hagerty Classic Insurance, who is younger, better looking and wealthier.