Jump Starter Air Pump

The best jump starter with air compressor—or all portable jump starters, for that matter—have an onboard battery that provides ample power to start a vehicle or operate the compressor. In most cases, the battery size of these portable chargers is described in mAh or amp hours (Ah)—1,000mAh equals 1Ah. The higher the mAh or Ah rating, the more power the battery can store, the more tires it can inflate, and the more batteries it can charge. Generally speaking, most portable jump starters use batteries between 10,000 and 35,000mAh. Remember that the more storage a battery offers, the heavier it will be.

The purpose of a jump starter is to provide a vehicle with enough power to turn over and fire up the engine, then allow the vehicle’s alternator to continue charging the battery. The amount of power a jump starter needs to accomplish this task is determined by the engine. Small gasoline engines, such as four-cylinder engines found in most cars (and progressively larger vehicles), don’t require much power. But larger eight-cylinder engines require a bit more. And, because of the extremely high compression ratios of diesel engines, large models found in heavy-duty pickups, RVs, and power equipment require even more power. In general, 1,000A or more will do the trick.

While it might seem that jumper cables are all created equal, modern jump starters offer additional safety features. Today’s models protect a vehicle’s electrical system and the person using the cables from sparking or reverse polarity, which happens when you install the clamps on the wrong terminals—something that’s very easy to do in the dark. Reverse polarity can wreak havoc on the sensitive electronics in today’s vehicles, so this is a crucial feature.

When choosing the best Jump Starter Air Pump, you might notice some variance in the amount of psi offered by these models. Most models produce around 100 psi—more than enough for any road vehicle’s tires. Most vehicle tires require just 30 to 40 psi.