There is nothing more devastating than getting into your car and turning the key, only to realize that your battery is dead. Depending on where you’re parked, it can be an incredible hassle to find someone willing to help you out with a jumpstart. That’s why you need the best jumper cables on the market.

Don’t make the inconvenience even worse by finding yourself stuck without jumper cables. It’s important to have your own set on hand just in case the person you recruit to help you doesn’t have any.

When it comes to choosing the best jumper cables, it might seem like all are created equal, but this relatively basic tool has variations many customers would never think to consider. When you need to get on the road quickly, you’ll want the safest, most reliable, and most convenient set of jumper cables. We’ve evaluated the most popular on the market to help you make the smartest decision when making this necessary purchase.

Product

Image

Rating

Price

Pennzoil Jumper Cable 4 Gauge 25-Foot 500A Heavy Duty Battery Booster

Pennzoil 25foot best jumper cables

Energizer 2-Gauge 800A Jumper Battery Cables 16 Ft

Energizer best jumper cables

EPAuto 6 Gauge x 16 Ft Heavy Duty Booster Jumper Cables

EPAuto best jumper cables

NoOne Booster Cable 2 Gauge 20 Feet 800A Heavy Duty Jump Lead

NoOne best jumper cables

Cartman Booster Cable 4 Gauge x 20Ft in Carry Bag

CARTMAN best jumper cables

The Best Jumper Cables: How We Determined Our Ratings

To give you the most thorough and honest evaluation possible, we took the time to read reviews to get an overall impression of customer satisfaction, and we considered the reputation of the brand and its commitment to quality production and customer service.

We also factored price into our ratings to include budget-minded shoppers. In addition, we analyzed product specifications and compared features such as the thickness of the wire gauge, the length of the cables, the strength of the clamps, and the quality of insulation.

  • Wire gauge: The thickness of the wires is known as the wire gauge. This property of jumper cables is likely the most misunderstood, as the gauge number is reflected on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the thinnest, and therefore, the weakest option you can get. For most cars, a gauge of 6-8 is likely sufficient, but you’ll want a lower number for larger vehicles like trucks or vans.
  • Cable length: Jumper cable length comes in a minimum of 12 feet, but longer is generally better. While facing your car’s engine directly in front of the other car’s engine is the ideal scenario, vehicle placement may be tricky depending on your circumstances. Having extra length in the cables ensures you’re prepared for a multitude of situations.
  • Clamp strength: Your clamps are the parts that attach directly to your battery, so it’s crucial these are strong enough to get a solid grip on the terminals. It’s also incredibly important that they’re well insulated with rubber hand grips to keep you safe while jumping the battery.
  • Insulation quality: The insulation is usually tied directly to the thickness of the wire gauge, but it’s still important to consider, as the quality of the insulation is what will prevent it from melting under extreme heat when the cables are charged. Having good insulation will not only keep you safe, but it will also ensure the cables are durable enough to last through several uses.

Jumper cables are an essential item to keep inside your trunk at all times.

Considering each of these components in conjunction with the price and brand recognition, as well as customer feedback, gives us a comprehensive list of the best jumper cables on the market so you can make the right choice.

5 Best Jumper Cables

We’ve compiled what we believe are the top 5 sets of the best jumper cables available. They are sorted in order of overall rating, starting with the highest.

Pennzoil Jumper Cable 4 Gauge 25-Foot 500A Heavy Duty Battery Booster

Pennzoil 25foot best jumper cables

For jumper cables that are powerful and versatile, Pennzoil is a great choice. Featuring full copper wires that provide maximum electrical conductivity, as well as cables that are double the industry minimum, these are ideal for any situation. The clamps are ergonomically designed to help users get a good grip when connecting to the battery.

Pennzoil is a trusted name in the automotive industry, and customers reflect that trust in overwhelmingly positive reviews. While this purchase comes with a 7-year warranty, it seems unlikely that you would ever need it.

Overall Rating: 5/5

PROS

CONS

  • Good range and has a rechargeable battery
  • Some reviews say that it is too bulky to carry around

QUALITY

PRICE

OUR RATING

$$

Energizer 2-Gauge 800A Jumper Battery Cables 16 Ft 

Energizer best jumper cables

When it comes to batteries, Energizer is a well-respected brand. It’s only logical it would be well-equipped to produce a quality product for charging batteries as well.

These jumper cables have a strong 2-Gauge wire suitable for large and small vehicles alike, with a cable width four feet longer than the minimum. Wires are copper clad aluminum, resulting in lightweight cables with strong conductivity. 

Customers love these jumper cables for its heavy-duty alligator clamps, making them easy to connect and disconnect. Another favorite feature is the pliability of the cables despite its thick gauge, enabling you to coil and store with relative ease. 

Overall Rating: 4/5 

PROS

CONS

  • Booster Cable comes with a travel bag – ideal for use with full size cars and cargo vans, mid-size pickup truck and freight hauling vehicles
  • 16 feet is shorter than some other cables on our list, but it’s long enough for the majority of situations anyways so maybe you don’t need anything longer

QUALITY

PRICE

OUR RATING

$$

EPAuto 6 Gauge x 16 Ft Heavy Duty Booster Jumper Cables

EPAuto best jumper cables

If you have a compact vehicle, a thinner gauge is probably adequate for you, making these 6-gauge cables a viable option. EPAuto is perhaps a lesser-known brand on the market, but that also means a less expensive price without losing quality. The length of these cables is still above average, but the product claims to be ideal for trucks and SUVs. For larger vehicles, a thicker gauge is going to be more effective. 

One feature that convinced customers to purchase this product was the inclusion of a pair of gloves. The gloves don’t really provide any additional safety, but when working under the hood of your car, it’s common to get dirty, so the gloves are a nice bonus. The carrying case isn’t as durable as it could be, nor does it offer the convenience of jumpstart instructions on the case. However, the price makes this a reasonable purchase. 

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 

PROS

CONS

  • Booster Cable comes with a travel bag and a pair of safety working gloves
  • Some reviews say that the packaging is not good

QUALITY

PRICE

OUR RATING

$$

NoOne Booster Cable 2 Gauge 20 Feet 800A Heavy Duty Jump Leads

NoOne best jumper cables

NoOne sneaks under the radar with this jumper cable set. The thick 2-gauge wire gives you a faster charge for larger vehicles, and the 20-feet cable length is more than adequate. It’s the most expensive model in our list, but it was worth including for the bonus features alone.

LED lights inside the clamps allow instant illumination during the connection process, making this a game changer in dark conditions without a light source. Also included are a drawstring carrying case and work gloves. 

While reviews for this product and others by this brand are generally positive, it lacks the credibility touted by Energizer and Pennzoil in their respective industries. NoOne has only been around since 1996, and while customers who use the products are satisfied, it’s not nearly as popular as other brands on the market. 

Overall Rating: 3.5/5 

PROS

CONS

  • Twice grip design for better conductivity and tension
  • Some reviews say that it is not for heavy duty

QUALITY

PRICE

OUR RATING

$$

Cartman Booster Cable 4 Gauge x 20Ft in Carry Bag 

CARTMAN best jumper cables

This model offers the best balance of price, wire gauge, and cable length, serving up a perfectly capable 4-gauge thickness and lengthy 20-foot cables. The carrying case included is a roomy drawstring bag that provides more forgiveness than a typical zipper case. One selling feature is the product’s ability to clamp onto both top and side-terminal batteries. 

Where these cables lose points is in the sturdiness of the clamps. Users often report that it’s difficult to open the clamps, which can delay you in getting a good, strong connection. The purchase does come with a 5-year warranty, but for a product like this, you want it to work when you need it. Being able to replace it after it failed is little comfort. 

Overall Rating: 3/5 

PROS

CONS

  • Twice grip design for better conductivity and tension
  • The clamps things in the clamps springs are very weak and do not clamp the battery posts as tightly as required

QUALITY

PRICE

OUR RATING

$$

The Best Jumper Cables: How To Make the Best Decision 

Our list intentionally includes a wide range of jumper cables to appeal to a variety of consumers. Depending on your vehicle, a lower-gauge wire (higher number) will likely suffice, but if you have a truck or an SUV, you’ll want to make sure you’re buying jumper cables with a gauge thick enough to accommodate it. 

Carrying cases are fairly standard when you purchase jumper cables, but the difference between a zipper case and a drawstring case are considerable. Zipper cases often necessitate tight coiling in order to fit the cables inside, so if your cables aren’t the most pliable, this can be difficult. While they’ll likely just reside in the trunk of your car, you’ll still want them contained in something that’s easy to grab when you need it

The length of cable you’ll need is hard to predict since you won’t know the situation until it arises

However, if you primarily park your car inside a garage, longer cables are ideal since it’ll be difficult to get to the battery terminal otherwise. While the industry minimum is only 12 feet, many of the bargain models out there offer at least 16, so 20 feet is a good above-average amount. 

When it comes to jumper cables, you want to make sure you’re buying the absolute best for your situation. While this particular purchase may not get frequent use, you need a product you can rely on when the scenario arises. The last thing you want is to be stuck somewhere without jumper cables that perform well when needed. 

Featured image via Canva.com with text, banner and logo added.