6 Reasons Jumper Starters Are Better Than Jumper Cables

1 What Are Jumper Cables?

Jumper cables have existed for as long as automobiles have. In reality, jumper cables were developed in 1863, considerably earlier than the creation of the first car and the car battery (1920). Using jumper cables is the most straightforward method of reviving a dead automotive battery and a car that won’t start.

Jumper cables form a circuit between your car (with a dead battery) and the donor vehicle (with a charged battery). Of course, you will need a willing helper to help you with your car if you are stranded on the side of the road. To initiate the jumpstart process, the red clamp of the cable is attached to the positive terminal of your dead battery, and the other red clamp is attached to the positive terminal of the donor vehicle’s healthy battery. The black clamp is attached to the negative terminal of the donor vehicle’s battery, and a second black clamp is attached to some exposed metal on the vehicle that serves as a good ground connection.

Start the donor car with the dead (but now, perhaps, partially charged) battery after allowing it to run for five to ten minutes. Then unplug the cords in the reverse direction of how they were attached.

While everything here is fairly straightforward, people often make the wrong connections, which can result in sparks and an explosion or fire. If something goes wrong, the batteries and the car’s electronics could be harmed. To ensure a safe jumpstart, you can refer to our guide on how to use jumper cables safely.

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2 What Is A Car Jump Starter?

Jump starters, also known as Jumpers, are devices that deliver immediate power to jump-start a battery. Since portable jump starters are equipped with batteries, you do not need a donor car to assist you. Instead, to charge a dead or nearly dead vehicle’s battery, you can directly connect the jump starter’s clamps to the battery’s matching terminals, i.e., the red clamp to the red post and the black clamp to the black post. Press the power button, and the jump starter charges the battery. Before starting the engine, give the dead battery some time to receive power from the jump starter after turning it on. Your car should start on the first or second try. Allow the engine to idle for 30 minutes after starting it to recharge the battery.

This simple and easy-to-use functionality has made jump starters popular today. Modern jump starters are powered by lithium batteries and resemble large power banks that are used to recharge laptops or smartphones.

3 6 Reasons Jump Starters Are Better Than Jumper Cables

As we approach the winter season, instances of jump-starting your vehicle increase. It is necessary to perform proper car winter care to avoid breakdowns and have jumpers or battery booster cables to ensure you don’t get stranded. You may have used jumper cables for a long time in such situations. However, you should look at the benefits offered by jumper starters and how they are better than jumper cables.

Jumper Starters Eliminate The Need for Help

The jump starter’s most obvious benefit is that it eliminates the need to locate a person who will lend their vehicle to be used as a host vehicle, which is necessary when using jumper cables. This benefit goes beyond saving you the trouble of trying to find someone who will assist you. It is also important for safety. When you are stuck at night or in an unfamiliar location, having a jump starter in your trunk makes it easy to pull it out, attach it, and immediately start your car. It’s better than risking yourself in a dangerous situation by asking a stranger for help in a remote location. 

Easy To Access

Imagine your car is parked in a parking lot with another vehicle preventing access to the battery, or your car is in a garage with a wall in the way, making it impossible to connect the jumper cables. A portable jump starter is a great option because you only need to open your car hood. It is normally larger than a cellphone and can be placed anywhere under the hood of your vehicle. Then, after connecting it to your battery, you can take it off.

Since it is portable and versatile, it can also be used for lawnmowers, lifts, snowmobiles, small boats, jet skis, and other types of watercraft.

Making Correct Connections

Using booster cables requires two connections, which increases the possibility of errors. Wrong connections can put the operator in grave danger because if battery gases are present, even a small spark can set off a fire or explosion. Reverse connections can also damage expensive electrical parts on either of the involved vehicles, depending on where they happen in the connection chain. A jump starter makes this task easy and foolproof because it only needs one set of connections.

Jump Starters Are Safe To Use

​​Portable jump starters are relatively simple to use over jumper cables. Most people lack basic knowledge of automobiles and their electrical systems. Using a portable jump starter makes starting your automobile nearly as simple as charging your phone. Using jumper cables can be complicated for some people because you need to check the polarity and determine whether the host vehicle is powerful enough to boost your automobile without harming the battery.

Jump Starters Are Best for Road Trips and Emergencies

When traveling alone, you should always have a jump starter on hand. Especially during the coldest months, it is more true because accessories might drain your battery and leave you stranded. Having a jump starter on road trips helps a lot because you can jump-start your vehicle without a second vehicle or additional jumper cables.

Multipurpose

Jumper cables can only charge your vehicle’s batteries because they are only cords. However, jump starters are more than just car boosters because they are loaded with cool functions and accessories like LED torches, USB ports for mobile device charging, a portable air compressor, and, in some cases, a compass and laptop charging adapters. One can always keep a jump starter in their glove box and use it when necessary, especially if they are traveling or camping.

	Jump Starters	Jumper Cables
Price	Expensive compared to jumper cables.	Cheaper and easily available compared to a jump starter.
Usability	Very easy to use. Does not require another car.	Comparatively difficult to connect and use. Requires another car.
Safety	Very safe with anti-spark and reverse polarity protection.	Not safe and can cause sparks if connected incorrectly. Can also cause fire due to a leaking battery.
Multipurpose	Can be used as a flashlight, mobile charger, etc.	Used only for one purpose – jump-starting your car.
Lifespan	It can be used for 1000 to 1500 cycles (depending on the manufacturer).	Very durable and lasts a long time.

4 Final Word On Car Jumper Cables Vs Jump Starters

Compared to jumper cables, jump starters have safety features that allow a limited flow of current to the battery and prevent sparking. Many contemporary options are compact enough to fit in your glove box and take up no more space than a set of jump leads, whereas some heavy-duty jump starters can be quite large and heavy.

The jump starter’s battery needs to be recharged after each use, and you should check on the battery every few months to ensure it is still full. This is the only drawback. If the battery dies, your automobile won’t be able to start if the battery is low. In this circumstance, jump wires and another vehicle would be required to get you moving again.

Additionally, you should know that portable jump starter wires typically have a small length. However, it should still be possible to connect the battery and a piece of bare metal (the ground) simultaneously. Finally, because a portable jump starter does not require a backup vehicle, it is a simpler and safer alternative to using jumper cables to jump-start your car.