For many folks, winter just won’t end! Pruvan’s own Marketing Manager was almost stranded in Boston this weekend when another 3 inches of snow hit the ground.
One of the more common occurrences throughout this extreme winter has been folks unable to get their cars or trucks started. Freezing temps wreck havoc on engines and car batteries because motor oil is thicker which requires more effort on the part of the battery to get the engine going. The last thing anyone needs is to be stranded on a property out in the middle of nowhere.
With that said, the technology gods have blessed us once again because there are now portable jump starters that are small enough to fit in your glove box, yet strong enough to get your vehicle up and running. Pruvan tested two different models this weekend with great results. We’re just a little sad that these handy devices can’t jump start spring, too.
1.) Spirit A8 Car Jump Starter
This was the first portable charger we tested. One of Pruvan’s staff members had a car in his garage with a completely dead battery and within a matter of minutes the beast was up and running. The 18,000 milliamp hour Spirit A8 has had enough power left over to give a full charge to his cell phone, and as you can see in the photo below, there’s an array of adapters, a built-in flashlight, and a USB port making this portable battery exceedingly useful.
However, while the Spirit A8 works great, the instructions are not particularly clear… Actually, they’re not written well at all. If you want a good laugh while you’re waiting for your car battery to get some juice, this model is for you.
Available for $79.99 at Amazon.com.
2.) Brightech SCORPION Car Jump Starter and Battery Charger
The SCORPION was the second portable charger that we tested. The same car from the scenario above was once again jumped in a matter of minutes despite the SCORPION has fewer milliamp hours than the Spirit A8 (10,000 mAh). There was plenty of power left over to fully charge a smart phone and an iPad, which was possible due to the dual USB ports. The SCORPION also came with an array of adapters, a built-in flashlight, and also instructions that were much clearer than the ones included with the Spirit A8. Overall, despite the fact that the SCORPION holds a little less power, this is the model that we’d recommend a little bit more.
Here’s the SCORPION in action. All that power in such a small device. Just make sure to press the “Boost” button on the side to get it started. Look at it go!
Available for $89.99 at Amazon.com.
Now what’s really cool about these chargers is that once we get out of this terrible winter, these chargers can be used on a variety of vehicles throughout the year! Need to jump start your boat or jet skis this summer? Can do. Motorcycle need a boost? Yep, takes care of that. For everyday use they can be used to charge laptops, tablets, cell phones, and any other electronic device that needs a boost. These portable jumpers are not just handy, but essential and affordable.
Just don’t be like an 80s action movie villain and use it for weird stuff. We’re looking at you Mr. Joshua from Lethal Weapon. Put down that portable jumper! It’s not for torturing Mel Gibson, OK??? Sheesh.