Last night I turned on the lights to my parked car, locked the doors, and went to bed. It went against every grain of my truck-loving self, but I did it anyway… for science. This morning, I returned to the stone-dead battery with a new-to-market battery jumper in hand, ready to give it a test.
The Cyntur JumperPack Mini is a rechargeable, 12,000mAh, lithium-ion battery housed in a plastic box. It has a 200-lumen led flashlight and a USB port on one end.
Jumper cables plug into the box, which you then connect to a car battery in need of new life. It weighs less than a pound.
The JumperPack Mini comes pre-charged, so I took it out of the packaging and connected it to my stranded 3.0-liter V-6 Ford Ranger. I opened the door and tried the key. Nothing. Not a click, not a dig, not even the clock turned on. The battery was toast.
I lifted the hood and attached the jumper pack. I pressed the button and blue LEDs flashed on, telling me the pack was charged and ready for action.
I attached the cables to the positive and negative terminals, got in the driver’s seat, turned the key and VROOM! She fired right up with no hesitation.
Sure, this is a fairly rudimentary test, but the little device fits into the glove box of this truck easily and has instantly earned itself a spot among my emergency supplies. As an added bonus, it can be used as a USB charger for a phone or other device.
The company claims it will jump a vehicle 25 times on a single charge, but I’d plan to keep it topped off and ready to go at a moment’s notice by plugging it into the wall with the included cord after using it. LED indicators on the side will let you know when the battery is getting low.
The Cyntur JumperPack Mini is available now for $100. If you drive in places where finding another car for a jump could be tough, this little gizmo might save you a long walk for help.
—Sean McCoy is Managing Editor. Our “First Look” column highlights new gear arrivals at wordpress.com. Photos © Monopoint Media LLC
