As one of the most underrated pieces of equipment for your car or truck, we recommend portable jump starters to everyone. The small startup investment is invaluable if you ever need a jump, and you’ll be glad you don’t have to wait for a buddy to pull up alongside your car with cables. Today, I’m making the case for the NOCO GB40 UltraSafe jump starter to see how it can help you get your vehicle started in a battery emergency.
NOCO GB40 Jump Starter Overview
- Model: NOCO GB40
- Peak Power: 1000A
- Runtime: Up to 20 starts per charge
The NOCO GB40 Jump Starter includes everything you need to jump-start your car or truck battery. Inside is a 2150mAh battery that’s ideal for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and boats. It can jump gas engines up to 6.0L or even 3.0L diesel engines.
Getting started is easy. First, connect the jumper cable cord to the unit. From there, just connect the clamps to the positive and negative terminals on your car battery, power the unit on, and start your vehicle. Once your engine is running, power off the GB40 and remove the clamps.
For safety, NOCO equipped it with UltraSafe technology, which features spark-proof connections and reverse polarity protection. Like many portable jump starters, it’s also equipped with an LED flashlight. The 100-lumen light has seven modes, including SOS and emergency strobe.
The GB40 jump starter also functions as a power bank for your mobile devices. A 2.1A USB-A port lets you connect your charger to power your mobile phone, laptop, smart watch, headphones, or any other small USB-compatible device. NOCO claims up to 4 smartphone recharges with a fully-charged unit.
NOCO GB40 Jump Starter Design
The NOCO GB40 Boost Plus jump starter is extremely compact. It’s only 8 inches long and weighs just 2.4 pounds without the clamps.
The controls are also very straightforward, with an on/off power button, a Boost mode button (the red exclamation point), and a light button. Holding the light button for one second activates the light, and pressing the button toggles between each of the seven light modes.
For cable inputs, the USB-A and USB-C ports are on one side of the unit, and the clamp cable port is on the opposite side.
Each port has its own rubberized cover to prevent dust and debris from entering. NOCO tells us the unit carries an IP65 ingress rating, meaning it’s protected against water splashes and dust. A rubber overmold on the bottom also protects it during impact.
This jump starter includes a carrying bag to keep all of the components stored together. Since the unit is so compact, you can store it virtually anywhere in your vehicle—under a seat, in a storage pocket, or tucked away in your trunk.
Using the Jump-Starter
Batteries in Central Florida last about three years—if you’re lucky. The one in the 2008 Hyundai Sonata belonging to the son of our general manager lasted just 2.5 years, as evidenced by his inability to start it this week. After fully charging the NOCO GB40, I took it outside and connected the clamps to the 12V lead-acid battery.
Reviewer’s Note: Charge times via USB-C are 3 hours (2A), 6 hours (1A), and 12 hours (.5A) for a fully-depleted NOCO Boost Plus GB40.
Since the battery was completely dead, I had to push the Power button to turn it on and then press and hold the Manual Override button for three seconds. This lights up the Boost LED and disables the safety protection. This mode comes in handy when your battery is producing almost no voltage and is not being detected by the jump-starter.
After jump-starting the battery, I attempted to trickle charge it using another NOCO product. The battery would not take a charge, and I had to jumpstart the battery once again to get the car ready for a trip to the local auto parts store to replace it.
After jumping it twice, the unit still showed a full charge. Their claim to support up to 20 jumps seems reasonable. The advantage here, of course, is that you may not be able to immediately get a new battery before you finish up several trips. In that case, the ability to perform multiple jump-starts is a huge boon. Keep in mind that using it as a light or power bank affects that estimate. It’s not helpful if it’s not charged, so be sure to top it off after every use.
NOCO GB40 Jump Starter Comparison and Pricing
NOCO has several Boost models, but here are three popular units compared to help you decide which is right for you:
| GB20 | GB40 (Reviewed) | GB50 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output | 500A | 1000A | 1500A |
| Gas Engine Support | 4.0L | 6.0L | 7.0L |
| Diesel Engine Support | – – | 3.0L | 4.5L |
| LED Flashlight | 100 Lumens | 100 Lumens | 200 Lumens |
| Charge Time (.5/1/2A) | 12/6/3 hours | 12/6/3 hours | 18/9/4.5 hours |
| IP Rating | IP65 | IP65 | IP65 |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year |
| Price | $79.95 | $99.95 | $149.95 |
This jump starter retails for $100, and you can find it on Amazon or directly through NOCO. It includes the unit, the HD precision clamps, a 24-inch USB-C charging cable, and a storage bag. NOCO backs your purchase with a 1-year warranty.
Final Thoughts
One of the biggest concerns with portable battery-powered jump starters is the sheer number of companies that make them. It can be tough to discern which models are safer than others. Through our experience testing jump starters, we know what to look for, and the NOCO GB40 Boost Plus checks all of the right boxes.
In the end, is the NOCO GB40 jump starter a product that can jump-start your vehicles? Undoubtedly, like many of the other similar products we’ve tested. At right around $100, this is a model worth keeping an eye on for those in the market for a portable jump starter.
