Jump Starters
NOCO GB40 alternatives
The GB40 is the default compact jump starter for good reasons. Here is what to buy instead when one of those reasons does not apply to you.
Disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy through the Amazon links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Commission never decides a verdict or a ranking position — read our editorial policy and affiliate disclosure.
How we assessed these: picks are selected from manufacturers' published specifications, stated engine ratings and current retailer listings — not from hands-on cranking tests of every unit. We publish no measured cranking currents or start counts, because we do not measure them.
Short answer
If you want the closest thing to a GB40 without buying a GB40, the GOOLOO GT4000S is the alternative most people land on — a similar outlay for a much larger claimed amp figure, with the caveat that its rating language is not stated the way NOCO states it. If what you actually want is one tool that also inflates a tire, the DEWALT DXAEJ14 is the better answer. The budget pick is the STANLEY FATMAX J7CS: the cheapest route to a V6-rated jump start plus a 120 PSI compressor, at the cost of lead-acid weight and upkeep.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. Scoring criteria are published in full on our methodology page.
| # | Product | Best for | Our read | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  GOOLOO GT4000S Closest alternative on claimed capability | Maximum claimed amps per dollar | Higher claimed amps at a similar outlay — read the rating language | $99.96$139.99View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 10, 2026 |
| 2 |  DEWALT DXAEJ14 Power Station Best if you also want a compressor | One box that jumps and inflates | 1,600 A lead-acid station with 120 PSI air and USB-C | $129.00$169.00View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 10, 2026 |
| 3 |  STANLEY FATMAX J7CS Budget pick | A cheap one-box jump-and-inflate station | The cheapest way to cover a V6 and carry air too | $80.99$89.99View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 10, 2026 |
What the GB40 is known for
Worth being precise about this, because the alternatives only make sense against it. NOCO publishes the following for the Boost Plus GB40: 1,000 peak amps, a 24 watt-hour lithium-ion cell, a gas-engine rating up to 6.0 liters, a diesel rating up to 3.0 liters, 2.45 lb of carry weight, an IP65 enclosure, a 100-lumen light and a one-year warranty. It has reverse-polarity protection, and the 24 watt-hour figure sits far under the FAA's 100 watt-hour carry-on threshold.
That combination is why it became the default: a published rating with margin for an ordinary car, in a package light enough to stay in the vehicle, from a maker that publishes a full specification sheet and honors a warranty. Our own NOCO GB40 review goes through it in detail, and it is the top pick on best portable jump starters. None of that is in dispute here.
So why look for an alternative at all
Three honest reasons, each of which points at a different pack.
- You want more claimed capability for the money. The GB40 is priced as a premium compact pack, and the budget tier claims much larger amp figures at the same outlay. That is a real trade, as long as you understand what you are and are not getting.
- You want air as well. The GB40 does not inflate anything, and on a lot of vehicles a slow leak is the likelier roadside event. A one-box station answers both problems with one purchase.
- The pack will live somewhere hot. Lithium in a trunk that bakes all summer is the GB40's least favorable condition, and lead-acid is genuinely more tolerant of it.
Note what is not on that list: a diesel pickup or a big V8. That is not a GB40 alternative question, it is a sizing question, and the answer is a bigger NOCO rather than a different brand — see best jump starter for diesel trucks.
| Pack | Chemistry | Claimed starting | Published capacity | Air compressor | Published weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOCO Boost Plus GB40 (baseline) | Lithium-ion | 1,000 A peak, 6.0 L gas / 3.0 L diesel | 24 Wh | No | 2.45 lb |
| GOOLOO GT4000S | Lithium-ion | Claimed 4,000 A peak | Quoted in mAh, not Wh | No | Not published |
| DEWALT DXAEJ14 | Lead-acid | 1,600 A peak, rated for 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder | Not published | Yes, 120 PSI with AUTOSTOP | Not published |
| STANLEY FATMAX J7CS | Lead-acid | 700 A peak / 350 A instant, rated to V6 | Not published | Yes, 120 PSI with backlit gauge | Not published |
Only NOCO publishes a full specification table among these four. The cells that say "not published" say so because the maker does not publish the figure — none of them is an estimate of ours. That asymmetry is itself one of the things you are weighing.
How to read a budget pack's amp claim
The GT4000S claims a peak-amp figure four times the GB40's at a comparable outlay, and that deserves a straight explanation rather than either an endorsement or a sneer. Peak amps are measured under conditions that are not standardized across the industry, so two "peak amp" numbers from different makers are not necessarily the same measurement. NOCO additionally publishes an engine rating in liters, which is a commitment to a ceiling; the budget tier generally does not.
The capacity figure is the clearer tell. A pack quoted in milliamp-hours without a cell voltage cannot be converted to watt-hours, which means you cannot tell how many attempts it holds — or whether it is airline-legal. Jump starter mAh vs watt-hours explains the arithmetic and why the mAh figure is the one marketers prefer.
None of that makes a budget pack a bad purchase. It makes it a different purchase: more claimed capability per dollar, less verifiable, with support and warranty handling as the usual weak point. If the pack is your only plan for a breakdown a long way from help, that is the part to think about.
The picks
1. Closest alternative on claimed capability
GOOLOO GT4000S
GOOLOO · Best for maximum claimed amps per dollar
A high-claimed-amp budget pack. Worth a look on price, but read the rating language closely — peak-amp claims in this tier are not stated the way the majors state them.
This manufacturer does not publish a full specification table for this model on its own site. Rather than repeat figures we cannot source, the assessment below is limited to what the product category and the retailer listing genuinely establish.
What works
- One of the cheapest routes to a large-engine rating
- Usually ships with a case, cables and a wall adapter in the box
What does not
- Budget-tier peak-amp claims are not directly comparable to a major brand's published rating
- Support and warranty handling is the usual weak point against NOCO or DEWALT
- Capacity is often quoted in mAh rather than watt-hours, which obscures airline legality
Skip it if
Not the pick if the pack is your only plan for a remote breakdown. For that, pay for a published rating and a warranty you can actually use.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 10, 2026
2. Best if you also want a compressor
DEWALT DXAEJ14 Power Station
DEWALT · Best for one box that jumps and inflates
A lead-acid jump station with a built-in 120 PSI digital compressor and USB-A plus USB-C power — the combo box for people who would rather carry one heavy thing than two light ones.
Published specifications
- Jump starting
- 1,600 peak amps, rated to start most 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder engines source
- Air compressor
- 120 PSI digital, with AUTOSTOP source
- USB output
- USB-A 15 W and USB-C 25 W source
- Battery types
- 12 V lead-acid: wet, gel and AGM source
- Diagnostics
- Alternator Check, plus reverse-polarity protection source
- In the box
- Clamps and cables, sports needle adapter source
What works
- Jump starter, 120 PSI compressor and USB-A/USB-C power in a single case
- 1,600 peak amps is rated for 4-, 6- and 8-cylinder engines
- Lead-acid chemistry is untroubled by living in a hot trunk
- Alternator Check tells you whether the jump was the problem or the symptom
What does not
- Heavy and bulky next to any lithium pack — the usual reason combo boxes end up in the garage
- Lead-acid self-discharges, so it needs topping up on a schedule or it is flat when you need it
- The built-in compressor is a convenience feature, not a match for a dedicated inflator's duty cycle
- DEWALT's licensee publishes no weight, cable gauge, battery capacity or compressor duty cycle for this unit
Skip it if
Not for anyone whose priority is packed size or carry-on travel. If the tool has to fit a door pocket or a suitcase, buy a lithium pack and a separate inflator.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 10, 2026
3. Budget pick
STANLEY FATMAX J7CS
STANLEY · Best for a cheap one-box jump-and-inflate station
A lead-acid station with a 120 PSI compressor and triple USB, rated to V6 — the budget end of the one-box category, and honest about being it.
Published specifications
- Jump starting
- 700 peak amps / 350 instant starting amps, rated to V6 source
- Air compressor
- 120 PSI, backlit gauge source
- USB output
- Triple USB ports source
- Battery types
- 12 V AGM, gel and wet lead-acid source
- AC
- Built-in 120 V AC charger (charging input — not an AC power outlet) source
- Light
- LED, rotates 270 degrees source
What works
- Jump starting, a 120 PSI compressor and USB charging in one case at the cheapest point in the category
- Built-in AC charger, so there is no separate brick to lose
- Reverse-polarity alarm, and metal clamps rather than the plastic ones at this price
- Lead-acid, so a hot trunk does not permanently cost it capacity
What does not
- 700 peak / 350 instant amps and a V6 rating — this is not a truck or diesel tool
- Lead-acid self-discharges, so it needs topping up on a schedule or it is flat when you need it
- Heavier and bulkier than a lithium pack of equivalent starting ability
Skip it if
Not enough pack for a V8, a diesel or anything you rely on in the cold. STANLEY rates it to V6, and buying at the edge of a rating is how people end up stranded twice.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of November 10, 2026
Raw specifications: STANLEY’s own page for the STANLEY FATMAX J7CS.
If the pack you are replacing is the bigger Boost HD rather than the GB40, the substitutions are different, because the diesel rating is the whole reason that pack exists. NOCO GB70 alternatives runs this same exercise one size up.
Key takeaways
- The GB40's case is a published 6.0 L gas rating, 24 Wh, 2.45 lb and IP65 — compare alternatives against those figures, not against its reputation.
- Budget packs claim much larger peak amps because peak-amp measurement is not standardized; the liter rating is the commitment.
- A capacity in mAh with no cell voltage cannot be converted to watt-hours, so you cannot check attempts or airline legality.
- If you want air as well as a jump, a lead-acid station is a genuinely better buy than a pack plus a separate inflator for some drivers.
- Lead-acid tolerates a hot trunk better and self-discharges faster — it needs a top-up schedule.
- If your engine is bigger than the GB40 covers, that is a sizing problem, not an alternatives problem.
How we sourced this
Every figure on this page came from one of the following. Where a manufacturer or regulator does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate it.
- NOCO GB40 published specifications
- NOCO Boost Plus GB40 product page — jump starts per charge and USB recharge time
- DEWALT DXAEJ14 published product information (Baccus Global, DEWALT licensee)
- STANLEY FATMAX J7CS published product information
- FAA PackSafe — Lithium Batteries (carry-on and checked rules, watt-hour limits)
Common questions
- Is there a cheaper jump starter that works as well as the NOCO GB40?
- There are cheaper packs that claim more. What the GB40 gives you that the budget tier generally does not is a published engine rating in liters, a capacity in watt-hours and a warranty you can use. Whether that is worth the difference depends on how far from help you plan to be.
- What is the closest alternative to the NOCO GB40?
- On intended use, the GOOLOO GT4000S — a compact lithium pack at a similar outlay with a much larger claimed amp figure. On verifiable specifications there is no close equivalent in this registry, because the others either publish less or are a different chemistry.
- Is the GOOLOO GT4000S better than the NOCO GB40?
- It claims more and publishes less. If you want a bigger headline amp figure for the money it is the one to look at; if you want to check what you are buying before a cold morning, NOCO's published specification sheet is the reason the GB40 costs more.
- Should I buy a jump starter with an air compressor instead?
- Consider it if you have the trunk space. On most cars a tire losing air is more likely than a dead battery, and a one-box station covers both. The costs are weight, bulk and lead-acid upkeep.
- Does the GB40 work on a diesel?
- NOCO publishes a diesel rating up to 3.0 liters for the GB40, which covers small diesels and not modern diesel pickups. For those, the GB70's published 6.0-liter diesel rating is the right tier.
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Found something out of date, or a figure you can source better than we did? Tell us — corrections get read first. Our methodology explains how picks are made, and contact is one click away.