Jump Starters
NOCO Boost X GBX45 review
The lightest pack in the range, with the one feature that matters if you travel: USB-C in and out.
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How we assessed these: this assessment is built from NOCO's published specifications, the current retailer listing and published owner feedback. We have not bench-tested this unit, and we do not publish test figures we did not measure.
Short answer
Buy the GBX45 if you travel with the pack or want the lightest unit that still covers a 6.5 L gas engine. Its USB-C Power Delivery means one cable handles the pack, your phone and your laptop. Skip it for a diesel — the rating stops at 4.0 liters.
The GBX45 is the answer to a question the older packs did not ask: what if the jump starter charged from the same brick as everything else you carry? It does, in both directions, at up to 20 V and 3 A — and it manages that while weighing less than the GB40 and covering a slightly larger engine.
What NOCO publishes
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Starting current | 1,250 A peak |
| Internal battery | 31 Wh lithium-ion |
| Gas engine rating | Up to 6.5 liters |
| Diesel engine rating | Up to 4.0 liters |
| Weight | 2.16 lb (0.98 kg) |
| USB-C output | Up to 20 V / 3 A Power Delivery |
| USB-A output | 5 V / 2.1 A, 10 W max |
| Water resistance | IP65 with ports closed |
| Flashlight | 100 lumens |
| Warranty | 1-year hassle-free |
All figures from NOCO's GBX45 specification page.
Why the travel case is genuinely strong
Three things line up. Weight: 2.16 lb is the lightest in the Boost line, and lighter than the GB40 it out-specs. Capacity: 31 Wh is well under the FAA's 100 Wh limit, so it travels in carry-on baggage with no airline approval — read flying with a jump starter for the rules as the FAA states them. Charging: USB-C Power Delivery means you are not packing a proprietary brick, which in practice is what stops people traveling with a pack at all.
It also works the other way round: at up to 20 V / 3 A out, the GBX45 will charge a USB-C laptop, not just a phone. That is a genuinely useful secondary role for a tool that otherwise sits idle.
The two things to know before buying
The IP65 rating is conditional. NOCO specifies IP65 *with the ports closed*. That is not a criticism — port covers are how any USB-C device achieves a water rating — but it is a habit to build. Closing the covers after charging is the difference between the rating applying and not.
The diesel rating is 4.0 liters. That is better than the GB40's 3.0 L and nowhere near enough for a full-size diesel pickup. If there is a diesel in your driveway, the GB70 is the pack and this is not.
GBX45 or GB40?
| GB40 | GBX45 | |
|---|---|---|
| Peak amps | 1,000 A | 1,250 A |
| Capacity | 24 Wh | 31 Wh |
| Gas rating | Up to 6.0 L | Up to 6.5 L |
| Diesel rating | Up to 3.0 L | Up to 4.0 L |
| Weight | 2.45 lb | 2.16 lb |
| Charging | USB, 5 V / 2.1 A | USB-C PD up to 20 V / 3 A |
| Water rating | IP65 | IP65, ports closed |
The GBX45 wins on every line except price. Whether that difference is worth paying depends almost entirely on whether you travel with it.
Our read: for a car that stays local and a pack that lives in the trunk, the GB40 is enough and the money is better spent on a maintainer that stops the battery dying in the first place. For a pack that goes in a bag, on a plane, or into a rental car's glovebox, the GBX45 is the one to own.
Verdict
1. Best for travel
NOCO Boost X GBX45
NOCO · Best for travel and carry-on use
The travel pick: 1,250 peak amps at 2.16 lb with USB-C Power Delivery in and out, so it recharges from the same brick as your laptop.
Published specifications
- Peak amps
- 1,250 A source
- Internal battery
- 31 Wh lithium-ion source
- Gas engine rating
- Up to 6.5 liters source
- Diesel engine rating
- Up to 4.0 liters source
- Weight
- 2.16 lb (0.98 kg) source
- USB-C output
- Up to 20 V / 3 A Power Delivery source
- Water resistance
- IP65 with ports closed source
- Warranty
- 1-year hassle-free source
What works
- Lightest pack in the range at 2.16 lb, and 31 Wh means no airline paperwork
- USB-C Power Delivery both directions — one cable covers the pack, phone and laptop
- More gas headroom than the GB40 (6.5 L against 6.0 L) in a lighter body
What does not
- The IP65 rating only holds with the port covers closed — worth remembering in the rain
- The 4.0 L diesel ceiling is not enough for a full-size diesel pickup
Skip it if
Not the right pack for a diesel truck, and not the cheapest way to cover a small commuter — its premium buys packability, not amps.
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Raw specifications: NOCO’s own page for the NOCO Boost X GBX45.
Key takeaways
- 1,250 peak amps, 31 Wh, 2.16 lb — the lightest pack in the Boost range.
- USB-C Power Delivery in and out, up to 20 V / 3 A, so it charges a laptop.
- 31 Wh flies in carry-on baggage with no airline approval.
- IP65 only applies with the port covers closed — build the habit.
- The 4.0 L diesel rating rules it out for a diesel pickup.
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.
Common questions
- Is the NOCO GBX45 good for travel?
- It is the pack in the range best suited to it. At 2.16 lb it is the lightest, its 31 Wh rating is far under the 100 Wh carry-on threshold, and it charges over USB-C Power Delivery so you are not carrying a proprietary charger just for the jump pack.
- Can the GBX45 charge a laptop?
- Yes. NOCO specifies USB-C output up to 20 V at 3 A, which covers most USB-C laptops. That makes it a usable power bank as well as a jump starter, within the limits of its 31 Wh capacity.
- What engine size can a GBX45 start?
- NOCO publishes up to 6.5 liters for gas and up to 4.0 liters for diesel. That covers every mainstream four-cylinder and V6 plus most gas V8s, and falls short of full-size diesel pickups.
- Is the GBX45 waterproof?
- It is rated IP65 with the port covers closed, which means protected against dust and low-pressure water jets — enough for rain on a roadside. Leave a port cover open and the rating no longer applies.
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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.