Flying with a jump starter

This is the question the whole internet answers badly. Search it and you get manufacturer help-desk pages and forum threads. The actual rules are published by the FAA and the TSA, they are specific, and they are quoted below with links so you can check them yourself before you pack.

Carry-on only. The FAA states that spare (uninstalled) lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries, including power banks, must be carried in carry-on baggage only. If a carry-on bag is checked at the gate or planeside, spare batteries and power banks must be removed and kept with the passenger in the cabin.

The size limit is 100 watt-hours. The FAA's size limit for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries is a rating of 100 watt-hours per battery. Its own note adds that to calculate watt-hours you multiply the battery voltage by the amp-hours, and that newer batteries have the Wh rating marked on them.

101 to 160 Wh needs approval, and is capped at two. With airline approval, passengers may also carry up to two spare larger lithium-ion batteries exceeding 101-160 Wh. The TSA's page states the same allowance and the same two-battery limit.

Terminals must be protected. The battery terminals must be protected from short circuit — leaving batteries in retail packaging, taping the terminals, using a battery case or a protective pouch are the methods the FAA names.

The useful conclusion: every mainstream automotive jump pack flies, including the heavy 3,000-amp one. What does not fly is the adjacent product — a camping power station with a jump-start port. Jump starter vs power station covers why those are different tools.

Convert it, because mAh without a voltage is not a capacity. Divide the mAh by 1,000 to get amp-hours, then multiply by the nominal voltage: a 20,000 mAh pack on 3.7 V cells is 74 Wh. The same mAh figure at 11.1 V would be 222 Wh — well over the limit. The full conversion.

If the manufacturer publishes no watt-hour figure at all, that is itself informative. Brands that expect customers to travel with the pack state Wh.

The FAA sets the floor, not the ceiling. Its own page notes that many airlines, domestic and international, may have stricter quantity and watt-hour limits, including caps on how many power banks a passenger may carry regardless of capacity — and tells you to check with your carrier before traveling.

Two further practical points. The TSA's page notes that the final decision on whether an item passes the checkpoint rests with the TSA officer. And destination countries have their own rules, which matters on international itineraries in both directions.

1. 1Carry it in your hand luggage, always. Never in a checked bag, and remove it if your carry-on gets gate-checked.
2. 2Keep the watt-hour marking visible. If the Wh rating is printed on the pack, do not cover it with a sticker or bury it in a case — it is what resolves a question at the checkpoint in seconds.
3. 3Protect the terminals. The pack's own case or a pouch is fine; the requirement is that the terminals cannot contact other metal.
4. 4Bring the cables in the same bag, so the pack reads as one device rather than loose gear.
5. 5Check your specific airline, especially internationally, and especially if you are also carrying phone power banks — some carriers limit the total number.
6. 6Do not pack a damaged pack. The FAA states that damaged or recalled batteries and battery-powered devices likely to spark or generate dangerous heat must not be carried aboard an aircraft at all.

No. There is no TSA approval scheme for jump starters, and any product marketed as "TSA approved" is using the phrase loosely. What exists is a watt-hour threshold, and a pack either sits under it or does not. Buying a pack whose Wh rating is clearly marked is the closest thing to the reassurance that phrase implies.

1. Best pack to travel with

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.

Check price on Amazon→

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Raw specifications: NOCO’s own page for the NOCO Boost X GBX45.

2. Smallest capable pack

NOCO Boost Plus GB40

NOCO · Best for most cars and small suvs

The default answer for a four- or six-cylinder car: 1,000 peak amps, 24 watt-hours, and light enough that it actually stays in the trunk.

Published specifications

Peak amps

1,000 A source

Internal battery

24 Wh lithium-ion source

Gas engine rating

Up to 6.0 liters source

Diesel engine rating

Up to 3.0 liters source

Weight

2.45 lb (1.11 kg) source

Water resistance

IP65 source

Flashlight

100 lumens source

Warranty

1-year hassle-free source

What works

• +24 Wh sits far under the 100 Wh carry-on threshold, so flying with it needs no airline approval
• +2.45 lb and pocketable — the size that decides whether a tool is still in the trunk six months later
• +IP65 enclosure, so a wet shoulder in the rain is not a problem
• +Reverse-polarity protection means a backwards clamp does not spark

What does not

• −1,000 peak amps runs out of headroom above a 6.0 L gas engine
• −The 3.0 L diesel ceiling rules out most modern diesel pickups
• −24 Wh is a small reserve — it is a jump starter, not a power bank substitute

Skip it if

Not the one to buy if you drive a diesel pickup or a big V8. You would be at the edge of its rating on a cold morning, which is exactly when you want margin.

Check price on Amazon→

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Raw specifications: NOCO’s own page for the NOCO Boost Plus GB40.

3. Best if you need diesel capability

NOCO Boost HD GB70

NOCO · Best for diesel pickups and big v8s

The one to buy if you drive a diesel: 2,000 peak amps, a 6.0-liter diesel rating and 56 watt-hours, which is the smallest pack with real margin on a cold diesel.

Published specifications

Peak amps

2,000 A source

Internal battery

56 Wh lithium-ion source

Gas engine rating

Up to 8.0 liters source

Diesel engine rating

Up to 6.0 liters source

Weight

4.18 lb (1.9 kg) source

Recharge

3 hours at 12 V / 3 A source

Water resistance

IP65 source

Flashlight

400 lumens source

Warranty

1-year hassle-free source

What works

• +The 6.0 L diesel rating covers the common 3.0 L and 6.7 L light-truck diesels with margin
• +56 Wh is still comfortably under the 100 Wh carry-on threshold, so it flies as hand luggage
• +12 V 15 A accessory output, and a 400-lumen light that is genuinely usable roadside
• +12 V / 3 A fast charge brings it back in about three hours

What does not

• −4.18 lb — noticeably heavier than the compact packs, and it wants a dedicated spot
• −Overkill for a commuter four-cylinder; you are paying for headroom you will not use

Skip it if

Not the one to buy if you only ever start a four-cylinder commuter. Buy diesel headroom when you have a diesel.

Check price on Amazon→

#ad Affiliate link · We show no price here; Amazon shows the current one

Raw specifications: NOCO’s own page for the NOCO Boost HD GB70.