Lightning in a box: Best motorcycle jump packs

Although this jump pack from Noco claims to be able to start car engines up to 4.0-litres, we'd reckon it is more useful for motorcycle engines. The material doesn't specify what size the actual battery is but it claims cranking current of up to 500 Amps from an internal lithium battery.

This old-school jump pack is branded for the RAC, one of the UK's oldest motoring organisations and is clearly useful for the workshop or garage rather than carrying on the bike with you.

This tiny jump battery looks more like a power pack you'd use to charge phones or devices when away than a jump battery but it packs a 12000mAh internal battery that delivers up to 500 Amps of cranking power when required. It comes with dedicated 12V vehicle battery clamps as well as a selection of charging methods, including 240V and from a 12V power socket. It also includes a torch and USB charging sockets and is so small it will easily tuck under a seat or in a pocket.

At the pricier end of the scale, this example from Autowit uses a supercapacitor rather than an internal battery to provide starting power. What that means is that it doesn't require traditional long-term pre-use charging but will require to be 'energised' from the vehicle with the flat battery or a separate power source then discharges its stored energy quickly, offering the necessary power to jump start the flat vehicle. Cranking current is quoted as 700 Amps.

The smaller of Halford's two lithium options, this is rated for two-litre petrol or diesel engines and is a compact unit, delivering up to 300 Amps of cranking power. Using a lithium cell means it is smaller and lighter than a comparable lead-acid version and it comes with plug-in vehicle leads as well as a USB socket to charge phones or other devices. It has a built-in LED torch and is small enough to fit under your seat if you need it with you on your ride.

I've been using an older version of this Ring jump battery for years and it hasn't let me down once. This latest version uses a lithium battery to deliver a maximum of 500 Amps of cranking power and will start a six-litre petrol or 3.5-litre diesel engine, according to the manufacturer.

Not a cheap option but this jump battery from Clarke uses a lithium-polymer internal battery to deliver up to 800 Amps of peak cranking current. The manufacturer says it can be used up to 15 times on a single charge and can be left charged for some time, needing just nine hours of charging a month if not used. It comes with built-in LED lamps which can be used as SOS lanterns and a USB outlet with an included multi-use lead.

This jump pack from Sealey is definitely not cheap but it packs a hefty punch, up to a whopping 1600Amps of current for cranking. It uses capacitors rather than a built-in battery, so it is pre-charged either via the partially discharged vehicle's battery, storing energy ready to be released quickly or from another healthy battery. The 1600A version is the largest in the range; there are also 1100A and 800A version available too.