It is very common to start your morning with a dead battery as you forgot to turn off the vehicle’s lights last night. Therefore, it is recommended that you keep a good jumper cable in your vehicle in case of an emergency. As part of the jumper cable quality, you must ensure choosing the right jumper cable gauge.
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Choosing the best gauge for your jumper cable can be a little tricky, especially with the long list of available gauge brands in the market.
The jumper cable gauge is an indicator of how thick the cable wiring is. The lower the gauge value, the thicker the jumper cable, the more effective it is.
While jumper cable’s gauges are very important when shopping for your jumper cable, you must pay close attention to other factors like the jumper cable’s length, width, cost, durability, and warranty.
In this article, we provide you with a detailed guide on what to look for when shopping for a jumper cable gauge. Furthermore, we will list the best jumper cable gauge you need for your vehicle categorized by vehicle type.
What is the jumper cable gauge?
Before we discuss the details about what to look for when shopping for a jumper cable gauge, it is important to make sure that you fully understand the purpose of the jumper cable gauge.
The jumper gauge refers to the thickness of the cable wiring. The lower the gauge value, the thicker and more effective the wiring is. The standard jumper cable comes with a rating of six. It is recommended for vehicles with large engines under the hood to use at least a gauge of six or even four or two.
The gauge value determines how expensive the jumper cable is; the lower the gauge, the more expensive it is.
In general, with a jumper cable of eight, you might jump most vehicles as long as they are not heavy-duty.
The best gauge for jumper cables
Now you understand the idea of the jumper cable gauge, and it is important to familiarize yourself with the good types of jumper cable brands in the market, especially as the market is flooded with tons of jumper cable gauges brands.
In this section, we will provide you with a list of the best gauge for jumper cables from different brands. We will also highlight the main pros and cons of each jumper cable.
Since the jumper cable’s gauge determines how expensive the jumper cable is, you need to maintain a balance between how much you would want to pay and how much power you would need from your jumper cable.
In other words, if you own a small vehicle like a Nissan Versa, you might not need a two-gauge jumper cable; a six or four-gauge jumper cable might be enough in your case.
On the other hand, if you own a sporty vehicle like a Ford Mustang, you might need at least a four-gauge jumper cable to do the job.
The jumper cables gauges range from 1 to 12 with one is used for heavy-duty vehicles, and 12 is used for smaller vehicles.
Here is a list of best jumper cable gauges by vehicle’s type along with suggested jumper cable brands.
- A compact vehicle – at least a six-gauge jumper cable
If you are looking for a jumper cable for your Nissan Versa, at the minimum, you need a six-gauge 10-feet jumper cable that provides about 200 amps.
It is recommended that you get a four-gauge 20-feet jumper cable with about 400 amps for best performance.
A good jumper cable example for this category is the TOPDC jumper cables.
- Intermediate vehicle – at least a six-gauge jumper cable
If you are shopping for a jumper cable for your Hyundai Elantra or Toyota Corrolla, you will also need at least a six-gauge 10-feet jumper cable with about 200 amps.
For better performance, you might need to consider choosing a four-gauge 20-feet jumper cable with 400 amps.
TOPDC jumper cables can also be a good fit for this category.
- Full-Size vehicle – at least a six-gauge jumper cable
For full-size vehicles like the Honda Accord or the Ford Fusion, you need to consider a six-gauge, 10-feet jumper cable with at least 400 amps of power.
Again, to improve the jumper cable’s performance, you need to select a four-gauge, 20-feet jumper cable with 800 amps of power.
A good jumper cable example for this category is the BUNKER INDUST jumper cable.
- SUVs and minivans – at least a six-gauge jumper cable
For SUVs and minivans, like Honda CR-V, Jeep Wrangler, or Toyota Sienna, you need to consider at least a four-gauge, 10-feet jumper cables with at least 400 amps of power.
To get the best quality, you can select a two-gague, 20-feet jumper cable with at least 800 amps.
A good jumper cable example for this category is the Energizer jumper cable.
- Vans – at least a six-gauge jumper cable
For larger vans like Ford Transit and Nissan NV 200, you need at least a four-gauge, 10-feet jumper cable with 400 power.
If you are looking for better performance, consider choosing a two-gauge, 20-feet jumper cable with at least 800 amps.
A great example of this category is the Energizer jumper cable.
- Sports vehicles – at least a six-gauge jumper cable
Lastly, for sports vehicles like the Ford Mustang and the Chevy Camaro, you need to consider a four-gauge, 10-feet jumper cable with at least 200 amps.
For better performance, consider choosing a two-gauge, 20-feet jumper cable with at least 400 amps.
Again, the BUNKER INDUST is a great jumper cable example for this category.
What are the top 10 jumper cables in the market?
As we mentioned earlier, the market is flooded with jumper cable types, and each has its gauge.
According to autoguide.com, here is the list of the top 10 jumper cables as of the year 2020:
- Cartman Booster Jumbles Cables with Carrying Bag
- Iron Forge Tools 20-foot Jumper Cables
- Unique Imports Professional Booster Jumper Cable
- Performance Tool W1673 Jumper Cable
- Cartman 20-feet Booster Jumper Cable
- Iron Forge Tools 4 Gauge Jumper Cables with carrying Bag
- Energizer 1-Gauge 800A Heavy Duty Jumper Battery Cables
- Coleman Cable 08660 Heavy-Duty Jumper Cables
- Lifeline AAA 4326AAA Booster Jumper Cable
- EPAuto Heavy Duty Booster Jumper Cable
What should I consider when shopping for a jumper cable?
In addition to choosing the right jumper cable gauge, there are certain things to consider to achieve the best performance from your jumper cable, including:
- If you don’t have a heavy-duty vehicle, it might not be worth spending more than $50 on a jumper cable. Anything beyond this limit is not needed.
- Pay attention to your jumper cable’s width. As we mentioned earlier, the thicker the jumper cable, the safer and the more powerful.
- Choose durable and sturdy clamps as you want to ensure they stay in place when connecting to your battery.
- Consider choosing at least a 15-foot jumper cable for easier use and better performance.
- Finally, ensure that you maintain a balance between your jumper cable’s gauge and the amount of money you will be paying. Again, you don’t need to pay for smaller jumper cable gauges that you don’t need.
- Think twice about the jumper cable’s warranty. Many customers found it cheaper to buy a new jumper than spending money on a warranty that will only refund them when the jumper gets damaged.
Conclusion
The jumper cable’s gauge is very important when it comes to power and price. The jumper cable’s gauge refers to how thick the cable wiring is, and thus, how powerful it is.
The jumper cable’s gauge ranges from 1 to 12 with one is the most powerful and used for the heavy-duty vehicles, while 12 is the least powerful and used for smaller vehicles.
Before deciding on your jumper cable’s gauge, you need to understand your vehicle’s requirements. In other words, you don’t want to spend a lot of money on a jumper cable that is beyond your vehicle’s requirement. At the same time, you don’t want to buy a jumper cable that doesn’t provide the necessary power needed by your vehicle.
In the article, we provided you with a list of jumper cable gauges by vehicle types. In general, most vehicles can be jumped with a four-gauge jumper cable’s gauge.
While most heavy-duty vehicles would accept the four-gauge jumper cables, it is recommended that you choose at least a two-gauge jumper cable.
Finally, jumper cable gauges are very important; however, there are other things you need to consider when shopping for your jumper cable, including the price, the length, the width, the clamps durability, and the warranty.