Portable Jump Starters with Air Compressor - Complete Guide

Despite still being a novelty, portable jump starters keep on improving by the day. Most people can’t even believe such small devices can jump-start a car!

Jump starting cars has come a long way as technology improves at an accelerating pace. From the good old jumper cables to lead-acid jump starters (heavy-duty packs) and now portable jump starters (lithium-ion based).

Portable jump starters have really transformed roadside emergencies related to batteries and tires - the top two causes of car breakdowns and that’s why it’s so important for every driver to have one in their cars.

Besides their primary function of boosting cars, jump starters can be used as a battery pack to charge your cellphone and other electronics while on the road, they come equipped with a powerful flashlight and some newer models even have a portable air compressor option.

The biggest advantages of portable jump starters are notably their portability and multi-functionality. In this article, we’ll focus on one of their key secondary functions, powering a portable air compressor.

Air Compressors for Portable Jump Starters

If you’ve already seen a portable jump starter, you’ll know that these devices are slightly bigger than a cellphone and so, you may be asking yourself a lot of questions about the air compressor option.

The air compressor is actually a small, separate device that plugs into the jump starter socket, which is where the jump starter’s booster cables connect to when boosting a car.

The air compressor device draws power from the jump starter (the same way a car battery does to get started) and is then ready to inflate.

What’s great about jump starters with this option is that it’s all portable so, whether you’re stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire on a rainy day or want to inflate a mattress in the basement for your guests, this thing follows you everywhere you go.

Size & Weight of Air Compressor

As mentioned in the previous section, the air compressor for portable jump starters is typically a separate module.

• Size: 5.3" x 2.2" x 5.3" (length x width x height)
• Weight: 0.65 lbs. (298g)

As you can see, the air compressor is really small and light. Our portable jump starters with air compressors come in one compact case that can easily fit under a seat or in the trunk of your car.

Air compressor Specs

Now that you understand how portable jump starters with air compressors work and have a sense of their size and weight, you may now be wondering just how powerful these devices are.

Although small, portable air compressors get the job done. For example, they could inflate a tire from 0 to 30 PSI in 6 to 10 minutes. That’s around the time you would normally need to simply inform a roadside assistance service of your whereabouts!

In terms of technical specs, the air compressor option for portable jump starters performs as follows:

• Maximum pressure: 150 PSI
• Maximum volume: 0.54CFM / 15L per minute
• Inflation time (speed): <10 minutes per tire (from 0 to 30 PSI)
• Maximum operating time: fifteen (15) minutes
• Maximum current: 4 amps
• Unloaded current: <3 amps

Portable Jump Starter with Air Compressor Use Cases

One of the biggest misconceptions about air compressors, in general, is that they can only be used on car tires. The good news is that is wrong!

The air compressor module for portable jump starters can be used on:

• Car, truck and motorcycle tires
• Bicycle tires
• Sports balls (football, basketball, soccer ball, etc.)
• Inflatable mattresses
• Raft boats
• Inflatables pool toys, floats, etc.

One crucial aspect of this is that you’ll need the appropriate bits. A bit is what connects the air compressor to the item being inflated. For example, tires and sports balls will require different bits.

One advantage of our portable jump starters is that they come with 4-6 bits to cover nearly every application.

Air Compressors in Heavy-Duty (Lead-Acid based) Jump Starters

Before portable jump starters came along, heavy-duty jump starters dominated the market.

Despite being very heavy (weighing up to 50 lbs.), they are an excellent alternative to jumper cables, which require another car. However, they are not portable, unlike booster cables or portable jump starters.

Some heavy-duty jump starter models come with an integrated air compressor. Unlike for portable jump starters, the air compressor is not a separate module.

Overall, these things are great to have in the house but their lack of portability due to large size and weight, and their old battery technology (lead-acid) makes them less desirable than portable jump starters.

Check out our article on the difference between portable jump starters and heavy-duty packs to learn more.