The problem with reviewing a tool or emergency-based item is that you don’t always experience the same scenarios during testing where that item would be used. For example, if you’re reviewing a power station, there’s no guarantee your power will go out or a huge storm will knock out the local grid. You can improvise by avoiding grid-power-use yourself. Or, you could travel to a local park or campsite and go without power by choice. Luckily — or maybe, unfortunately — I live in Florida, so I’ve had plenty of experiences like this without having to create a faux scenario. But that brings us to the root of this candid review, exploring the Battery Tender 800 amp multi-purpose jump starter.

I encountered a scenario that played out, or really, a family member did, and it helped with reviewing this particular device. But first, what is it and why should anyone care? The Battery Tender unit in question is a portable jump starter with a built-in tire inflator as an extra little flair. It’s completely standalone. As long as it’s charged beforehand, you can jump any vehicle that’s having trouble starting. Or, alternatively, you can use it it to blow up some tires. I used it to inflate the tires on my children’s bikes, my vehicles, and a few other things, like the tires on an electric scooter. That feature alone is super handy. Even though I’ve owned an air compressor for a while to do the same thing I prefer the Battery Tender. It’s much easier to take out this portable gadget.

There’s really not much to it. If your vehicle is having trouble starting, you hook up this 800 amp device with the jumper cables, power it on, and start your vehicle. It works with nearly every type of vehicle up to those with powerful V8 engines. It’s also spark-proof and has reverse hookup protection, so it stops electricity or currents from flowing back into the jump starter once the vehicle is running, which helps prevent damage.

What else is there to know about the Battery Tender 800 amp portable jump starter?

It comes in a case that helps protect the device. That also gives you a place to store the cables and attachments, namely the inflator bits and bobs. If you want to know the complete box contents, you get the unit, smart jumper cable, a hard carrying case, a USB Type-C charging cable, an air hose and tire adapter piece, and inflator adapters — three total for bikes, balls, and toys.

When fully charged, the tire inflator can fill from empty to full in about six minutes for the average tire. In total, the machine can handle a 140 PSI capacity. On the front of the unit is a five-button physical control panel in the shape of a cross. In the center is the power button, with inflator mode, pressure up and down, and inflator start-stop selectors.

Using the device is ridiculously straightforward. If you’re jumpstarting a car, you connect the alligator clamps, power on the unit by holding down the power button and go. If you’re inflating anything, you connect the appropriate attachment, turn on the tire pressure function and adjust pressure as necessary. When you’re inflating tires, bike, car, or otherwise the system stops when you reach the designated PSI. For example, it stopped automatically when my daughter’s bike tires were full.

Jumping a vehicle battery

The smart alligator clamps, or jumper cable, makes the entire battery jumping process foolproof. I’m not even kidding. If they’re correctly connected to your battery, a small LED on the clips themselves will change from flashing green to solid green for go. If you fuck it up, they continue flashing or glowing amber. They also sound a warning for fault and error protection. Put them on the wrong terminals, and it will yell at you.

Both the jump start and inflator ports are at the top. You’ll also find an LED flashlight button up there to turn on the built-in light which comes in real handy when it’s dark out. If you’re in a parking lot late at night, somewhere in the wilderness or on the side of the road, that light might save you quite a bit of time and a few headaches to boot. Also, a USB-C port (5-volt DC and 2 amp) and a regular USB output (5 volt DC and 2.1 amp) rest up there for charging devices. 

That brings up another neat little side feature. Technically, this is a 7,200mAh portable battery (26.64 watt-hours). So, you can use it as a power bank to charge your devices. Though I wouldn’t use it like that regularly, I would conserve the energy for emergencies and breakdowns. If you need to use it to charge anything, you just plug those bad boys into one of the USB ports and make sure it’s powered on.

What’s the scenario you talked about?

I’m going to change a few details to keep my family members relatively protected, not to mention I don’t want to get them in trouble at work. They work somewhere that public scrutiny is not a good idea. That being said, during the review period, they ran into a situation where the Battery Tender portable jump starter was needed at work.

The work team was using a larger vehicle, akin to a bus or RV. It kept shutting off because of startup issues and dead battery problems. I suspect from what I was told, there are other issues at play there — alternator or solenoid issues, possibly. Nevertheless, I was able to lend them the Battery Tender, and it worked perfectly to start up the vehicle on several occasions. In fact, they used it multiple times in a row without it being charged in between.

It’s clear the battery can hold a charge very well. One thing to note is that if the battery charge is below 50% it will not jumpstart a vehicle. Like I said, it holds a charge well and can definitely jump start a few times before it reaches that point if it’s full to start. You just have to remember to charge it up when you get back home or somewhere with an outlet.

Plus, the fact that it was a larger vehicle, not at all something you’d drive regularly, and likely needed a ton of power, since it has its own generator onboard, that’s a testament to the Battery Tender’s reliability. I’m not entirely sure what kind of engine the vehicle had, but if I had to guess, it’s more substantial than my personal vehicles.

Standard wear and tear

It works just fine on my family’s two Mazdas, a CX-3 and a CX-5. I also use it to fill the tires when the pressure indicator comes on. Before I used to lug out my air compressor, wait for it to prime and fill with air and then go to town, and that thing is loud as hell. The tire inflator in the Battery Tender does make noise, but it’s nothing like the standalone air compressor.

The real test of something like this is how it works under pressure, meaning, is it reliable in an emergency when you need it most? I won’t really know for sure until I’ve been through a few emergencies, but judging by how well it worked for my family member, I’d say I’m in good hands when those situations arise. The Battery Tender 800 amp jump starter will be a staple piece of equipment in my vehicles from now on. I leave it in the trunk and swap it between vehicles when we take longer trips.

Why else would you want something like this?

Obviously, the best use-case is to jumpstart a vehicle that’s having battery problems, but as for where that might come in handy, here are some potential places:

• While camping or in the wilderness
• During long road trips
• Regular maintenance
• Winter or cold weather issues with the battery
• Roadside during a breakdown
• Kept inside your vehicle for “just in case” situations
• Off-grid
• Dirt bike, motocross or sports-related vehicle events
• Farm trucks and equipment
• While mudding or off-roading
• During emergencies or power outages
• To power devices in remote scenarios

What’s the verdict, and the price?

I know I probably sound like a broken record recommending devices here, but this is another solid recommendation. In all fairness, these reviews span a variety of gadgets and lifestyle products.

To keep things brief, the Battery Tender 800 amp jump starter is portable. It comes with everything you need, including a hard case, cables, and inflator attachments. Moreover, it holds a charge well, and can both jump start vehicles and charge devices via USB in an emergency. It also has a built-in light and a tire pressure inflator with designated PSI setpoints. So, you set the pressure you want, and it will automatically turn off when the tire, ball, or inflatable reaches that. It works swimmingly with pool inflatables, let me tell you.

It’s a solid multi-tool for power and maintenance tasks, particularly getting vehicles started, including 12 volt batteries up to 4.0 liter gas and 2.0 liter diesel engines in cars, trucks, boats, and beyond. Toss it in the trunk or in the back of your truck and leave it there for peace of mind. You won’t regret it. The MSRP is about $175 which is more than worth it, but I’ve seen it cheaper, which would be a steal.

• Recommended Buy: Yes.
• For Who: People with older cars or vehicles that sit and need a jump start or two. Also, great for emergencies.
• Alternative: Battery Tender 1500A Jump Starter and Power Bank (12,000mAh)
• MSRP: $175