There’s nothing quite like that heart-sinking moment when you turn the key, and all you hear is a sad, click from under the bonnet. Dead battery. Usually, it happens at the most inconvenient time – normally when you’re heading out the door, ready to go, plans scuppered.
Other times involve freezing cold mornings, late at night, and sometimes when miles from anywhere. Pick your poison, they’re all equally annoying.
It’s a pain in the behind, and usually involves faffing with jump leads that are in a tangled mess in your boot, finding a willing stranger, or a long wait for breakdown recovery.
Would I rather sort it myself? Yes.
Now we’ve reviewed plenty of portable jump starters in our time, but it had been a while since we tried something new and different. So when an email from AUXITO landed in my inbox – seeing if we wanted to check out their own Portable-Battery Jumper Box with its built-in LED Camping Light?!
I was intrigued.
What is it?
Simply put, the AUXITO Portable-Battery Jumper Box is a bit of an emergency hero. It’s a fairly compact device that primarily functions as a jump starter.
But it also boasts the world’s first patented dual-panel LED light, turning it into an incredibly bright camping lantern or emergency work light, and it doubles as a 16000mAh (59.2Wh) portable power bank that can charge your phone/gadgets etc.
What’s the AUXITO Jumper Box like to use?
Well, as luck would have it (or perhaps, given the age of one of my parents’ cars, it was inevitable), I had a perfectly primed test subject. My mother’s old Seat Ibiza, which rarely gets used, regularly plays dead, due to her unwillingness to purchase a new battery. A perfect chance to test the AUXITO Jumper Box.
The AUXITO Jumper Box comes in a handy storage pouch with its jumper ends, USB-C cable, and a strong Velcro hanging tape so you can use it as a lamp/light. It’s genuinely portable, small enough to just chuck in the boot and forget about until you need it.
First things first, though, the instructions say to fully charge it when you get it, even if it shows full – good advice for any battery pack, so naturally I’d charged it before it was needed.
Connecting the smart clamps to the battery is easy enough, pull down the weatherproof rubber flap, push it in, and the green LED on the jumper connection lights up. These clever clamps also have a built-in alarm that prevents user error, so even a novice couldn’t mess it up. Black to negative first, then Red to positive.
There are two versions of this pack, the only difference is the battery size and the engine size which can jump start. This particular model is a J301, with a 5000A peak current, meaning it’ll handle pretty much anything up to a 10.5L petrol or 10L diesel engine – the little Seat Ibiza is a 1.4, so it was overkill in the best way. The engine fired up on the first turn of the key. Instantly.
Even in the chilly morning air (and this thing is rated for extreme weather, from -4°F to 140°F, so a cold UK morning is nothing). No fuss, no faff, just a running car. Bliss.
But this isn’t a one-trick pony. That dual-panel LED light puts out a serious 4000 lumens. With the panels folded out, it can hang easily, illuminating an entire area like a campsite or, in my case, lighting up the loft in the house while I had the power off to tackle some new electrical cables.
It has four modes: cool white, warm yellowy (for a bit of ambience), yellow-white, and an SOS strobe – perfect for emergencies. I can see this being an absolute lifesaver for late-night roadside repairs or, indeed, actually camping.
And last but not least, it’s also a portable power bank. Plugging my phone into the 5V/2.4A USB-A output, it started juicing up immediately. With either 12000mAh or 16000mAh capacity (depending on the model), it can charge your phone multiple times or keep a tablet happy. So, not only can it save your car, but it can save your phone too.
It would have been nice to have some USB quick charging built in, 5V/2.4A is a little slow these days. It also only has a single USB socket, as the USB-C is an input only to charge it. Dual USB ports would be welcome and make the AUXITO even handier.
AUXITO Jumper Box Conclusion
Overall, the AUXITO Portable-Battery Jumper Box is genuinely excellent! It’s the sort of device you hope you never need, but when you do, you’ll be eternally grateful you have it – just remember to put it in your boot and charge it up once every three months.
It’s way more convenient and reliable than traditional jump leads or waiting for help. The jump-starting process is incredibly easy and safe thanks to the smart clamps. The integrated 4000LM dual-panel LED light is a brilliant addition, making it super versatile for emergencies or outdoor adventures, and the power bank function means it earns its keep even when your car battery is fine.
Even if you don’t have a car, it would be worth owning for camping trips where you need a light and a battery bank.
Where can I buy the AUXITO Portable-Battery Jumper Box?
You can find the AUXITO Portable-Battery Jumper Box online via Amazon. Or you can purchase it directly from their website here. Prices vary, but you can pick up the AUXITO jumper box for around the £75 mark.
