Whether you want to go off to work, you’re heading back home, or you just want to take out your family, a dead battery can mar your plans badly. While waving down a good Samaritan to help you jumpstart your car with their battery is an option, the better option is to have your portable jump starter handy.
That way, a dead battery will only cause a 5-minute delay. When you connect the jump starter to your battery and rev your engine to life, you’ll beam with a smile. That’s why a jump starter is a must-have for motorists. Due to their convenience and ease of use, the demand for jump starters continues to climb.
Right now, there are two categories of jump starters. They are lithium-ion jump starters and lead-acid jump starters. This article focuses on lithium-ion jump starter vs. lead-acid jump starter. The earlier version is the lead-acid jump starters, but later the lithium-ion jump starters emerged.
Generally, people want to know which is better between the two categories. First of all, you need to understand that lithium-ion jump starters were produced as an improvement over the lead-acid jump starters. So, the former is likely better than the latter.
However, we will compare them now. You’ll see how they stack up. We intend to compare them on the following criteria.
- Energy per unit volume
- Energy per unit weight
- Rate of self-discharge
- Durability/Lifecycle
- Maintenance
- Cost of purchase
- Performance in cold weather
- Availability
Now, let’s get down to the heart of the issue right away.
Lithium-Ion Jump Starter Vs. Lead-Acid Jump Starter:
1. Energy Per Unit Volume
A unit volume of the lithium-ion battery delivers up to 4 times more than the same volume of lead-acid battery. This implies that lithium-ion helps to make better use of volume and space. To put it in simpler terms, when you compare the same size of lithium-ion battery and lead-acid battery, you’ll find out that the former delivers more energy. You have to quadruple the size of a lead-acid battery to get the same energy a lithium-ion battery will give out.
2. Energy Per Unit Weight
Unit weight of a lithium-ion battery will deliver up to 6 times more power than the same weight of a lead-acid battery. In other words, 5 pounds of a lithium-ion battery will give out up to 6 times more power than 5 pounds of a lead-acid battery.
3. Rate Of Self-Discharge
One big problem with jump starters is that they gradually lose their charge without using them. That is why it is important to charge an idle jump starter every three months. Lead-acid jump starters lose their charge faster than lithium-ion jump starters.
In a month, a lithium-ion jump starter will lose 3% to 5% of its charge, while a lead-acid jump starter will lose 5% to 15% of its charge. Let’s do simple multiplication. Going by the figures, in six months, a lithium-ion jump starter will lose up to 30% (5% x 6 months) of its charge.
With the remaining 70% charge, it can still jumpstart vehicles. On the other hand, a lead-acid jump starter can lose up to 90% (15% x 6 months) of its charge. The jump starter is useless with the remaining 10% charge. It can’t jumpstart even a motorcycle. It has to be charged before it’s used.
4. Durability/Lifecycle
It may be inaccurate to measure the durability of jump starters by a number of years. A jump starter that is always lying fallow will definitely last longer than the one that is being used always. So, it is better to assess the durability of jump starters with their lifecycles.
Lifecycle refers to how many times it discharges and recharges. In case you don’t know, every battery has a number of recharges it can take before it packs up. The number of full recharges it can take is its lifecycle.
We can tell you that the lifecycles of lithium-ion jump starters are almost twice the lifecycles of lead-acid jump starters, with all other factors equal.
5. Maintenance
This is pretty straightforward. Since lead-acid batteries discharge faster and degrade faster, they require more maintenance than lithium-ion batteries. Here, the latter is the clear winner again.
6. Cost of purchase
This is the only criterium on which lead-acid jump starters have an edge over lithium-ion jump starters. Generally, lithium-ion jump starters are more expensive than lead-acid jump starters. If cost is the only factor you want to consider, you may go for lead-acid jump starters. However, you’re likely to regret it later on because lithium-ion jump starters offer better features, and that’s why they cost more.
As far as we’re concerned, the difference in their prices is well-justified.
7. Performance in cold weather
Generally, most cars are difficult to start during the winter because of the freezing temperature. The same applies to jump starters. Their performance generally drops during cold days. However, lithium-ion jump starters perform better in the days of winter.
8. Availability
Since lithium-ion jump starters are gradually phasing out lead-acid jump starters, the former is readily available in many offline and online stores, while lead-acid is gradually going out of the market. A few years from now, you may not see lead-acid jump starters in the market again.
Based on the comparisons, it is clear that the lithium-ion jump starters are the winner. They won on seven criteria while lead-acid jump starters won in only one criterium.
Are Lithium-Ion Jump Starters Better Than Lead-Acid? Why?
Yes, of course, lithium-ion jump starters are better than lead-acid jump starters. Here are the reasons.
- Lithium-ion jump starters deliver up to 6 times more power than lead-acid jump starters.
- Lithium-ion jump starters have a lower rate of self-discharge when they are idle.
- The lifecycle of lithium-ion jump starters is almost twice that of lead-acid jump starters.
- Lithium-ion jump starters require less maintenance.
- Lithium-ion jump starters perform better in cold weather.
- Finally, lithium-ion jump starters are readily available in a wide range of designs, sizes, and models.
Based on the facts listed above, it is clear that lithium-ion jump starters are much better than lead-acid jump starters.
Do The Small Lithium-Ion Jump Starters Really Work?
Yes, small lithium-ion jump starters really work. In fact, the size of lithium-ion jump starters has little to do with the power they give out. This is one of the reasons lithium-ion jump starters are better than lead-acid jump starters. You have to quadruple the size of lead-acid battery to get the same energy a lithium-ion battery will give out.
How Long Do Lead-Acid Jump Starters Last?
This depends on how often you use it. A jump starter that works every day will reach its lifespan faster than the one that is used once a month. However, if your battery is fine, your jump starter won’t need to work every day.
Let’s assume that you use your jump starters once a week. That way, your lead-acid jump starters will last for about 6 to 10 years. However, you must ensure you charge it after every use. And when you stop using it, you must charge it every three months. All jump starters lose their charge gradually. Lead-acid jump starters lose up to 15% of their charge within a month.
Safety Tips
As useful as jump starters are, things could go bad if you don’t apply caution. Here are some safety tips to apply when jumpstarting your car with either a lead-acid jump starter or a lithium-ion jump starter.
- Always turn your engine off before you try to jumpstart it.
- When connecting clamps to battery terminals, make sure the two cables don’t touch.
- If the jumper cables have peeled off, try to cover the peeled area or change the cables entirely. If both cables come into contact while cranking your engine, an explosion could occur.
- Before jumpstarting your battery, you need to confirm that there are no leaks.
- If you can’t identify the positive battery terminal, seek assistance. Don’t guess. You could damage your battery if you try to start your engine when the positive clamp is connected to the negative terminal. You can identify the positive terminal with any of the following signs – P, POS, or +. However, newer jump starters come with reverse polarity alarms. When you connect the clamps wrongly, instead of supplying current, they’ll sound the reverse polarity alarm to alert you of the error.
Final Thoughts
Based on the points raised above, it is clear that lithium-ion jump starters are better than lead-acid jump starters in several ways.
- Lithium-ion jump starters are readily available in a wide range of designs, sizes, and models.
- Lithium-ion jump starters deliver up to 6 times more power than lead-acid jump starters.
- Lithium-ion jump starters have a lower rate of self-discharge when they are idle.
- Lithium-ion jump starters perform better in cold weather.
- Lithium-ion jump starters require less maintenance.
- The lifecycle of lithium-ion jump starters is almost twice that of lead-acid jump starters.
Therefore, you’re better off with a lithium-ion jump starter. Whenever you want to buy a jump starter, choose a lithium-ion jump starter, and you’ll be glad about your choice later.
