Noco GB Series Portable Jumpstarter Alternatives

Our world is powered by alternatives; few things today are exempted from viable alternatives, no matter how exclusive they may appear to be.

However, never in the history of humanity have we all been unconscious of the options before us as we have consistently been in this generation.

Ironically, with all the blessings that we have amassed through the years and the technological inventions that our world has been able to see, most of the world’s population appears not to have been able to grasp the enormity of such blessings.

For the bulk of humanity still, life appears to be a closed loop where once something works, it simply has no alternatives and must be enjoyed the way it presents itself.

This is particularly true, especially if such an option has a reputation as one of the best when it comes to options available in its segment or niche.

This is the case of the Noco GB Jumper Series, an awesome line of jumpers that leaves very little to the imagination in terms of product offering.

But, what if as a user, you’re not comfortable with what the company offers or your needs are a little beyond what the product line has in store for you? What are your options?

Do you simply manage what is offered or there are alternatives that can serve you brilliantly in the months and years to come?

The focus of this article is to offer alternatives that are open to users and lovers of the Noco GB series of jumpers. Who knows? These options may wind up being way better than the original Noco offer 🙂

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The Need For An Alternative To The Noco GB Series

I have in the past, right on this platform, praised the Noco GB series to the high heavens. I have even argued that there may be no need to upgrade to the more recent line, the GBX from the same company for the majority of users.

This position, for the avoidance of doubts and clarity, hasn’t changed (I even have another article where I have carefully argued the pros and cons of the Noco GB line).

However, notwithstanding my earlier position (which is still very valid by the way), there are a plethora of scenarios that may actually call for an alternative to the Noco GB series of portable jumpers. These scenarios don’t happen every day and for the avoidance of doubts, do not reflect the reality of the regular, everyday user.

For users and scenarios that actually qualify, below are the unique circumstances that will rightly qualify for an alternative to the almost bulletproof line of jumpers from Noco.

Photo Credit: Bagus Pangestu via Pexels.

Noco GB Alternatives For Power Hungry Users (With USB-C Connectivity)

The world of technology has come a long way; from the early attempts at data transfer and the experiments of Faraday with Alternating Current (AC), we are all blessed today with smartphones, cameras, tablets, computers, and all manner of power-hungry gadgets.

These gadgets, ordinarily all have their very own protocol of charge, different from the next. For others like Apple devices, a propriety charger was even developed in the form of the lightning charger which completely distinguished it from all other charging options modern gadgets offered.

In theory, this offered variety and ensured that one remained excited about what came next. Buying a device, it was only natural to look forward to what came in the box by way of a charger. However, that is where the fun stopped and reality set in.

A simple event like having a charger blow off could mean leaving one stranded, irrespective of the fact that other smart device users are present and one has a plethora of other smart (and not so smart) devices all lying fallow around.

The net effect? E-waste and the dumping of money where it should not be dumped!

Thinking ahead and moving in to close a clear anomaly, the European Parliament passed a resolution recently that by the end of 2024, only the USB-C type plugs should be shipped with devices; their charging ports designed in such a manner that ONLY the type-C fit on, to start with.

The parliament also made it clear that from that time, consumers will have the option to decide if they want a charger with their devices or want it brand new in a ‘chargerless state’.

This means laptops, smartphones, tablets, and digital cameras will all be unified by a common charging cable and port, making it a breeze to cross-use chargers across devices and platforms. This remained a super brilliant move.

However, the challenge of this move at the moment is that not all manufacturers have shifted base yet or are even taking the European Parliament very seriously. However, for many consumers, USB-C, with its fast charging abilities is already here and is also considered the sustainable future of both chargers and charging.

The problem is that the Noco GB series is not exactly from this era, having been designed and produced before the above resolution mentioned above. If you’re thus curious and eager to move over to the Type-C reality or have devices that have already been switched over, you’ll need to steer clear of the GB series.

The best alternative for you, if this is your reality, is the GBX series, still from the stable of Noco. The Noco GBX 55 is quite powerful and a great starting point I strongly believe you should consider.

Noco GB Alternatives For The Petrol Heads/DIYers

Over and beyond the world of tech heads, there is also a generation of folks that strongly believe that their vehicles should never see the inside of a mechanic workshop or the dealer’s (for that matter).

Such folks have several repair manuals ranging from Haynes to Chilton and everything else in-between and are always found busy around their vehicles on weekends, fixing things, from recharging their ACs, changing wheel bearings, engine oil, transmission fluid and even advanced repairs/maintenance like timing chains and belts.

This breed of vehicle owners are called DIYers.

Now, here’s the interesting thing about auto DIYers that I know: they love their things as detailed and as comprehensive as possible. They also love to save money when they buy their tools of the ‘trade’.

Remember, it is the desire to save money in the first place that pushes them into the world of repairing their autos directly; so this is no new thing to them.

A classic DIYer will thus want to jump his vehicle and if he needs to pressure up his tires, do it at home and not rely on the free option at the gas stations or the services of a lube shop.

For all such realities, the standard Noco jumper here won’t simply fly: an option with a compressor and maybe, an additional (useful) feature will be appreciated better than a ‘bare bones’ GB series.

This is where a multi-purpose option like the Lokithor JA301 comes in. Designed with a compressor (and an array of other super useful features), it is the one-stop option that any DIYer needs as an alternative to the Noco GB line of jumpers or as a convenient alternative to the Noco line, generally.

Noco GB Alternatives For Frugal Folks

Not everyone today appreciates spending ‘premium’ money on premium products; some car users elect to be super frugal with their money and this is completely understood.

The logic is simple and quite straight to the point: why spend so much (in most cases, twice the ‘standard’ amount) on an accessory that can be had for half the price and still perform the same function, anyway?

A perfect analogy would be buying a part, say, the brake calipers for your vehicle, all four, OEM (or very good after markets) from Auto Zone and doing the change yourself versus taking it to the dealership and getting quotes running to thousands of dollars. A few hundred bucks versus at least, a thousand bucks…

If you know what you’re doing, the results will be the same or at worst, very similar.

This is how super frugal folks reason – and I dare say, rightly so. Why pay more when you can legitimately pay less? Premium brands (like Noco) do not sell their products for cheap, exactly.

While the products are priced like a quote your dealer will give you for basic maintenance, the chance of getting fake parts or screwing up something while the repair is ongoing is slim to none.

Getting cheaper jumpers, for instance, is like ordering your parts directly (from AutoZone, Amazon, or Walmart), getting the parts, and carrying out your own repairs directly. While this is certainly cheaper, there’s also the risk of getting a substandard part or fixing something wrong (in which case, you’ll need to redo it again to get optimum results).

That said, if you know what you’re doing, going the cheap route by buying lesser-known brands (mostly from China and the rest of Asia) will save you some serious bucks in both the long and short run.

It will also be a classic alternative to the Noco GB options. A good option in this respect is the Yaber portable jumper.

Wrap Up

That Noco makes one of the best portable jumpers in the industry is without any dispute; that the company also has the GB series as its most solid and reliable jumper yet is also without any question.

However, there are instances where the famed GB series will not serve. For all such instances, here are the most viable alternatives:

1. If you need USB-C connectivity, especially fast charging, your best bet is the Noco GBX 55.
2. If you’re a shade tree mechanic, your best bet remains the Lokithor JA301 for its versatility and sheer options.
3. If you’re looking to save some bucks and still get something decent, your best bet remains the Yaber portable jumper.

Good luck.