NOCO GB50 Jump Starter Review – A Detailed Guide

Having a good jump starter on your car can literally save lives. That is why we prepare this NOCO GB50 jump starter review. After all, it’s common knowledge that NOCO makes the best portable jump starter.

Anyone who has experience with jump starters in general and NOCO, in particular, knows that the GB line works the best. However, it’s hard to choose with so many good products available.

For this reason, we have also prepared a detailed comparison of the two most popular NOCO jump starters. This NOCO GB50 review will surely satisfy you.

NOCO Boost XL GB50 Unboxing

When we checked upon its arrival, the package measured 7.7 inches in length, 3.4 inches in width, and 1.9 inches in height. The whole thing weighs about 1.65 pounds, so a bit lighter than the GB40.

Here are what you get from the box

The first compartment of the box includes the portable NOCO Boost GB50 jump starter and some needle-nose battery clamps. The second one consists of a 12V car charger, a micro USB cable, and a NOCO GB50 manual. Finally, we have one microfiber bag for storage.

All in all, we are confident to say that the NOCO GBc017 will satisfy you with the accessories.

NOCO GB50 Jump Starter Review – Specifications

9.4/10Editor’s rating

Specifications

• Battery Types: 12V Lead-Acid Batteries
• Starting Current: Peak 1500 Amps
• Internal Battery: Lithium-Ion, 35 Watt-Hour
• USB Input and Output: 2.1 Amps
• Diesel Engine: 4.5 Liters
• Gas Engine: 7.0 Liters
• LED flashlight: 200 Lumens

VIEW ON AMAZON

As you can see, the NOCO Boost GB50 possesses some impressive specs. We will be delving into the two most vital aspects, internal battery and starting current, first.

The starting current lets you know whether or not your jump starter possesses enough power for the jump-starting process. In this aspect, the GB 50’s peak amp is 1500, so it can jump-start pretty much all cars.

Next is the internal battery, which determines the number of charges the GBc017 has. Due to its 35 Wh Lithium-ion internal battery, the GB50 NOCO can jump-start at least 30 times with one charge.

Benefits Of Having A NOCO Boost XL GB50 1500 Amp

No Need To Ask Strangers For Help

The first and most obvious reason for having a portable jump starter like the NOCO Jump Starter GB50 is independence. You will no longer need to frantically find someone to loan their car as a host vehicle.

If you happen to be stranded in an unfamiliar region, the NOCO GB50 UK is not only hassle-free but also beneficial to your own safety. All you need to do is pull the NOCO Genius Boost GB50 out of the trunk and start charging your car.

Not Having To Worry About The Parking Position

One of the more inconvenient issues of Booster cable is the fact that your car must be parked in a certain way. After all, the host vehicle must be able to move close enough so that the jumper cables can reach your car’s battery.

You only need seconds to jump start a dead battery with the NOCO Genius GB50

If your car happens to park in a weird spot, it’s basically impossible to work with the jumper cables. On the other hand, there is no such issue with the GB50 jump starter. You simply connect the cables to your car and put them onto the hood to jump start the dead battery.

Only One Connection

jumper cables require you to make two sets of connections, meaning the chances of problems arising are doubled. Of these problems, the most dangerous one is the reversed connection, both for the cars and the operator.

Reversed connections may cause sparks, easily resulting in a huge explosion in the presence of battery gases. Even if they don’t explode, reversed connections still damage all the expensive electronic components of the cars.

Using the NOCO Boost XL GB50 1500, you only need one connection to jump start, so the risk is significantly reduced.

No Damage For The Host Vehicle

Even if you do things right, like proper starting procedure and correct connection sequence, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. You see, there is still the risk of the host car not being up to the task. Most of the time, this means that the host vehicle cannot provide enough power.

If that car happens to have a suspect or marginal component in its electrical system, it may be pushed over the edge. As a result, you will have two broken-down cars, instead of one. No one wants to ask someone for help, only to destroy their car, right?

There is no such concern with the NOCO Boost Plus GB50. It is specifically built to jump-start a car, after all.

No-Risk For Modern Vehicles

It’s simply undeniable that jumper cables are no longer completely safe for sophisticated modern cars. For instance, using a Booster cable can transfer noises like voltage spikes from the host to the recipient. These anomalies will surely damage the sensitive electrical parts.

This issue can happen again when you remove the connection. In fact, it is much more serious when you do so.

Not just vehicles, the NOCO 1500 Amp can also charge other electronic devices

When there is a connection, the batteries will act as buffers, containing the max voltage rise. However, this system will go nuts the moment the connection breaks.

Easier To Store And Move Around

While the regular jump starters are much more powerful, they are too big and heavy. It’s just impossible to create enough space to fit them onto something like a sedan.

The NOCO Boost GB50 can fit snugly in your hand

That is why you usually only see these huge jump starters on trucks or semi-trucks. On the other hand, a portable jump starter such as the NOCO 1500 can fit nicely with any car. The NOCO GB50 case is also lightweight, so carrying it around is much easier.

NOCO GB50 Jump Starter Review – Pros And Cons

Pros

The most impressive advantage that the NOCO Boost XL Jump Starter holds over its competitors is the UltraSafe feature. With this function, there simply is no way for sparks caused by incorrect connections to happen.

The manufacturers have made sure that the NOCO GB50 Boost XL is fully mistake-proof with reverse polarity protection. Also, the spark-proof tech physically eliminates any chance of spark forming.

The UltraSafe spark-proof feature makes a huge difference in safety

The NOCO GB50 1500 amp ultrasafe lithium jump starter is not just a car jump starter. In truth, it can also function as a LED flashlight and a portable battery. It’s possible to use this jump starter to recharge things like tablets and smartphones, as long as they have a USB connector.

The LED light is fully integrated into the NOCO GB50 Jump Starter with seven light modes. Of them, we find the SOS and emergency strobe most useful.

As we have mentioned in the specs, the genius GB50 is much more powerful than its size suggests. With a 1500 Amp starting current, you can rest assured that there is no car that it can’t jump-start.

We are also very impressed with the NOCO Genius GB50 Boost XL’s design. It is not at all an overestimation to call the NOCO 50 the most advanced portable jump starter for cars.

The closure is both water-resistant and rugged, with an IP65 rating. The casing is over-molded and rubberized, so the chance of marring or scratching is close to zero.

The lithium high-discharge tech also ensures that the NOCO GB50 Boost XL 1500A lithium jump starter is safe to use in all climates.

You also get a detailed NOCO Boost XL GB50 manual, which is among the clearest guide we have seen.

All of these are fitted in an ultra-compact package weighing only 2.7 pounds. The people who designed the NOCO Genius Boost XL GB50 are truly good at their job.

Cons

We don’t have much to complain about the Genius Boost GB50, aside from two points.

First of all, the NOCO Boost XL GB50 1500 amp 12A ultrasafe lithium jump starter is expensive. It can cost you twice as much as something like a NOCO XL GB40.

While the power the NOCO Boost XL 12V 1500A delivers is certainly impressive, it’s not enough for this kind of price. That is why we recommend checking if you truly need the NOCO Boost XL GB50 1500 amp 12V UltraSafe lithium jump starter before getting it.

Secondly, the drawstring bag included for storage is not durable enough for the Booster NOCO GB 50. We believe the manufacturer should have included a zippered hard case instead.

NOCO GB50 vs. NOCO GB40 – NOCO Boost XL Review

Age

The first and most noticeable difference between the two is age. The GB40 was introduced way back in 2010, so it’s more than ten years old now. On the other hand, the GB50 jump starter is among the latest products presented in 2019.

This 9-year gap means there is a huge disparity in technology between the two options.

Battery Capacity And Engine

While the GB40 only packs 1000 amps, the NOCO Boost GB50 can go as high as 1500 amps. As a result, you can expect the GB50 to be able to charge more types of vehicles than the GB40.

The GB40 has less power

For example, there is no way that the GB40 can jump-start a semi-truck, but the GB50 surely can. It may even easily jump-start a full-on truck.

This difference continues with the engines. The NOCO GB40 can only work with either 6 liters gas engines or 3 liters diesel engines. On the contrary, the NOCO GB50 works fine with 7 liters of gas engines and 4.5-liter diesel engines.

Size And Weight

Despite having a bigger size, 7.7″ x 3.4″ x 1.9″ vs. 6.57″ x 3.15″ x 7.72″, the GB50 weighs 0.75 pounds less than the GB40. The GB50 can also serve as a power bank for other electronic devices, which the GB40 can’t.

LED Lights

The NOCO Genius Boost XL GB50’s LED lights are about twice as strong as those of the GB40. You should not underestimate this difference, as it means a huge gap when it’s dark.

To be more specific, the 200-lumen lights of the GB50 allow you to clearly observe the car’s components. The GB40’s 100 lumens light only lets you see some shapes and lines.

Verdict

All in all, we believe that the NOCO Genius Boost XL GB50 is the clear favorite. You can use it for loads of applications since it is capable of multi-function and has a higher power capacity.

Of course, if the budget constrains you, we suggest getting the GB40. Unused power is not at all a good investment. As long as it can power up your car, it is good enough.

You can also save quite a sum of money for something more necessary. After all, the NOCO GB50’s best price is still much higher than the GB40’s.

Related:

• All You Need To Know About Jump Starter – Buying Guide
• How Many Amps Is A Car Battery to Ramp up Your Engine?
• How To Use A Jump Starter: Detailed Guideline For The Unprofessional
• What Size Jump Starter Do I Need- All Things To Consider For A Proper Use

How To Buy, Use, And Warrant The Genius Boost GB50

How To Buy 

There is no official NOCO store, so you would need to go to the NOCO’s reseller page to check for a nearby reseller. All you need to do is enter your city or state’s zip code and you will see a list of all the available retailers.

If you are a fan of online shopping, you can check out either Walmart or Amazon. NOCO has its own store available on these two websites.

How To Use 

It’s quite straightforward to use the Genius Boost GB50. First of all, you need to locate the HD Precision Boost battery clamps. They are the clamps accompanying the jump starter in the package. Attach these clamps to the NOCO GB50’s 12V output.

Next, you need to connect the positive and negative battery clamps to their respective terminals. Remember that the positive clamp is in red and the negative one is in black.

Once you have properly connected all the clamps, press the GB50’s power button. If you did everything right, you would see the White Boost LED lighting up. On the contrary, the red error LED light will illuminate.

Once you see the white light, start your vehicle. Some types of vehicles may require you to leave the connection for at least 30 seconds to succeed.

After the vehicle has started, remember to turn the jump starter off and remove the clamps properly. As we mentioned, the clamp-removing process can make everything go nuts. Thus, you need to be as careful as possible.

How To Warrant

If you experience any problems while using this unit, you can try contacting the NOCO support team at [email protected]. They will identify the issue you are having and give you answers to any questions you have.

If the issue is not resolvable by this method, they will send you an RMAReturn Merchandise Authorization, aka RMA. You do need to prepare your dead battery jump starter’s purchase proof, serial number, and your own contact info.

NOCO Boost XL GB50 Review From Customers

Most customers are very pleased with the improvement in power that the GB50 received. They are also impressed by the way NOCO decreased the GB50’s weight while increasing its performance.

The UltraSafe feature is very appreciated, as it keeps both the customers and their cars safe.

The overall verdict is that the GB50 is nice equipment to have.

Conclusion

With this NOCO GB50 jump starter review, we have introduced you to one of the most popular jump starters on the market. We hope that you can now decide for yourself whether or not this gear is good after reading through our NOCO Boost GB50 review.