Gooloo GT6000 vs. Noco Boost X GBX155 Portable Jump Starter: More Power or a Quicker Charge?

If you’re stuck with a dead car battery, a portable jump starter can get your engine cranked so you’re back on the road as quickly and safely as possible. Ideally, your portable jump starter not only packs plenty of juice to revive a lifeless battery but can also store power for months at a time—12 months or more—since the inconvenience of your vehicle not starting usually happens without warning.If you’re like many people on the roads today and drive a large vehicle such as an SUV or pickup, both the Gooloo GT6000 and Noco Boost X GBX155 provide more than enough capacity for the job of jump-starting your engine. In fact, they’re the most powerful of those I recently tested.There are two critical specs to consider when choosing a portable jump starter: peak amperage (amps), which measures how much instant power a device can deliver; and power capacity rated in milliampere-hours (mAh), which indicates how long it can hold a charge. Bigger is better for both specs.The Gooloo GT6000 delivers 6,000 amps and has a 27,000 mAh capacity, while the Noco Boost X GBX155 delivers 4,200 amps and has a 26,750 mAh rating, allowing both of these devices to sit idle for more than a year and still jump-start a vehicle. They both have IP65 waterproof ratings with the rubber port covers closed, so they are great for wet environments.Based on my time testing the Gooloo and the Noco, both deliver, but the Gooloo provides more power and ports while the Noco is quicker. Both are devices we recommend, but here’s how these two compare.Gooloo GT6000: More Power, Output Ports, and Charging AccessoriesDoug NewcombThe Gooloo GT6000’s 3.2-inch LCD screen is generously sized, so it’s easy to view.Pros2 years of standby time3.2-inch LCD screen and a boost button makes it easy to useHas a DC output port and adaptor to power 12-volt accessoriesConsShorter, thinner jumper cables than the Noco so it can be harder to use and passes less power to a batteryKey SpecsCapacity27,000 mAhPeak Amperage6,000Boost ButtonYesPorts15-volt/10-amp DC, 5-volt/2.4-amp USB-A, 5/9/12 volt USB-A quick charge, USB-C 100-wattDimensions8.1 x 3.57 x 3.21 in.Weight4.4 lbPumping out 6,000 amps of peak current, the Gooloo GT6000 can jump-start vehicles with gasoline engines and diesel engines up to 12.0 liters. If you’ve got a big SUV or pickup, or any other passenger vehicle, the Gooloo is more than capable. At 27,000 mAh, it has the most power capacity of any device I recently tested and provides up to two years of rated standby time.After last using the GT6000, the battery was at about 95 percent. It sat unused for almost five months, and when I fired it up again, the battery was at 79 percent. Should the battery get depleted, the GT6000 can be ready to jump-start a vehicle after just seven minutes of recharging—even at zero percent—and it will fully recharge in 1.4 hours via its 100-watt USB-C in/out port.The Gooloo GT6000 also comes with two USB-A power ports, one rated at 5 volts/2.4 amps and another rated for 5/9/12 volts for charging portable devices such as a smartphone. There’s also a cord that plugs into a car’s 12-volt outlet on one end to charge the Gooloo GT6000 via USB-C in a pinch. Worth noting is that it’s the only device I tested with a 15-volt/10-amp DC output port and adapter. This allows powering accessories like a portable air pump or power inverter that normally plugs into a car’s 12-volt cigarette-lighter outlet, but without the hassle of running a cord to the 12-volt outlet inside a vehicle.The Gooloo GT6000’s 3.2-inch LCD screen is comfortably sized so you can easily see its reserve capacity and charging output along with displays for error codes—these are listed on the back panel of the device for easy reference.The Gooloo GT6000 includes a comprehensive set of 10 safety features such as reverse-polarity (swapping the positive and negative jump starter leads when connecting them to the battery) and short-circuit protection, which is especially helpful for those without jump-starting experience. A notable convenience is the built-in LED flashlight with three lighting modes (flashlight, strobe, and SOS), and it is handy if you’re jump-starting in low-light situations. It’s also beneficial so other motorists can see you if you’re stuck on the side of the road.The GT6000 is not without its downsides. It’s much heavier, at more than four pounds, than the less powerful units I tested. The monochromatic screen washes out in direct sunlight, making it more difficult to read. The 16-inch, eight-gauge jumper cables are of sufficient length and thickness, but shorter and thinner than those on the Noco Boost X GBX155.Full Gooloo GT6000 ReviewNoco Boost X GBX155: Faster Recharging and Brighter FlashlightDoug NewcombThe Noco Boost X GBX155 has 2-foot, eight-gauge cables that are longer and thicker than the Gooloo’s, so they can be easier to use and provide more power to the battery.ProsFast recharging and ready quickly even after battery is depletedBright flashlight that’s handy for roadside repairs late at nightConsManual override feature makes it more complicated to useNo boost buttonKey SpecsCapacity26,750Peak Amperage4,250Boost ButtonNoPortsUSB-C 60-watt, two USB-A 5-volt/2.1-ampDimensions6.8 x 12.03 x 2.72 in.Weight5.8 lbThe Noco Boost X GBX155 offers 4,250 amps of peak power, falling slightly short of the Gooloo GT6000 with its 6,000 amps. The Noco taps out with vehicle engines that are larger than 10.0-liter gas and 8.0-liter diesel engines. Still, that’s more than enough power to jump-start large SUVs, heavy-duty pickups, and even larger vehicles. For example, it easily jump-started the 6.8-liter V10 gasoline engine in my 29-foot motorhome twice after both the motorhome and Boost X GBX155 sat idle for months.The 26,750 mAh capacity of the Noco Boost X GBX155 is just shy of the Gooloo GT6000’s 27,000-mAh spec, which makes this spec a draw. The Noco’s 60-watt USB-C input/output recharges the device so it’s ready to jump-start your vehicle after only five minutes, slightly faster than the Gooloo GT6000’s seven minutes, although the 0-to-100 percent capacity charging time is 2.7 hours compared to 1.4 hours for the Gooloo. This means the Noco wins in recharging speed.The Noco Boost X GBX155 has longer 2-foot jumper cables and, at four-gauge, they’re twice as thick as those on the Gooloo GT6000, so they’re easier to use in some instances and send more power to the battery. But they don’t detach from the device like most other portable jump starters, which makes it a bit more of a challenge to store.The Noco Boost X GBX155 is more complicated to operate for a few reasons, most obviously that it doesn’t have a screen. If it detects that a battery is severely depleted (below 3 volts), you need to hold a manual override button on the front panel for three seconds. This disables the Noco’s automatic spark-proof and reverse-polarity protection, so you must take extra care in attaching the jumper cables correctly (red to positive, black to negative) to the battery to avoid damaging the car’s electrical system.At 5.8 pounds, the Noco Boost X GBX155 is heavier than the 4.4-pound Gooloo GT6000. It also comes with two 5-volt/2.1-amp USB-A ports and a cord that plugs into a car’s 12-volt outlet for charging the device, but not a convenient DC output port and adapter like the Gooloo GT6000. The unit’s 500-lumen LED flashlight is technically brighter than the Gooloo’s 400-lumen lighting, although this difference is not typically perceptible to the human eye.Which One Should You Buy?The Gooloo GT6000 and the Noco Boost X GBX155 are both heavy-duty, high-power portable jump starters that can handle a variety of vehicles, and they each hold a charge longer than other portable jump starters that I tested.Unless you drive a large vehicle, they’re probably overkill for many drivers, but their high capacity can provide peace of mind if you neglect to keep your portable jump starter charged and get stuck with a dead battery, which typically happens when you least expect it.The major differences between the two devices come down to a negligible disparity in power capacity and charge time, which means they’re basically on par. And the Gooloo GT6000 has 6,000 amps of peak jump-starting power compared to 4,250 amps for the Noco Boost X GBX155. The Gooloo, however, is smaller and lighter and has an LCD panel and boost button that make it easier to use. The Noco Boost X GBX155 is priced almost three times higher than the Gooloo GT6000—without providing three times the value.Both are ideal portable jump starters for everything from large vehicles such as SUVs and trucks on down to compact cars. Buy the Noco Boost X GBX155 if you want the fastest recharging, the longest and thickest jumper cables, the brightest flashlight, have space to store it, and don’t mind spending more. Get the Gooloo GT6000 if you can deal with slightly slower recharging but prefer to have a screen for ease of use, longer standby time, plenty of output ports—and want to save almost $250.Portable Jump StartersBest for Vehicles Parked for Long PeriodsDoug Newcomb splits his time between Hood River, Ore., and Todos Santos, Mexico. He's been writing about technology and cars for more than 30 years for Wired, Rolling Stone, Road & Track, Automobile, PCMag.com, Playboy and numerous other publications. He cofounded the C3 Group in 2013 to produce automotive industry events in New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and at SXSW in Austin. C3 Group was acquired by Informa in 2018. When he's not writing, he's riding a surfboard Jamie, Senior Reviews Editor, joined the Hearst Enthusiast Group in 2021. She has covered technology and consumer lifestyle gadgets since 1995—and shared her expertise in print, digital, and in broadcast originating the role of The Gizmo Girl for ESPN’s Cold Pizza. She has written about, tested, and reviewed everything from turkey fryers to high-definition TVs. Her byline has appeared in TWICE, Sound & Vision, Consumer Reports, and many others. In her free time, Jamie is in a yoga class, searching for the perfect matcha latte, or walking the boards.