NOCO GB40 vs GBX45 vs GB70 (Comparison & Review)

NOCO Jump Starter Reviews

We’ll review these NOCO jump boxes by giving you their pros and cons, and letting you know what they have in common, and what separates them.

What These Three 12V Auto Battery Booster Packs Have In Common

What aspects are the same for the GB40, GBX45, and GB70?

They all have superb power delivery

Other jump boxes will boast and shout their peak amperages from the rooftops, but few deliver on it. We’ve tested a ton of jump starters, on all kinds of vehicles, and plenty of them, most of them, in fact, don’t live up to their claims.

We’re sure that these other makers, in their testing where they used their fresh-out-of-the-box jump starter, with perfectly clean battery terminals, moderate temperatures, with.

But the NOCO Boost and GBX models are tried and tested. They will still deliver great power, year after year, even with far from ideal conditions of batteries and terminals.

These models have the genuine ability to deliver the peak amps they claim. That’s simply not the case across the board.

All models have top quality clamps

This is a crucial aspect, make no mistake.

You want clamps that are tough enough to handle repeated gripping, and releasing, gripping and releasing, for jump start after jump start, over many years. So they have to be rugged and well-made. That’s certainly the case with the NOCO Boost range.

They have to be grippy, and able to provide a solid connection with the battery terminals, and as much contact with the terminals as possible. That is absolutely crucial for your jump start to be successful. (It’s also crucial for an accurate car battery tester, and it FYI).

We’ve used many lower quality jump boxes that have very high peak amps but don’t have the quality of clamps to be able to actually deliver all that power. The NOCO clamps in these models are very high-end and all the GB40, GBX45 and GB70 to deliver on the power each model claims.

Great longevity

NOCO’s products in general are famous for their longevity; there’s a good chance they’ll last you a really long time, and still working well that whole time.

Their jump starters are no different, and in fact, have been the top selling jump starters in the USA for many, many years. The GB40 is the No.1 seller, and the other models also appear prominently in that list.

All have IP65 protection

That’s quite a rare thing for a battery booster, and it’s one the reasons people pay a bit more for NOCO jump starters.

IP65 protection means the electrical enclosure is protected entirely against any dust ingress; and it’s protected against water jets from any direction.

Features like this, protections like this, are why NOCO’s products last so well.

The GB40, GBX45, and GB70 have less features

With these NOCO jump boxes you’ll get the bread and butter. You’ll get a product that can jump start your vehicle (and do it well, at that).

Other jump packs on the market try to basically jam as many different features as they can.

It’ll inflate your tires, it’ll charge every piece of electronics you own, it’ll give you a voltage reading, it’ll make your toast in the morning (okay, that last one is a joke).

They’re costly, compared to competitor products

You may already know that, but NOCO’s boosters are more expensive than most products on the market.

We mentioned why, already. NOCO go the extra mile on build quality, they have fantastic, tough, well-made clamps that really deliver the power well, maximising your chances of a successful boost. And they last really well over time.

So you’ll need to weigh up if you’re willing to pay extra for that additional quality.

The blue headlines above show the pros and cons we’ve evaluated from our use of these products.

Now, here are the technical aspects that are the same for both:

• All three models are for 12V lead-acid batteries (all kinds) only
• All have a 1-year warranty
• They all come with the same microfiber storage bag
• All models have spark-proof reverse polarity protection.

Now let’s check out what’s different about them.

The Differences Between the NOCO Boost GB40, the Boost X GBX45 and the Boost HD GB70

Here’s what separates these three jump box models:

‣ 1000A boost versus 1250A versus 2000A

This is the biggest difference between the models, by far. This is going to be your primary consideration for choosing between them.

So, then. The GB40 is recommended for engine size up to 6.0L gas, 3.0L diesel. The GBX45 is for a maximum 6.5L gas and 4.5L diesel, and the GB70 is recommended for a maximum engine size 8.0L gas, and 6.0L diesel.

So, is it as simple as just saying “oh well, by engine is a 5.5L gas car, so I can just get the GB40?

And, the answer is: it depends on your attitude to risk.

The simple fact of the matter is that the likelihood of a successful jump start rises considerably with each jump in peak amp size, from 1000A, to 1250A, to 2000A, in this case.

The amperage required for a battery boost depends on a few key factors.

It depends on:

• Battery state of charge
  The vast majority of cases of a battery-related failure to start involves low battery voltage (charge), but the voltage could be just a little lower than that required to start (typically around 12.2 to 12.6 volts), or it could be much lower. The lower the battery voltage the greater the boost that will be required from the jump box.
• State of health of the battery.
  An older battery will have poorer general health (measured as a lower CCA value). A newer battery, in better condition, will recover more easily from a low-voltage condition than would an older battery, in relatively poor state of health.
• Weather conditions
  The colder the temperature, the lower will be your vehicle battery voltage. That’s why in winter, it can be harder or even impossible to start your car sometimes. And, as we said earlier, the lower the battery voltage, the more Amps will be required to give the battery the jump needed to start.

Keep reading this versus/comparison and review for how to choose. In a section below, we tell you how to gauge how many peak amps may be required for your car, and hence which NOCO Boost model is best for you.

‣ The GB70 has a brighter light – 4 times brighter, in fact

The GB40, GBX45, and GB70 all have a precision-engineered LED light, to help you see what you’re doing if you break down in the dark. And for a few other purposes too; each model has 7 light modes, including SOS and strobe mode.

The GB40 and GB70 both have a 100 lumen light, while the GBX45 has a 400 lumen light.

That means the GBX45 light is quite a lot brighter, and is a definite improvement in safety.

‣ The GBX45 has USB-C to charge your devices

Only the GBX 45 has a USB-C charger function that lets you charge your electronic devices, like phones or tablets.

‣ The GBX45 has much faster charging by USB cable

All three models can be charged by USB-C cable.

But you can charge the GBX45 with 60W of power, but the GB40 and GB70 can only be charged with 10W.

Choosing Which NOCO Booster You Need

We’ve talked plenty about the technical similarities and differences.

Here’s our subjective opinion on some criteria you can use to make your decision.

Here’s what we recommend (and this is just our entirely subjective rough estimates, make your own judgements please!)