NOCO Boost Plus vs AVAPOW Jump Starter (2026): GB40 vs A28

Two lithium jump packs, two philosophies. The NOCO Boost Plus GB40 is the documented compact: 1,000 peak amps on NOCO’s rating, a published IP65 housing, a manual override for batteries below 2 volts, and a decade of owner history behind the Boost line. The AVAPOW A28 is the ratings challenger: a 3,000-amp maker claim, gas and diesel ratings to 8.0 litres each, up to 50 starts per charge on its listing, and fast Type-C charging NOCO’s GB40 — a micro-USB pack — cannot match. On paper the A28 wins most rows; the GB40 wins on size, cold floor and paperwork. This head-to-head prints both makers’ own figures, flags every conflict, and tells you which rows actually decide the purchase. For the wider field, start with our pillar guide to the best portable jump starter and the six-model brand comparison, NOCO vs GOOLOO.

One warning before the tables: peak-amp numbers are not cross-comparable between brands — there is no shared test standard behind them — so the honest comparison runs on each maker’s own engine-litre ratings, starts per charge, charging inputs and temperature limits. Those are the figures our portable jump starters archive and jump starter comparisons use across the whole category, and they are the figures the finder below routes on.

Quick compare — the two packs on the makers’ own published facts. Peak amps are each maker’s own claim and are not cross-comparable; the litre ratings are the rows to route on.

How to choose between NOCO and AVAPOW

Engine rating first — litres, not peak amps

Route on the makers’ litre ratings, because those are the claims each maker ties to its own pack: GB40 to 6.0L gas and 3.0L diesel, A28 to 8.0L of both. The 1,000A versus 3,000A headline gap looks decisive and is not — no shared standard sits behind peak-amp claims, so a 3,000A badge does not prove three times the starting ability. If your engine fits inside both ratings, the rows below decide; if it fits only the A28’s, the choice is already made.

Diesel is the widest real gap

The diesel ratings are 3.0L against 8.0L — the largest honest separator in this comparison. A diesel’s compression and glow-plug load are why the GB40’s compact case stops early, and why diesel owners should not stretch it. If your household runs a diesel pickup or SUV beyond a small car diesel, the A28 is the only covered answer here, full stop.

Charging speed and ports: micro-USB vs Type-C

The GB40 charges over micro-USB at 5V/2.1A and gives the same back out — fine overnight, slow in a hurry, and one more legacy cable to keep. The A28 takes Type-C input up to 12V/1.5A, offers a Quick Charge output alongside a 5V/2.1A port, and adds a 12V/10A DC output for accessories. If the pack doubles as your travel power bank, the A28’s port set is a generation ahead.

Cold behaviour: operating floor and flat-battery modes

NOCO publishes the lower operating floor: -20°C against the A28’s -10°C, and cold is exactly when jump packs earn their keep. Both packs answer the fully-flat battery: NOCO with a manual override for batteries below 2 volts, AVAPOW with a force-start mode on a 3-second long-press. Owners in genuinely cold regions should weigh the GB40’s floor; owners whose failures are flat-battery-deep get a dedicated mode from either.

Size, sealing and documentation

The GB40 is 1.65 lb bare and IP65 with its ports closed; the A28 is 3.3 lb in a dustproof, shock-resistant shell with no IP rating published. NOCO also publishes more: a sell sheet, a manual, unit and with-clamps weights. AVAPOW publishes bigger ratings with thinner paperwork. Neither approach is dishonest — but if verified documentation is what you are paying for, the GB40 is the stronger file.

Warranty: 1 year documented vs 2 years listing-stated

NOCO’s 1-year limited warranty sits in the Amazon item details for the GB40’s ASIN. The A28’s 2-year term reaches us through retailer reproductions of the listing offer — a longer promise on weaker paper. We print both exactly as sourced, flag the difference in evidence, and let you decide how much weight a warranty row deserves against the spec rows above.

Which engines each pack covers

Each row is routed on the makers’ own litre ratings above. A pack is only recommended inside its rating.

NOCO vs AVAPOW by budget

No prices appear in this guide by policy; check the live listing on each button. The budget question here is not which pack costs less today — promotions move — but which set of ratings you are buying.

Types of jump starter, compared

Both packs in this head-to-head are lithium; the lead-acid and combo rows are covered with their own picks in our pillar guide to the best portable jump starter and in the jump starter comparisons archive.

Detailed reviews

Each pack is judged on its maker’s own published specifications for the exact ASIN linked: ratings, starts, charging, temperature limits and warranty. Owner sections paraphrase real reports and link them; where coverage is thin, the block says so.

Best Compact: NOCO Boost Plus GB40

Compact pick

Why the NOCO Boost Plus GB40 is our pick

The GB40 is the pack the other compact in any comparison has to beat on trust. NOCO documents it completely — sell sheet, manual, IP65 housing, unit and with-clamps weights — rates it honestly for the cars most people own, and gives it the two features that matter on the worst mornings: a -20°C operating floor and a manual override for a battery too flat for smart clamps to recognise. It is also genuinely small: 1.65 lb bare is a glovebox pack, not a trunk commitment.

NOCO Boost Plus GB40 key specs

• Part number: GB40
• Peak current: 1,000A (NOCO rating)
• Engine ratings: gas up to 6.0L, diesel up to 3.0L (NOCO)
• Jump starts per charge: up to 20 (NOCO)
• Internal battery: 24 Wh lithium-ion (NOCO sell sheet)
• Charging input: Micro-USB 5V/2.1A
• USB output: 5V/2.1A
• LED: 100 lumens, 7 modes
• Housing: IP65 with ports closed; operating -20°C to +50°C
• Weight: 1.65 lb unit, 2.4 lb with clamps; 6.7 x 3.2 x 1.7 in
• Warranty: 1-year limited (Amazon item details)

NOCO Boost Plus GB40: fits and best for

The car and small-SUV pack in this comparison: sedans, crossovers and small diesels inside NOCO’s 6.0L gas / 3.0L diesel ratings, motorcycles and powersports alongside them. It is the finder’s answer whenever the engine fits and the priority is the smallest pack, and the winter answer on its -20°C floor. Battery care around it is the same discipline as our winch battery guide and battery drain guide teach: a healthy vehicle battery needs the pack rarely.

NOCO Boost Plus GB40 pros and watch-outs

NOCO Boost Plus GB40: what owners report

NOCO Boost Plus GB40: who should not buy

Skip it for any diesel beyond 3.0L and for gas engines beyond 6.0L — NOCO does not rate it there and neither do we. The covered upgrade inside this comparison is the AVAPOW A28 — rated to 8.0L of both fuels.

NOCO Boost Plus GB40: pair it with

Pair it with the NOCO GBC013 EVA protection case, made for the GB20 and GB40: a glovebox pack earns its keep un-scuffed, with its clamps and cable kept together instead of loose in the compartment.

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We may earn a commission at no cost to you. Listing shown for the NOCO Boost Plus GB40, ASIN B015TKUPIC — confirm the part number on the listing before ordering.

Best Maker Ratings: AVAPOW A28

Ratings pick

Why the AVAPOW A28 is our pick

The A28 is the pack for the engines the GB40 cannot claim. AVAPOW rates it to 8.0L gas and 8.0L diesel — the diesel figure alone covers most diesel pickups and SUVs — lists up to 50 starts per charge, and builds in the modern port set: Quick Charge out, Type-C in, a 12V/10A DC output, and a force-start mode for batteries too flat for automatic detection. Read its figures as one maker’s claims, with the conflicts printed below, and it is still the broader-coverage pack of the two.

AVAPOW A28 key specs

• Part number: A28
• Peak current: 3,000A (maker claim; EC5 output 12V/3,000A max)
• Engine ratings: gas up to 8.0L, diesel up to 8.0L (maker)
• Jump starts per charge: up to 50 (Amazon listing; a retailer page prints 60 — conflict)
• Capacity: 23,800mAh (Amazon technical details; a retailer 59.2Wh figure does not reconcile — conflict)
• USB outputs: QC3.0 (5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A) + 5V/2.1A
• Charging input: Type-C 5V/3A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A
• DC output: 12V/10A
• Working temperature: -10°C to +60°C (listing spec table)
• LED: 21-bulb, 3 modes (lumens not published)
• Weight: 3.3 lb; 7.87 x 3.93 x 1.57 in
• Warranty: 2 years (listing-stated via retailer reproductions)

AVAPOW A28: fits and best for

The big-engine pack in this comparison: gas V8s to 8.0L and diesels to 8.0L, two-vehicle households that want one pack to cover both, and drivers who use the pack as a travel power bank between emergencies. Its DC port can run a separate 12V inflator — the pattern our essential accessories guide recommends over built-in combo tools. For the broader high-output field, see the budget jump starter guide, where the A28 also appears.

AVAPOW A28 pros and watch-outs

AVAPOW A28: what owners report

AVAPOW A28: who should not buy

Skip it if you need a published IP rating, the coldest operating floor, or documentation you can audit line by line — the NOCO Boost Plus GB40 is the documented pack, inside its smaller ratings.

AVAPOW A28: pair it with

Pair it with a NOCO GENIUS5 maintainer on the vehicle itself: the cheapest jump start is the battery that never goes flat, and the GENIUS5 is a 5A 6V/12V charger, maintainer and desulfator for lead-acid and lithium vehicle batteries.

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We may earn a commission at no cost to you. Listing shown for the AVAPOW A28, ASIN B08NPHZV8N — confirm the model on the listing; AVAPOW sells higher-output lines under other model names.

Spec comparison

Every figure is the maker’s published figure for the exact ASIN here. Where a maker publishes nothing, the cell says so; where sources conflict, the conflict is printed.

Using and jump-starting basics

Both packs follow the same safe sequence, and both protect you while you follow it: the GB40 with NOCO’s spark-proof, reverse-polarity UltraSafe clamps, the A28 with its 8-protection smart clamps that beep and flash on a bad connection. Connect positive to the dead battery’s positive terminal, negative to an unpainted engine ground away from the battery, then switch the pack on. If the battery is too flat for the clamps to detect — under 2 volts on the NOCO — use the maker’s override: manual override on the GB40, the 3-second force-start long-press on the A28, and stay clear of the cables while you crank, because override modes bypass the detection that normally protects you.

Crank in short attempts and let the pack rest between them; repeated long cranking overheats any lithium pack and cooks a starter. Once the engine runs, remove the clamps in reverse order, drive long enough to recharge the vehicle battery properly, and then recharge the pack itself the same day. A pack that starts a car with a failing alternator or a parasitic drain will be needed again tomorrow — diagnose the cause with the same method as our amp draw guide and battery drain guide, and keep the vehicle on a maintainer if it sits, as our battery guide recommends.

Safety essentials

Three companions from this site’s verified pool pair with either pack; the full kit list lives in our accessories hub:

NOCO GBC013 EVA protection case — made for the GB20 and GB40; keeps the compact pick, its clamps and cable together in the glovebox.

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NOCO GENIUS5 battery maintainer — a 5A smart charger and maintainer for the vehicle battery itself, so the pack stays an emergency tool instead of a weekly routine.

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Energizer jumper cables, 16-foot 6-gauge — the donor-vehicle backup for the day a pack is flat too; cables never self-discharge on the shelf.

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Build the rest of the kit from our essential accessories guide, not at the roadside.

Troubleshooting

Who should NOT buy these

Your diesel is bigger than 8.0L, or your gas engine is bigger than 8.0L. Neither maker rates its pack there, and an out-of-rating start is a hope, not a plan. The larger lithium packs and the lead-acid shop box in our pillar guide are the honest route.

You run a shop, a yard or a roadside service. Two lithium glovebox-class packs are not a repeated-starts tool. A lead-acid box with a big reserve battery, kept on its charger, is the category built for your day — it is covered in the pillar guide.

You want one tool that also inflates tyres. Neither pack here has a compressor. The A28’s DC port can run a separate inflator, which we prefer to a combo unit; the combo type is compared in our jump starter comparisons.

You will never recharge anything. Both packs are lithium tools with storage habits: top-ups every few months and a recharge after use. If that routine will not happen, a maintained vehicle battery plus a set of cables (Block 17) is the more honest kit for you.

Final verdict

Best compact — NOCO Boost Plus GB40: the documented, IP65, cold-floor glovebox pack for cars and diesels to 3.0L. Check its price.

Best maker ratings — AVAPOW A28: 8.0L gas and diesel ratings, 50-start listing claim and fast Type-C charging for bigger engines. Check its price.

Engines beyond both ratings: step up to the larger packs in our pillar guide to the best portable jump starter rather than stretching either pack past its maker rating.

FAQ

NOCO Boost Plus vs AVAPOW A28: which is better?

Better depends on your engine and your priorities. The AVAPOW A28 carries the wider maker ratings — 8.0L gas and 8.0L diesel against the GB40’s 6.0L and 3.0L — more starts per charge and faster charging. The NOCO Boost Plus GB40 is smaller, lighter, IP65-sealed, works to a lower temperature and is documented far more completely. Inside both ratings, choose on size and paperwork; beyond the GB40’s ratings, the A28 is the only covered choice.

Is the AVAPOW A28 really three times as powerful as the GB40?

Its badge says 3,000 peak amps against NOCO’s 1,000, but peak-amp figures have no shared test standard between brands, so the ratio proves little. The meaningful gap is in the makers’ own engine ratings: 8.0L gas and diesel for the A28 against 6.0L gas and 3.0L diesel for the GB40. That is a real, usable difference — just a smaller one than the amp badges suggest.

Which jump starter is better for a diesel truck?

The AVAPOW A28, on ratings: AVAPOW rates it for diesels up to 8.0L, which covers most diesel pickups and SUVs, while NOCO rates the GB40 to 3.0L diesel — small car diesels only. Diesel cranking is the hardest work a pack does, so staying inside the maker rating matters more here than anywhere else in this comparison.

Which pack works better in cold weather?

On published figures, the GB40: NOCO’s operating floor is -20°C against the A28’s -10°C working minimum, and owners report cold is where compact packs lose effectiveness. Both packs answer a fully flat battery — NOCO with its manual override, AVAPOW with force start. In genuinely cold regions, store either pack indoors and fit the GB40’s wider temperature margin into your decision.

How many starts does each pack give per charge?

NOCO claims up to 20 starts per charge for the GB40. AVAPOW’s Amazon listing claims up to 50 for the A28; a retailer page prints 60, and we flag that conflict rather than choosing the bigger number. Treat both as best-case maker figures with small engines and a healthy pack — real counts fall with engine size, cold and battery condition.

Which charges faster, the GB40 or the A28?

The A28, clearly. It takes Type-C input up to 12V/1.5A and offers a Quick Charge output, while the GB40 charges over micro-USB at 5V/2.1A and returns the same — an overnight pack, not a quick-turnaround one. The A28 also adds a 12V/10A DC output the GB40 does not publish. If the pack doubles as your travel power bank, this row decides it.

Can either pack start a completely flat battery?

Yes — both makers build for exactly that case, because smart clamps cannot detect a battery under their threshold. NOCO gives the GB40 a manual override for batteries below 2 volts; AVAPOW gives the A28 a force-start mode on a 3-second long-press. Overrides bypass detection protection, so connect carefully, stand clear of the cables and crank promptly.

Is the AVAPOW A28 waterproof?

AVAPOW describes a dustproof, shock-resistant shell but publishes no IP rating for the A28 in the material we verified, so our tables print that honestly. The GB40 carries a published IP65 rating with its ports closed. If the pack will live somewhere wet or dusty, the NOCO’s rated housing is the safer evidence.

Which has the better warranty?

On length, the A28: 2 years against NOCO’s 1-year limited term. On evidence, the GB40: its term sits in the Amazon item details for its ASIN, while the A28’s 2-year figure reaches us through retailer reproductions of the listing offer. We print both as sourced and flag the difference — a longer promise on weaker paper is worth less than the headline suggests.

Sources & changelog

Manufacturer and listing sources, and the owner sources paraphrased above:

• NOCO Boost Plus GB40 — Amazon item details: part GB40, warranty (NOCO)
• NOCO GB40 sell sheet: 24 Wh, weights, temperature range (NOCO)
• AVAPOW A28 — Amazon listing and technical details: ratings, capacity, ports (AVAPOW)
• NOCO GBC013 case — Amazon listing: fits GB20 and GB40 (NOCO)
• NOCO GENIUS5 maintainer — Amazon listing (NOCO)
• Energizer jumper cables ENB-616U — Amazon listing (Energizer)
• Bogleheads — owners: GB40 use, override and winter storage
• HDForums — owners: GB40 across cars, truck and motorcycle
• AR15.com — owners: NOCO storage top-ups and cold behaviour
• BobIsTheOilGuy — owners: high-output packs and repeated starts
• AutoGuide — garage notes on value-pack reserve

Changelog — October 16, 2026: guide first published.

Related guides

• Best portable jump starter (pillar guide)
• NOCO vs GOOLOO jump starter
• Best portable jump starter under the budget cap
• Jump starter comparisons archive
• Portable jump starters archive
• Best winch battery
• Winch maintenance checklist
• Essential winching accessories