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NOCO GB150 Boost Pro Jump Starter and Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Bank Reviews

NOCO GB150 Boost Pro Jump Starter and Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Bank Reviews

Posted by Adapt 2 Go LLC on 16th Mar 2020

Disclosure: Content provided in this blog posting is based solely on the objective assessment of the writers and not driven by advertising dollars. We may, however, receive compensation when you click the links to products from our partners. The videos listed are not Adapt 2 Go's, but videos that we believe represent the product well.


Today we will be reviewing the NOCO GB150 Boost Pro Jump Starter and the Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Bank for portable power packs. In today's tech driven world, it is an absolute necessity to have power. The more devices you use, the more power you need. Even vehicles are now turning to being electric, so if you need a charge you will need something that can charge it up in an emergency for long enough to get you to the next power source. We are looking at two products that fill that ever increasing need for more power. Whether it's for traveling, working, or in the case of an emergency.

 

First up, the GB150 Boost Pro by NOCO. This is a powerful jump starter that produces 12V, 4000amps. It's a portable lithum-ion battery pack capable of starting a dead battery within seconds. With its power output it can start up to 10 liter diesel engines. Safe for both gas and diesel engine startups. The GB150 Boost Pro is supposed to be able to perform 80 jump starts on a single charge. Also included are LED lights to allow you to see what you're trying to attach to in the dark, as well as possessing various modes such as flashing for emergency purposes. The final thing is you can charge devices from it since it has a USB and 12V out port.

Image from No.Co

Image from No.Co

 

The GB150 has short cables that are hard wired in on one end to the battery pack measuring out at 22 inches. On the end are large alligator clips to clip onto your battery pack and get those juices flowing. This battery pack is supposed to hold a charge for 1 year. Fully charging from zero in 2 hours. It is possible to get jump start power from the device within 15 minutes which is amazing to say the least! The unit measures 12.4 inches in length by 7.3 inches in width by 2.7 inches in height. The unit weighs 6lbs so it is quite hefty but for what it can do, we will take that weight, especially if it's just taking it in the car for emergency purposes. Its operating temperature is between -4 degrees to 122 degrees Fahrenheit so it will get you through most summers and winters as long as you aren't somewhere where the most extreme weather hits.

 

The GB150 is rated as splash proof at IP6 with its ports closed so you don't have to worry about the device going haywire. The outside of the device is made of a touch durable plastic so you won't need to worry about drops hurting your charger. Powering on the device lets you know how much power is left which will tell you whether you can make a jump. In the case of starting up a dead battery there is a safety switch in the form of a button that you need to press once you have connected the battery in order to initiate the ability to jump start the battery. This is due to the massive amperage that this puppy can put out. If the GB150 cannot detect a battery connected it will not activate, you can't make it perform a jump start unless you activate the override. So if you're ever wondering why you can't get your battery to start when the GB150 is charged up, it's because you didn't read the manual.

Image from No.Co

Image from No.Co

 

In our experience we actually had an older model initially which had a much longer charge time. It also had a much shorter retention period. After jump starting the vehicle a couple of times then putting the device away. We found the battery drained down within a week and had to charge it back up. Then we jump started the vehicle a few more times and within a couple of weeks we went to use it again and it was drained again. Then when we tried to charge it up it wouldn't charge. We had purchased the battery from a third party on Amazon and it was outside the 30 day window of return policy for Amazon. After getting in contact with customer service at NOCO we sent the device in for repair. They identified it as faulty and sent us a new device. The new GB150 has had zero issues holding its charge and it's been several months now. We have left it sitting out in the car on cold winter nights and the GB150 still shows fully charged and works when you need it to. We are extremely happy with the new replacement we received. It's a snap to hook up everything and get your vehicle started at the press of a button. The GB150 is actually designed to charge from your car charging port, so it doesn't include with it a wall charging option.

 

You will have to buy that separately and then you can charge your device up quickly. It has a universal adapter kit included for power outlets at various countries throughout the world. Also it doesn't come with a real carrying case, you will need to shell out extra for it, but the carry case is totally worth it. It is made of exquisite materials that are fine to the touch, yet tough enough to take a beating with. The case has all the pockets and space you will need to fit the various accessories if you choose to buy them. The GB150 Boost Pro is basically the premier model of the NOCO jump starter series which is why it carries a high price tag, so if the large price tag is too much for you there are lower versions available if you're not intending on starting anything as big as a 10L engine. For the price, the security and peace of mind that the GB150 Boost Pro provides we think is a welcome trade off.

Image from No.Co

Image from No.Co

Video review by Road Gear Reviews of the NOCO GB150 Boost Pro


 

 

Second, we are looking at the Zero Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Bank. This baby is your go to travel kit/backup battery pack. It's small enough and light enough to fit into a messenger bag at 7.5 inches in length by 5.68 inches in width by 1 inch in height. It weighs a mere 2.0 lbs for being able fully charge a laptop all the way to capacity. It is a lithium ion battery that has a capacity of 25,600mAh at 3.7V. The output ports on it consist of: USB-A 5V port; USB-C 5V, 9V, and 12V, 15V , 20V capable of up to 3 amps at 60 watts; AC Inverter output of 110 V with up to 0.9 amps producing 100W at 60Hz; Wireless Qi output of up to 5 watts; and finally a charging 8mm input port that provides 14 to 22 volts at 50 watts.Second we are looking at the Zero Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC Power Bank. This baby is your go to travel kit/backup battery pack. It's small enough and light enough to fit into a messenger bag at 7.5 inches in length by 5.68 inches in width by 1 inch in height. It weighs a mere 2.0 lbs for being able fully charge a laptop all the way to capacity. It is a lithium ion battery that has a capacity of 25,600mAh at 3.7V. The output ports on it consist of: USB-A 5V port; USB-C 5V, 9V, and 12V, 15V , 20V capable of up to 3 amps at 60 watts; AC Inverter output of 110 V with up to 0.9 amps producing 100W at 60Hz; Wireless Qi output of up to 5 watts; and finally a charging 8mm input port that provides 14 to 22 volts at 50 watts.

 

Image from GoalZero.com

Image from GoalZero.com

 

 

Due to the 100W AC capacity limit of the Sherpa 100 it is rated as airplane safe for travel, so you won't have to worry about leaving your portable power bank behind when flying the friendly skies. The charging port is for a wall charger or you could buy the additional car charger to charge it as you go, but that is not the fastest way to charge the Sherpa 100AC. The fastest way is by using one of the USB-C ports which shortens charge time down from 3 hrs to 2.5 hours. Fair warning, don't try to charge a laptop who's battery is more charged up than the Sherpa through the USB-C ports because they are used for both charging and dispensing so whichever battery has the most charge will be the one losing battery life. The Sherpa does offer the 110V outlet for regular laptop charging/wall outlet charging.

 

 

The Sherpa 100AC comes equipped with an LED readout that lets you power up the device and determine what is charging vs what is dispensing. Tells you time to charge and time to zero battery life at the rate you are currently going. Surrounding the LED is a power button, a check button, a Qi wireless button, and a menu button. The battery remains charged for 3-6 months before needing to be recharged when not in use. The Sherpa has a rugged exterior to handle bumps and bruises but looks refined and has a nice texture to touch. On both of the main faces of the Sherpa 100AC is a rubber strip that runs the length of the device on both sides. This protects surfaces such as glass from being damaged by resting the Sherpa on it.

 

Image from TheVerge.com

Image from GoalZero.com

 

There are 4 cables of various lengths that come with the Sherpa 100AC. These include a lightning cable, MicroUSB, USB-C, and USB-C to USB-C. There are reliefs on the sides of the Sherpa for these cables to be stored in for when you're ready to use them. The Sherpa 100AC is capable of each of the following individual items a set number of times before running out of battery on average, not grouped together as charging everything before running out of battery. Charging a laptop twice, tablet 4 times, smartphone 8 times, camera 18 times. Of course this is affected by the capacity of your particular device as well. The Sherpa is a great addition to your travel kit when you don't expect to be near power anytime soon, or just in case the power goes out for a while, you can still depend on it to allow you to get something done.

 

Video review by Prepped for life of the Goal Zero Sherpa 100AC

For the technology needs of today the GB150 Boost Pro and the Zero Sherpa 100AC are essential additions to your backup power needs. Do yourself a favor and get one.

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