As important a job as a jump starter does when it comes to a situation where your vehicle just won’t start, you need a solution that’s reliable yet easy to live with when you don’t need it. The Beatit BT-D11 800A Peak 18000mAh 12V Portable Car Jump Starter contains a lot of power within a small case, and along with its semi-hard case it shows promise to be a great companion to bring along in your vehicle. To see just how well it does the job of resurrecting a non-starting vehicle we drained the battery of a 2011 Hyundai Elantra down to 10V.
Design: A lot of power packed into a small frame
The Beatit Jump Starter D11’s main unit’s effectively a small black brick with red accents. Roughly the size of a small paperback book, the unit’s constructed out of durable plastic and features a flashlight at one end. Along one of the long sides there’s a small display that shows battery status, the on/off switch, two USB power outputs, and the device’s charging port. On the opposing side a rubber flap covers the jumper cable port; a unique port that the jumper cable accessory plugs in to. The unit and all its accessories are contained within a semi-hard case. The clamshell design has two halves that zip together to keep the case closed. One side of the case contains the unit itself within a foam insert, while the other is an elastic mesh pouch for all the accessories. There’s plenty of room to keep everything involved with the jump starter within its case, and with its shape and relatively small size we found it easy to keep the case in the car. The list of accessories that come with the unit includes both a wall charger and a 12V port charger, a Micro USB cable to charge devices with, and the jumper cables themselves. The jumper cable accessory is a pair of terminal clamps with relatively short cables that together join into a plastic module that plugs into the specific port on the unit. The module has a single status LED on its side that flashes different colors to signify different conditions, such as the unit being ready for jump starting, or indicating incorrect connection of the clamps.
Setup Process: It can’t realistically be much simpler
Should you find yourself in a situation where you need to use the jump start functionality of the Beatit Jump Starter D11, you’ll find it quite easy to use. On our Elantra test vehicle we simply had to pop the hood, bring the unit over, and plug the jumper cable accessory into its port. Once in place getting a proper connection is a simple matter of attaching the red clamp to the positive battery terminal and then the black clamp to the negative terminal. With a firm connection in place we simply had to set the unit down someplace where the vibration of the engine wouldn’t make it slide and then start the car. With the unit in place the car immediately started with zero hesitation, at which point we could disconnect the unit and get back on the road. If it’s your other devices that are having some battery issues, the D11’s two USB ports can be used to charge them up. The 2.1A port provides for faster charging, and while the 1A port also works it really doesn’t provide power in a hurry and should only be used with specific devices that can’t handle the other port’s amperage. For most modern phones you’re just going to want to plug it into the 2.1A port and enjoy the faster recharge.
Performance: Plenty of power for all your needs
Time and again, the Beatit Jump Starter D11 was able to get a car with a very depleted battery started. Even after repeated testing the unit’s own battery only dropped down to 85% capacity. Charging a phone with a jump starter seems like overkill, and the unit’s ability to charge at 1,200mAh confirms that impression. At such an elevated level of charging your phone or other device will likely get its battery topped off in very little time. With 18,000mAh of capacity you can fully charge a modern phone at least twice, and still leave the unit with the juice it needs in order to start a car.
Key Features: The flashlight is nice but is basically a spotlight
There aren’t a ton of other features present with the Beatit Jump Starter D11 but there are some of note, including the unit’s built-in flashlight. It’s a nice addition to have if you must jump start a car in the middle of the night, but it doesn’t put out of a ton of light and the beam is pretty narrow. You can pick the unit up and use it as a large flashlight, though doing so while also trying to get the clamps attached is cumbersome. A nice feature that is present in many jump starters but always appreciated is the included 12V port charger, which lets you charge the unit back up within the car once you have it started. Charging from the wall charger is faster overall, but people with a dodgy battery but a working alternator will appreciate being able to use the jump starter to get their car started and then charge the unit back up as they drive to their destination.
Price: A ton of value for a tiny cost
The MSRP of the Beatit Jump Starter D11 is $70 which makes it one of the most affordable jump starters on the market. Indeed, at that price, it’s the least expensive one we tested, yet no part of it feels like any corners were cut in terms of quality or performance.
Competition: In the battle of the smallest, this one reigns supreme
DBPOWER 600A Peak 18000mAh Portable Car Jump Starter: When it comes down to it these two units are surprisingly similar, down to the case and overall design of the unit. If you really want the ability to use your jump starter to also charge your laptop the DBPOWER is worth a look. Otherwise, save yourself around $10 and stick with the Beatit BT-D11. M MOOCK 1000A Peak 18000mAh Car Jump Starter: This is another case of asking yourself how much you need the option to charge a laptop. The M MOOCK jump starter can but is also roughly $8 more. Its case is more of a flat square as well, so it slides more easily under seats. It’s a toss-up here, but the Beatit BT-D11 is a slightly better choice overall. To read more reviews, check out our roundup of the best portable jump starters. In a crowded field, there are few units that are as easy to recommend as the Beatit BT-D11 800A Peak 18000mAh 12V Portable Car Jump Starter. It has relatively few features when compared to some of its competitors but otherwise excels at what it’s designed to do. Charge it up, keep it stashed in your vehicle, and you’ll have a perfect tool to easily provide a jump to whatever vehicle needs it.
