Review: Weego Portable Jump-Start Battery Pack Aims to Keep You on the Road

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After a trip to, say, a Cleveland Browns game, your friends drop you off at your car. You turn the key, but nothing happens. As if your team losing yet another game weren’t frustrating enough, you’re now stranded in an empty parking garage. Weego, a manufacturer of advanced jump-starting battery packs, aims to make this a problem of the past.

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Weego’s four jump starters all pack disproportionately large punches against dead batteries; even the smallest and least expensive ($ 100) is able to start gasoline engines up to 4.6 liters in size. The largest model, the Professional ($ 190), can zap large-truck gasoline engines and 4.8-liter diesels with relative ease.

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Weego loaned us one of its newest models, the Weego 44, for hands-on evaluation. Aimed at everyday drivers rather than enthusiasts who fanatically maintain their vehicles, the 44 is the stupid-proof version. The small pack holds enough power to comfortably jump gas engines up to 7.0 liters in size and diesel units up to 3.5 liters. Fret not, Camaro Z/28 owners; the Weego 44 can crank your ride, too, but you Viper owners may be out of luck.

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Weego’s patent-pending Smarty Clamps are powered on both sides—most jumper cables are only powered on one side of the clamp—ensuring a successful connection to all terminals. The box is smart enough to flow juice only when you have the cables correctly attached. If the connection is reversed, the box won’t route power through the cables.

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Built-in 12- and 19-volt ports enable this pack to charge everything from your phone to the battery for your cordless impact tool. (It should be noted, though, that there is no traditional two- or three-prong port on this device.) A smart USB port automatically detects the maximum safe current for the plugged-in device, ensuring a fast charge without frying your beloved smartphone.

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An assortment of connectable accessories help the Weego become useful in almost any situation. Mechanics will enjoy the OBD-II 12V attachment ($ 20), allowing them to save a car’s computer memory when the battery needs to be disconnected. Fishermen may find the SAE 12V DC adapter ($ 10) to be just the right piece of kit to test their trailer lights before hooking their boat up, as well as to power their fish finder on the water.

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Recharging a depleted Weego 44 takes three hours. With just two percent of capacity loss per month, if you stash one of these in your glovebox for a year, you’ll still be able to call on it in a tight pinch to deliver a jump.

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At just $ 150 for the 44, we suggest this would make a good present for family members, and we’re not alone; more than 30 percent of Weego 44 packs are sold as gifts. It comes in a tin lunchbox with a precharged battery pack, the Smarty Clamps, a hook and lanyard, wall and car chargers for the Weego, and a water-resistant pouch for the whole kit.

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Sadly for the team’s fans, a cure for yet another lost Browns season is not included.

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