The M MOOCK 1000A Peak 18000mAh Car Jump Starter is one of the more sophisticated options in the jump starter market, especially in terms of presentation. It comes in a zippered, faux-leather case with elastic netting pouches to contain the unit and its accessories. To see how much substance was behind the style, it was tested against a 2011 Hyundai Elantra with a depleted battery to see if it could bring it back to life.

Design: A rugged unit, a generous accessory kit, and a sturdy case to keep it all in

As mentioned, the M MOOCK’s case packs a lot of style, but it’s not just flash—it also provides a convenient place to keep everything together. The jump starter unit itself is thin but long, so the case ends up being a relatively large square. You can stash it under a seat without any issue, but it won’t fit in most glove boxes. The main unit’s a red and black plastic case that contains all the important parts at one end of it. On one surface are the power button and battery status indicator, which shows the unit’s charge level when the unit’s on. The two DC power ports live on another surface and allow you to charge a laptop. Finally, on the very top, there’s the unit’s own charging port, two USB charging ports, a flashlight, and the jump starter module port which is hidden behind a rubber cover. The accessory kit that comes with the unit is full-bodied. The main piece is the jump starter module which has the two jumper clamps coming off a plastic module that plugs into the unit. To charge the unit you can choose to use either a wall charger for home use or a power port charger for use within a running vehicle. Finally, a set of laptop port adapters and a short DC cable to use with them can be used to charge your laptop or similar device.

Setup Process: It takes time to find a spot just right to set up for a jump

Positioning the MOOCK to jump start a car is a little more difficult than it needs to be. Plugging the jumper cable module into the unit and turning it on is the easy part. Due to the short length of the cables, however, it’s difficult to get them connected while also keeping the unit secure in the engine bay. Thankfully once you find that Goldilocks spot, the terminal clamps are on the small side and easy to attach, even if the area around the clamping location is cramped. To charge other devices there’s a lot less fuss involved. You simply need to plug the device into the USB or DC power port and turn the unit on. A Micro USB cable is provided, so if you have a device that uses a more modern charging port, you’ll want to put an extra cable for it in the MOOCK case as well.

Performance: A nice jolt of power to start even the most drained of vehicles

Assuming you’ve carefully placed the M MOOCK in a spot where it can securely clamp onto the battery yet not fall out of the engine bay, you’ll find that the unit does a good job of jump starting a car. The test vehicle had a battery depleted down to 10V, and while the vehicle did momentarily struggle to start initially, it started just fine after double-checking the connections. It’s hard to say if that initial struggle was due to the unit’s relatively lower start and peak output currents, or if it truly just boiled down to a connectivity issue.  Plug a phone into the 5V/2A USB port and you’ll find that it delivers a charge rate of 1,200mAh, fast enough to rapidly top off even the thirstiest phones. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S10 would charge it from fully depleted to full in just over three hours. With the unit’s 18,000mAh capacity you could, in theory, do that repeatedly, but it’s recommended to leave at least 50 percent of the unit’s battery for jump starts.

Key Features: A bright flashlight, but in a decidedly narrow band

The built-in flashlight in the M MOOCK Jump Starter puts out a lot of light but only in a relatively narrow band. Luckily, the full unit’s basically handheld and therefore it’s easy to point the flashlight at what you need. Once you start connecting cables it becomes much harder to aim the light properly. The flashlight can also be set to rapidly blink to draw attention to your situation, or to blink in the standard pattern for “SOS” to really drive home the fact that you need assistance.

Price: Some of the best value to be found in jump starters

You can pick up this model for about $70, which makes the M MOOCK Jump Starter an inexpensive option considering what it can do. The case doesn’t feel like it can take too much of a beating, but protects the starter well, and the included accessory kit is generously provisioned.

Competition: A good showing against close competition

DBPOWER 600A Peak 18000mAh Portable Car Jump Starter: Despite the high quality of the DBPOWER, the M MOOCK 1000A Peak 18000mAh Car Jump Starter is still a better choice. It provides slightly better output current, which is important for reliable jump starts, and yet it’s also slightly less expensive. You can’t go wrong either way, but the MOOCK unit has just the slightest edge. Beatit BT-D11 800A Peak 18000mAh 12V Portable Car Jump Starter: Depending on how important laptop charging is to you, the Beatit BT-D11 is worth a look. It can’t charge a laptop, but it’s in a slightly smaller case and costs slightly less. The Beatit BT-D11 unit also has a mere 50 amps greater jumping start output current, which ultimately makes it a slightly better choice if you don’t need a laptop charger. Want to take a look at more options? Check out our guide to the best portable jump starters. The M Moock 1000A Peak 18000mAh Car Jump Starter is a surprisingly solid choice in jump starters. It has few glaring flaws, and the ones that it does have (like the short cables) just make it marginally more difficult to use, as opposed to being true deal breakers. That said, there are other units available on the market that share some or all the same features but have fewer drawbacks. Overall, the unit’s successful but flawed, yet very reliable when you need it most.