The $85 USB Gadget From Costco You Should Always Keep In Your Car For Emergencies

Not to be overly presumptuous, but there's a good chance that you've experienced a dead car battery before. If you haven't, lucky you — but for those who have, you already likely know what a hassle it can be. Waiting on a tow truck for a jump can be expensive and time consuming, and it's not always a great idea to flag down a stranger to see if they have jumper cables. Fortunately, Costco has a device that can come in handy if you're in a pinch.

The big box retailer currently has the Michelin Portable Jump Starter at a reasonable price, and it's backed by solid user reviews. Along with some features that make this good for jump-starting a vehicle, there are some additional options for charging other electronics, and the device even provides a guide of sorts for ensuring you're jumping your vehicle properly. Since this is an online item, you don't even need a Costco membership, though you may need to pay an additional 5% without one.

While a jump starter can be a cheap car gadget that makes road trips easier, it's really more of an essential item to keep somewhere within your vehicle. But you should know that the device relies on a lithium battery, so there are some best practices to keep in mind, such as ensuring the jump starter doesn't remain in your vehicle during extreme temperatures and keeping an eye on the charge level of the device itself, lest you be stranded with a dead battery and a dead jump starter.

There are plenty of Costco tech accessories that will level up your car, but this one does double duty. In addition to ensuring your vehicle stays moving, it also serves as a 10,000 mAh power bank that can charge your phone, tablet, or laptop on the go. With a 4.5-star rating and over 205 reviews, the Michelin Portable Jump Starter is available online at Costco for $84.99. Along with a laundry list of features, this device also comes with a one-year warranty through Michelin.

Featuring a 500-amp peak current, the Michelin Portable Jump Starter is capable of starting up to 6.0L gas engines or 4.0L diesel engines. Along with the 10,000 mAh lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery, there are built-in indicators that can help users follow the proper steps for jump-starting a vehicle. The battery pack can charge your mobile devices through its 45 W USB-C input and output port, as well as an outbound 2.4-amp USB-A port. This device also has an emergency floodlight that includes strobe and SOS light patterns for drawing attention, and a storage bag, jumper cables, USB-C charging cable, and 12-volt car charger come bundled.

Over on the Costco website, customers give this product high marks for its easy-to-follow indicator lights and powerful jump-starting capabilities. Users also give the jump starter praise for maintaining a strong battery life and overall reliability, though at least one person reports having issues with the device in extreme cold temperatures (-20 degrees Fahrenheit). Another user notes that, while it worked on one of their cars, it wasn't able to jump-start their hybrid. But that might be because what happens when a hybrid car's battery dies isn't as straightforward as what happens when a gas car's battery dies.