Discovering that a car’s battery doesn’t have enough charge to start the engine is never a good feeling. It’s always inconvenient. While there are portable jump starters on the market already, Hulkman saw an opportunity to create a smart and powerful jump starter to help in these situations. The Kickstarter campaign for their global release of the Hulkman Alpha 85S jump starter is underway and early bird pricing is a great deal starting at just $89. If you want to see it in action, be sure to watch the video below.
Back the Hulkman Alpha 85S on Kickstarter to get 40% off the retail price and score the jump starter for just $89.
Out of the Box
The packaging is pretty high quality on the Hulkman Alpha 85S. Popping the top, first, we have the instruction manual. Under that is the jump starter itself. Below the starter is all of the accessories and plugs. We have a USB-C wall plug, USB-C to USB-A cable, a barrel plug with 12V adapter, and the clamps.
For something as utilitarian as a jump starter, the Hulkman Alpha 85S has a surprisingly modern and pleasing design. While the logo takes up most of the room on the front, the 3.3-inch large screen makes it very easy to use. It’s built rugged for a life of adventure and features an IP65 weatherproof rating.
While I wasn’t able to try it in cold weather, Hulkman claims it works in temps down to -40°F.
Hulkman Alpha 85S: Video
To make the starter easier to use in the dark, there are two large lights that can be turned on by holding the light button, and to check the battery, just hold the power button until the display turns on.
On one end of the charger is a removable cover that holds ports to charge other devices and recharge the Hulkman A85S. There is a USB-C port, USB-A port, and DC barrel plug. To use these, just plug in a device and hold the power button for a few seconds. An indicator will appear on the screen to let you know that there is power going to another device.
On the other side of the jump starter is the plug for the jumper cables. Once again there is a substantial cover to give the Hulkman Alpha 85S an IP65 rating. With this rating, it will be easy to pack the starter along for any adventure and not have to worry about keeping it clean or dry.
In-Use
I tried the Hulkman on two different vehicles. First, I left the lights on my 2005 VW Golf TDI on all night, and in the morning, the lights would come on but it would just click. Enter the Alpha 85S. I popped the hood, connected the clamps and the Hulkman recognized the connection and turned on with a ready signal. Then I just started the car as normal and everything worked perfectly.
To test it further, I borrowed my friend’s 98 Chevy Silverado with a 5.7L V8 and totally drained the battery overnight. The lights wouldn’t turn on and the Hulkman Alpha 85S didn’t recognize it as connected when I attached it to the battery as it had on my VW Golf battery. But, if the battery is completely dead, there is an override where you can hold the power and light button for a few seconds and it will start sending juice through the jumper cables and the ready light will turn on.
With that mode enabled, it was easily able to turn over and start the engine immediately. Needless to say, I’ve been super impressed with what the Alpha 85S can do.
Wrapping up
Hulkman really has made a must-have for portable jump starters here. The 20,000mAh capacity leaves enough room to be used multiple times and top off any other electronics that might get low on an adventure. The small form factor and weatherproofing also aid in making it perfect for long trips. It seems worth it at the full price of $150 and at the early bird backer price of just $89 on Kickstarter, it’s a heck of a deal. It would be a great gift as well for the techie who has it all or the avid adventurer who likes to be prepared.
And if you back in the first three days, Hulkman will also throw in a free bag with a retail value of $30.
Back Hulkman Alpha 85S on Kickstarter
FTC: Electronicsforward is reader supported, we may earn income on affiliate links
Subscribe to the Electronicsforward YouTube Channel for all of the latest videos, reviews, and more!
