Octane boosters are a liquid fuel additive. They increase, or boost, the octane rating of your fuel. If you have a high-performance engine, then an octane booster can be used to help achieve the best results possible. Another common use for octane boosters is for engines which are struggling with pre-detonation of fuel, meaning your engine is stalling or struggling to start.
We reviewed dozens of octane boosters to identify the best of the best. We looked at features such as the increase in octane numbers each booster offered, shelf-life, and whether the octane booster offered any added benefits.
For our top pick, we selected the Lucas Oil 10026 Octane Booster. This comes in a pack of handy, 15 ounce bottles, and is suitable for a wide range of engine types. It helps to improve the efficiency of your fuel burn, leading to reduced emissions and improved performance.
In This Article
The 5 Top-Rated Octane Boosters
| Editor's Picks | Brand | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall | Lucas Oil 10026 Octane Booster | 4.5 |
| Runner Up | Klotz Higher Octane Booster | 4.3 |
| Best Budget Buy | Torco High Octane Unleaded Fuel Accelerator | 4.4 |
| Best Octane Booster and Stabilizer | PRI Fuel Stabilizer | 4.7 |
| Best Race Gas Octane Booster | Castrol 03084 BOOSTane Professional Octane Booster | 4.5 |
*Ratings are from Amazon at time of publication and can change
Our Top Pick: Lucas Oil 10026 Octane Booster
Our top pick, the Lucas Oil 10026 Octane Booster is a flexible option, suited to a wide range of engine types. This includes those with fuel injector turbos, and carburetors. This octane booster helps to promote cleaner burning of fuel in your engine, which has the double benefit of reducing emissions, and improving performance.
Lucas Oil 10026 Octane Booster comes in a pack of 12 bottles, each 15 ounces in size. This portable size means its easy to keep a bottle in your car, for use whenever you need it. Many reviewers on Amazon are happy that this octane booster can be used for classic cars, helps eliminates pre-detonation, and improves performance.
Lucas Oil 10026 Octane Booster Key Features:
- Comes in pack of 12
- Promotes a clean fuel burn
- Suitable for a wide range of engines
Our Runner Up Pick: Klotz Higher Octane Booster
For our runner up, we selected the Klotz Higher Octane Booster. This octane booster can help to improve the octane rating of your fuel by up to 10 RON. It does this by using a highly concentrated blend of tetraethyl lead substitute, which also has the added benefit of helping to keep your engine well lubricated.
Reviewers on Amazon are impressed with how well this octane booster works on a wide range of engines. Performance increases are noticeable using just a small amount of this octane booster.
Klotz Higher Octane Booster Key Features:
- Highly concentrated
- 1 gallon bottle
- Suitable for a wide range of engine types
Best Budget Pick: Torco High Octane Unleaded Fuel Accelerator
If you’re looking for an octane booster on a budget, we recommend the Torco High Octane Unleaded Fuel Accelerator. This octane booster can significantly increase the octane rating of premium fuel. Using a 32 ounce bottle added to 10 gallons of 91 octane fuel can raise the octane rating to 102. Increasing this to 32 ounces per 5 gallons of fuel can give you an incredible rating of 105 octane.
This octane booster is designed primarily for newer, high performance engines. With that being said, it can also be used to improve the performance of motorbikes, ATV’, snowmobiles, and boats. It can also be used at the same time as other engine additives, meaning you can find the perfect combination for your vehicle.
Torco High Octane Unleaded Fuel Booster Key Features:
- Suitable for a wide range of engine types
- 32 ounce bottle
- Won’t harm catalytic converters, or O2 sensors
Best Octane Booster with Added Benefits: PRI Fuel Stabilizer
For the best octane booster and stabilizer, we selected the PRI Fuel Stabilizer. This product provides a complete gasoline treatment, as well as helping to improve the power of your engine. This octane booster also helps to improve fuel efficiency, while at the same time preventing damaging deposits from coating your engine.
The concentrated formula also provides excellent value for money, with 1 bottle being able to treat a huge 256 gallons of fuel. If you have a classic car you only use in the summer, this stabilizer can help keep the gas n your tank fresher, for longer.
PRI Fuel Stabilizer Key Features:
- Suitable for all 2 and 2 stroke engines
- Super concentrated
- 16 ounce bottle
Best Race Gas Octane Booster: BOOSTane Professional Octane Booster
Our pick for the best race gas octane booster is the BOOSTane Professional Octane Booster. This booster can be used in conjunction with the BOOSTane Smartphone app, which allows you to customize your fuel for a precise engine tune. As well as helping to increase your fuel’s octane rating to as much as 116, this booster provides protection for your engine, improves lubrication, and prevents corrosion.
This is the only octane booster on the market which provides independent, third party testing. This means you can be sure of its performance, helping to increase your premium pump gas to the same octane rating as race fuel.
BOOSTane Professional Octane Booster Key Features:
- Safe for all gasoline engines
- Increases octane rating up to 116
- 32 ounce bottle
Who Should Buy an Octane Booster
There are two specific instances where octane boosters are particularly useful. The first is engines which are struggling with detonation. This is when your engine does something called knocking or pinging. This can happen when the octane rating of your fuel is too low, and can damage your engine.
The second use is for high-performing engines, such as cars used for recreational track days, or racing cars. These tend to perform best on high-grade fuel, which is not always readily available. By adding an octane booster to premium pump gas, you can help increase the octane rating, and therefore performance, of your fuel.
Important Features to Consider
An octane booster should have a few important features, Here’s what to consider when selecting the best octane booster for your needs:
- Type of octane booster. Make sure that the octane booster you select is suited to your particular engine. Some octane boosters are not designed to be used with catalytic converters, while others can affect the O2 sensor in your engine. Be sure to select an octane booster designed to be used with your specific engine type.
- Added benefits. Some octane boosters also contain extra chemicals, which are designed to lubricate and clean your engine. Others can hep prevent corrosion. You may decide to select an octane booster with these added benefits.
- Shelf life. Octane boosters generally have a short shelf life of less than a year, once opened. You may decide to select an octane booster in a smaller bottle, which means you don’t have to worry about unused product going off before you have a chance to use it again.
- RON. This is the Research Octane Number. Most fuel at gas station pumps has a RON of 91, 95, or 98. Fuels designed for professional race cars will have a higher RON rating of 100+. If you use a fuel with a low RON, you may find the performance of your engine is affected, and you will hear the engine knocking. Most octane boosters provide details of the ratio required to lift the RON of your fuel to a higher rating.
- On-road or off-road use. Some octane boosters are formulated with ingredients which are only allowed for off-road use. These are mainly boosters designed to increase the octane rating of premium gas to as close as possible to race gas. If you plan to use an octane booster on the road, check the bottle to make sure it’s street-legal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is octane booster and how does it work?
An octane booster is designed to be added to your fuel tank, preferably before you fill it up. It increases the octane rating of your fuel, which can help to reduce engine knocking and improve mileage.
As well as performing regular maintenance on your engine, such as changing the oil filter, using an octane booster can help improve performance in certain cases.
How often should I use octane booster?
If you have to fill up your gas tank with gas that has a lower RON than is recommended in your car manual, then use an octane booster each time you fill up. The amount needed to raise the octane rating of the fuel will vary from product to product, so be sure to read the manufacturer’s recommendations.
When using an octane booster to improve performance in a race car, add the booster before you expect any results. Start adding octane booster a few weeks before an event, to give your engine time to adjust to the new fuel mix.
Does high octane fuel last longer?
No, it doesn’t. In fact, most octane boosters have a short shelf life, and will deteriorate once opened. Be sure to check the date on your bottle and use any remaining booster within the recommended time.
Can you put octane booster in any car?
There’s no reason why not, but you won’t necessarily see any benefit. Octane boosters are generally only useful if your engine is suffering from knocking due to using a low octane fuel, or if you have a high performance engine.
If the RON of the fuel you are using to fill up your gas tank matches the recommended rating for your car, then you don’t need to add a booster.
Other Octane Boosters We Reviewed
We looked at 20 other octane boosters. Even though they didn’t make our 5 best octane boosters, they’re the best of the rest and each is still a great option for your car. The information you’ll need to compare each one is included with the listing.
- Octane Boosters with Added Benefits
- Race Gas Octane Boosters
- Motorcycle Octane Boosters
- Octane Booster Multi-packs
Octane Boosters with Added Benefits
Air-Tec High-Class Octane FS1 Gasoline Additive
This multi-function fuel stabilizer helps to prevent corrosion, and increase lubrication.
Key Features:
- 250ml bottle treats 65 gallons of gasoline
- Suitable for vintage and modern engines
- Stabilizes fuel
Cost: $20
Lubegard Fuel System Booster Cleaner
This booster is suitable for all types of engines, including diesel.
Key Features:
- Helps to stabilize fuel
- Maximizes fuel economy
- 16 ounce bottle
Cost: $10
This octane booster provides a range of added benefits including restoring acceleration, and decreasing engine knock.
Key Features:
- 12 pack, with 12 ounces per bottle
- Suitable for all types of gasoline
- Formulated with jet fuel
Cost: $40
This 2-in-1 formula not only boosts the octane rating of your fuel, but helps to clan your engine’s fuel injection system at the same time.
Key Features:
- Street-legal formulation
- Eliminates engine knock
- 16 ounce bottle
Cost: $11
This popular octane booster can raise the octane level by 30 points, or 3 RON.
Key Features:
- Helps to stabilize fuel
- Increases horsepower
- 16 ounce bottle
Race Gas Octane Boosters
Klotz HiTRATE Racing Gasoline Concentrate
This octane booster is a cost-effective alternative to using race gas.
Key Features:
- Converts 92 octane pump gas to 103 – 105 octane race gas
- Unleaded formula
- Provides a smooth torque curve
Cost: $48
Petron Plus Off-Road Octane Booster
This octane booster is designed for off-road, professional use.
Key Features:
- Compatible with all gasoline fuels
- Provides protection against corrosion
- Suitable for supercharged engines
Cost: $29
STP Racing Series Octane Booster Gas Treatment
This powerful formula is designed to increase the octane rating of fuel used in professional, off-road racing cars.
Key Features:
- Detergent removes engine deposits
- Helps to lubricate upper cylinders
- Increases horsepower
Cost: $17
Race Gas Race Fuel Concentrate
This octane booster is laboratory proven to increase the octane rating of pump gas to up to 105 RON.
Key Features:
- Off-road use only
- Unleaded formula
- Suitable for engines with catalytic converters, and O2 sensors
Cost: $33
Race Gas ULTRA Race Fuel Concentrate
This octane booster is designed for off-road use.
Key Features:
- Converts premium pump gas to 110 – 112 octane
- 32 ounce can
- For unleaded engines
Motorcycle Octane Boosters
Arashi Motorcycle Octane Booster
This octane booster is suitable for motorcycles, and helps extend the life of your engine.
Key Features:
- Tin foil packaged tablets
- 12 pack
- Increases the octane rating for diesel, and gasoline
Cost: $49
Lucas Oil 5322 Motorcycle Octane Booster
This octane booster is specifically designed for motorcycles, and provides up to 3 times more boost than most other brands.
Key Features:
- Suitable for high performance engines
- 2 ounce bottle
- Motorcycle specific
Cost: $72
Lucas Oil 10725 Motorcycle Octane Booster
This 2 ounce bottle of octane booster is designed for fuel injected and carbureted engines.
Key Features:
- Safe for turbos, O2 sensors, and catalytic converters
- Convenient size
- Promotes clean fuel burn
Cost: $6
Rislone Super Concentrated Octane Booster
The nozzle and flow valve on this octane booster bottle are suitable for all fuel tanks, including cap less systems.
Key Features:
- 6 ounce bottle
- Treats up to 20 gallons of fuel
- Stops engine knocks and pings
Cost: $4
This octane booster helps to improve the immediate start of your engine.
Key Features:
- Can increase fuel octane rating by 6 units
- Improves fuel efficiency
- Treats up to 15 gallons of fuel
Octane Booster Multi-packs
Each bottle in this multi-pack can treat up 10 18 gallons.
Key Features:
- Pack of 6, each bottle is 16 ounces
- Cleans injectors
- Safe for catalytic converters, and O2 sensors
Cost: $30
This octane booster helps to reduce engine knock, hesitations, and stalling.
Key Features:
- 12 pack, each bottle is 16 ounces
- Safe for all gasoline engines
- Racing fuel concentrate
Cost: $49
This octane booster is perfect if you’re looking for smaller bottles, to avoid unused booster going off if left open.
Key Features:
- Pack of 6, each bottle is 10 ounces
- Helps to reduce knocking
- Maximizes performance
Cost: $28
You can choose to buy this octane booster in multi-packs of 2, 4, 6, 10, or 20.
Key Features:
- Increases octane by up to 4 points
- Made in Germany
- 5 ounces per bottle
Cost: $45
Each bottle of this octane booster treats up to 21 gallons of fuel.
Key Features:
- Pack of 12, each bottle is 7 ounces
- Help to increase power
- Improves mileage
Cost: $80
