Even though some people conflate octane boosters with fuel stabilizers, these two products are very different from one another. Fuel stabilizers are designed to keep fuel from becoming stale—a process that can occur when gasoline sits for an extended time. Octane boosters, on the other hand, are designed to protect against low-octane levels and to improve combustion rates in high-compression vehicles.

Modern octane boosters use a variety of anti-knock ingredients to raise the octane level of the fuel, and this can only add to the confusion some people have when searching for the best product for their vehicle. To cut through this confusion, we’ve decided to not only list the best octane boosters available but also write an informative guide on the subject. Hopefully, this will ensure that our readers are capable of finding the best product for their vehicle.

Best Octane Boosters – Reviews

10Rislone Super-Concentrated Octane Booster

Designed to be used with gasoline and ethanol fuels E10 & E15, this octane booster is effective and easy-to-use. This product will help to eliminate, or at the very least, reduce spark knock and one bottle can be used to treat up to 20-gallons of gasoline at a time. When used properly and according to its label’s directions, this product will help the engine maintain engine power and efficiency. And best of all, it will do it without harming oxygen sensors or catalytic converters. This product also has a nozzle that allows it to be poured into just about any fuel tank, even cap-less models.

9Mag-1 Premium Octane Boost

Anyone who is looking to reduce annoying pink, engine run-on or spark plug knock is going to want to try out this octane booster from Mag-1. This product uses the power of jet fuel to boost engine acceleration and power and to smooth out rough idles. It’s a formulation that also contains FMX, which helps to improve the engine’s overall fuel economy and helps to reduce engine friction. However, if there’s one thing worth mentioning about this product is that it’s for off-road use only. And that’s what keeps it from being a solution that everyone can use for their gasoline engines.

8104+ Injector Cleaner & Octane Booster

Gold Eagle has been making high-quality octane booster since the mid-1970s. They are probably the first ones who started producing it, so it’s no wonder that their product does such a great job of reducing pings, hesitation and engine knocks. This product is also formulated with a special cleaning agent that goes right to work cleaning fuel injectors for better gas mileage and power. What makes this an exceptional product, however, is that it’s safe for the entire fuel system and will never harm oxygen sensors or catalytic converters. It’s no wonder it’s such a popular choice among automotive enthusiasts.

7Royal Purple Max-Boost Booster & Stabilizer

Although this product isn’t designed for street use and is, in fact, not street legal, it is a good formula for racing. This product increases gasoline octane and enhances the performance of the engine, and it does it while reducing emissions and stabilizing the fuel in the process. Using this product according to directions, race car drivers will be able to increase the octane of their fuel by a full 3-numbers. And because it not only contains octane boosters and fuel stabilizers but also contains cleaning agents, it will clean fuel injectors even as it boosts performance.

6Torco Race Fuels Unleaded Fuel Accelerator

This race fuel concentrate octane booster is designed to improve the performance of fuel so much that it begins to resemble race fuel. Although not booster can increase a standard fuel to race car standards, this product does squeeze a whole lot of power out of ordinary gasoline. It will significantly raise the octane of most premium fuel formulations to raise them from a rating of 91 octanes to an octane rating of 102-105. And it won’t harm catalytic sensors or oxygen sensors while it’s boosting performance to these high levels. It’s a versatile fuel additive that can be used in both cars and motorcycles, snowmobiles or watercraft. It can even be used in all-terrain vehicles.

5STP Octane Booster

This octane booster from STP markets itself as a barely-legal booster that’s designed to boost engine performance; It even says so on the label. Although we’ve seen a lot of products make a lot of claims, we feel that this product does a pretty good job of coming close to its marketing hype. This product does do a great job of restoring lost acceleration and power, and when used according to label directions, it’s capable of reducing or eliminating engine knocks and pings. It’s a product that’s designed to be used with regular fill-ups and it contains a cleaner that helps to keep the vehicle’s fuel intake system clean.

4Race Gas Race Fuel Concentrate

This product is designed to transform ordinary gasoline into a high-quality racing formula that’s suitable for competition and professional use. It can take ordinary gasoline with an octane rating of 87-93, and raise it to an octane rating of 105. However, just because this product is designed for race cars, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be used for other vehicles besides race cars. This product can be used in passenger cars, boats, snowmobiles, motorcycles, personal watercraft, and even go-karts. It’s a high-quality product that provides the performance a person needs when they need it.

3Klotz Higher-Octane Fuel Booster

Anyone who has been searching for a product that will clean their fuel system and provide a much-needed boost is going to want to examine this product a bit closer. It’s designed to increase the octane levels of ordinary gasoline by up to 10 numbers if it’s used following its label’s instructions. It’s made with Tetraethyl that adds a bit of added lubricity to the fuel system as well. This product will clean out carburetors and fuel injectors and will help the engine maintain a stable burn speed. Although consumers do have to be careful how they handle this product because it will discolor plastic and fiberglass, it’s otherwise a great octane booster that gets the job done right.

2Lucas Multicolor Racing Formula Octane Boost

This product by Lucas is not just designed to be a fuel cleaner, but it’s designed to be a real octane booster. It’s a product that’s capable of providing up to three times the octane boosting the power of traditional octane boosters. It’s a product that will raise the engine’s miles-per-gallon, and help to eliminate or at least, reduce engine knocking. This product is safe for engines that have a turbo overdrive and is also safe for catalytic converters and oxygen sensors. And because it burns cleanly and efficiently, it produces fewer emissions than other brands as well.

1Boostane Professional Octane Booster

Professional results often require a professional product like this one. Although this product isn’t street-legal and is instead intended for race cars, it’s capable of really boosting octane levels of ordinary gasoline. It can be used to treat gasoline with an octane rating of 94 to 116, and one bottle is capable of being used for multiple fill-ups. This product can be used in blower motors, high-compression engines, and even in turbocharged vehicles. Its formula is an anti-corrosive, and it also helps to inhibit carbon build-up inside the engine. All of which makes it the go-to octane booster for race cars.

Can’t Find What You’re Looking For? Check these suggestions:

A Guide To Octane Boosters

Although there is some debate about the usefulness of octane boosters, many people swear by them and use them for their vehicles. Therefore, we’re not going to wade out into the whole debate. Instead, we’re going to give our readers some tips that will help them buy the best octane booster for their vehicles. Having said that, let’s talk about some of the things consumers should think about when buying an octane booster for their vehicle.

Finding The Right Octane Booster

To kick this article off, let’s talk about how octane boosters work. Although there are definite differences between all of the octane boosters currently available, most of them use one of four different chemical agents to achieve the desired effect. Below are some of the agents used and what properties they tend to pass off to the finished product.

Ferrocene

Ferrocene is a common ingredient added to cheaper octane booster formulations. It’s a product that’s often added to gasoline in third-world countries to raise octane levels. However, at most gasoline refineries the use of this product is prohibited, but that hasn’t prevented it from being used in octane boosters sold to the general public. The problem with this ingredient is that it forms iron oxide during the combustion process and this can result in shorter engine life and for causing excess build-up on spark plugs. And this spark plug buildup can quickly lead to misfires.

MMT 

Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl, also known as MMT, is a product that’s used by refineries worldwide. It’s considered to be one of the best octane boosting ingredients and is less likely to harm the environment than other ingredients. It also just so happens to be the main ingredient found in some of the best octane boosters available.

Octane Boosting Alcohols

Another ingredient that many products use in their octane boosters is aromatic alcohols. These include ingredients such as Benzine, Toluene, and Xylene. The main problem with these ingredients is that they’re known carcinogens and are easily absorbed by the user’s skin. They also have to be used in high-quantities to be useful as an octane booster, so the consumer would probably need to use more than 16-ounces of the octane boosters that use these ingredients for them to be truly effective.

Ethanol

Ethanol is another ingredient used in some types of octane boosters. Although this ingredient works fairly well at boosting octane levels, it does result in the engine running leaner than it would with other products. Another problem with ethanol is that it tends to pull moisture out of the air, so it may result in fuel-system corrosion in cars that sit for long periods before being run.

How To Use Octane Boosters

Now that we’ve covered some of the ingredients used in octane boosters, it’s time to talk about how to use that product so that it provides the greatest benefit. Below are some things to consider when using an octane booster in your vehicle.

Step One: Read All Instructions

The first thing that a person needs to do before they use an octane booster is to read their car’s owner’s manual to determine the octane level of gas that the vehicle needs to run efficiently. The consumer should never raise the octane level of the gasoline in their car more than the car’s manual recommends. Doing so will not raise the performance of the vehicle, and in some instances, it may damage the engine it’s used in.  The consumer also needs to read the instructions for the octane booster to be sure that they use it properly.

Step Two: Add The Octane Booster

Octane booster is added to the gasoline tank before gasoline is added to it. According to the product’s directions, add the octane booster and then fill up the gas tank. This will ensure that the product and the gasoline are properly mixed. When that’s done, put the gas cap back on the vehicle. Viola! That’s all there is to it and now you can enjoy the benefits of your octane booster.

Some Final Octane Booster Tips

Okay, now that we all know what to look for when buying a new octane booster and how to use that product properly, it’s time to talk about some of the other things that should be considered when using these products. Consider the following tips as a catch-all for anything else that we couldn’t squeeze into this guide. By keeping the following tips in mind, you’ll be sure to buy the best octane booster available for your needs.

  • Don’t store octane boosters more than a year
  • Keep the product in its original condition
  • Don’t add this product to cars that are going to sit for awhile