If you get a flat tire when traveling, it could be very frustrating trying to change the car or trailer tire with a manual jack. There are electric jacks that can lift up to 3 tons, and operate at the click of a button. That is a lot less effort than having to jack up the vehicle yourself by hand. Sometimes you will require several jacks operating at once, because a single jack won't be able to handle a very heavy vehicle, or you will have to lift both a trailer and the car towing it. Here is a guide to some of the best electric jacks on the market. 

• Scissor Jack: This is suitable for smaller loads, like changing a flat tire on your car. This type of jack is preferred because of its wide base. This means that there is less of a chance of it sinking into the ground or shifting to the side when lifting.

• Trailer Tongue Jack: This attaches to the “tongue” of a trailer—the part that hitches to the towing vehicle (either a car or a truck). These are handy if you want to unhitch the trailer and hitch it up to another vehicle. A trailer might require a swivel jack (that can be placed horizontally when not in use), a A-frame jack, or drop-leg jack.

Based on all the consumers' reviews we've scanned, these are the top things they mentioned about their new stuff:

• How much can the jack lift: Check what the jack is intended to lift: a 2,200 lb capacity will be enough to lift up a car or station wagon. If you are looking to lift a trailer or mobile home, you will require something stronger—some jacks can lift up to 3 tons (=6,000 lbs).

• Power source: Some jacks can get their power from the car's 12 V cigarette lighter. Others will require directly hooking them up to a car battery. Some have a rechargeable battery.

• Features to reduce stress: Select a jack that uses gears and ball screws that reduce friction and wear on the parts. Another good feature is an indicator to tell the jack to stop before it reaches the hard stop point (the maximum height of the jack). This is to avoid damaging the jack from an excess load. Some electric jacks have an adjustable drop-down leg that supports the load when the jack is not in use.

• Manual backup: If you forget to charge the battery on the electric jack, or if it malfunctions, the electric jack should have a means of attaching a jack handle, so that you can manually jack up your vehicle as well.

• LED light: Some electric jacks feature an LED light that is handy for illuminating the work area at night. It also assures you that the electric jack is working.

• Wireless control: You might need several jacks, such as for a trailer, to lift up all four corners. Or you might need to lift up both the trailer and the towing vehicle. It is convenient to have a remote control, so that you can check that the trailer is level.

• Travel Speed and Travel Range: The travel speed is how fast the jack lifts the load: how fast does it take the jack to raise the load 10 feet. The travel range is the maximum of how far the jack extends. That is important in knowing how much to raise the trailer to unhitch it from the towing vehicle.

Husky Towing Products-- is an American company located in Wilsonville, Oregon. They manufacture tools to hitch up trailers, as well as jacks and brake controls.

Quick Products— is an American company that makes electric tongue jacks, leveling blocks, and other car accessories.

The Spare Kit Company—is a company founded by Mike Blot in 2009, that manufactures an all-in-one tire-changing kit. An electric scissor jack is included in the kit, that hooks up directly to the car's DC power supply.

Ultra-Fab Products-- is a car products company located in Elkhart, Indiana. They make tire carriers, manual and electric jacks, and car towing resources.