Abstract: An improved portable battery charger (10) for boosting and charging automotive-type batteries. The battery charger (10) comprises rectifier means (34), an automotive-type battery (20), and an air compressor (24) powered by the battery (20) received within a charger housing (12). Positive and negative charging cables (30 and 28, respectively) are retractably received within first and second cable housings (14 and 16), respectively. The first and second cable housings are positioned adjacent oppositely disposed external walls of the charger housing (12) and are dimensioned such that the positive and negative charging clamps (76 and 70, respectively) may be slidably positioned over saddle notches (72) defined by the cable housings when the charging cables are fully retracted into the cable housings whereby the charging clamps (76 and 70) are physically isolated from each other by the charger housing 12, thereby preventing accidental contact between the clamps.