Life is completely unpredictable. You never know when your precious car’s battery might give way and leave you stuck on the side of the road. Keeping the best car battery charger handy will help you sidestep such occurrences effortlessly, and you won’t have to fret about getting stranded or about how long the towing company will take. The battery charger will save you all that trouble by reviving your battery in no time, and it’s easier to operate than a jump-start cable. It’s also easily available and super-compact to store in your vehicle for all emergency situations, whether it involves weather-related incidents or your battery wearing out due to age. Check out our top 11 options for car battery chargers that will help you figure out which one’s best for you.
Types Of Car Battery Chargers
If you own a car or are planning to get one, there are many things that you must know about including the type of battery that goes into the car. Here are few of the common types of battery chargers: Now that you know the types of batteries in use, let us take a look at the 11 best car battery chargers that you can get near you.
11 Best Car Battery Chargers Of 2022
1. Best Reverse Polarity Protection:NEXPOW G17 Jump Starter
Using a high-speed polymer battery, this 1500 amp, 21800 mAh battery charger can quickly charge a gas as well as diesel engine. This 6-in-1 car battery charger comes equipped with an LED flashlight (with 3 modes of operation), 2 USB ports, and can even be used in temperatures as low as -4°F~140°F. What’s more is that it comes with smart jumper cables that are spark-proof, offer overcharge, over current, short circuit, and overload protection. Click this video to learn more about the product. Pros
Comes with reverse polarity protection 2 USB quick-charge ports allowing you to charge any other devices like laptop or phones. This battery charger enables the charging of your 12 V vehicle up to 30 times. 2-year manufacturer’s warranty USB C-type cable and a carry-case.
Cons
Some users have reported that it may be complex to use.
2. Best Automatic Battery Charger:Schumacher Fully Automatic Battery Charger
This battery charger and maintainer is designed for automotive and marine batteries. It is a fully automatic battery charger that can detect if the battery to be charged is rated 6 or 12 V. It also comes with a digital display that helps one keep track of the charge percentage and voltage, and LED indicators that indicate the charging status. It is compatible for use with AGM, deep-cycle, standard, and gel type batteries. Learn more about the product in this video. Pros
Offers reverse polarity protection It can automatically select the right charge rating for maintaining and charging Schu Eco Energy meets the best industry standards DOE-compliant 800 CCA-rated
Cons
May heat up very fast
3. Best Energy-Efficient:NOCO Genius1 Battery Charger + Maintainer
This new and improved NOCO Genius1 features a compact yet highly efficient design that helps revive dead batteries. It is designed to operate in all seasons and includes a thermal sensor that prevents both over-charging and under-charging. Interestingly, not only does it feature a display that helps you keep track of battery charge levels but also has indicators of battery health. It features a Force Mode that detects batteries that are down to 0 V or dead and charges them. This charger is rated 6 and 12 V and is suited for use with marine, deep-cycle, AGM, flooded, and gel batteries. This video gives you more information about the product. Pros
One of the best energy-efficient and powerful chargers available today 4-in-1 functionality including: charger, battery maintainer, desulfator, and trickle charger. Improved clamp design that makes it compatible with most battery terminals Features automatic acid stratification and sulfation It can reverse and repair battery damage automatically
Cons
The cables provided may not be long enough.
4. Best In-Built LED Flashlight:Imazing IM27 Powerful 2000A/18000mAh Jump Starter
What makes this car battery charger different from all others is the fact that it doubles as a DC portable power source to charge devices like LED flashlights, a vacuum cleaner for your car, and a tire inflator, etc. This easy-to-use charger comes equipped with 8-in-1 advanced protection for the jump cable that covers reverse polarity, short circuit, over-charge, reverse connection, over-voltage, overload, over discharge, and over-current. It features dual USB ports one of them being a USB C-type quick-charge port, thereby enabling fast-charging. Rated at 2000 A 18000 mAh, this portable fast car battery charger can charge up to 30 times on full charge. Pros
Can jump start a 10 L gas or 8 L diesel engine 3-mode in-built LED flashlight Comes with 2-year warranty LCD intelligent clamp Recharges fully in about 4.5 hours It is UL2743 standard certified
Cons
Some may find the charging cable short May not work effectively in the cold months
5. Best UL-Certified:Ampeak Smart Battery Charger With Winter Mode
If you have been looking for a smart battery maintainer/charger this is the one you need to get. It comes with an in-built intelligent microprocessor unit and allows the unit to improve the charging cycle over time, while also enabling you to track the charging status, battery type, voltage, and any error message. It features one-click high-voltage reconditioning that determines a battery dead if it still shows less than 12V after 5 cycles of charging. The design of the case is made keeping in mind convenience and ease of storage, while also ensuring that it is durable and sturdy. Pros
Features a reliable and effective cooling fan and vent Well-insulated and employs the use of ABS material shell Cords and clamps are easy to store UL-certified 6-step charging process that helps avoid damage caused by overcharging
Cons
The user manual is reported to come with a limited set of instructions.
6. Best Battery Fault Detection:PRO-LOGIX PL2320 Intelligent Battery Charger/Maintainer
This, right here, is a charger/maintainer that packs intelligence, safety, and versatility in one device. It features advanced technology in the form of a Soft Start Mode that is activated when connected to a severely discharged battery, which helps maintain the battery health over time. Another feature is the Battery Reconditioning Mode that helps detect sulfation and indicates the reconditioning. This fully-automatic battery charger also performs a Maintenance Mode wherein some of the residual charge is drawn and used to recharge the battery. Pros
Multi-phase charging Charges AGM, gel, conventional, spiral wound, marine, and deep-cycle batteries 6 and 12 V rating Battery fault detection Reverse polarity protection
Cons
The charger may overheat sometimes.
7. Best LED Display:Bilt Hard Fully Automatic Battery Charger
Here we have a vehicle battery charger that is rated with 20 A charge and 100 A boost, which means it is powerful enough to jump start large batteries and SUVs. It features a 9-stage charging process that helps maintain the battery health and life. It also switches intelligently between charging and maintenance modes to prevent overcharging. This trickle charger for cars doubles as a power source rated 13.6 V with just the need of a 110 V AC input. Along with this abundance of functionality, it also comes with a manual alternator and automatic battery test that make it easy for you to diagnose any electrical issues. Pros
Charges AGM, STD, gel, and lead acid batteries 6 and 12 V rating Overcharge, overheat, and short circuit protection Reverse polarity protection LED indicator displaying charging status Can be used to recondition batteries ETL-certified
Cons
The manual that comes with it does not contain much information, thereby making it difficult to get started with this device.
8. Best High-Temperature Protection:Avapow A08-1500A Powerful Jump Starter
Rated UL2743 for safety, this portable car battery features a smart safety cable that provides short circuit, reverse polarity, over-current, spark, overload, overcharge, over-voltage, and high-temperature protection. The main feature is the 4-battery lamination process it adopts that enhances its functionality as a charger/maintainer. There is an indicator that indicates if you are using the device incorrectly. Functional at an impressive temperature range of -10°C – 60°C, this charger is a flashlight and a power source as well, allowing you to quick-charge devices such as a smartphone. Pros
Powers up 12 V vehicles with up to 6 L gas or 5.5 L diesel engine 3 modes of flashlight: SOS, strobe, and lighting Audible warning and flashing lights in case of erroneous use USB 3.0 port for fast charging 2-year warranty
Cons
The device does not come with exterior grips making it difficult to carry.
9. Best One-Touch Mode:Ably Automatic Battery Charger
This portable car battery/maintainer automatically detects the temperature and adjusts the current accordingly, making it functional across seasons. It is microprocessor-controlled, so as to be able to switch between the trickle charge, top-off, and fast charge modes. It features a Pulse Repair Function that helps maintain and extend battery health and life. It also offers standard safety features such as reverse polarity, overcharge, and overload protection to name a few. And tying all these features together is the LCD display that allows you to track the battery status, summer or winter modes, etc. Pros
Can be used with AGM, calcium, EFB, flooded, SLA, wet, MF, and VRLA batteries If temperature is above 28°C it switches to summer mode If temperature is below 10°C it switches to winter mode One-touch mode selection In-built cooling fan
Cons
The device cannot be used to charge lithium batteries. Can repair slightly damaged batteries only and not a dead one
10. Best Automatic:Gooauti Battery Charger/Maintainer
This is a smart charger that comes with Pulse Repair Technology that helps desulfurize the battery while charging. It is automatic, which means that it can detect if the battery is damaged or needs to be repaired when it is fully charged. Designed with a microchip, this charger/maintainer has 8 stages of charging that work depending on the voltage level. It also has sound safety features such as self-stop, reverse polarity, overheat, and short-circuit protection. This is compatible with wet cell, flooded, dry-charged, AGM, MF batteries. Pros
Can charge and maintain motorcycles, cars, lawnmowers, etc. This lead acid battery is rated 6 V and 12 V Comes with multiple charging modes Impressive functionality at a temperature range of 20°C~50°C Easy-to-use device Automatically enters winter mode at temperatures below 10°C
Cons
May need an adaptor if the socket is not compatible
11. Best For Long Usage: Yonhan Battery Charger
The Yonhan battery charger follows a seven-stage charging process, starting from desulfurization and ending with floating charging, and is designed to offer eight types of charging protection. It has an intelligent digital display that lets you know the temperature, voltage, finish, and current. Its cooling fan design helps in effective heat dissipation, thus allowing it to operate for a long time. The battery comes with a rugged and durable alligator clip wrapped with insulating material to deliver a steady current. Pros
Optimized for any climate Oxidant-resistant Can automatically detect battery sulfation Flame-retardant shell build
Cons
May not be user-friendly
Next, we will take a look at the points you must keep in mind before you purchase a car battery charger that is just the one for you.
How To Choose The Right Car Battery Charger For Your Car
We have discussed so many types of battery chargers so far that it is bound to make you spoilt for choice and super confused. Here are a few points to keep in mind while buying a modern car battery charger:
Battery charger type
The most important point to consider while buying a battery charger is to make sure it will be compatible with the battery you want to charge. If you have AGM, EFB, deep-cycle, dry-cell, or wet-cell batteries, you must be sure to check that the battery charger you are considering works well with it.
Size of battery
Here, the first step would be to ascertain the battery size you are looking to charge. If your battery is rated 50 Ah, a 10 Ah charger would take about 6 hours to charge it. So, knowing the battery size helps you determine if you are looking for a charger that charges fast or if a standard charger would do. Smaller vehicles like lawn mowers and golf carts may require smaller battery chargers.
Purpose
It is helpful to understand if there is a specific purpose (other than charging batteries) that you need the charger to fulfil and look for one accordingly. Sometimes you would need your battery charge to serve a particular purpose such as being waterproof or you would need it to double as a power source as well. You could choose a charger with multi-voltage capabilities, or one that is a multi-bank charger so you can charge more than one battery at a time.
Why Trust MomJunction?
Wedetso Chirhah is an electronics and automobile enthusiast who enjoys researching the latest and most useful products. He recommends products after analyzing numerous user reviews and product listings to ensure their quality. Thus, he has compiled this list of the best car battery chargers including top-rated, high-quality products for optimal performance. This post also includes information on the types of car batteries and how to choose the right one.
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