It’s that time of year when we put our toys into storage. Here are the top 5 BEST Battery chargers, tenders, and maintainers.
Why should you put a battery tender on?
If your vehicle is not a daily driver or is going to be stored long-term, a Battery Tender will maintain a proper state of charge as well as prevent damage to the battery from over-charging.
A charger typically sends a constant charge to the battery with no regard to whether it actually needs to continue being charged. This means it’s possible to overcharge the battery with a charger — which can result in damage to the battery.
So here is a look at our picks for the best battery chargers:
Our TOP Pick
NICHE 1-Amp Fully-Automatic LCD Smart Battery Charger
This is the one I use. I have several of these to maintain the batteries on my boat, SXS, camper, and even my electric man lift.
- Designed for ALL 6-Volt and 12-Volt lead acid batteries (WET, MF, AGM, GEL)
- Compatible With OEM Brands such as Yuasa, Honda, Polaris, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Can-Am, John Deere, Cub Cadet, and Many More
- This charger has a range of amps from 0.75-1.0A; Activated Voltage 3V for 6V battery, 7.3V for 12V battery
- Automatic LCD Light of detection for 6V or 12V; LCD display shows battery bar for charge level; Float charger as its charging current is always around 0.8A; Charger will not charge if reverse polarity
- Volt Test button that can be used when not connected to AC power, which for 10 seconds the LCD panel display will flash the battery voltage range of 4V to 16V; Main output cable is 6 feet; The clips
Our RUNNER Up
Battery Tender 12V, 800mA Weather-Resistant Battery Charger and Maintainer
- Designed for 12 volt lead acid, AGM, and gel batteries in ATVs, personal watercraft, motorcycles, boats, or other recreational vehicles that may be exposed to the elements
- Mountable on or in vehicle, water resistant, shock and vibration resistant. Spark-proof and reverse polarity protected
- Includes 12V, 800mA battery charger, ring terminal and alligator clip connectors, 12 ft cord reach, 3-year warranty and lifetime customer support
- Unit Dimensions: 4.35“ x 2.75“ x 1.5“; Unit Weight: 1 lb (charger only)
Your 3rd pick
2-in-1 Smart Car Battery Charger and Battery Tester
- Smart 2-in-1Car battery charger & tester helps you save money and space! The perfect combination makes it ideal for domestic battery maintenance and professional technicians. Quick Charging mode allows you to start charging directly by pressing the button on the charger without using the App. Compatible with all 6V & 12V lead-acid ,deep-cycle batteries: flooded, gel, AGM, maintenance-free, WET, CAL, EFB, 12V lithium-ion, LiFePO4 batteries.
- Car Battery Tester with Pre- and Post-Report】 The TB6000pro is also a car battery tester can display a pre- and post-report showing accurate data comparison. By comparing the data including CCA, Internal Resistance, Voltage, State of Health, the report indicates how much the battery has been improved after being charged. You can also save the testing reports to photos to view at any time. It is compatible with 100-2000CCA regular flooded, AGM flat/spiral, EFB and GEL batteries.
- Connect your phone via Bluetooth to intelligently manage battery charging and battery testing. The timed charging function allows you to automatically charge at low-cost times, saving you money on electricity bills. You can also adjust the charging current and voltage, and set the voltage (6-16V) and current (1-6A) regulation with 0.1 accuracy. Monitor real-time power consumption and charged power; Generate a pre- and post-report.
Our 4th Pick
Battery Tender Plus 12V Battery Charger and Maintainer
- STAY CHARGED: Provides a full charge to your powersports vehicle’s battery before switching to float mode to maintain proper voltage levels for safe, long-term storage without overcharging
- EXTEND BATTERY LIFE: Compatible with all 12V lead-acid, flooded, AGM, and gel cell batteries. Complete 4-step charging program (Initialization, Bulk Charge, Float Mode) allows for optimization of battery power, without overcharging
- INCLUDES: 12V, 1.25 AMP battery charger, fused ring terminal and alligator clip accessory cables, 10-year warranty, and lifetime customer support
- EASY TO USE: Low maintenance design is quick and easy to use, this universal powersport vehicle charger and maintainer is 4.87 x 3.25 x 2.93 inches, 1.45 lbs (charger only)
- MONITOR POWER LEVELS: Solid state two-color LED light indicates the state of the charge and if the battery voltage drops too far under load, charging will resume full charger output power
Our 5th Pick
NOCO Genius GEN5X2, 2-Bank, 10-Amp
- Similar to our GENM2, only better. It’s 37% smaller and delivers 43% more power. It’s one of the best performing onboard marine battery chargers we have ever made.
- Multiple banks – A two-bank onboard battery charger rated a 10-amps – 5-amps per bank – for 12-volt batteries, including marine, boat, starter, and deep-cycle batteries.
- Charging modes – Independently charge and control each battery bank with selectable charging modes – including 12V, 12V AGM, 12V Lithium, and 12V Repair Mode – for all types of lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries.
- Enjoy precision charging – An integrated thermal sensor detects the ambient temperature and alters the charge to eliminate over-charging in hot climates and under-charging in cold climates.
- Charge dead batteries – Charges batteries as low as 1-volt. Or use the all-new force mode that allows you to take control and manually begin charging dead batteries down to zero volts.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO USE A BATTERY MAINTAINER
The main advantage of battery maintainers is that they won’t overcharge the vehicle’s battery. This makes them perfect for maintaining your battery when it’s going to be stored or unused for some time.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO USE A CHARGER
The best time to use a charger is when you have a dead battery that needs to be charged. You will want to monitor the battery and charger to make sure your battery doesn’t get overcharged.
What are your thoughts on our top 5 BEST Battery Tenders, maintainers, and Chargers?
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