We all believe it happened at least once to live the not exactly pleasant experience of trying to turn on the car and discover that the battery has run out. Once upon a time the only solutions were: contacting a friend with a car and the charging cables or hoping to find an electrician nearby.
Now the solution is much simpler and goes through the car charger, a device that allows you to bring the battery back to life and which is available in numerous versions.
To try to clarify a bit, we have created this buying guide in which we list the elements to consider before choosing which model to buy. Here we will be listing the top 8 best battery chargers.
- [All in One, Keep your battery charged and your car ready to go] Battery Charger automotive 10-Amp 12V and 24V Fully-Automatic Smart, It's smaller but delivers more power. It's the all-in-one solution battery charger, battery maintainer, trickle charger, plus battery desulfator. Charge or repair all 12V and 24V lead-acid automotive, marine, and deep-cycle batteries, including AGM, GEL, SLA, and Flooded in cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, lawnmowers, boats, marine, etc.
- [Enjoy Precision Charging, Your car deserves the best] Using a backlit LCD, the battery charger automotive clearly and visibly shows an LCD screen displaying the charging status and battery status; 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.
- [Restore your Battery, Don't let a dead battery ruin your plans] Built-in advanced battery REPAIR mode to help to recover old/idle batteries and extend battery life. Please use repair mode if the car battery charger cannot charge the battery. The high-frequency and low-frequency pulse technology has good repair and activation effects. Note: It can not activate a dead battery or repair a damaged battery. LITHIUM BATTERIES ARE NOT ALLOWED
- 【10-AMP QUICK CHARGER】12V 10-Amp and 24V 5-Amp 7-stage quick battery charger, charging speed is much faster than 8-Amp or 5-Amp automatic chargers. Charge or repair all 12-volt and 24volt lead-acid automotive, marine and deep-cycle batteries including AGM, GEL, SLA, Flooded in cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, lawn mowers, boats marine, etc. NEW REPLACEMENT AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUALITY ISSUE.
- 【WINTER HOLIDAY BATTERY HOUSEKEEPER】Smart control, temp compensation in hot or cold climates, reverse protection, cooling system, overcurrent, fireproof material, overcharge, short circuit. Battery trickle charger with multiple protections ensures the safety of charging perfectly for maintaining batteries for months over the winter or holidays. Avoid battery failure in advance. No worries! Perfect household tool and gift for New Year!
- 【HIGH-EFFICIENCY PULSE REPAIR】Automatically detects battery sulfation and acid stratification, take newest pulse repair function to restore lost battery performance for stronger engine starts and extended battery life. Note: can not activate or charging totally dead batteries.
- 【LiFePO4 LEAD-ACID BATTERY CHARGER】12V 10-Amp and 24V 5-Amp 8-stage quick battery charger, charging speed is much faster than 8-Amp or 1-Amp automatic chargers. Charge or repair all 12-volt and 24volt LiFePO4 or lead-acid automotive, marine and deep-cycle batteries including AGM, GEL, SLA, Flooded in cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, lawnmowers, boat marine, etc. NEW REPLACEMENT AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUALITY ISSUE.
- 【BRIGHTER SCREEN VISUALIZED CHARGING】 Extra large LCD screen not only clear to see under the sunlight but also displays the charging and battery status; charge voltage and current, inside temperature, charge percentage, summer mode, winter mode, etc. The lengthened 10ft charging cable is more convenient to use.
- 【UPGRADED 8-STAGE CHARGING AND TRICKLE MODE】The first battery charger that adopts 8-stage charging process, much safer and more efficient. Automatically enters trickle/float charging mode after fully charged, keep maintaining your batteries during this winter and more, leave batteries for holiday months and still brand new when you back.
- POWERFUL PERFORMANCE: The Schumacher SC1281 delivers 100A engine start, a 30A boost, and 6A<>2A charge/maintain rates; Strong enough for cars, SUVs, and trucks
- 30A BOOST MODE: The boost modes quickly bring deeply discharged batteries back to life
- ADVANCED DIAGNOSTICS: A built-in battery and alternator tester determines charge level and helps diagnose electrical problems
- Meet the GENIUS10 - Similar to our G7200, just better. It's 17% smaller and delivers over 115% more power. It's the all-in-one universal charging solution - battery charger, battery maintainer, trickle charger, float charger, plus battery desulfator.
- Do more with Genius - Designed for 6-volt and 12-volt sealed lead-acid automotive, marine, RV, powersport, and deep-cycle batteries, including flooded, gel, AGM, SLA, VRLA and maintenance-free, plus lithium-ion batteries (lifepo4).
- Enjoy precision charging - An integrated digital thermal sensor detects the ambient temperature and alters the charge to eliminate over-charging in hot climates and under-charging in cold climates.
- Meet the GENIUS1 - Similar to our G750, just better. It's 35% smaller and delivers over 35% more power. It's the all-in-one universal charging solution - battery charger, battery maintainer, trickle charger, float charger, plus battery desulfator.
- Do more with Genius - Designed for 6-volt and 12-volt sealed lead-acid automotive, marine, RV, powersport, and deep-cycle batteries, including flooded, gel, AGM, SLA, VRLA and maintenance-free, plus lithium-ion batteries (lifepo4).
- Enjoy precision charging - An integrated digital thermal sensor detects the ambient temperature and alters the charge to eliminate over-charging in hot climates and under-charging in cold climates.
- Powerful Performance: The Schumacher SC1309 delivers a 200 cranking amp engine start, a 40-amp boost mode, and 6-amp<>2-amp (12-volt) and 2-amp (6-volt) charge/maintain rates; Strong enough for cars, SUVs, and trucks
- Fast 40-Amp Boost Mode: With the 40-amp boost charging mode you can bring even deeply discharged batteries back to life by quickly adding battery charge
- Built-In Diagnostics: The Schumacher Electric SC1309 Fully Automatic Wheeled Jump Starter and Battery Charger features a built-in battery and alternator tester that determines charge level and helps diagnose electrical problems
- Jump Starting Power: The SC1437’s powerful engine starting capability boasts 150 cranking amps, which is strong enough to start cars, SUVs, trucks, boats, and other large engines
- 25-Amp Boost Mode: The Schumacher Electric SC1437’s 25-amp boost mode will bring even deeply discharged batteries back to life by quickly adding charge to the batteries
- Precision Manual Control: The Schumacher Electric SC1437’s 135-minute timer gives users complete control over every stage of the charging process, allowing complete customization
Buyer Guide to Choose the Best Battery Chargers
If you happen to use your car or motorbike sporadically and therefore often leave it stationary for prolonged periods of time, it may happen that the battery is discharged and that the vehicle is therefore unable to start.
A charger therefore represents a perfect solution to remedy this problem and avoid … walking. Typically it looks like a small case or a cuboid, better if equipped with a handle that facilitates its transport, equipped with power supply and cables (equipped with pliers) to connect to the poles of the battery to be recharged.
At the top of the list of aspects to consider before purchasing a product of this type there are two factors: the amperage of the battery to be recharged and the speed with which you want the recharge to be carried out.
In addition, you will also have to decide if you need a portable model , to always have with you in the trunk of the car so you can use it wherever you are in case of need, or one that needs electricity and to be kept in the garage.
Full Charge or Fast Reboot?
As mentioned, it is very important that you know exactly what type of battery is mounted on your machine. For example, if you drive a petrol sedan it is likely that it is a model with 12 V power supply, while if you are behind the wheel of a van with a diesel engine it is likely that it is a 24 V.
There are also different types of batteries, each of which works differently and has advantages and disadvantages. The most common are those with lead-acid, then there are nickel-zinc batteries, AGM and those with gelatinized acid (called gel). In general, all of them need some maintenance and need to be recharged.
This is why it is important, when choosing a charger, to decide whether to go to a model for emergency starting, to be used only in exceptional cases, or on a charge maintainer, to be used from time to time to recharge complete with the battery which, inexorably, over time tends to discharge.
This operation must be carried out using an ad hoc charger, capable of providing a low amount of charge to the battery but for an extended period of time.
Let’s say that an operation of this type requires a dozen hours and it is advisable to carry it out by leaving the appliance running all night, relying on one of the products made by the best brands in the sector.
An Intelligent Model
Traditional chargers do not have a battery analysis function. For this, comparing the prices, you will notice that the price is much lower than that of other intelligent models . But how do these more expensive but also more advanced devices differ, to the point of deserving the name of… brilliant?
The normal charging devices sold on the market in fact supply energy as long as they are connected and cannot “understand” when the operation is completed. The risk is that if you forget to unplug it, the battery may be overcharged and damaged.
The intelligent models, on the other hand, have different phases for desulphating, reconditioning, recharging and maintaining all types of batteries, because they “dialogue” with them, minimizing the risk of an excessive or insufficient charge.
Their intelligence derives from the fact that they are equipped with an internal microchip that deals with managing the various aspects of the operation as well as inverter technology that ensures a perfectly stable output current.
Reading the technical data sheets and the reviews you will easily find the intelligent models and you can opt for the one that best meets your needs, including spending.
Speaking of car accessories, you may need a good portable compressor , to be used not only for tires but also for inflating inflatable boats, bike wheels, etc. In this case you can find our reviews on the dedicated page.
Fast Charging
One of the advantages of the Deca 0400204 car charger is the hours it takes to make your vehicle’s battery come back as new. In fact, in about 8 hours the battery is fully recharged. This is also thanks to the power supplied which stands at 130 W.
During the recharging hours you can rest assured that the operation takes place without in any way damaging the battery or the rest of the car’s electrical system.
This is thanks to the presence of active protection devices that keep the charging phases under control. The clamps to be connected to the battery terminals are also protected by a system that prevents any reverse polarity.
The article, although considered by many users to be very good especially in consideration of the selling price, is not without defects. For example, some owners of the charger are not satisfied with the 15A fuse which is considered to be undersized compared to its task which is to keep the protection systems active.
Also Suitable for Workshops
To function, the Deca charger must necessarily be connected to an electrical outlet. This feature limits its use a little. In fact, if you remain stranded in areas without electricity it is not practically usable. On the contrary, in the garage or even in workshops, where there is an electrical outlet, it does its job properly.
The supplied cable is over two meters long, and therefore you will hardly need an extension to use it. Even the weight of only 4 kilos allows you to move it to various areas of the workshop, where you need it, without much effort.
Few Frills
The product does not offer many functions which, on the other hand, are found on other level car chargers. In addition to the possibility of seeing the amperage, thanks to an indicator located on the front, there are no other peculiarities that can be useful in certain situations such as, for example, the regulation of the current supplied.
Despite this, we are faced with a robust product (it is built in metal with air intakes placed on both sides) designed to last over time and which becomes ideal for those who need to recharge the battery in reasonable times and nothing else.
The voltage of this battery must be between 12 and 24 volts. Keep in mind that if the battery model to be recharged has a different voltage, the product is practically unusable.