Battery chargers and maintainers are designed to keep your battery fully charged and ready for use. They use sensors to detect when your battery requires additional voltage. If you keep a vehicle for occasional use at your summer home, or have a classic car you like to drive when the weather is fine, a battery charger can help make sure these will always start, first time!
We reviewed dozens of battery chargers and battery maintainers to identify the best of the best. We considered features such as portability, average charge time, and the type of battery the charger was intended for.
As our Top Pick, we selected the BATTERY TENDER® 6V Junior Automatic Battery Charger. This battery charger includes a range of great features, including a 4-step charging program. It also comes with 5-year warranty, giving you the peace of mind this product will last the test of time.
In This Article
The 5 Top-Rated Battery Chargers
| Editor's Picks | Brand | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall | BATTERY TENDER® 6V Junior Automatic Battery Charger | 4.7 |
| Runner Up | NOCO Genius G1100 Battery Maintainer | 4.2 |
| Best Budget Buy | Orion Motor Tech Battery Maintainer | 4.0 |
| Best Solar Battery Charger Pick | BATTERY TENDER® Solar Charger and Maintainer | 4.3 |
| Best 12 Volt Battery Charger Pick | BATTERY TENDER® Plus 12 Volt Smart Charger | 4.7 |
*Ratings are from Amazon at time of publication and can change
Our Top Pick: BATTERY TENDER® 6V Junior Automatic Battery Charger
Our top pick from all the battery charger we reviewed is the BATTERY TENDER® 6V Junior Automatic Battery Charger. This battery is 6 volts and 1.25 amps. It is designed for spark-proof connection of leads to your battery, and includes a reverse polarity protection in case of incorrect lead connection.
The intelligent, 4-step charging program includes initialization, bulk charge, and float mode settings, to ensure your battery is not overcharged. With over 2,000 reviews on Amazon, and an average rating of 4.7 stars, you can be sure that this #1 best-selling battery charger is going to meet, or exceed, your expectations.
BATTERY TENDER® 6V Junior Automatic Battery Charger Key Features:
- 5-year warranty
- 4-step charging program
- Fully automatic and easy to use
Our Runner Up Pick: NOCO Genius G1100 Battery Maintainer
As our runner up pick, we selected the NOCO Genius G1100 Battery Maintainer. This offers a wide range of flexible features, including the fact that it works on all types of 6 volt, and 12 volt lead-acid batteries. The optimized charge mode is designed to safely charge your battery, using advanced charging technology to monitor and maintain your battery.
It’s safe to leave this plugged in and maintaining your battery all year round, as the onboard microcomputer will minimize energy consumption. The rubberized base is designed to both avoid slipping, and protect any surface the battery maintainer is sitting on from being scratched.
NOCO Genius G1100 Battery Maintainer Key Features:
- 5 year guarantee
- Available in 7 different Amp models
- 10 foot extension lead
Best Budget Pick: Orion Motor Tech Battery Maintainer
The Orion Motor Tech Battery Maintainer is a good choice for those on a budget. While offering great value at less than $10, this battery maintainer still provides a good range of features. These include a fully automatic program controlled by a micro-processor. This means you can plug this battery maintainer in and walk away, knowing that it will monitor your battery’s charge, and stop charging when the battery is full.
This battery maintainer is suitable for all types of 12 volt battery, including flooded, sealed, AGM, and gel cell. Reviewers on Amazon commented on what great value this battery maintainer is. Orion Motor Tech also offer a full money back guarantee which gives great peace of mind.
Orion Motor Tech Battery Maintainer Key Features:
- 5 year warranty
- Easy operation
- Fully automatic
Best Solar Battery Charger: BATTERY TENDER® Solar Charger and Maintainer
If you’re looking for a solar-powered battery charger, check out the BATTERY TENDER® Solar Charger and Maintainer. Sometimes you need to charge your battery, but don’t have an electrical power outlet nearby, when camping or RVing, for example. In those types of situations, a solar battery charger is the perfect solution.
This battery charger includes a built-in solar panel, and uses a 3-step micro-controller to make sure your battery is not overcharged. It also offers reverse polarity protection, and comes with full instructions as to the best position and angle for the solar panel, to maximize power output. It’s both spark proof and weatherproof, making it an incredibly durable purchase.
BATTERY TENDER® Solar Charger and Maintainer Key Features:
- 100% portable
- Weatherproof
- CE-approved
Best 12 Volt Battery Charger: BATTERY TENDER® Plus 12 Volt Smart Charger
The BATTERY TENDER® Plus 12 Volt Smart Charger is a 1.25 Amp battery charger that’s fully automatic, and includes a convenient quick connect harness for hard to reach batteries. This ‘Plus’ model provides 50% more power than the BATTERY TENDER® Junior model, making it suitable for larger vehicles with a heaver voltage draw.
The 4-step charging program used by BATTERY TENDER® is designed to completely charge your battery, before switching to float mode in order to prevent damage from overcharging.
BATTERY TENDER® Plus 12 Volt Smart Charger Key Features:
- Rugged design
- Reverse polarity protection
- 6 foot power cord
Who Should Buy a Battery Charger
If you own any battery powered vehicles, then a battery charger is an excellent addition to your garage! You may have a classic car that you only use when the weather is fine, and worry about the battery draining flat during periods of bad weather. Perhaps you own a snowmobile which you only use for a few weeks a year, and keep in storage. For both these examples, and many more, a battery charger or battery maintainer is the perfect way to make sure your vehicle is always ready to use, with a fully charged battery.
The best car batteries are not cheap, and you may not want to use a trickle charger on them, for fear of the battery being damaged by overcharging. With a battery maintainer, there’s no need to worry about that. Battery maintainers use an on-board computer to monitor the battery charge level, and they won’t add charge to a full battery.
Important Features to Consider
A battery charger should have a few important features. Here’s what to consider when selecting the best battery charger for your needs:
- Type of battery. Before selecting a battery charger, make sure it’s suitable for the size and type of battery you have. A battery charger with a lower voltage, such as 6 volts, won’t be able to charge a large, 12-volt battery. Check the compatibility for the type of battery you have as well, be it lead-acid, flooded, or a gel cell battery.
- Reverse polarity warning. If you’re worried about which lead of the battery charger to attach to which battery terminal, select a battery charger with a reverse polarity warning. This will alert you if the leads are attached incorrectly.
- Power source. Most battery chargers are plugged into a power outlet, but if you want to charge your battery in a remote location, this is no use. Some battery chargers use solar panels to provide power, which is useful if you are off-grid.
- Cable length. Be sure to choose a battery charger with a long enough cable, so that it can reach the location of your battery when the charger is plugged in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a battery maintainer and how does it work?
A battery maintainer is designed to keep your battery fully charged. To do this, they use either mains electricity, or solar power. Battery maintainers monitor the charge of your battery, and will prevent overcharging.
How long does it take to charge a car battery with a 12 volt charger?
Charging time can vary greatly depending on the charger and batter and it could take up to 24 hours to get the battery to charge fully.
The length it takes to charge a car battery with a 12 volt charger depends on the capacity of the battery as well as the charger’s features, such as if it’s micro-processor controlled and designed to enhance AGM charging characteristics. The charger setting could also influence how long it takes to charge the battery.
Will a battery maintainer charge a dead battery?
Battery maintainers do need a small amount of voltage from the battery in order to function correctly. If your 12-volt battery is totally dead, then a battery maintainer may not be able to start charging it. On the other hand, if there is a small amount of voltage still present in the battery, they can begin charging.
Some battery maintainers can completely recharge smaller capacity batteries such as those used for motorcycles, snowmobiles, and ATV’s, but we recommend you check the product listing as this isn’t always the case.
Do battery maintainers ruin batteries?
They shouldn’t! Unlike trickle chargers, which constantly provide your battery with a charge, a battery maintainer uses more sophisticated technology in order to determine the current charge of the battery.
Even when you leave the battery maintainer connected and plugged in for long periods of time, it will only apply a charge to the battery when it senses the voltage has dropped below a certain level. This removes the risk of overcharging, and damage to your battery as a result of this.
Other Battery Chargers and Maintainers We Reviewed
We looked at 20 other battery chargers and battery maintainers. Even though they didn’t make our 5 best battery chargers and maintainers, they’re the best of the rest and each is still a great option for your vehicle. The information you’ll need to compare each one is included with the listing.
Solar Battery Maintainers
ALLPOWERS Solar Battery Maintainer
This solar powered battery maintainer is perfect for remote locations.
Key Features:
- Reverse polarity protection
- 12 Volts
- 18 month warranty
Cost: $46
MoPower2U Solar Battery Maintainer
This solar battery maintainer uses heavy gauge, weather proof wiring.
Key Features:
- 12 Volts
- Weatherproof outer case
- 1 year warranty
Cost: $36
Schumacher SP-200 Solar Battery Maintainer
This solar battery maintainer offers great value for money, and is suitable for 12 Volt lead-acid batteries.
Key Features:
- Available in 5 Wattage models
- Water resistant
- Helps to extend battery life
Cost: $20
SUNER POWER Solar Battery Maintainer
Reverse polarity protection means there’s no danger of damaging your battery when using this battery maintainer.
Key Features:
- Suitable for a wide range of batteries
- 12 Volts
- Rugged ABS frame
Cost: $66
Sunway Solar Battery Maintainer
This solar battery maintainer is perfect for remote trips when you want to keep your battery charged.
Key Features:
- Available in 3 Watt, and 1.5 Watt models
- Suitable for 12 Volt batteries
- 1 year warranty
12 Volt Battery Maintainers
Black+Decker BM3B 12 Volt Battery Maintainer
This battery maintainer switches automatically to flat mode when your battery is fully charged.
Key Features:
- Integrated mounting bracket
- Circuit protection guards
- Easy connection
Cost: $18
KeyLine Chargers Automatic Battery Maintainer
This 12 Volt battery maintainer features a desulfation program, which can prolong your battery life by up to 4 times.
Key Features:
- Overcharge protection
- Compact design
- 5 year warranty
Cost: $35
LST Automatic Battery Maintainer
The automatic trickle charge of this battery maintainer switches to float mode once your battery is fully charged.
Key Features:
- Lifetime quality assurance
- Compact and lightweight
- Water resistant
Cost: $22
Optima Digital Performance Battery Maintainer
This battery maintainer can charge batteries with very low power, that other maintainers cannot.
Key Features:
- Fast charge
- USB charging port
- Suitable for 12 Volt AGM and flooded batteries
Cost: $200
Schumacher Fully Automatic Battery Maintainer
The auto voltage detection feature of this battery maintainer automatically detects which power of battery it’s connected to.
Key Features:
- Reverse polarity protection
- Microprocessor controlled
- Quick connect harness
6 Volt Battery Maintainers
AstroAI 6 Volt Battery Maintainer
This battery maintainer also allows for the option to charge 12 Volt batteries.
Key Features:
- Fast charging
- 4-stage charging process
- 5 year warranty
Cost: $30
This 6 Volt BATTERY TENDER® includes a 12 foot output cord, for easy connection.
Key Features:
- 5 year warranty
- 3-step charging program
- Suitable for all 6 Volt batteries
Cost: $32
Mroinge 6 Volt Battery Maintainer
The 4-step charging program of this battery maintainer prevents overcharging.
Key Features:
- Suitable for 6 Volt lead-acid, sealed, flooded, AGM, and gel cell batteries
- Reverse polarity protection
- 12 foot power cord
Cost: $17
Schumacher Fully Automatic Battery Charger
This battery maintainer has the capability to automatically detect if it’s connected to a 6, or 12 Volt battery.
Key Features:
- Microprocessor controlled
- Reverse polarity protection
- Multi-stage charging
Cost: $41
Suuwer Junior Battery Maintainer
This battery maintainer is suitable for lead-acid batteries.
Key Features:
- Available in 3 models
- 4-step smart conditioning program
- 12 foot power cord
Battery Charger Banks
BATTERY TENDER® 2 Bank Battery Charger
The 2 independent charging stations of this battery maintainer mean it’s perfect if you have multiple batteries to keep charged.
Key Features:
- 2 year warranty
- 3-step charging program
- Suitable for AGM, sealed, and flooded batteries
Cost: $90
BATTERY TENDER® Plus 5 Bank Shop Charger
This large, 5 bank battery maintainer is perfect for the semi-professional car enthusiast.
Key Features:
- Individual LED battery status indicators
- 4-step charging program
- Safety timer
Cost: $500
Clore Automotive 4 Bank Battery Maintenance Station
The fully automatic system of this battery maintainer means you can plug it in, and leave it without worry.
Key Features:
- Multi-phase charging process
- Suitable for 2 Volt batteries
- 4 independent outlets
Cost: $112
NOCO Genius G4 Advanced 4 Bank Battery Maintainer
As well as topping up 12 Volt batteries, this can completely recharge smaller, 6 Volt batteries.
Key Features:
- 5 year warranty
- Suitable for all 6, and 12 Volt batteries
- 4 charging stations
Cost: $169
Yuasa Dual-Bank Automatic Battery Maintainer
This battery maintainer features 2 independent charging stations.
Key Features:
- Suitable for 6, and 12 Volt batteries
- 5-stage charging program
- Active desulfation to recover sulfated batteries
Cost: $80
