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There’s nothing more demoralising than hopping into your car on a cold winter morning only to be greeted with the sorry sound of a car battery providing a whimper of an effort to turn the engine over.
We take a look at the best car battery chargers to keep your battery in full working condition ready to tackle any cold wintery morning and ensure you’re never let down.
All cars are inherently reliant upon their battery in order to provide the very first level of function. Without a functioning battery, your car isn’t going anywhere. As technology evolves and more and more is crammed into our cars, they are becoming even more reliant on battery power, it’s the key component of the future.
The key thing to remember and be aware of is that car batteries simply cannot sustain themselves and therefore require maintenance and regular charging, without that, failure is a nailed on certainty.
Almost every driver on the planet will have experienced a car battery failure at somepoint during their life, and if you haven’t experienced it yet, it’s unfortunately only a matter of time! It can be incredibly stressful, a major inconvenience and in some circumstances, dangerous.
If you don’t drive your car for a period of time, your battery will degrade due to lack of charging of the cells inside the battery. This is ofcourse made much worse in the cold, winter months where the cold attacks and degrades the cells.
Car batteries can ofcourse go flat and all year round but generally speaking, winter is the likeliest time for a battery to give up the ghost.
Only Got 5 Minutes?
In a rush and would like a quick overview of our chosen best car battery chargers? No problem.
1. CTEK MXS 3.8 Automatic Battery Charger
CTEK are a big hitter in the car battery charger world and their MXS 3.8 automatic battery charger hits hard. Rigorously develoed and tested in Sweden, CTEK battery chargers rarely deliver anything less than excellence. It’s extremely simple and easy to use and a range of additional accessories can be purchased to make life even easier.
Featuring a compact and shock-proof body, the MX3 3.8 automatic battery charger requires no specialist knowledge to use.
The key features of the CTEK MXS 3.8 Automatic Battery Charger are;
- Suitable for outdoor use
- Restores and reconditions flat batteries
- Designed and developed in Sweden
- Easy to use
- Shock-proof
2. CTEK MXS 10 Fully Automatic Battery Charger
Another magnificent automatic battery charger from CTEK. The MXS 10 is powerful and intelligent and is designed for use in both home and professional settings. Just like the 3.8, the MXS 10 features a shock-proof design, an important feature for health and safety purposes. The MXS 10 features an impressive supply mode which can act as a power supply (up to 10A) if the battery needs to be removed from the vehicle, protecting electrical settings.
The key features of the CTEK MXS 10 automatic battery charger are;
- Simple and easy to use
- Rapid work time
- Designed and developed in Sweden
- Shock-proof
- Impressive supply mode feature
3. NOCO GENIUS2UK 2-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger
The Noco Genius2UK is an impressive automatic smart charger offering great value for money. It boasts an impressive array of features whilst maintaining an extremely small footprint. It works with a magnitude of different battery types such as flooded, gel and AGM. There’s zero chance of overcharge thanks to Noco’s clever charge monitoring system which actively measures the charging rate at all times.
The key featuers of the Noco Genius2UK Fully automatic smart charger are;
- All-in-one solution – battery charger, battery maintainer, trickle charger, plus battery desulfator
- 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.
- Compatible with all types of batteries
4. BUDDYGO Car Battery Charger
An intelligent automatic battery charger suitable for 12v or 24v applications. The Buddygo car battery charger features built in circuit protection against reverse polarity connections, sparks, overcharging and open-circuits. It’s an impressive 3-stage charger which is suitable for most battery types including Calcium, Gel and AGM, Wet batteries. It may also help restore drained and sulphated batteries. The buddygo also features a smart repair battery feature which can revive otherwise useless batteries.
The key features of the buddygo car battery charger are;
- Designed for 12V and 24V batteries, Wide voltage support 110-265V input current
- 6 different working modes
- Easy to operate
- Multiple protection
- Smart LCD display
- Great value for money
5. NOCO GENIUS5UK, 5-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger
The Noco Genius5UK is a 5-amp fully automatic smart charger, another impressive charger from Noco. It is designed for 6-volt and 12-volt lead-acid automotive, marine, and deep-cycle batteries, including flooded, gel, AGM, and maintenance-free, plus lithium-ion batteries. It offers precise and safe charging featuring the use of an integrated thermal sensor which detects the ambient temperature and alters the charge to eliminate over-charging in hot climates and under-charging in cold climates.
The key features of the Noco Genius5UK battery charger are;
- Impressive small case size
- Repair mode
- Integrated thermal sensor
- Restores batteries
- Compatible with all battery types
6. Outerman Car Battery Charger, 12V/24V 10A Automatic Smart Charger
The outerman 12/24v 10A automatic smart charger features impressive rapid charge times. It sports a smart LCD display which displays clear and concise, easy to understand information. From a safety perspective, Built-in circuit protection guards against reverse polarity, sparks, overcharging, over-current, open-circuits, short-circuits, and overheating.
The key features of the Outerman Car Battery Charger are;
- Multi level safety protection
- Intelligent LCD display
- Works with all battery types
- Rapid fast charging
7. NOCO Genius G3500UK 6V and 12V 3.5 Amp Smart Battery Charger and Maintainer
The Noco Genius G3500UK is a 6 and 12v, 3.5 amp smart battery charger and maintainer. It’s an extremely versatile and useable charger with the ability to charge much more than just car batteries. It works with all types of 6-volt and 12-volt lead-acid batteries, including wet, gel, and AGM, or any common automotive, Deep-cycle, marine, or maintenance-free battery. A real impressive feature is it’s advanced repair mode which is designed to reverse the damaging effects when batteries are left uncharged for extended periods to improve battery performance and longevity.
The key features of the Noco Genius G3500UK charger are;
- Charges extremely fast
- Suited to a variety of battery and vehicle types
- 5 year warranty
- Easy to use
8. Röhr Car Battery Charger 10 Amp 6V / 12V DFC-10P
Designed in Germany, Rohr have a reputation for developing excellent products thanks to their extensive knowledge. The DFC-10p is a 10 amp 6 / 12v charger which features turbo and trickle charge modes for charging car, bike, boat, HGV or smaller battery units. It’s compact and robust, durable and built to last thanks to it’s metal construction. It features a pulse / maintain feature which will maintain your battery so it will continue to hold charge over time and it can repair most older batteries back to full health.
The key features of the Rohr DFC-10p car charger are;
- Compact and robust
- Trickle or fast charge switch
- Pulse Battery Maintain and Repair Technology
- Heavy Duty Durable Metal Chassis
How Do Car Battery Chargers Work?
Battery chargers work sending electricity to your car battery. When your car engine is running, the alternator is generating electricity and sending this to your battery to keep it topped up whilst running. A battery charger essentially does the same thing as an alternator, in a roundabout way.
There are a few different types of charging modes and some terms that you may or may not have heard of, let’s simplify them;
Trickle Charge – Sometimes referred to as a maintenance charge. This is where you have a battery charger connected to your car at all times. The battery charger will measure the voltage of the car battery and keep it topped up to it’s maximum sending a small amount to charge to it.
Jump Start – This is when your car battery is completely flat and doesn’t have enough power to start your car. A battery charger will give it a rapid power boost to provide the battery with enough power to start the car. Once the car starts and runs, the alternator then takes over the charging of the battery and the charger can be removed.
Standard Charging – The battery charger will send power to the car battery and charge it up from a small amount.
What’s An Automatic / Smart Charger?
We would strongly advise opting for an automatic / smart charger. Put simply, this type of charger has intelligence built into it so that it automatically shuts off and stops charging once the battery is sufficiently full. Not only that, they’ll also actively monitor the temperature of the battery and charger and stop charging if necessary.
When putting a battery on charge, you’ll more than likely be leaving it unattended. For this reason, it’s important to have the peace of mind that the battery charger can be left to do it’s job on it’s own.
What Should I Consider When Buying A Car Battery Charger?
If you’ve already decided upon what type of battery charger you’re going to go for, there are just a few other things which are an important consideration.
Car Battery Type – It’s important to know and understand what type of car battery you have. Car batteries differ in their formulation and attemping to use a non compatible battery charger can cause problems. Car battery type examples are flooded, gel and AGM etc. Make sure you chose a battery charger that’s compatible with your car battery.
Engine Size – Car engines differ in size and capacity, it’s important to choose a battery charger that’s going to provide sufficient power to jump start your car if you need to use that function. It’s not too much of an issue if you’re trickle charging your battery, but it’s definitely worth buying a battery charger which has enough power to match your car.
What Causes Car Batteries To Go Flat?
In a nutshell, car batteries go flat because they haven’t had enough time to charge properly. For example, short journeys in your car can seriously degrade the health of your battery. Your battery is using lots of it’s power and capacity to get the engine turned over and started and then simply isn’t getting enough of a recharge from the alternator before the car is turned off again. Always try to avoid frequent short journeys.
Flat batteries are much more prevelant during the winter months due to the excessively cold temperatures. A flat battery is the single most common cause of a car not starting.
Another major cause of a flat battery is a fault with the charging system. If your car alternator or anything else on the charging system is faulty, your battery isn’t going to charge and become flat very quickly. This could be down to a problem with the alternator itself, a problem with an auxillary belt etc.
Other common causes of flat batteries are;
- If a car hasn’t been used for a while
- A fault with the battery itself
- Headlights or tail lights left on
Modern cars are fitted with extremely intelligent systems which are designed to prevent a car battery going flat. For example, if you leave your headlights on and lock the car, the car will automatically kill the power to the headlights after around 30 minutes irrespective of the switch still being set to on. These sort of features aren’t present in older cars and unfortunately, leaving the lights on will result in a flat battery and a non starting car in the morning.
Our Top Pick Car Battery Chargers
1. CTEK MXS 3.8 Automatic Battery Charger
CTEK are a big hitter in the car battery charger world and their MXS 3.8 automatic battery charger hits hard. Rigorously develoed and tested in Sweden, CTEK battery chargers rarely deliver anything less than excellence. It’s extremely simple and easy to use and a range of additional accessories can be purchased to make life even easier.
Featuring a compact and shock-proof body, the MX3 3.8 automatic battery charger requires no specialist knowledge to use.
The key features of the CTEK MXS 3.8 Automatic Battery Charger are;
- Suitable for outdoor use
- Restores and reconditions flat batteries
- Designed and developed in Sweden
- Easy to use
- Shock-proof
2. CTEK MXS 10 Fully Automatic Battery Charger
Another magnificent automatic battery charger from CTEK. The MXS 10 is powerful and intelligent and is designed for use in both home and professional settings. Just like the 3.8, the MXS 10 features a shock-proof design, an important feature for health and safety purposes. The MXS 10 features an impressive supply mode which can act as a power supply (up to 10A) if the battery needs to be removed from the vehicle, protecting electrical settings.
The key features of the CTEK MXS 10 automatic battery charger are;
- Simple and easy to use
- Rapid work time
- Designed and developed in Sweden
- Shock-proof
- Impressive supply mode feature
3. NOCO GENIUS2UK 2-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger
The Noco Genius2UK is an impressive automatic smart charger offering great value for money. It boasts an impressive array of features whilst maintaining an extremely small footprint. It works with a magnitude of different battery types such as flooded, gel and AGM. There’s zero chance of overcharge thanks to Noco’s clever charge monitoring system which actively measures the charging rate at all times.
The key featuers of the Noco Genius2UK Fully automatic smart charger are;
- All-in-one solution – battery charger, battery maintainer, trickle charger, plus battery desulfator
- 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.
- Compatible with all types of batteries
4. BUDDYGO Car Battery Charger
An intelligent automatic battery charger suitable for 12v or 24v applications. The Buddygo car battery charger features built in circuit protection against reverse polarity connections, sparks, overcharging and open-circuits. It’s an impressive 3-stage charger which is suitable for most battery types including Calcium, Gel and AGM, Wet batteries. It may also help restore drained and sulphated batteries. The buddygo also features a smart repair battery feature which can revive otherwise useless batteries.
The key features of the buddygo car battery charger are;
- Designed for 12V and 24V batteries, Wide voltage support 110-265V input current
- 6 different working modes
- Easy to operate
- Multiple protection
- Smart LCD display
- Great value for money
5. NOCO GENIUS5UK, 5-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger
The Noco Genius5UK is a 5-amp fully automatic smart charger, another impressive charger from Noco. It is designed for 6-volt and 12-volt lead-acid automotive, marine, and deep-cycle batteries, including flooded, gel, AGM, and maintenance-free, plus lithium-ion batteries. It offers precise and safe charging featuring the use of an integrated thermal sensor which detects the ambient temperature and alters the charge to eliminate over-charging in hot climates and under-charging in cold climates.
The key features of the Noco Genius5UK battery charger are;
- Impressive small case size
- Repair mode
- Integrated thermal sensor
- Restores batteries
- Compatible with all battery types
6. Outerman Car Battery Charger, 12V/24V 10A Automatic Smart Charger
The outerman 12/24v 10A automatic smart charger features impressive rapid charge times. It sports a smart LCD display which displays clear and concise, easy to understand information. From a safety perspective, Built-in circuit protection guards against reverse polarity, sparks, overcharging, over-current, open-circuits, short-circuits, and overheating.
The key features of the Outerman Car Battery Charger are;
- Multi level safety protection
- Intelligent LCD display
- Works with all battery types
- Rapid fast charging
7. NOCO Genius G3500UK 6V and 12V 3.5 Amp Smart Battery Charger and Maintainer
The Noco Genius G3500UK is a 6 and 12v, 3.5 amp smart battery charger and maintainer. It’s an extremely versatile and useable charger with the ability to charge much more than just car batteries. It works with all types of 6-volt and 12-volt lead-acid batteries, including wet, gel, and AGM, or any common automotive, Deep-cycle, marine, or maintenance-free battery. A real impressive feature is it’s advanced repair mode which is designed to reverse the damaging effects when batteries are left uncharged for extended periods to improve battery performance and longevity.
The key features of the Noco Genius G3500UK charger are;
- Charges extremely fast
- Suited to a variety of battery and vehicle types
- 5 year warranty
- Easy to use
8. Röhr Car Battery Charger 10 Amp 6V / 12V DFC-10P
Designed in Germany, Rohr have a reputation for developing excellent products thanks to their extensive knowledge. The DFC-10p is a 10 amp 6 / 12v charger which features turbo and trickle charge modes for charging car, bike, boat, HGV or smaller battery units. It’s compact and robust, durable and built to last thanks to it’s metal construction. It features a pulse / maintain feature which will maintain your battery so it will continue to hold charge over time and it can repair most older batteries back to full health.
The key features of the Rohr DFC-10p car charger are;
- Compact and robust
- Trickle or fast charge switch
- Pulse Battery Maintain and Repair Technology
- Heavy Duty Durable Metal Chassis
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