Don’t you feel annoyed when your car doesn’t start? Batteries that are not charged can be quite annoying at times. Maybe you want to go to your summertime lodge for the weekend and your Jeep won’t start. Or it’s time to mow the lawn, and your lawnmower is out of its battery. Or maybe it’s time to go on a bike ride, and your favorite one won’t start.
All of these are battery problems. They are out of charge. That is why you need to have a battery charger handy at all times.
There are different charges for different types of batteries. Not all chargers can charge every vehicle’s battery. Some charge small vehicles, and other charge heavy vehicle batteries. Some battery chargers don’t support all battery types. So it is better if you know about them before buying one.
Here we have gathered all the best 12 volt battery chargers available on the market right now. They start from bike battery chargers and go to personal plane or RV chargers.
Top 5 Best 12 Volt Battery Chargers for Bikes, Cars, RVs, Tractors, and Personal Plane
1. NOCO GENIUS1, 1-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger
If you are talking about battery chargers, portability should be your priority. Today, you no longer need to wait for someone to help you get going.
The NOCO Genius1 is an automatic car charger that is steady, stable, and reliable. It is cost-efficient and does what it says. The best part of NOCO Genius1 is that it can charge all types of batteries, be it AGM, Lithium-ion, or deep cycle. It can charge both 6 volts and 12volt batteries.
It has the function to trickle charge and keep your battery charged for a long period of inactivity. The inbuilt temperature sensor makes the necessary adjustments to make the 1-amp charge distribute accordingly. Also, the temperature sensor understands the climate and provides the correct charge accordingly. So there is no fear of undercharging or overcharging.
Another fine feature of the NOCO Genius1 is it can revive a completely dead battery. Although it is an automatic charger, it has a Force Mode which acts as a manual charger. So it can do a continuous charge to a dead battery that has zero battery voltage without any trouble at all.
Although it is a battery charger, it only charges batteries up to 30amps. Over that, it can’t charge. So it is good for bikes, lawnmowers, and batteries that are not over 30 amps. So be sure to check your battery amps before you order this product. Otherwise, your battery will charge slowly like a sloth.
If you check the manual, it lets you know how long it takes a particular vehicle battery to charge. With NOCO Genius1, it takes a motorcycle battery 15 hours to charge in 20 amp/hr, a lawnmower battery 30 hours in 40 amp/hr, a full-size car battery takes 60 hours at 80 amp/hr, and a truck battery 75 hours on 100 amp/hr. So it is wise to use a high amp charger than a Genius1 to charge larger batteries.
Pros:
- Automatic detection, automatic charging, and turn off.
- Temperature control built-in.
- Great value for money.
Cons:
- Not made for all cars and obviously not trucks.
2. TowerTop 2/10/25A 12V Smart Battery Charger/Maintainer
This charger from TowerTop does what it says and more. It can charge many types of batteries. It has automatic battery detection so it can charge at the appropriate amp rate. GEL, AGM, and STD batteries can be charged with this. After the battery is fully charged, it detects it and turns it over by itself. So you don’t have to worry about overcharging and heating the battery.
You can even view the battery charging level from its LCD, which is a nice touch from the manufacturer. You can also test or view your battery’s current charge with this charger. But to do that, you have to plug the charger into the power socket. Otherwise, the LCD won’t turn on.
One of the nicest features of this TowerTop smart charger is that it can start your car within 120 seconds.
It works as a battery maintainer too. It has a 7 level charging step for every cell of your battery. So you don’t have to worry about your battery getting overheated or facing any trouble while charging.
There is a float function that lets your battery sit on standby without losing any power or charging. It is a sweet little function to keep your battery full at all times.
It doesn’t charge dead or frozen batteries. Meaning, if our battery charge is below 4V, then the charger won’t be able to charge it.
Although it is a smart charger, it is not automatic. So it forgets its settings if there is a power break. You will have to set it once again the configuration you want to charge. For this inconvenience, it is not a wise choice if you are thinking of keeping it in your winter cabin to maintain your battery. Because you might come back to a fully drained and uncharged battery if there is a power surge. But it performs well under supervision.
Pros:
- Keeps the battery on a full charge without charging or losing power.
- Supports various types of batteries.
- Charges every cell individually before moving to another one.
Cons:
- Doesn’t have a power on/off button.
- Forgets settings after a power surge.
3. Schumacher SC1281 100 Amp 30 Amp 6V/12V Fully Automatic Smart Battery Charger for trucks, tractors, and RV
Schumacher SC1281 100 Amp Smart Battery Charger is a heavy-weight lifter. It is made to charge heavy batteries. You can also charge your normal car batteries with ease. The charger can charge Standard, AGM, Gel cell, deep cycle, and marine batteries. It isn’t a lithium charger, so be aware of that.
The Schumacher SC 1281 is a fully automatic battery charger that detects your battery Amps and charges accordingly. So there is no fear of overvoltage issue. You get to see all the information about the charging process on its LED display.
One mistake everyone makes while charing the battery is selecting the voltage. Either the battery is 6V or 12V. The charger automatically detects this and charges the battery with the correct voltage.
As it is controlled by a microprocessor, there is very little to do after you start charging your battery. It gets all the information it needs before charging the battery while connected. So a healthy rate of charge is delivered.
Another thing that is included in this charger is reverse hook protection. It is easy to miss match your battery ports with the wrong hooks. And for this reason, sometimes the battery burns up. But the Schumacher SC1281 will not start charging if connected wrong. It also will let you know of the wrong hooking. How cool is that?
The charger also comes equipped with a Desulfator function. So you can desulfur your battery if you need to.
There is a jump start function of 100 Amps which can jump-start your car. Talking about jump starter, it also comes with jump starter cables. Which is very convenient.
Although it is a fully automatic charger with lots of protection and microprocessor, it is a heavy-duty battery charger. So check on it from time to time. Your battery might be low-powered or get charged very fast which might cause a hydrogen formation in the house. So stay alert about that.
If you are wondering that if Schumacher SC1281 can revive a dead battery? It can. By dead, we mean out of charge, not dead in age or damaged battery. It can recharge a battery from zero power.
One thing, this charger has is a big red start and stop button. This makes it easier as everything is done from the charger itself, you just have to press the start and stop button.
Pros:
- Heavy-duty charger can charge any vehicle battery.
- Auto detection of batteries voltage, amperage.
- The desulfation function actually works.
- The car jump starter is powerful.
Cons:
- Might charge the battery too fast in higher amps.
4. ABLY Car Battery Charger 12V/8A 24V/4A Automatic Smart Battery Charger/Maintainer
ABLY 12V/24V Car Battery Charger is a portable lightweight car battery charger. It is small and very convenient to have in your car. Although it looks small, it can do heavy-duty stuff.
It features a temperature control function to learn the battery temperature and the climate to deliver the right amount of charge to your battery. This function is very much important as batteries work differently in different climates. And you don’t want your battery to heat up too much while charging and release chemical gas. So it is an essential function that is included in this compact charger.
Be aware, it is a 12V and 24V charger. So if you have a 6V battery, it might overcharge or heat up. Otherwise, it is a good charger. It can charge all types of battery including flooded cell, AGM, gel cell, or SLA. As it is a small charger, you have to select the battery type manually.
The ABLY car battery charger can fix lightly damaged or worn-out batteries. But it cannot revive a dead battery that has no charge at all. It does not claim to bring a highly damaged or dead battery. But a working battery that is low on charge or has no charge can be charged if it is not under 4V.
Different kinds of protection like overcharge, overheat, reverse polarity detection is included in this battery charger. And all of these work fine.
ABLY battery charger also works as a maintainer. So it can maintain your battery for a prolonged period. Once the battery is charged, it stops charging and keeps a hold on the 100% value.
It supports both 110V and 220V power input.
Pros:
- Supports 110V and 220V at the same time.
- Works nicely as a maintainer.
- Small and manageable.
- Works in cars, trucks, SUVs, RV and small planes.
Cons:
- Only supports 12V and 24V or charging output.
- Very confusing and uninformative manual.
5. Schumacher Battery Charger with Engine Starter, Boost, and Maintainer- 200 Amp/40 Amp, 6V/12V
If you want a quick charger for your car, RV, or marine vehicle, look no further. The Schumacher 40V battery charger is a beast that can charge any heavily drained battery back to life. It is a heavy-duty battery charger, meaning it won’t charge any personal vehicle or smaller ones like a bike, lawnmowers, or jetskis.
The Schumacher 40V battery charger is compatible with standard batteries (SLA) or AGM. It does not work on gel cells, lithium, or calcium batteries. So be careful about what kind of battery you are going to charge.
The battery charger also works as a car jumper at a 200V power supply, which is a neat feature.
Its microprocessor-controlled system maintains and charges batteries accordingly. As it works fine as a maintainer and has a floating function, you can easily keep a battery in it to maintain and it will do so.
You get to see your charging level, battery charge level and test your battery with this charger. It comes equipped with a fully functioning battery tester. It also includes an alternator tester for your car. Heavy-duty indeed!
It is highly dependable and works as a professional battery charger. The Schumacher 40V battery charger comes with reverse charging protection so if you connected your cables wrong, it will notify you on its LED screen. You can get all the info about your battery on this screen.
To carry it around, it comes with built-in wheels and a handle. So you don’t have to lift this bad boy up with strength.
Pros:
- Heavy-duty output.
- Works amazingly with all kinds of vehicles.
- Has battery and alternator tester.
- Fast charge is the best thing.
Cons:
- Only for heavy-duty vehicle batteries.
- Limited battery type charging.
12- Volt Battery Charger Buying Guide
The Size
If you are buying a 12- volt battery charger, first you have to find out what kind of charger fits you. There the portable ones like the NOCO GENIUS1, ABLY Car Battery Charger, and there are the big guys like Schumacher Battery Charger with Engine Starter, Boost, and Maintainer- 200 Amp, Schumacher SC1281 100 Amp.
If you are looking for something small, go with the portable ones. If you need heavy-duty ones, then the big guys will do the work. Big chargers are capable of maintaining and doing a lot more. So set your priorities.
Performance
Another thing to keep in mind is the performance. The bigger the charger is, the better the output is. If you have a bike, you can opt for a smaller charger. But if you have a farm and a lot of equipment like an ATV, Tractor, RV, you will need a bigger charger. Bigger chargers not only charge faster but can also trickle charge the batteries. So you can leave them on it for a longer time without using it. For regular use, the smaller ones are better.
Feature
While buying a charger, you also get a lot of things that come with it. For instance, they might have a desulfation function, reviving a dead battery, trickle charging, auto power off. These features are to look ahead of. The better features, the better value you get.
Assurance
Not all the chargers, but some tend to die on you. And some tend to mislead you. An assuring charger is a vehicle owner’s best friend. So read the reviews of people and what they have said. If there are a few red flags, but more people are happy with it, then that is the one to go for. If a large number of bad reviews pop up and even their specifications look funny, chances are it is actually not a good charger. So do your research before buying a battery charger.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can my battery charger revive a dead battery?
- Some chargers can charge from zero power to a full like ABLY Car Battery Charger 12V/24V. But if your battery is dead out of damage or usage, nothing can bring it back to life.
2. Is there any possibility of a battery charger to overcharge my battery?
- It is highly unlikely to happen for a battery charger to overcharge a battery, but you should not leave a charger on your battery for more than 24 hours.
3. I have a gel cell battery, what kind of charger should I use?
- Most of the chargers will charge a gel cell battery. You can use a TowerTop 2/10/25A 12V charger which is a very nice charger for gel cells.
4. What should I pay attention to before buying a battery charger?
- The first thing you should pay attention to is what kind of battery you want to charge. Depending on your battery type, capacity and voltage, a battery charger should be bought.
5. What charger maintains batteries?
- Many car battery chargers have built-in maintainers in them. One of the best maintainers is the Schumacher Battery Charger with Engine Starter, Boost, and Maintainer- 200 Amp/40 Amp. But it is made for big batteries.
6. What battery charger should I use for my bike/lawnmower battery?
- NOCO GENIUS1 would be the best battery charger for your bike/ lawnmower.
Conclusion
If you own an automotive, you need a battery charger. Depending on your vehicle and its battery, the chargers tend to be different. Using the right charger gives you the proper charge and maintains your battery’s health. Leaving a battery on a charger for longer than 24hr is not ideal. It may damage your battery or even harm your home. And reading the manual that is provided with your charger always helps understand more about what you should do and what you shouldn’t.
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