5 Trickle Chargers to Keep Your Vehicle’s Battery Primed and Ready for Action
NEXPEAK, Battery Tender
Batteries can be very temperamental creatures. They require proper electrical flow and optimal temperature ranges to work their best. If these conditions aren’t met, batteries can get grouchy. Like a “You’ll be late for work today” sort of mood. Not to mention they’re one of the more frequently replaced items under the hood throughout the life of your vehicle. So here at the Gear Team, we strive to keep our batteries happy.
During normal, frequent driving conditions, your alternator keeps your battery in a good mood by providing optimal recharging voltage and amperage. Together, they’re a dream team. But as soon as you park your vehicle, the battery discharges over time. The discharge rate varies a bit, depending on the battery’s age, quality, temperature, and level of sulfation in the cells.
So enough scary talk about perishing batteries—how can we prevent this? Well, if you plan to have your vehicle sit for a month or more, it’s time to invest in a trickle charger. These handy tools keep a battery at its optimal charge automatically. Just clip the claws on the terminals, set the battery type and desired charging input, plug it in, and walk away. Easy as that. To prevent overcharging your battery and damaging it, trickle chargers feature a regulator that provides an auto-shut-off function that also allows them to kick back on once discharge is detected.
Trickle chargers are essential for folks who store their vehicles during winter or decide to leave their car behind during a long vacation. These trickle chargers are much cheaper than paying for a new battery. Now, if you’re using one on a car in storage, we recommend to get a high-quality one that’s meant for long-term use. Aside from normal cars and trucks, you’ll definitely want to run trickle chargers on your other toys, like boats, motorcycles, and other powersports vehicles that don’t stretch their legs regularly. If your battery is planning to sit for longer than a month, we recommend the trickle charger route.
So in short, keeping your battery at its optimal charge is essential to prolonging its longevity. Snag one of these top-rated trickle chargers to prevent having to replace a battery too soon and ensure no surprises when you get home and try and fire up your ride. For the infrequent driver, these are a great investment.
Top Rated Portable Jump-Starters
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If your battery needs to be charged up before reaching the voltage ideal for trickle charging, this charger is low on power to do so. But if you’re looking to keep a charged battery charged, that’s where this charger from NOCO shines—featuring a gentle 1-amp charging current. It can also handle a wide range of battery types, including conventional 12-volt, deep-cycle, 12-volt lithium, and more. With an integrated thermal sensor, the NOCO Genius1 adapts to changing temperatures to provide the optimum charging cycle.
Highly rated
Simple to use
Good for maintaining, not charging
For a more budget-friendly option, this fully automatic trickle charger from Mroinge fits the bill. Simply plug into the wall, clip onto the terminals, set the battery type to either 6 or 12 volts, and let it do its thing. This also provides a 1-amp charging current and is suitable for lawnmowers, ATVs, cars, and more.
The Genius5 from NOCO is a more powerful option if you need to recharge a battery more quickly than typical trickle chargers can. This one produces a 5-amp charging current, which is faster but a bit harsher on the battery itself. With functions like automatic temperature regulation and an informative display, it’s a good, if not pricey, trickle charger.
Informative display
Good for maintaining and charging
For an even bigger boost in charging power, this trickle charger from NEXPEAK boasts a 10-amp charging current. This amperage will charge your battery much faster than a 1-amp charger, but you risk reducing the longevity. Along with eight smart protections including temperature compensation and a cooling system, it’s a great choice for batteries that need a faster charge to be ready.
8 smart protections
Powerful
10-amp charging current a bit much for trickle charging
Battery Tender has been around since the 1960s, and its chargers can be found in professional shops around the country. And with over 11,500 five-star ratings on Amazon, it has the accolades to back it up. Utilizing a 1.25-amp charging current, it’s perfect for slow-charging your battery, which is recommended over a fast charge. If you need to charge the battery, the Tender utilizes a four-step process to prevent overcharging. It’s a fantastic trickle charger for all of your toys, if you’re willing to pay the higher price.
Trusted brand
Highly rated
A little pricey, but cheaper options are available
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