The 10 best battery maintainers of 2022

Perhaps you keep a garage car that you don't use during the summer months. Or perhaps you’re a summer vacationer that needs a battery maintainer to keep all your toys ready to use. Either way, the last thing you want is to think you’re good to go only to find that your battery maintainer didn’t do what it promised.

Even worse, you don’t want to use a battery maintainer that ends up damaging and shortening the life of your car batteries. That’s why we took the time to Find, highlight and evaluate ten top battery keepers.

Not only did we do that, but we also came up with a comprehensive buyer’s guide to walk you through everything you need to know to get and use the perfect battery maintainer for your car the first time!

Disclaimer – This article may contain affiliate links, this means that at no cost to you, we may receive a small commission for qualifying purchases.

The Top Ten Best Car Battery Keepers

1. DieHard 71219 Shelf Smart Battery Charger and Maintainer – Best Overall

DieHard is one of the top names in the battery industry, so it’s no surprise that they also make a top-notch battery maintainer. The DieHard 71219 ShelfSmart Battery Charger/Mainer is an exceptional combination of quality and price.

You have a variety of charging amps to choose from. We recommend the 2-amp model for battery maintenance. You get thick cables to ensure a secure connection. The chargers also come with reverse polarity and overcharging protection.

Add in the fact that this smart charger and maintainer is lightweight, portable, and long-lasting, and it’s not hard to see why it made the top of our list. The only real complaint with this battery charger and maintainer is that it doesn’t have any settings specifically for gel or AGM batteries.

While the charger can charge those types of batteries too, there’s no arguing that they don’t do as good of a job as an AGM or gel battery-specific charger. Still, for most home garages, you’re not going to find a better fit than this DieHard battery charger!

See the Latest Prices

2. MOTOPOWER MP00205A – Best Budget Maintainer

Just because you’re on a tighter budget doesn’t mean you can’t get a top-notch battery maintainer. You get both the best and the cheapest battery maintainer on the market, the MOTOPOWERMP00205A.

Even better, you’re getting a battery maintainer that will last year after year, meaning you’re not spending more money in the long run because you need to replace it. MOTOPOWER is so confident that they’re giving you a top-notch product that they even give you a 2-year warranty on their product – not that you’ll need it.

This battery maintainer gives you an 800mA amperage that’s perfect for maintaining batteries – which is what this post is all about! While this amperage can be great for keeping batteries charged, it is not enough. Forever You can charge your battery with that amount.

In fact, if you’re trying to charge a completely dead battery with this charger, you can expect it to take a whopping 60 hours to bring it back! Still, it’s this slow trickle charge that keeps your battery at maximum voltage without damaging it at all.

You still get a timer, self-shutoff, and reverse protection. It’s a top-notch battery maintainer at an amazing price, which is why it’s easily our best budget choice.

See the Latest Prices

3. Battery Tender 5-Bank Charger – Best for Automotive Shops

If you’re running an automotive shop you can’t wait around all day for a single battery to charge. That’s where an option like the Battery Tender 5-Bank Charger really stands apart from the pack. This battery charger can be used to charge or maintain upto 5 banks of batteries. Five Batteries at once means that you have to do more and make more.

And if a five-bank battery charger isn’t enough to keep up with your booming business, Battery Tender also has a ten-bank option you can find at the same link. While there’s little doubt that this is a more expensive battery maintainer and charger compared to some of the other options, the fact that it comes with a 3-year warranty helps offset the cost some.

The truth is that 3-years really is the best. The minimum These chargers are durable. There’s no reason that one of these chargers can’t last ten to twenty years if you take care of it properly.

And since you’re going to spend quite a bit of time hooking up batteries, it’s great that this charger comes with both overcharging and reverse polarity protection. Whether you hook something up backward because you’re in a hurry and forget to take a battery off – this battery charger will bail you out.

Even better, this charger works for both standard and lithium batteries, so you don’t need to worry about hooking up batteries to different chargers anymore. This charger is extremely quick to set up and can charge any standard or lithium battery.

You will make more money and your mechanics will make fewer mistakes. Of course, the tradeoff is the upfront price, but if you’re running a successful automotive shop, it all starts with getting the right equipment, and this is a huge step in the right direction.

See the Latest Prices

4. Optima Digital 400 Battery Maintainer – Best for AGM Batteries

Optima makes some of the best AGM batteries on the market, and if you’re using those batteries you want this top-notch charger to go with it.

Any experienced mechanic will tell you that putting an AGM battery on a standard battery charger won’t give you the results you’re looking for. So, if you spend a lot of time working on AGM batteries or only use AGM batteries in your vehicle, it’s best to get an AGM-specific battery charger and maintainer.

And when you’re looking for the best AGM battery maintainer, look no further than the Optima Digital 400. It can recharge and maintain your AGM battery, as well as regular lead-acid or gel batteries.

The LCD screen is extremely easy to read, and the hooks make it easy to hang on the hood of your vehicle while you’re charging everything. This AGM battery charger is unique because it has a built-in health mode.

This mode automatically runs a diagnostic test on your battery’s state and optimizes the charging to get the most out of your battery. The Optima Digital 400 runs this diagnostic test throughout the entire charging and maintaining process, extending the battery’s overall life.

The only real drawback to the Optima Digital 400 is the price, but it’s not insanely expensive either. Still, if you don’t plan on charging or maintaining AGM batteries, it’s best to save a few bucks and go with a standard battery charger and maintainer.

See the Latest Prices

5. Black + Decker Bm3B Battery Protector

Black and Decker is one of the largest tool manufacturers in the world, so it’s no surprise that they have a top-notch battery charger and maintainer for you to consider. You might be surprised at how inexpensive this battery keeper is.

It’s one of the lowest-priced battery maintainers on our list, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an outstanding choice. It’s certainly a slower battery charger, but it does a great job at maintaining batteries, and it’s not as slow as some of the other options on our list.

The battery charger adjusts automatically between 0.5 to 1.5 amps for optimal charging conditions. It is the ideal battery keeper. Still, keep in mind that if you’re looking to recharge a completely dead battery, this charger is going to take 32 hours.

Still, it has all the industry’s best safety features, including spark prevention, reverse polarity protection, and automatic shutoff features to prevent overcharging. This charger can be attached to standard or AGM batteries and works well with gel and gel.

If you need a great battery maintainer but don’t want to break the bank, you could do far worse than the Black and Decker BM3B. It’s not quite on the level as our best budget choice, but it’s a close runner-up.

See the Latest Prices

6. SUNER POWER 12V Solar Car Battery Charger & Maintainer

The SUNER POWER 12V Solar Car Battery Charger & Maintainer is an innovative way to charge your vehicle’s battery – even if you don’t have access to an outlet. This battery charger and battery maintainer uses a regular wall outlet. Instead, it has a solar panel built in that converts power to your battery.

Multiple wattage options are available so that you have control over how fast your charger should run. Each solar battery charger and maintainer comes with a 12-month warranty so you can rest easy knowing you’re not getting a dud right out of the box.

A solar-powered charger for batteries has its limitations. First, if there’s no light out the charger can’t produce any power to charge your battery. Second, even on a sunny day, it doesn’t produce a ton of power.

The wattage options that are out the produce anywhere from 200mA to 1 amp per hour, which means you’re not charging anything fast with these portable chargers. It takes approximately 48 hours for a 1-amp charger to completely charge a dead battery. This means that it can take you up to 48 hours before your charger is fully charged.

Still, while it’s not the best battery charging option, if you plan on keeping a battery in storage in your garage for quite some time, this could be a great way to keep it maintained without driving up your energy bill.

Just keep in mind that you need a location where it has direct access to sunlight; otherwise your battery will still end up dead when you’re ready to use it!

See the Latest Prices

RELATED: 10 Best Car Battery Chargers of 2022 – Review

7. The Apeak Smart Battery Charger and Keeper

If you’re looking for a great battery maintainer and an excellent battery Charging The Ampeak Smart Battery Charger is an excellent choice. The ability to switch between charging rates is what sets this charger apart from other battery maintainers and chargers on the list.

While the 2-amp option is for charging batteries, the 15-amp option charges dead batteries quickly and can get you on your way again. The Ampeak Smart Battery Charger works with all standard and AGM batteries. This means that you will need only one charger for each battery in the garage.

Once you add in the easy-to-read LCD screen and the multitude of safety features it’s not hard to see how this charger earned a spot on our list. You can avoid damaging the battery by using overvoltage or reverse polarity protection.

Sales

Ampeak 2/8/15A 12V smart battery...

• ?✔ Smart Fast Charger: 2A/8A /...
• ?✔ Excellent Winter Charging Mode:...
• ?✔ Safety Protection :...
• ?✔ Advanced LCD Display: Intelligent...

Still, while it made our list with all these awesome features, there’s a reason it couldn’t work its way into the top half. First, while the 2-amp charging option works for maintaining batteries, it’s higher than the ideal rate.

Second, it’s a bit more expensive compared to the other options. This might be a better battery charger than all the other options on our list, but it’s not the best battery maintainer. It’s an outstanding choice, but for a list of the best battery maintainers it can’t go any higher.

See the Latest Prices

8. Battery Tender 12V Battery Charger & Maintainer

Battery Tender produces some of best battery chargers/mainteners, with this 12V option being one of their most popular options. Battery Tender has a 10-year industry-leading warranty on this battery keeper.

This charger and maintainer will work with standard, AGM, and gel batteries. It also comes with overcharging and reverse polarity protection, so you don’t need to worry about breaking anything if you accidentally mess something up.

But while the Battery Tender 12V Battery Charger and Maintainer markets itself as a tool for both charging and maintaining, it’s a far better maintainer than a charger. It uses a lower amperage setting that’s perfect for maintaining batteries but takes forever to charge them fully if they’re dead.

It’s a lightweight and easy-to-use battery charger and maintainer that’s a great addition to any garage, but it’s simply not the best of the best out there.

See the Latest Prices

9. LST Trickle Charger Automated Maintainer

If you’re looking for a basic trickle charger that you can use to maintain the batteries in your garage, then the LST Trickle Charger Automatic Maintainer might be just what you need. It’s an extremely affordable trickle charger that uses 1.5 amps to charge and maintain your batteries.

But while it’s a lower-priced option, it’s still jam-packed with features that you can find in higher-end chargers. First, it works on standard, gel, and AGM batteries, which means it’s the only battery charger and maintainer that you’ll need.

You can also rest assured that it is safe with safety features like reverse polarity protection, spark and overvoltage protection, as well as overheating and overheating protection. When you add in the 3-year warranty that it comes with and the fact that it’s lightweight and portable, and it’s not hard to see why it Earned a spot on this list – despite the lower price tag.

Sure, we’d like more charging amperages to cycle through, but it’s tough to complain at this price, and we’re just nitpicking here. This is why it didn't climb any higher.

See the Latest Prices

10. Schumacher Automatic Battery Keeper

Our list of top battery keepers includes the Schumacher Fully Automated Battery Maintainer. But don’t let the fact that this battery maintainer is at the bottom of our list fool you, it’s an outstanding mix of price and performance, and you could do far worse than this battery maintainer.

The maintainer can be purchased in three different sizes: the 2-, 3-, and 1.5-amp versions. We recommend that you stick with the 1.5 amp option for your maintenance needs. The entire maintainer is extremely easy to use, which is a big deal if you’re not the most mechanically savvy.

Not only is it easy to use, but it has overcharge and reverse polarity protection which ensures that you don’t screw anything up. Still, while it’s a great choice, there’s a reason it’s at the bottom of our list.

You can only charge one amp. You get Or both the 1.5- or the 2-amp maintainer, you can’t switch between the two without purchasing two separate units. It’s not a huge deal, but we’d also prefer a battery maintainer with a minimum amperage of just 1-amp.

It’s still a great choice, but these small factors are what keep it from knocking off the products near the top of the list!

See the Latest Prices

Battery Maintainer Buyer’s Guide

It can be difficult to choose from the many excellent battery keepers we have on the list. That’s why we came up with this comprehensive buyer’s guide to walk you through everything you need to know to find the perfect battery maintainer for Your vehicle.

What a battery maintainer is essential

We need to first establish what we look for in a battery keeper before we can get into the details. Why? A battery retainer is necessary. It is not true. Everybody needs a battery maintainer all the time, and that’s why we recommend getting one that doubles as a battery charger for you.

These battery keepers can be great for those who plan to leave their car on its charger for extended periods. This is an important thing to do if you plan on leaving your vehicle for an extended period or simply won’t be using the vehicle that the battery is in for a while.

A battery maintainer keeps the battery from dying and actually extends the battery’s life compared to it just sitting there unused. Your battery's life is extended by the trickle charge it provides.

You can kill two birds by pairing it with a charger for your battery. The battery charger can be used to charge your battery and you will have it ready for you if it ever goes dead.

Is Your Battery Maintainer Running on a Minimum of Amps?

This question is the most critical when choosing a battery keeper. You don't need to keep your battery fully charged if you just want it to last longer.

Ideal is to have a 500mA charge trickle, however, anything below that or 1-amp would be a good choice. Although these chargers work well for maintaining battery health, they can take quite a while to fully charge dead batteries.

The more amperage a battery maintainer and charger push the faster it can recharge a battery, but it’s also more likely to cause damage. To get the job done, use the lowest amps possible.

Is it possible to charge a car battery in less than a week?

It all boils down to amperage. A standard automotive battery has a capacity of 48-amp hours, and this is what you’re replenishing when you put it on a battery charger. It’s also why automotive battery chargers talk about amps when you’re looking at them.

It’s a standardized system where a charger that pushes 1-amp actually restores one amp-hour per hour. You can also use the charger to recharge your phone if it has a. Completely Dead battery: A 1-amp charger will take 48 hours for it to charge. While a 1-amp charger takes 24 hours, a 2-amp charger takes just under three hours and a 5-amp charger in less than 3 hours.

Of course, not every batter that goes on a charger is completely dead, which is why it doesn’t always take that long for a battery charger to restore a battery back to a usable state. Back in the day, mechanics had to access the state of the battery and the charger’s power to figure out how long to charge it, but today almost all the chargers do this work for you.

Every charger on our list comes with overcharge protection that will cut the charge before anything happens, and that means you can just hook up the battery and wait until the charger tells you it’s good to go!

Just keep in mind that it can take up to two days for a lower amperage battery charger to restore a dead battery – so don’t rush to replace that old battery just yet!

What happens if you overcharge your battery?

It was possible to overload a battery with older battery keepers. In today’s battery maintainers, it’s not much of a concern. That’s because modern battery maintainers constantly evaluate the battery’s state and cut the charge once it’s full.

All the battery maintainers on our list come with this safety feature, so you don’t have to worry about overcharging your battery or even damaging your battery with these chargers!

What Battery Life Expectancy?

It all depends on what type of car battery you use and the conditions in which it is used. However, a typical lead-acid automobile battery will last between 3 and 5 years. In fact, under temperate conditions it’s not surprising to see these batteries last 7 years or more!

AGM or gel batteries can last longer. These batteries should be able to last for at least six years. However, they may last up to 10 years if kept in good conditions.

What is the maximum time you can leave a battery on a maintainer?

It’s important to realize that when you put a battery on a maintainer, you’re not really Extend the battery’s life as much as ensuring it doesn’t wear out sooner than it should. So, if you put a brand-new battery on a temperature-controlled room on a maintainer it can last up to ten years, but under less ideal conditions it will still wear out sooner.

Batteries wear out over time, and while a battery maintainer keeps them from wearing out sooner than they should, they certainly don’t make them last forever. But considering a battery that you don’t take care of might only last 3 years and one that you do might last 7, a top-notch battery maintainer can easily end up paying for itself in the long run.

Here are some steps to charge and maintain your car battery

It’s really not too crazy, but there are some mistakes that rookies make when charging their battery, and we want to ensure that you avoid them. These steps will get you started.

Get your Battery Charger hooked up

Nothing works if you don’t hook up and set up the battery charger. Ensure it has power and is in the right mode to charge the battery you’re connecting it to. If you have questions about your specific battery maintainer or charger simply refer to the owner’s manual.

Remove the Battery

Be sure to disconnect your battery before you charge it. This doesn’t mean you need to Take out You can leave it in your vehicle but you will need to carry Both The positive and negative leads are connected. Charging a battery that’s still connected to the rest of your vehicle can end up damaging other components.

It’s a quick turn of a wrench to disconnect the terminals, so don’t skip this super important step!

Give it time

Wait. Really, it’s that simple, but so many people want results Fast It can cause damage to a battery that is otherwise in good condition. You may need to wait up to 2 days for a battery to be fully charged on a trickle charger. Take a deep breathe and let it run for a while longer. With the built-in overcharge protection, there’s nothing to worry about by leaving it on a bit longer.

Final Thoughts

This is the best option if your plan is to be away from your car for long periods of time. You are required A high-quality battery keeper. Any of the choices on our list can do an excellent job for you, so don’t overthink it!

If you simply want the best of the best go with the DieHard 71219 Shelf Smart Battery Charger and Maintainer, and if you’re on a tighter budget get the MOTOPOWER MP00205A. What’s really important is that you get one on order and start using it, otherwise you’re cutting months or years off the life of your battery!