Draper 53491 6V/12V Smart Charger and Battery Maintainer (10A), Black

Product Information

Ring's RPPL300 and our overall winner are a cut above in terms of finish and build quality. However, the RPPL300 just isn't quite as intuitive to use. Laser's 7652 pips Halfords' Advanced Smart Battery Charger as the best all rounder for less than fifty quid. Both models output up to 4 Amps, but the 7652's more sophisticated charge cycle gives faster charge times. A dedicated mode for winter operation (less than 5 deg C) also helps in this respect. There’s a 12-month warranty on parts and labour, though Draper is a brand associated with rigorous professional workshop quality, so you’re unlikely to experience issues with this battery charger. Its portability also makes it great for flat dwellers and other motorists without mains access near to where they park. Charges and maintains 6V* and 12V Lead-Acid batteries and 12V Lithium batteries at 100% for a long duration

Starting performance is excellent, with the higher price reflecting a slightly raised output compared with the our award winners. But top-up charging is required every 2-3 months, and the booster leads are a touch short. The Draper 53491 6/12V Smart Charger and Battery Maintainer protects batteries in freezing temperatures

CTEK has been ahead of the game for years, and it still has a few aces to play as the rest of the market catches up. The CT5‘s unprecedented user-friendliness being a good example. Charge status, for instance, is displayed as charging time left, in hours rather than volts or percentages. We prefer models with built-in safety features and alerts, to warn against wrongful connection, dead shorts, and a low charge on the car battery, when being used as a jump starter. Such alerts may just save you damaging your jump starter and your car’s delicate electronics. Sealey’s E/Start range is battery less. And, bizarrely, Sealey suggests using your car’s dead battery to energise the unit! Stranger still, this seemingly bonkers approach works well. You also have to consider what kind of battery you have: lead-acid, AGM (an advanced version of lead-acid) or lithium-ion. Some batteries are versatile enough to support multiple technologies, others not so much. You often find versatility has a direct correlation with price.

It can be connected to a Lead-Acid or Lithium battery for a long duration without the risk of overcharging Again, the Genius5 works well with really desperate batteries, automatically detecting those with as little as 1 volt charge left and giving the option of forcing current into even more dilapidated ones. Similarly, the bright LED torch and the override mode are simply controlled by dedicated buttons. At nearly a foot long, the booster cables allow a bit more positioning flexibility than most rivals, too. A brilliant all-rounder. Make the most of your storage with BUNKER - choose from modular options, 4 clever ready-made combinations or stylish roller cabinets. Discover MoreFrom traditional car battery chargers to portable and solar-powered ones, there are options available to suit a range of budgets. However, buying the cheapest doesn’t always mean bagging a bargain. If you’re caught with a flat battery, the very last thing you want to find out is that the tool you’ve invested in to remedy the matter is a dud. Like the Genius10, dedicated modes ensure fast and efficient charging of standard 6 and 12 volt batteries, plus AGM and lithium technologies. Modern smart battery chargers are amazingly advanced pieces of kit, so much so that some people are left wondering if they really need such sophisticated (and pricey) equipment for the seemingly simple task of charging a battery. Another solid performance from the IBC7, which does a lot of things well. Looking like an overgrown CTEK MXS, it has long leads and a reconditioning mode, plus can provide a 13.6V supply to maintain power when the battery is removed. As we saw last time, it was still some way off its 7A rating in the charge test and took 16 hours to hit 80 per cent. It failed the EMC test by some margin again, plus it had only IP54 moisture protection compared with many rivals’ IP65. Please be aware that we currently cannot arrange for delivery of this product to the following postcodes: AB, FK, HS, IV, KA, KW, PA, PH, ZE, LL58-LL78, IM, TR, BT, PO30-41.

If this was only marginally smaller it would be a true dual purpose buy: a replacement for your everyday USB charger which is able to revive your car as well. This is not intended to be a full statement of your rights under the Consumer Contracts Regulations. Full details of your rights are available from your Local Authority’s Trading Standards Office. How To Return A ProductA slightly leftfield model that marries many of the desirable features of compact smart chargers with foolproof older technology. The Draper 53491 is a powerful, reliable portable 10A smart charger that does more than just charge 6V and 12V vehicle batteries. It has the ability to activate, analyse and recondition the battery in 10-steps, making it ideal for deeply discharged batteries. The charger can be connected to a Lead-Acid or Lithium battery for a long duration without the risk of overcharging. It can also be used in winter temperatures as low as -20°C. It is easy to use and a cost-effective solution to keep batteries in good condition all year round. Features:

It's a tribute to CTEK, below in sixth position overall, that the brand's format is so widely emulated, Clarke's 8 Amp CB09-12 being a prime example. Want to keep on top of your car's maintenance and diagnostics? Here are some of the best OBD2 scanners on the market. Other similarities to the 7652 include 6 and 12 volt operation, a dedicated winter mode to maintain decent charge speeds in cold weather, and – less desirably – leads that are a smidgen shorter than ideal. Anything of a nature that for hygiene or associated health and safety - this includes the Outdoor Spas, Mattresses and Divan Sets It's far from complex to operate but the polarity, low battery, and other warnings are relegated to a couple of tiny LEDs on the booster cable connector. And all other functions are accessed by a single button.Rapid, foolproof charging is achieved thanks to a thumping 10 Amp max charge current and dedicated charge cycles for winter usage, AGM, Gel, and Lithium battery technologies.