Of all the car battery chargers, trickle chargers will probably find the most use for car owners. Designed to keep your battery from going flat when the car isn’t in use, these handy gadgets are an affordable way to not end up reliant on a jump starter.
A trickle charger will simply maintain your car’s battery as long as it’s plugged in. A great tool for car batteries that discharge quickly or use on vehicles you don’t use for long periods of time, a trickle charger is a popular choice for owners of classic cars, recreational vehicles and even motorhomes that sit dormant most of the year.
They’re especially useful for the winter too. If you have a classic or special car that you don’t want to use much over the winter, then hooking it up to a trickle charger will keep its battery maintained until the salt clears from the roads. This will handily prevent you from having to use a jump starter.
The best trickle chargers at a glance:
Editor’s pick: CTEK MXS 5.0 – Buy now from Amazon UK
The best simple trickle charger: NOCO Genius5UK – Buy now from Amazon UK.
The most comprehensive trickle charger: NOCO Genius10UK – Buy now from Amazon UK.
We’ve looked at price, power, compactness and any nice extra features to select our top trickle charger choices. So, without further ado, here are the best trickle chargers that can keep your car batteries happy.
The best trickle chargers
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Editor's pick
Rrp: £94.99
Rrp: £94.99
It currently stands as one of the best sellers, and it's not hard to see why. It's great value, caters for loads of cars, is built to be durable, and is incredibly smart at monitoring and maintaining your battery accordingly. It does though, suffer from a few drawbacks such as short leads and very expensive add-ons.
Read our review of the CTEK MXS 5.0
Pros
- Great quality charger
- Comes with useful accessories
Cons
- The wiring is too short
Best solar trickle charger
Beyond that, it works as a standard battery charger, power bank and trickle charger. CTEK say that the CS FREE features intelligent trickle charging to ensure the battery is always in the best condition possible without the need for mains power. An optional solar panel makes this truly off-grid but also swells the price to eye-watering levels.
Pros
- All you need for car battery care
- Top build quality
Cons
- Solar power bank isn't for everyone
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Best value trickle charger
Rrp: £29.99
Rrp: £29.99
Pros
- Value for money
- Effective
Cons
- Not as refined
Most comprehensive trickle charger
However, it has several charging and reconditioning modes including a Force Mode which allows you to charge batteries as low as 1 or 0 volts. Once it's fully charged, it takes over and reconditions your battery and keeps the level topped up without overcharging. It also has a thermal sensor which helps to prevent overcharging in hot weather and undercharging in cold.
Pros
- Incredibly comprehensive and smart trickle charger
- Very good quality
Cons
- Cable is quite short
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Best for stop/start systems
Rrp: £79.00
Rrp: £79.00
Stop/start systems can strain your battery. You might notice this if you're expecting the engine to turn off, but it doesn't at some points. The CT5 helps keep the charge in the battery maintained, so your car's tech works as well as it should.
Pros
- Perfect for cars with stop/start systems
- Great quality trickle charger
Cons
- The instructions aren't the easiest to read
Best simple trickle charger
It also has the same Force Mode which helps charge up dead batteries and has the same thermal temperature sensor to cope in hot and cold temperatures. There aren't as many battery reconditioning modes as on the Genius10, but this is reflected in the price. For someone who wants an ultra-simple, good quality trickle charger, this is a great option.
Pros
- Compact size makes it useful in tight spaces
- Useful in hot or cold temperatures
Cons
- Same issues as the Genius10
Best budget trickle charger
It features a couple of safety features too, to protect your battery, namely protection against short-circuiting, overloading and reverse polarity. Keeping a battery topped up doesn't get any simpler than this.
Pros
- Affordable
- Simple to use
Cons
- Only works on lead-acid batteries
What you need to know about trickle chargers
What are the different types of trickle chargers?
Mains-powered trickle chargers are the simplest way of trickle charging, simply plugging into a standard three-pin plug and connecting to your engine. While it means your car is tethered to a power source, it is a good option if your car is kept in a garage. Battery-powered options work the same as mains-operated chargers but use an internal battery to provide the volts to your battery. These are often rechargeable via a USB port and mean you can trickle charge your car on the go. Solar-powered ones are a bit cooler because they solely rely on the great orb of fire in the sky (the sun). A solar battery charger means they’ll effectively charge your car for free so long as there is sun and the solar panel is in direct sunlight. If you need to move around a lot though, we can recommend the best portable battery chargers.
Why is my battery going flat?
As batteries age, they become less efficient and so will discharge quicker. This is why it’s recommended you replace them every couple of years. Modern cars are also jam-packed with electronics, stop/start systems included, that can help drain a car’s battery. You can check the status of your car’s battery using a specific battery testing kit. These help you detect whether it’s low on charge or whether it’s a good idea to start the car right up.
Computers, alarms, central locking and even the little clock will contribute to a discharging battery. This will then be compounded if you leave your car for long periods of time without driving it. If your battery dies on the road or see someone else’s conk out, then it’s always a good idea to carry a set of jump leads.
Ryan Gilmore is the Deputy Autos and Tools Editor for Parkers, specialising in car cleaning and hand tools. A veteran car cleaner; if it details, waxes or washes he’ll be on hand to make sure it’s worth your money.
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