The bosch C3 is a handy and convenient car battery charger and a good recommendation for every car owner.
The powerplus power pack is a reliable and valuable helper in the event of vehicle breakdowns, in everyday life as well as on vacation.
Ctek convinces with easy handling and a fast and reliable charging process.
The car jump starter powerstation 400A is a well and comfortably equipped, mobile emergency power supply.
the einhell energy station is a mains-independent energy source, and therefore particularly suitable for emergencies.
*affiliate link – this page links to our partner amazon. if you are redirected from this website to our partner and purchase something, we will receive a sales commission. There are of course no additional costs for you.
"the comparison on this page reflects only our own experience, detailed test reports and the test winners can be found on stiftung warentest, okotest and chip online."
Current car battery chargers in comparison
Incl. 19% statutory vat.
2 connection cables with adapter plug
5 years manufacturer warranty – splash and dust proof
Ctek convinces with easy handling and a fast and reliable charging process.
Which chargers stand out in comparison?
Among the car battery chargers that have proven themselves in comparisons, the first five are the ctek MXS 5.0T, the einhell energy station BT-PS 1000, the automotive jump start powerstation 400A with inverter, compressor and working light, the powerplus powerpack with comparable equipment but without 230-volt output as well as the compact bosch battery charger C3. This overview alone shows the wide range of the device spectrum. For the final evaluation of the offers in the best list it is therefore also necessary that you compare your personal requirements with the scope of performance of the top chargers. While the favorite of the overall ranking, the ctek MXS 5.0T, for example, even fits in the glove compartment and can easily be taken anywhere, battery chargers such as the einhell BT-PS 1000 energy station have a built-in rechargeable battery, so that they can also be used as a mains-independent jump-start in an emergency.
What features are generally found in battery chargers?
The range of device types for car battery chargers can be generally outlined by the following features. As a basic function, all devices allow charging from the mains . However, differences can already be seen here. Two different forms of charging are offered. The "trickle charge" function draws relatively little energy from the grid. If you choose fast charging, the process is accelerated and a greater amount of energy is drawn from the mains.The second item in the comparison list is the range of battery types that can be charged and the type of battery detection. On the one hand, a distinction must be made between car and motorcycle batteries, which can differ not only in capacity, but also in nominal voltage (6 V or 12 V). on the other hand, some motor vehicles now also use more innovative battery technologies that prevent outgassing and thus loss of the electrolyte and allow the battery to be used partially or completely independent of its position. This characteristic makes lead-gel batteries interesting for use in two-wheeled motor vehicles and in mobile equipment with high power requirements, such as self-propelled lawn mowers or in the chargers themselves. The battery chargers differ not only in the list of supported battery types, but also in the battery recognition and options for setting the charging parameters.
Chargers are divided into pure chargers and models that have a built-in battery. If the devices are equipped with a battery, then they have a high flexibility and mobility. However, the higher weight is a disadvantage. Which model you choose depends on the area of application. For campers, for example, a battery-powered device is an advantage in any case, for home use, other criteria are decisive for the purchase decision. If, on the other hand, your primary concern is to get the best possible performance from your car battery and to prolong its life, then the intelligent compact device with its extensive charging functions is the better recommendation. Of course, it is also important how easy you have access to a mains connection at the intended place of use. This is a crucial factor for ease of use, but it does not depend on the charger itself.
Incl. 19% statutory vat.
2 connection cables with adapter plugs
5 year manufacturer’s warranty – splash and dust proof
Ctek convinces with easy handling and a fast and reliable charging process.
How do the chargers differ?
In addition to the features already mentioned, there are several other differences between the car battery chargers that are essential for the performance and thus also the rating. Important criteria are the maximum value and the battery capacity. The manufacturer’s specifications can make a difference between classical charging and energy conservation. Since charge conservation requires a significantly lower current, it can also be used for batteries with higher capacities for which the charger’s power is not sufficient. The various car battery chargers also solve the task of rescuing deeply discharged batteries with very different degrees of success. the best ones even manage to revive batteries that only have a residual voltage of 3 volts, for others it is already over at 9 volts. However, the importance of this function in individual cases also depends to a large extent on the application profile. If you want to buy the car battery charger exclusively for the purpose of maintaining the battery in your constantly used vehicle, it will probably never come into contact with extremely deeply discharged batteries. But if you have seasonally used vehicles and possibly other devices with lead-acid batteries, chances are greater that these recovery functions will be helpful to you. There are also differences in the battery connections of the chargers. While the cables of energy stations with integrated batteries are usually permanently installed, compact chargers often have special plug-in connectors that are allow you to replace the cables . This is useful, for example, if you want to maintain the charge of your battery outside the vehicle for a longer period of time with the charger. You can then screw a cable with eyelets to the pole terminals and thus be sure that the trickle charge is not interrupted by a dropped pole clamp.
A comparison of the charging quality of the devices
CTEK charger – source: CTEK – amazon.De *
However, the shape of the charging characteristic is not the only decisive factor. It is also important how closely the charger meets the specifications of the characteristic curve and how "clean" the current it supplies is. A more severe ripple, the momentary change in voltage or current, can overheat the battery and age the electrodes. In unfavorable cases, however, too much voltage ripple can even damage the electronics of connected consumers. If you want to be on the safe side and do not want to remove all cables connected to the battery before charging, you should look for a car battery charger that is marked as electronically safe. If you intend to keep the charger connected to the battery for a longer period of time for trickle charging, it is recommended that you also pay attention to the so called back discharge current eighth. If for some reason the power supply to the charger fails, for example because someone unknowingly pulls the plug, then the charger is connected to the battery as a consumer. the greater the back discharge current, the greater the load the charger will place on your battery in such a case. good models manage to limit this power drain to less than one ampere hour per month.
Incl. 19% legal vat.
1x 12V cigarette lighter + jump start device
12 V / 3 watt lighting – integrated 18 bar compressor with 3-piece valve adapter set
The einhell energy station is a mains-independent energy source, and therefore particularly suitable for emergencies.
Which brands are important for car battery chargers??
One of the best known manufacturers is robert bosch gmbh. However, there are numerous competitors on the market that also offer powerful models. Bosch has been a pioneer in many cases in its company history and is characterized by numerous innovative developments. Founded in 1886, the company today operates in many different fields. One of the main competitors in the field of battery chargers is einhell. Ctek is based in sweden and is also one of the leading companies. Ctek regularly achieves the highest ratings and the products are also used by numerous car manufacturers and branded with their own brand name. A special feature is the eight-stage charging process, which was developed by CTEK itself. together with a fully automatic adjustment of the charging characteristic to the state of the battery, this enables a gentle and complete charging of the energy storage device , maintaining the state of charge over any period of time without damaging the battery, and even reviving deeply discharged, sulfated cells.
The safety of car battery chargers
Although the car battery only has a relatively low voltage of 12 volts, in some cases 6 or 24 volts, the safe for humans is. However, it is capable of delivering very high currents and this is required when used as a starter battery in a motor vehicle. Therefore, when handling car batteries, despite the low voltage, dangerous situations can arise if the poles are accidentally short-circuited. The high currents that occur are capable of spot-welding metal parts, making it difficult to eliminate the short circuit. Another danger comes from the strong sparks that occur when the conductors are disconnected, but also when two current-carrying parts are only briefly in contact with each other. The safety features that characterize a high-quality car battery charger therefore include in particular a short-circuit protection and a spark protection , but also the reverse polarity protection as well as, to avoid a general overload of the car battery chargers, a overheating protection .
The crux of operation
The best technology in a battery charger is of little use if the device is cumbersome and complicated to operate. At best, it will gather dust in a corner; in unfavorable cases, it can also cause damage through incorrect operation. The most important criteria for evaluating the ease of use of battery chargers the clarity of displays, labels and controls, the general practicality and, finally, the quality and usefulness of the user manual supplied with the product. Surprisingly, some compact car battery chargers score well in terms of ease of use, even though their small dimensions offer much less space for displays and controls. This is due on the one hand to a particularly well thought-out design and on the other hand to the fact that these compact chargers relieve the user of most of the adjustment work by means of intelligent controls. This means that the selectable basic functions can be controlled quickly and easily with a single button. The charging process with such devices is controlled fully automatically by microprocessors . Therefore, you do not need to worry about anything else until the time you want to use the battery or vehicle again.
Other car battery chargers, on the other hand, offer additional functions that make them a universal breakdown assistant. They deliver from their built-in, maintenance-free battery not only off-grid power , they usually also have integrated compressors and manometers , which they can mainly check and correct the tire pressure, as well as a strong lamp as a working light. In the rating of the operation of such car battery chargers also goes, what accessories are available for the use of these additional functions and how accessible it is located in the device. Here, for example, the question is asked whether the hose on the compressor is long enough to reach the valve on the car tire without any problems at all. The capacity of the installed battery is also an important factor. After all, it’s no use if the charger goes flat before the car starts when you jump start it. In this point, however, there are also great differences between the various car battery chargers.
Why do you need a car battery charger??
Einhell energy station – source: einhell – amazon.De *
price and performance of car battery chargers
As experience reports show, the price of a car battery charger is not a direct indicator of its quality. Fortunately, you might say, because this gives you the opportunity to buy a high quality device how to get your favorite moderate price to get – especially if you buy it online. The cheapest devices are already available for little more than 20 euros. However, these also perform poorly in comparison. they fail in cold weather, break in crashes that better chargers can withstand, have no protection against reverse polarity and short circuits, or do not stop charging automatically when the battery is fully charged. On the other hand, the high price segment of car battery chargers reaches far beyond the 100-euro mark. But you don’t have to exceed this if you have a device from the best list in mind. For these top car battery chargers you will have to invest about 60 to 80 euros.