Best car battery chargers 2026
Which unit will keep your car battery in tip-top condition this winter?
Flat batteries are still the most common cause of breakdowns in winter. The need to use our cars’ wipers, heaters and lights more often coincides with colder temperatures – which make the chemicals inside the cells sluggish. Even the most modern cars are susceptible to the problem, with built-in trackers and over-the-air updates diverting energy that will be needed most when you turn the key or press the start button.
If you’ve accidentally flattened the battery or don’t use the car often, then a charger will return the cells to peak condition and ensure they are ready for your next drive. For this test we assessed six products that promise to restore your battery back to health.
How we tested
We used three 12V car batteries for our testing. The first was a 68Ah unit, which we took down to 10.5V and then timed how long it took to get to 80 per cent charge, measured with a Topdon tester. We then used a heavily discharged 95Ah pack with larger cells to test peak charge rates. Finally, we connected a seemingly dead 5Ah battery with an output recorded at just 2V to see if the charger would register and start reviving it.
We also checked the products’ instruction clarity, cable lengths, waterproofing and safety features. Finally, each charger’s value for money was taken into account.
Draper 12V Intelligent Charger
- Price: around £71.98
- Rating: 5.0 stars
- Contact: drapertools.com
Used - available now
2018 BMW
3 Series Touring
33,000 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L
Cash £26,990
2015 Mercedes
AMG C63 Coupe
83,000 milesAutomaticPetrol6.2L
Cash £17,500
2018 Mercedes
GLE
80,000 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L
Cash £17,550
2015 BMW
1 Series
99,899 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £5,999The Draper 12V Intelligent Battery Charger has all that you need from a charger. It is simple to use, with clear instructions and a basic LCD display. The total cable reach is a useful three metres and there’s a choice of clamps or permanent ring connectors. It also has a rugged IP65 rating for water and dust proofing, so will be able to survive being left in the rain. The 10A output means it’s quick to charge too, although it was just beaten by the Ring to the 80 per cent mark. However, the low price puts it at the top of our score chart.
Ring Ultra Charge 10
- Price: around £99.98
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Contact: ringautomotive.com
If money were no object, we’d choose the Ring over any of the competition here. The Ultra Charge 10 was the fastest to charge to 80 per cent by a few minutes, thanks to a 10A output, while it kept us informed through its colour LCD screen.
It also has huge 4.3 metres of total cable stretch from the plug to the clamps, and an alternator-tester function. There is even a case to keep everything tidy. But while we love the Ultra Charge 10, we don’t think the additional features can justify the extra £28 it costs over the test-winning Draper 12V Intelligent charger.
NOCO Genius5
- Price: around £85.95
- Rating: 4.0 stars
- Contact: halfords.com
There’s an elegant simplicity to the NOCO and it’s the only charger here with a Velcro-strapped wall mount. We also liked the four-metre cable, large battery clamps and Force Charge mode, which bypasses the voltage sensors to revive very flat batteries. But the maximum 5A output means it’s not the fastest.
OptiMate 5 Select
- Price: around £84.90
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Contact: optimate.co.uk
The OptiMate 5 is aimed at classic-car owners, with its switchable 6 or 12V output, but it’s restricted to traditional lead-acid batteries. It’s simple to use, with clear coloured LEDs telling you the state of charge. A force mode will allow batteries with just 0.5 volts to be fed a charge, and the unit has an IP54 rating – good enough for dust and splashes. But a maximum output of just 3A is slow.
CTEK NXT 5
- Price: around £109
- Rating: 3.0 stars
- Contact: ctek.com
CTEK rushed its new NXT 5 charger to us, and we were hoping for some innovations. While it’s easy to use and was the only charger here that was totally spark- free in our abuse test, it doesn’t do anything better than its rivals here, with a three-metre cable, basic display and 5A output – yet it is the most expensive.
Temu Car Battery Charger
- Price: around £15.96
- Rating: 2.5 stars
- Contact: temu.com
Like most Temu products, this charger looks good value. The switches and displays have the appearance of a seventies sci-fi set, though, and the LCD screen is almost unreadable. It charged our battery fairly quickly once we’d deciphered the instructions. But it failed the spark tests and the very short cables made it awkward to use.
Verdict
The Draper 12V Intelligent Battery offers the best combination of features, performance and value, so it takes the win here. However, if you use a charger more regularly or value an alternator-test function, you might think it’s worth paying the extra for the Ring Ultra Charge 10 – it takes a very close second place in this contest. The final spot on the podium this week goes to the neat and stylish NOCO Genius5.
Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express? We’ll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too.
