Buying guide

Battery Chargers & Maintainers

Our pick

NOCO Genius5

Choose the NOCO Genius5 for routine charging and maintenance of compatible 6 or 12 volt batteries.¹²

Why this one

The NOCO Genius5 combines 5 amp charging with automatic float maintenance, covering charging and maintenance in one unit.²
The NOCO Genius5 supports lead acid and lithium batteries and adjusts charging for temperature.²

Before you buy: The NOCO Genius5 has a lower maximum charging current than the 15 amp Battery Tender Power Tender.²³

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The alternatives

Other contenders

Battery Tender 15/8/2 Amp Power Tender
Choose the Battery Tender 15/8/2 Amp Power Tender when a compatible 12 volt battery calls for its higher charging current.³

Buying advice

Match both battery chemistry and voltage before connecting a charger; the 12 volt LiFePO4 Power Tender and lead acid CTEK have different compatibility.³⁹

For lithium batteries

Lithium compatibility must match the battery chemistry and the selected charging mode.³ Choose the Battery Tender 15/8/2 Amp Power Tender for a 12 volt LiFePO4 battery requiring up to 15 amp charging.³

For a battery that has gone flat

A recovery function is the relevant feature for a deeply discharged battery.² Choose the NOCO Genius5 for its recovery function and subsequent automatic maintenance.²

For charging a drained battery quickly

Choose a charging current within the battery manufacturer's limits.³ Choose the Battery Tender 15/8/2 Amp Power Tender for compatible 12 volt batteries needing its 15 amp maximum output.³

For a 6-volt battery

A 6 volt battery needs a charger with a matching voltage mode.¹ Choose the NOCO Genius5 for its 6 volt support and 5 amp charging output.¹²

16 models / at a glance

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3 models compared. 13 models have incomplete measurements.

Warranty (years); higher is preferred · 0 to 10

Cord reach (ft); higher is preferred · 0 to 12.3

Battery Tender Junior Multi-Chemistry Battery Tender Plus Schumacher SC1299

NOCO Genius5

Cord reach: No exact comparable value
Warranty: 5 years

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NOCO Genius5

Cord reach: Not documented
Warranty: 5 years¹

Specification	NOCO Genius5	Battery Tender 3-Amp Battery Charger	Battery Tender 15/8/2 Amp Power Tender	Battery Tender Junior	Battery Tender Junior Multi-Chemistry	Battery Tender Plus	Battery Tender Plus 4 Bank Multibank Charger	CTEK 40-206 MXS 5.0 NA	CTEK Multi US 7002	MOTOPOWER MP00205A	NOCO GENIUS1	NOCO GENIUS10	Schumacher SC1280	Schumacher SC1299	Schumacher SC1300	TecMate Optimate 1 Duo
Battery types	flooded, gel, AGM, and maintenance-free, plus lithium-ion batteries²	flooded, AGM, gel cell, and sealed maintenance-free. Lithium: LiFePO4.⁴	Lead-acid: flooded, AGM, gel cell, and sealed maintenance-free. Lithium: LiFePO4.³	Standard, AGM, Gel⁵	Lead-acid: flooded, AGM, GEL, sealed maintenance-free. Lithium: LiFePO4.⁶	AGM, GEL, Standard (Sealed or Flooded Lead Acid)⁷	AGM, GEL, Lithium, Standard (Sealed or Flooded Lead Acid)⁸	WET,MF,Ca/Ca,AGM,EFB,GEL⁹	WET,MF,Ca/Ca,AGM,GEL¹⁰	lead-acid, flooded or sealed maintenance free batteries (AGM and gel cell)¹⁸	flooded, gel, AGM, and maintenance-free, plus lithium-ion batteries¹¹	Lithium (LiFePO4), Wet (Flooded), Gel, MF (Maintenance-Free), CA (Calcium), EFB (Enhanced Flooded Battery), and AGM¹⁹	standard, AGM, gel, and deep-cycle¹³	standard, AGM, and gel¹⁴	standard, AGM, and gel¹⁵	12V lead-acid (Pb) motorcycle battery, as well as to the 12.8V/13.2V lithium (LFP/LiFePO4) motorcycle battery¹⁶
Battery voltage	operates at 6 and 12 volts¹	6V/12V⁴	12V³	12V⁵	12V⁶	12V⁷	12V⁸	12 V⁹	12 V¹⁰	12-volt¹	6V/12V¹¹	6V/12V¹²	6V and 12V¹³	12V¹⁴	6V and 12V¹⁵	12V¹⁶
Amperage	5 A²	3 A⁴	15 A³	0.75 A⁵	1 A⁶	1.25 A²⁰	1.25 A⁸	4.3 A⁹	7.0 A¹⁰	0.8 A¹⁸	1 A¹¹	10 A¹⁹	15 A¹³	0.8 A¹⁴	1.5 A¹⁵	0.6 A¹⁶
Dead battery recovery	Yes²	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Yes⁷	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Yes¹¹	Yes¹²	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Lithium support	Yes²	Yes⁴	Yes³	Not published	Yes⁶	No⁷	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Yes¹¹	Yes¹²	Not published	Not published	Not published	Yes¹⁶
Desulfation mode	Yes¹	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Yes⁹	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Yes¹³	Not published	Yes¹⁵	Not published
Warranty	5 years¹	5 years¹⁷	5 years³	Not published	5 years⁶	10 years⁷	Not published	5 years⁹	5 years¹⁰	Not published	Not published	Not published	1 year¹³	1 year¹⁴	1 year¹⁵	3 years¹⁶
Temperature compensation	Yes²	Not published	Yes³	Not published	Yes⁶	Yes⁷	Not published	Yes⁹	Not published	Not published	Yes¹¹	Yes¹²	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published
Cord reach	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	12.3 ft⁶	12 ft⁷	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	Not published	11.08 ft¹⁴	Not published	Not published
Reverse polarity protection	Yes¹	Yes⁴	Yes³	Yes⁵	Yes⁶	Yes⁷	Yes⁸	Yes⁹	Yes²¹	Yes¹	Yes⁵	Yes¹⁹	Yes¹³	Yes¹⁴	Yes¹⁵	Yes¹⁶
Automatic float mode	Yes²	Yes⁴	Yes³	Yes⁵	Yes⁶	Yes²⁰	Yes⁸	Yes²⁰	Yes²¹	Yes¹	Yes¹¹	Yes¹²	Yes¹³	Yes²²	Yes¹⁵	Yes¹⁶

The alternatives

Other contenders

Buying advice

For lithium batteries

For a battery that has gone flat

For charging a drained battery quickly

For a 6-volt battery

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NOCO Genius5

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