The Best Deep Cycle Battery Chargers for Faster Charging

If you’re using or thinking about using a deep cycle battery, you’re also going to need the best deep cycle battery charger money can buy. These products will ensure your battery’s always ready to work at any given moment.

But there’s an issue with trying to find a high-quality deep cycle battery charger. You see there are too many options to choose from as a potential buyer. And trying to find the perfect one among this mess of choices is almost impossible.

This issue is the reason why we decided to develop the article you’re reading at this moment. It’ll take you through all the necessary information you might need to know about these products. We’ll even provide you with reviews of the battery chargers we see as the best on the entire market.

All this information will help you understand what you want from one of these products. And once you get a grasp on the features and such, the perfect choice will become clear. It might even be one of the chargers we review in the next section.

So, let’s get to the reviews and get this process underway!

List of Top-Rated Deep Cycle Battery Charger Reviews

In this section, we’ll provide you reviews of the ten deep cycle battery chargers we see as the best on the market. From these discussions, we’re hoping you’ll start to understand what a high-quality example of these products might look like from a customer’s perspective.

1. NOCO Genius GEN5X2 Smart Marine Charger

The impressive customer ratings of the NOCO Genius GEN5X2 makes it the top-rated battery charger for deep cycle battery. This battery charger delivers exceptional performance in a robust and compact design.

I adore this charger’s two-bank design, each with a 5-amp capacity. People can charge two 120Ah deep cycle batteries simultaneously without requiring a complicated setup. After all, this device has 43% more charging power than other battery chargers. I love its efficiency.

Although this marine deep cycle battery charger is ideal for boats and other marine battery applications, its functionality extends outside the water. One can use it on any battery type, including lead-acid, AGM, and lithium. I am surprised to learn it can also recharge a starter battery.

I find its charging capabilities mind-boggling, especially its ability to resurrect a deep cycle battery from the dead. I commend the engineers for creating a product that can recharge a battery with a near-zero voltage.

Other engineering features I must highlight include the waterproof, IP68-rated casing and the anti-shock, noise, and vibration backing. I cannot think of any other battery charger with a robust design like this product.

I still cannot believe this exceptional battery charging performance is possible in a device that only measures 9.15 x 5.39 x 7.2 inches. It might be small, but this model can outclass bulkier devices.

2. Schumacher SC1280 Fully Automatic Battery Charger and Maintainer

The Schumacher SC1280 is a reliable deep cycle battery maintainer and charger, offering people faster charging times and effortless operation. It is the perfect solution for keeping one’s batteries in tip-top shape.

It is easy to fall in love with this battery charger. For starters, it has five more amps than other battery chargers. Its 15-amp capacity can recharge a 50% discharged 200Ah battery in only six hours, 40 minutes. A 10-amp charger can finish that in ten hours. People can proceed with their business sooner with this charger than with another product.

I also appreciate this charger’s 3-amp maintaining power, safeguarding the battery as it keeps its full charge status. I will never worry about losing my battery’s voltage because this charger tops it continuously and automatically. Its intelligent charging microprocessor automatically adjusts everything, creating a hassle-free and worry-free system.

Nobody has to fret about setting the charger in its correct mode, either. It automatically detects the battery voltage, whether it is a 6-volt unit or a 12-volt one. I am also glad the user interface is straightforward. The LED screen is large and readable, and the buttons have clear labels for effortless operation.

I also appreciate the integrated indicator lights. They make it more convenient to track the battery charger’s status.

Although this product works as an AGM deep cycle battery charger, it does not recharge lithium power cells.

3. BMK Smart Battery Charger Maintainer

People with cars, boats, and vehicles with 12-volt batteries can rely on the BMK Smart Battery Charger Maintainer to keep their power cells in excellent working condition. This deep cycle battery tender has an intelligent charging mechanism and robust safety features for an excellent all-around performance.

I like this battery charger’s four-stage charging mechanism, allowing the battery to reach full charge without damage. It desulfates the battery before supplying it to 80% capacity. The charger then whittles down its output before maintaining the battery’s optimum charge at 100%. People will not worry about a thing because they can monitor the charging progress through the charger’s indicator lights.

What blew me away about this deep cycle battery trickle charger is its wealth of safety features. It has a 72-hour safety timer technology that keeps battery health at its optimum. This charger also has built-in protection against battery overcharging, over-discharging, overvoltage, overcurrent, reverse polarity, short circuit, and over-temperature.

I am happy this battery charger has an ETL certification, giving me confidence about its performance and safety. I will never worry about this product exploding in my face when I charge my AGM, VRLA, flooded, and gel batteries. Its 2.91×4.57×9.65-inch measurement also translates to exceptional portability. I can stow this in my glove compartment and be on my way.

Sadly, it only delivers a maximum of five amperes, making battery charging frustratingly long. A 100Ah battery can take 10 hours to top up from a 50% discharged status. It also does not charge lithium batteries, which is a shame.

4. NOCO Genius G15000 UltraSafe Battery Charger

Our first product is the NOCO Genius G15000 Pro Series UltraSafe Smart Battery Charger, which makes use of some of the safest and advanced technology in the world. I mean, the versatility alone is enough of a selling point.

After all, this charger is capable of working with automotive, marine, power-sport, RV, and deep cycle batteries. It’s hard to see how you wouldn’t find multiple uses for this fantastic product. I also find the external mounting and rubberized base to be incredibly beneficial.

You see these two features will help this NOCO battery charger avoid surface slipping and scratches. Its water and UV resistance capabilities are lovely qualities as well. With these protective aspects, there isn’t a scenario where I won’t be able to use this product.

As a result, if it’s raining outside, this charger will still provide high-quality performance with its 15 amps of power. It’s also nice that this product offers protection against numerous potential issues: overcharging, short-circuiting, overheating, and sparks.

The smart battery inside this charger is another critical factor that stands out about the product. This feature will ensure it consumes the least amount of energy possible as well as increases the performance and longevity of your battery.

It even comes equipped with an intuitive LED indicator, which will keep you up to date on all the necessary information about the charging process. This charger also includes the addition of both high-quality X-connect battery clamps and integrated eyelet terminals, which make it easy to use.

Overall, this product seems to cover every base you could want from a deep cycle battery charger. I mean, the manufacturer even added in a 5-year warranty to offer you some protection in the event some bad happens with the product.

5. LEICESTERCN Automatic Battery Charger

The next product on our list is the LEICESTERCN 12V 5A Automatic Battery Charger, which has a set of features anybody looking for one of these products would love. One of these qualities is the LED light visual indicator.

With this indicator, you’re able to track the entire 7-step charging process. It’s a convenient feature that makes this whole experience much easier. Along the same lines, this model also comes with three different kinds of battery clamps.

This inclusion might seem excessive, but it gives you the option of choosing the battery clamps that are ideally suited to fit with your equipment. It’s another convenient addition, which conveys this manufacturer’s willingness to put the customer’s needs first.

These clamps make the using process incredibly easy as well. And as someone that doesn’t always do well with mechanical things: a simple operation device like this product is something I find extremely appealing.

It also helps the whole charging process is automatic, which takes the burden off you. All you have to do is sit back and let this charger do all the work. Sounds great, right? Well, it is, and the automatic process will help lengthen your battery’s life as well.

The fact that it’s made with durable materials and has multiple levels of protection aren’t too shabby either. I mean, this charger has a fully sealed outer case, which will prevent any damage that might come from a myriad of issue-causing things: water, dust, oil, moisture, corrosion, etc.

6. Battery Tender Plus 021-0128 Battery Charger

This next product from Battery Tender is one of the most efficient models on this entire list. You see even with an amperage of 1.25 amp this charger still outperforms almost every model with a 3 amp rating, which is incredible.

It also has a quick connect harness, which makes this product have a simple using process. This feature will even make the hardest connections simpler with its design. Honesty, this quality can be a godsend in certain situations.

You should take comfort in this charger’s 10-year warranty as well. This amount of years on a guarantee isn’t something you often see within this marketplace. As a result, you can reasonably expect this manufacturer to have your back when/if something happens with the product.

It’s also beneficial that this charger automatically changes to float charging mode when the battery is fully charged. In other words, this feature will ensure you don’t overcharge your battery, which can cause a heap of issues.

In the same regard, this product has protection against short-circuiting and accidental sparking. The reverse polarity preventative is a nice touch as well as it ensures the user’s safety during the charger’s use.

This product has a couple of add-on inclusion that you shouldn’t overlook either: alligator clips and ring terminals. Both these features make the using process much easier and add a certain level of convenience for the person that buys the product.

7. BLACK+DECKER BM3B Battery Charger

The BLACK+DECKER BM3B Fully Automatic 6V/12V Battery Charger is one of the more convenient models on this list. For instance, it can charge batteries inside a variety of different vehicles: RVs, cars, motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, and boats.

This product’s convenience level is further showcased through its easy connection process thanks to the additions of both battery clips and battery ring terminals. It’s little details like the inclusion of these two features that proves this manufacturer has their customer’s needs in mind.

It’s also essential we mention that this product has a built-in mounting bracket, which further shows the connection/using process is unbelievably simple. I found the multiple levels of protection this charger offers to be appealing as well.

You see this product ensures the user won’t have to worry about overcharging, reverse polarity, or short-circuiting causing them any issues. It even will automatically switch over to float charging mode when the battery reaches full charge capacity.

But the best part about this model is the low-price. In fact, this charger is one of the least expensive on this list. And given its high-quality features along with this low price tag, I think it’s fair to brand this product as a bargain buy.

The manufacturer was kind enough to throw in a 1-year warranty as well. It’s a rather small amount of years, but any insurance is better than none. However, I sadly didn’t enjoy everything about this product.

8. BatteryMINDer Model 1500 Battery Charger

Our list continues with another high-quality product called the BatteryMINDer Model 1500 12V 1.5 Amp Battery Charger. And this particular charger has a whole slew of things about it that made me highly intrigued.

For example, the full-time automatic high-frequency pulse de-sulfator was one of the first things that stood out to me. You see this feature allows this charger to extend your battery’s life by four times, which is astonishing.

This feature also helps recover weaker batteries, which is a nice touch this device offers. It’s quite apparent this manufacturer was trying to make the most user-friendly battery charger and this aspect certainly move it towards that title.

The charger’s versatility helps in this regard as well as it blew me away with its ability to work with a variety of different batteries: 12V flooded, maintenance-free, deep-cycle, Optima brand sealed AGM, marine, and sealed batteries.

Given this information, it’s not entirely shocking that this charger is one of the best-reviewed products within its marketplace. I’d imagine this status has to do with the fantastic levels of protection it offers as well.

These protection capabilities include prevention against things like short circuiting, reverse polarity, overcharging, overheating, and undercharging. In other words, everything you think could go wrong with one of these devices is accounted for with some level of protection.

9. Schumacher SE-1-12S 1.5A Battery Maintainer

The Schumacher SE-1-1-12S 1.5A 6/12V Fully Automatic Battery Maintainer is a device everyone that’s looking for a deep cycle battery charger needs to consider. I mean, it has a great set of features and a reasonable price tag.

What more could you want? After all, this charger reeks of convenience with its easy mounting process thanks to the inclusion of both the cable tie and double-sided adhesive. Plus, you can mount it almost anywhere including battery trays and fender walls.

It also features a plastic case that’s resistant to a whole lot of issue-causing things: gasoline, oil, acid, solvents, water, and acid. As a result, you can expect none of these potential problems to end up breaking your new charger.

I like the always important inclusion of the float charging mode as well. This feature will not only ensure the amperage will taper down once the battery’s fully charged; but it’ll also offer reverse hook-up protection.

The multi-stage charging process is another great addition as it’ll extend your battery’s life and ensure the safety of the entire process. With guarantees like these two, it’s hard not to be intrigued by this Schumacher battery charger.

And I didn’t even mention that this product has the capability of working with a myriad of vehicles: motorcycle, power-sport, RV, and cars. Honestly, there isn’t much you can complain about with this particular device.

10. Optima Digital 400 Battery Charger

This next product will provide you with a using experience that’ll more than meet your expectations. It has a set of features that easily makes it one of the most affordable deep cycle battery chargers on the market.

One of these standout features is the LED charging gauge, which has an LCD display. This crucial piece allows you to quickly evaluate how the charging process is going by just holding in your hand.

This feature also makes this 12v deep cycle battery charger have an easy operation process as it’s all controlled by this part of the device. Plus, it features a quick-set battery type selection button, which further proves the high-quality of this model.

Overall, it’s an incredibly convenient feature that gives you a sense of control over the entire process. I also like this Optima battery charger’s built-in health mode, which lengthens your battery’s life and optimize its performance to the best of its ability.

These two aspects alone make this model a must consider option. But the features don’t stop there as this product is known for recovering weak or discharged batteries other chargers just can’t.

Its use of spark-free connection technology is another beneficial feature this model has to offer. I mean, this technology will ensure you won’t have an issue with any sparking when using this device.

We should mention that this charger works well in a couple of different situations as well: as a marine battery charger, an RV battery charger, a motorcycle battery charger, or an AGM battery charger. And it’s capable of bringing its high-level performance to each circumstance.

11. OptiMATE 6 Battery Charger

The Optimate 6 12V-24V Battery Charger is a perfect option for anyone needing a deep cycle battery charger. This product is aptly suited to thrive in those circumstances with a set of features that will blow you away.

You see this charger has the capabilities of charging either a 12V or 24V battery and keep the same performance in both situations. But the best part about this feature is that when/if you accidentally select 24V and you’re charging a 12V the device itself will warn you.

As someone that’ll most likely make this mistake, this feature’s inclusion is certainly something I appreciate greatly. I also found the automatic shutdown feature to be appealing as it’ll ensure the process stays safe by shutting down when detecting a short circuit.

The waterproof materials used in creating the case was a nice touch as well. These materials will ensure this device can function in temperature as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, I don’t intend on testing this quality out, but it’s nice to know its there.

This charger also features a 3-year warranty, which should offer you some coverage when/if something happens to the device. These types of warranties make me feel better about buying products as well as it conveys the manufacturer has some faith in what they’re selling.

Plus, it’s helpful that this charger is exceptionally adept at recovering discharged batteries, which could provide huge dividends when your battery fails. In the end, this device pretty much has everything you could want in one of these products.

12. CTEK Fully Automatic Battery Charger

This CTEK battery charger will help solve a multitude of issues that might be affecting your battery. You see this device comes with an 8-step process that’ll extend your battery’s life and maximize its performance.

One of these steps is a de-sulphation process, which I found incredibly interesting as it’s capable of removing the issue-causing sulfate from the lead plates. In other words, it solves the issue that’s sucking the life right out of your battery.

I also thought the special reconditioning function was an impressive feature as well. This charger uses this function to retrieve deeply discharged batteries. As a result, this device could be unbelievable beneficial when your battery does end up failing.

This charger also provides several levels of protection to ensure the charging process ends up being completely safe. For instance, this model is spark-proof, short-circuit proof, reverse polarity proof and has built-in overcharging protection.

It even has water, dust, and splash resistance to make further sure nothing terrible happens when you use this charger. And if something does happen, it backs it up with a 3-year warranty, which should offer a significant amount of protection itself.

I didn’t even mention that multiple customer reviews commented on how easy this device was to operate. Given my need for simple battery charger, you can imagine I appreciate seeing a feature like the LED display, which makes this operation process easy.

13. Battery Tender Battery Management System

The last charger on our list, the Battery Tender 5-Bank Lithium Selectable Commercial Battery Management System, is a unique product that allows you to charge five batteries at once. But this feature isn’t the only special thing about it.

It also has various other features that make it stand out. For example, its 4-step charging process will ensure each battery connect to the charger will be maintained at their highest levels of performance. And it does this ability without allowing any of them to overcharge.

This model features a 72-hour safety timer, which I found appealing as well. You see this part of this device makes sure the batteries reach float mode status, which will ensure they taper down gradually as they grow closer towards being fully charged.

Its other safety protection qualities aren’t something you should overlook either; this device features reverse polarity protection and spark-proof connectors too. Both of these aspects will provide you with a sense of being safe when you’re using this charger.

Along the same lines, the 3-year warranty will offer this feeling as well. It’s quite clear that there isn’t a single safety precaution this particular manufacturer missed when creating this device as it seems like it’s prepared for everything.

It also helps that it has an LED indicator design for each charging bank, which makes it easy to keep updated on how each charging process is going for the separate batteries. The inclusion of the 6-foot lead and battery clamps aren’t bad additions either.

What to Look for When Buying a Deep Cycle Battery Charger

If you plan on buying one of these products, certain factors will shape this decision. And this part of the article will thoroughly guide you through these things to ensure you end up with the best deep cycle battery charger on the market.

Price

Setting up a budget is a fundamental step in the process of finding the perfect deep cycle battery charger. Like many other products, these items are available for numerous different price tags and having a budget can help limit your options.

This limitation of these options will help make this entire process seem less overwhelming. After all, the amount of options you have to choose from is somewhat insane, which makes anything that can lessen your choices essential.

But the primary goal of this budget’s to find the most cost-effective option that possesses all the features you deem necessary; therefore, this process will come down to you being realistic about the things you want and the price tag those qualities require.

For instance, if you want a charger that’ll monitor the battery life itself, it’s going to cost more money than a standard model that just charges the battery. And you’ll have to factor things like this feature into your budget.

Environmental Elements

Some of these chargers will feature aspects that’ll make them usable outdoors. These qualities will be things like water resistant capabilities and UV ray resistance. Others won’t be able to handle harsh environmental elements like exposure to a rainstorm.

If you want a charger that can work in the pouring rain, you’ll have to accept it’ll cost you a bit extra. In my opinion, I’m always going to opt for a product with both water and UV resistance that way I know I can use my charger regardless of the weather conditions.

I mean, I don’t want to be stuck in a rainstorm with a dead RV battery. This situation just sounds like an absolute nightmare and one I’d like to avoid at all costs; therefore, it looks like I’m going to spend those couple of extra dollars.

Monitor Charge Level Capabilities

If you hate the idea of having a battery dying a few hours before you expect, a charger with the ability to monitor your battery’s charge level could be a godsend for you. You see these models will automatically add some additional power when they sense the charge level is getting too low.

It’s another feature that will end up being a little bit more expensive; but if you don’t feel like regularly checking the battery yourself, this advanced type of charger could be worth the extra money as a consumer.

Battery Chemistry

One of the more important things you’ll have to consider is your battery’s chemistry. Some chargers are suitable for use on only certain battery types. For example, there will be products that charge lead-acid batteries but not gel battery units.

And if you do use these chargers on a gel battery unit, you can expect some severe consequences that you just don’t want to experience; however, this situation doesn’t apply to all models that can charge lead-acid batteries.

Given this information, reading the product description becomes necessary for all the deep cycle battery chargers you consider. And obviously, understand what type of battery your RV runs off of is something you have to figure out as well.

Equalizing Feature

The more advanced deep cycle battery chargers contain the capability of equalizing. This feature means the product can extend your battery’s life by balancing the charge, which reverses the damage sulfation has done to the plates.

It’s a rather useful feature that could help get the most out of your charger; however, it’ll come with a hefty price tag, which could put kind of a hole into your bank account. But I think the extra cost would be worth it with a feature like this one.

In fact, I’d opt for a charger with this capability over a bargain buy option that doesn’t have it. It seems to me like it’s that essential and necessary for something as crucial as your RV’s battery.

Battery Size

And the last thing you should consider is the battery’s size. In the case of batteries, you don’t measure size by the physical dimensions, but rather amp hours it can store. A normal amp hours you’ll see on batteries is 50 amp hours.

This 50 amp hour battery will get charged fully in six hours by a 10 amp charger. Likewise, a 100 amp marine battery will need 11 hours to charge with the same charger fully. It’s something you’ll need to think before making a final decision regarding, which charger is the best one for you.

Other Important Factors to Consider

This section will go over all the background information you might need to know about deep cycle battery chargers. In other words, it’ll get you up to speed regarding all the other knowledge that’ll help determine, which charger is the right one for your circumstances.

What is a deep cycle battery charger?

Understanding what a deep cycle battery charger is quite simple. It’s a charger designed to charge deep cycle batteries. And in being so, these products have certain qualities that help make that job easier.

For instance, a deep cycle battery charger will have thicker plates as compared to the more common lead-acid battery chargers. These plates will also tend to be solid rather than spongy like on other battery chargers.

These qualities are different on deep cycle battery chargers because it helps to charge your RV’s deep cycle battery much faster. In the end, these products have a singular purpose ensuring your RV’s battery gets charged as efficiently and quickly as possible.

As a result, finding the most trusted RV battery charger should be a top priority for an RV owner. It can make your life on the road much easier and ensure your RV’s battery never runs out of power because it’s undercharged.

How does it work?

The primary purpose of a deep cycle battery charger is charging your RV’s battery back up to full power. It will also ensure its charging rate is as efficient as possible. And the best models will make sure the device stops working when the battery reaches full charge.

These are the main functions of the top-rated deep cycle battery chargers. Of course, the actual process features a lot more scientific words, but these three functions are the general gist of what you can expect out of these products.

We should mention that some of deep cycle battery chargers also work on other types of batteries as well; therefore, you might get more use out of these products then you might have expected at first.

When should you charge a deep cycle battery?

People should charge a deep cycle battery once it reaches 50% charge level, although deep cycle batteries can discharge up to 80% of their power without significant damage. Some manufacturers recommend charging their deep cycle batteries at 40% to 45%.

It makes sense to check the deep cycle battery brand’s recommendations and charge the unit with a deep cycle charger accordingly.

One can use a voltage-indicating digital monitor, amp-hour meter, or hydrometer to measure a deep cycle battery’s current charge level.

What are the different types of deep cycle battery chargers?

There are numerous different types of deep cycle battery chargers you’ll have to choose from as a customer. Each features its own set of qualities that could lend themselves remarkably useful to an RV owner with a deep cycle battery.

For instance, there are deep cycle battery chargers that are known for their quick charging ability. Some other types will monitor the battery’s energy level that it’s charging. These chargers will taper off when the discharge reaches 80% to 90%, which helps stop overcharging from happening.

And since you want to avoid overcharging your RV’s battery as much as possible, you can see how these chargers would be useful. The deep cycle battery charges with automatic capabilities are helpful in this regard as well.

You see these type of charges automatically switch over to the floating mode when needed. This ability allows them to charge the battery when it’s required. But these products aren’t a long-term solution as you can’t use them indefinitely.

What amp should you charge a deep cycle battery?

When it comes to a deep cycle battery charger, you’ll see three types of outputs: 5A, 10A, or 15A. If you want quicker charging time, select a charger with a higher amp.

That said, it’s not always recommended to use a charger with a higher power rating. Chargers for flooded batteries should not exceed 10% of the battery’s capacity. Meanwhile, chargers for AGM batteries can go up to 30% of the battery’s rating.

Why do you need a deep cycle battery charger?

The reason you need a deep cycle battery charger is because a 12V car battery charger or other car battery chargers aren’t all suitable for use with deep cycle batteries. You see these type of batteries are a lot different than your standard car battery.

A deep cycle battery is a device that consists of lead acid, which will spend long periods being discharged. These batteries are featured in various electronic appliances and equipment:

• Wheelchairs
• Trolling motors
• RVs
• Audio equipment
• Solar power equipment

These are just some of the electronic appliances you might find use these type of batteries. And deep cycle battery chargers are designed specifically to handle the unique requirements that are needed for charging a deep cycle battery.

I know, this conclusion seems vague; therefore, we’re going to dive a bit deep into this topic by highlighting the differences between a starter car battery and deep cycle battery. And how it becomes clear that a deep cycle battery charger is a must-have purchase.

Understanding the Difference Between Starter Car Batteries and Deep Cycle Batteries

The first thing you’ll need to understand about why you might require a deep cycle battery charger is recognizing the difference between a starter battery and a deep cycle battery.

Starter batteries are the ones heavily featured in trucks and cars, which supply high current power bursts to start the vehicle up quickly. Once the truck or car’s engine started, the alternator then takes hold of the entire process by providing power into the vehicle’s internal electrical system: recharging the battery.

This process is the reason why most starter car batteries can go through its entire lifespan without going under 20% charge. But a deep cycle battery has more advanced needs that you need to meet, or the battery will end up failing and deteriorate.

Neither of these scenarios is ideal, and the top-tier deep cycle battery charger will take much of the maintenance required to keep up with a deep cycle battery’s needs. In other words, you’ll get to spend more time on actual fun things rather than worrying about recharging a battery.

It’s also essential you understand that deep cycle batteries charge faster and tend to have longer lives when they’re recharged based on their unique temperament and battery chemistry-dependent schedule.

The perfect charging situation would be having 75% of the battery charged at 50 amps and 15 volts during the initial bulk phase. From there, the leftover 25% will charge at a lower amp level until the battery reaches the coveted 100%.

But the process doesn’t stop there as when you hit the full charge mark there has to be a voltage reduction, which is regulated by the maintenance float phase: this phase ensures the battery doesn’t lose any electrolytes.

Doesn’t this process sound exhausting and incredibly time-consuming? This overwhelming feeling can disappear incredibly easily by letting a deep cycle battery charger do this entire process for you.

And in the end, this reason is why getting one of these products becomes such an essential part of the RVing experience. It makes sure you don’t have to spend a vast amount of time worrying about something as fruitless as recharging your battery.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

As you probably expected, the FAQs section will try to answer any remaining questions you have about these products. From the following discussion, we hope we can offer some clarity on any concerns you have regarding deep cycle battery chargers.

What are good deep cycle battery charger brands?

One of the essential parts of this process is figuring out, which deep cycle battery charger brands are the high-quality ones. And all the manufacturers mentioned in our product review section belong within this category.

But even among this small group of brands, there are a few that stick out a bit more: NOCO Genius and Battery Tender. Below, we’ll provide you with some background information about each company to showcase why they have such an excellent reputation among their customers.

• NOCO Genius

This company has been creating fantastic products for a long time. In fact, their company goes back to 1914. And they’ve been able to stick around because all their products are built with a sharp focus and an innovative mindset.

This type of design has made them push the boundaries of what’s possible; but even when they’re pushing limits, this brand never forgets about the most important aspect, their customers.

• Battery Tender

As the only brand that’s featured twice in our product review section, you can tell we think incredibly highly of Battery Tender. This sense of regard for this company comes from their willingness to assure their customers that they’re getting the high-quality product possible.

If you end up buying a battery charger from either of these two brands, there’s a high likelihood that you’ll end up with a positive experience. Honestly, this scenario will most likely happen with any of the companies mentioned in our product review section.

How to charge a deep cycle battery properly?

The deep cycle battery charging process isn’t too complicated. In fact, it typically will look something like the five steps below. But before we dive into these, lets quickly go over the materials you’ll need:

Materials:

• Battery
• Battery Charger
• Hydrometer
• Rubber gloves
• Distilled water
• Flathead screwdriver

Since you got all your materials ready, let’s start going over the steps:

1. Remove the battery and transport it to a dry, clean area that’s isn’t too stuffy or constricted.
2. Take out your flathead screwdriver and use it to remove the battery cells’ covers. These covers will have one of two forms: individual plugs or one large cap that’ll cover all the battery cells. Please ensure you’re wearing both eye protection glasses and rubber gloves during this process. There’s a possibility the acid inside these cells will splash out when you’re trying to remove the cover.
3. Grab your hydrometer, put its tip into the cell, and draw fluid into it. Read the hydrometer’s findings by using the instructions that come with it. Some of them might use floating balls to specify whether or not the cells have too little water. Others will have a needle gauge instead. You see there needs to be a specific amount of water in the cell, or the battery won’t work correctly. If it turns out the cell doesn’t have enough water, add the appropriate amount of distilled water. Once you made sure each cell has enough water, recap them.
4. Locate your charger and set it to the trickle or slow charge mode. You should also choose what type of battery you intend on charging: 6, 12 or 24 volts. If you have a battery charger that allows you to set the voltage for the charging process, make sure it’s at 20% of the battery’s amp per hour rating. This measurement will be written on either the side or top of your battery.
5. The next step is connecting your charger’s cables to the battery’s terminal posts. You must ensure you first connect the positive cable to the positive terminal. If you don’t know what the positive sides look like, they typically have a plus sign or red wire coloring. From there, do the same with the negative cable and terminal.

Once both ends are connected, turn on your charger. You should wait about 20 minutes or so and then check your charger’s charge meter. This amount of time should be enough for an accurate reading of your battery’s charge level. If your charger has a voltage regulator, this next part of this process will be handled for you as it’ll automatically shut off when it hits the required voltage. But if you don’t have one, you’ll have to monitor the charge meter hourly until the battery’s fully charged. And when it reaches full battery capacity, disconnect it.

How fast can you charge a deep cycle battery?

Two things determine how fast one can charge a deep cycle battery: the charger’s amperage rating and the battery’s depth of discharge relative to its amp-hours (Ah) rating.

First, a battery charger’s rated capacity determines how much energy it can push into the deep cycle battery per hour. Battery chargers can deliver 5 to 15 amps, depending on how many banks they have. On the other hand, a fast charger for deep cycle battery can give batteries up to 50 amps per hour.

Second, deep cycle batteries have amperage ratings, such as 50Ah and 100Ah. They also require recharging at 50% capacity.

Suppose one has a two-bank, 10-amp battery charger and a 100Ah deep cycle battery discharged at 50% for a 50Ah requirement. We can divide the battery Ah requirement by the charger rating to obtain five hours (50Ah ÷ 10 amps = 5 hours).

If one uses a 15-amp charger, he can recharge the deep cycle battery in three hours 20 minutes. A 50-amp fast charger can complete the job in an hour.

How to read a battery charger amp meter?

Reading a battery charger’s amp meter is easy. You see this amp meter is showing the amount of current the charger’s transporting to the battery. At first, there will be a high current level outputted by your charger.

For example, if you choose a 12-amp rate to restore the battery, the needle will first be closer to the 12 on the meter. But as the charging process gets going, the needle will start moving and will eventually drop to the number that represents half of your selected amp rate.

In this case, the number would be 6-amps. Once it hits this mark, the battery’s fully charged.

Where to buy?

The most trusted place to buy a deep cycle battery charger is Amazon. Their marketplace will have the largest selection and lowest prices among any places you might find one of these products. After all, there’s a reason all the models in our product review section link towards their site.

Of course, there are other options worth looking into as well. Stores like Lowes, Walmart, and Home Depot should have a variety of chargers to choose from and offer customer service you don’t get with online shopping.

But the selection will be more limited than you might encounter with an online shopping marketplace like Amazon. It’s essential we note that their products will most likely cost more as well.

If you don’t like either of these options, you can try going to your local RV store. These places should have some high-quality models, and you could get advice from people that deal specifically with RVs.

You should also check out sites like Batterymart.com, which will have a whole slew of options that’ll more than meet your expectations. But this site will often feature higher price tags than the Amazon marketplace.

However, it’s imperative you check out all these options before making a purchase. This action will allow you to evaluate, which place offers the best value because the prices can differ drastically between these marketplaces.

So please, do yourself a favor and ensure you check out all these options before investing your money into a product. After all, you never know when there might be a sale happening, which could end up saving you a truckload of money.

And lastly, don’t ever buy from the manufacturer’s website as the prices on them tend to be significantly higher than anything you’d find at the stores or sites mentioned above. You’ll just end up wasting money on something you could’ve bought for cheaper somewhere else.

Conclusion

Since you’re now full of knowledge about these products, finding the best deep cycle battery charger shouldn’t be much of an issue. All you have to do is use the information from this article, and you should be well on your way.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask them in the comment section below. We’d love to help you with whatever issue or concern you might have about this process.

William Turner

Hi, I am William Turner, a junior color consultant. My work is to create designs that make visual impacts as desired by clients. I am here to introduce you to the current color trends and combinations that create the right mood for your rooms.