Professional Tool Reviews for Pros
When shopping for the best car battery for your vehicle, what’s your top priority? Price? Warranty? Here in Central Florida, the heat is (figuratively) hell on car batteries. They last around 3 years (if you’re lucky), and I feel the pain each I have to replace one. In some cars—particularly one parked outside—some batteries may only make it a year or two. Other batteries, however, have given me over five years of reliable service. Like choosing your spouse, I suppose some of it comes down to having the right chemistry.
From my years of experience dealing with both automotive and marine batteries in a challenging environment, I wanted to share my top vehicle battery recommendations.
If you’re going with standard chemistry and design, the DieHard Platinum series is the best car lead acid car battery. It uses a “Stamped Grid” design technology that essentially makes the positive and negative grid more durable and stronger than less expensive methods. Regardless of what you call it, it works. DieHard Platinum batteries enjoy an outstanding reputation among those of us who use them, including myself and other members of our crew. Plus, they include an automatic 4-year replacement warranty.
If you’re on a smaller budget, it’s tough to beat the EverStart batteries at Walmart. Their entry-level models are pretty cheap. You can get most cars cranking for less than $100. However, we recommend stepping up to the Maxx series.
They’re over $130, but we’ve had reliable success with them, even through hot Florida summers. In fact, our managing editor, Kenny, currently has two of the deep-cycle models powering the trolling motor on his boat. These also include a 3-year free replacement warranty you can claim at your local Walmart. They’ll test the battery to see if it’s bad (to rule out a corroded post or connection). If it’s bad, they’ll take it off your hands, and you’ll walk out with a brand-new battery.
When it comes to the best overall AGM car battery, it’s a close race between Odyssey Extreme and Optima Yellow Top. Both go above and beyond with their designs to create a power source that’s legitimately better than other options. In a photo finish, I feel Odyssey takes the win—mostly for its value.
For the Extreme batteries, Odyssey uses 99% pure lead, not the alloys most battery plates use. That means the plates can be smaller, so you get more plates and more surface area for those chemical reactions compared to spiral-wound designs. This results in twice the power and three times the expected life compared to standard lead acid batteries.
I first learned about Optima batteries when they moved heavily into the fishing industry with the Blue Top line. Overnight, it seemed like professionals were swapping out their standard sealed lead acid starting and deep cycle batteries for Optima. Though they have an unusual physical design compared to traditional batteries, they have been field-proven and trusted long enough to have earned a rock-solid reputation for performance, quality, and reliability. Specifically, the spiral cell design increases vibration damage resistance up to 15 times and offers a service life up to 3 times longer than standard batteries.
With the RedTop and YellowTop models covering your car and truck needs, the Red Top earns our pick as the best AGM car battery for the money. While not the cheapest AGM you can buy, it’s more reliable. That means a lot when shopping for the best value.
I’ve recommended the NOCO Genius 2 as my top battery charger for cars in the past. It’s an understandable pick with its low price, ability to charge lead acid, AGM, and lithium, and auto-repair function. However, that 2-amp charging rate can drive you nuts when you’re in a hurry.
Instead, take a look at the SC1281 from Schumacher. Capable of 2, 6, or 12A charging, it gets you back in the game more quickly with a multi-stage smart charge that helps extend your battery’s life. Plus, it has a 30-amp boost to bring otherwise dead batteries back to life, a 100-amp jump starter, battery tester, and auto-repair.
It’s not as compact or inexpensive as the popular NOCO brand and doesn’t charge lithium batteries. However, I think the added benefits more than overcome the trade-offs.
Lithium delivers power more efficiently than lead acid. This makes for smaller car batteries and also jump starters. In fact, the storage space a lithium jump starter takes up is often less than a set of jumper cables. In my opinion, the Fanntik T8 Apex is the best car battery jump starter.
While not quite as compact as the NOCO Boost Plus GB40 I also recommend, it has higher power delivery—enough to start an 8.5L gas engine or 6L diesel. Keep in mind these devices are not meant to jump a completely dead battery. Instead, they assist in helping a weak battery start a vehicle. This 2000-amp pack has a 20,000mAh capacity that can provide up to 50 jump starts between charges. It even has bonus USB-A and USB-C ports on board. In a pinch, use it to charge your phone or tablet.
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When it comes to the best car battery brands, there are a lot of opinions, even among our crew. There are a handful of reliable choices, but there’s a kicker. If you’re saving money by purchasing a lead acid battery, buy the highest level you can afford. The gold/platinum level batteries last longer, and the extra money you spend on the front end will almost always pay for itself. A $120 battery that lasts 3 years is better in the long run than buying two $80 batteries that only last a year and a half each.
Here are the brands I’m willing to spend my hard-earned money on:
When it comes to finding the best lithium car battery, you shouldn’t take a shortcut. The consequences of a failure could result in thermal runaway. That’s more prevalent in a lithium car battery and something that would be devastating (not to mention dangerous).
In my opinion, you’re better off buying a quality AGM battery than a cheap or untested lithium battery. Since I couldn’t find any I’m willing to put in my vehicle, I don’t have a recommendation for you in this category. If you really want lithium, pay attention to the manufacturer and—if possible—spend the money to get quality. Otherwise, go with a different chemistry.
It’s possible to get a car battery under $100. However, you get what you pay for, and those batteries often only last a year or so. Most quality batteries start a little over $100 for standard lead acid and can be well over $1,000 if you’re buying lithium.
The three primary battery chemistries are lead-acid, AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat), and lithium. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Here are the primary considerations:
Lead-acid batteries are the most traditional type and the most affordable. They have a decent lifespan when properly maintained, with some premium batteries lasting 5 years or longer. They’re also capable of delivering high current, making them well-suited for starting vehicles.
On the downside, they’re heavier compared to other types, require regular maintenance (like topping off with distilled water), and can be prone to sulfation if you don’t keep them properly charged.
AGM batteries are a type of lead-acid battery that uses an absorbent glass mat (fiberglass) rather than the less-constrained liquid of a standard battery. These designs are sealed, making them effectively maintenance-free. They offer a longer lifespan, faster charging, and better cold-temperature performance than traditional lead-acid batteries. They’re also more resistant to vibration and can be mounted in a wide range of positions.
The main downsides are that they’re more expensive than traditional lead-acid batteries and can be damaged if overcharged. It’s helpful to have a battery charger with an AGM-specific setting (though AGM/Gel combo settings can keep AGM batteries from reaching a full charge).
Even though they’re more expensive, AGM batteries offer the best balance of performance, life, and price compared to standard and lithium car batteries.
Lithium car batteries are lightweight, have a high energy density, and can deliver a consistent voltage throughout their discharge cycle. They have a longer lifespan, can be charged quickly, and are maintenance-free. If you can afford lithium, it’s the best overall car battery chemistry currently available.
However, they’re the most expensive among the three main types. There are also concerns about safety, as they can catch fire if damaged or improperly charged. You need to use a lithium-specific charger with these batteries. Do yourself a favor and don’t skimp by buying cheap batteries or chargers—thermal runaway is no joke. You can’t put out a lithium fire with water the same way you can others. If a lithium fire starts in your garage, the damage is likely to be severe.
That said, quality lithium batteries don’t fail very often.
A car battery group size refers to the physical dimensions and terminal placement of the battery. Established by the Battery Council International (BCI), group sizes are standardized codes that help consumers and mechanics identify the right battery for a specific vehicle.
The group size is crucial for several reasons:
You’ll find a CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) designation on every car battery you buy. This specification tells you the battery’s ability to start an engine in cold conditions. Specifically, CCA measures the number of amps a 12-volt battery can deliver for 30 seconds at 0°F (-17.8°C) without dropping below 7.2 volts.
Here’s why knowing the CCA is so important:
Under mild or warm conditions, the battery has higher cranking amps available. That’s one reason your car seems easier to start in the spring and summer than it does in the dead of winter.
Reserve Capacity (RC) is a measure of a car battery’s endurance. It indicates the number of minutes a fully charged battery can continuously provide a current of 25 amperes at 80°F (27°C) before its voltage drops below 10.5 volts.
Some batteries list the reserve capacity on the label. Others may list it on website product pages in the specifications. Many of the lower-priced batteries, including ones we use, don’t list it in either location. You can calculate an estimate, though. You just need the battery’s amp hours (Ah).
Take the amp hours, divide by 25, and then multiply that value by 60 to get the number of reserve minutes. Here’s an example using Optima’s Yellow Top D34:
Like I said, it’s an estimate. Optima’s actual RC is 120 minutes on this model, but you get in the ballpark with this calculation.
One of the nice things about AGM and lithium car batteries is that they’re essentially maintenance-free. As long as you make sure you use the right charger settings if you need to connect one, they’re about as worry-free as you can hope for.
Standard lead-acid is a different story, though. Here are some tips to get the most life from your car battery:
General Manager
When he’s not playing with the latest power tool, Clint DeBoer enjoys life as a husband, father, and is an avid reader—especially the Bible. He loves Jesus, has a degree in recording engineering, and has been involved in multimedia and/or online publishing in one form or another since 1992.
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