What Is The Best Boat Battery

Noco Genius Genm2 8 Amp 2

If you want to charge your batteries in a hurry, the Genius line from Noco is your answer. This onboard boat battery charger has an all-plastic casing thats safe and easy to install on any boat. Best of all, the dual charging banks let you use it for both your starting and trolling battery.

Nocos Rapid Charge technology is impressively fast twice as fast as most chargers. Thats not the only smart thing about this charger, either. Its advanced reconditioning system repairs dead and damaged batteries.

Chargers from Noco dont come cheap. If you want the fastest charge possible, though, its worth the price. The advanced repair function can be a life-saver, too.

NOCO Genius GENM2 8 Amp 2-Bank On-Board Battery Charger.

Pros

Interstate Batteries Sealed Lead Acid Replacement Battery

This is a universal 12-Volt marine battery which has a capacity of 35 amp-hours that can be used for a wide variety of applications such as consumer electronics, electric vehicles, power sports, portable tools, medical mobility, lawn and garden tools to name a few. But mostly used by boat owners because it is small and lightweight and will not add a significant weight on the boat.

A product of Interstate Batteries, this deep cycle battery requires no maintenance as it is a sealed lead acid-SLA battery. This also means that there will be no room for leakage and hence gives you great options for mounting in any position.

Like any deep cycle battery, it has a decent long-running service life but needs an ample amount of time to recharge fully once it is drained. Full recharging can take up to 12 hours or more.

Another advantage is that the battery can resist vibration and shocks. This will result in increasing the longevity of the cell.

Pros

Types Of Marine Battery Chargers

This is an essential thing to know because not every kind of charge on the market will be able to work with your batteries. So, to introduce you a bit, AGM and gel cells need specialized, high-quality chargers, such as smart or microprocessor-controlled types if you want to use them for a long time. However, if you are looking for something simpler, lead-acid is the way to go. They are suitable for flooded batteries, but you should be careful about how you handle them. If you forget the charger, it can boil off the flooded cells and kill the whole array.

A lot of people recommend getting a smart charger because it thinks about the temperature and battery chemistry when you are using it. Besides, to that they make sure you get a full charge, thanks to their three phases cycle, this also makes sure your battery doesnt get damaged. They are rather cheap and worth buying since they extend the life of your battery.

Overall, you decide the most excellent type of battery charger, depending on your marine battery, to categorize them they can fall in one of two categories:

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What To Look For When Shopping For The Best Boat Battery

Your application will determine if you need a starting battery, a deep-cycle battery system, or maybe you only need a single multi-purpose battery. The best boat battery for you will always depend on how youre using it. Regardless of your application, there are some things to keep in mind when looking for any marine battery.

Efficiency is critical. Efficiency in a battery means that you can discharge your battery to 80% or more of its capacity without damaging it and then recharge it quickly.

Reliability and lifespan are also essential to consider when selecting your marine battery. You dont want to be a few miles off-shore on a fishing trip and not be able to start up your motor to get home because your battery died. Likewise, imagine taking your friends out on your sailboat for a weekend and having your battery system croak on you. Thats not going to make for a fun vacation. Beyond that, batteries are expensive. Having to replace them frequently because they dont have a long lifespan or warranty will add up quickly.

And last, but certainly not least, weight. Batteries can be very heavy. This starts to become a significant consideration in live-aboard and trolling battery systems where you likely need multiple batteries to provide the capacity you need.

Ultimately, youre looking for the lightest, most efficient, and reliable battery you can afford. Lets look at some options.

Ranking The Best Marine Battery Chargers On The Market

by Joe AppletonUpdated on May 11, 2020.

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Having a marine battery charger onboard is a wise idea if you rely on battery power. Even after the longest day out on the water, a charger can top up your battery and keep it in shape until your next voyage.

Theres nothing worse than turning up at the marina, enthused for a big day out, and being let down by a dead battery. Thats why you should buy the best marine battery charger that you can!

Its important to take a few things account before buying the first product that you see. For a start, not all battery chargers will charge multiple types of batteries. Some can, but most do not. Before you buy a battery charger, make sure that you know what type of battery that youre trying to charge.

For example, a sealed AGM battery has different properties to a flooded lead acid battery, and a gel battery wont be the same as a Lithium Ion unit. Its important to make those distinctions early on, because the wrong charger could ruin your battery!

To take the stress out of buying a marine battery charger, weve put together a list of the top units on the market, with a short buying guide to help you find the right product.

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Odyssey 34m Trolling Marine Dual

Our penultimate entry is the Odyssey 34M Dual Purpose Marine Battery. This best marine battery works as both a starting battery and a deep cycle battery so you can count on it to start your boat engine and run your onboard appliances. The Odyssey is an AGM battery and uses pure lead as its plate materials. Lead has a very high conductance and makes a battery that lasts a long time.

The Odyssey is a sealed lead-acid battery which means there is no need to refill the water tanks. In fact, its basically maintenance-free as long as you keep the leads clean and clear. The construction is robust and can withstand a lot of vibration. WE honestly bet you could smash it with a hammer and leave minimal damage .

The Odyssey has a wide range of operational temperatures and can put out optimal capacity between 0 degrees and 170 degrees Fahrenheit. It has a nominal voltage of 12V and a 5-second current up to 1500 amps. It has a pretty impressive 135 reserve battery capacity which translates to just over two hours of trolling operation.

The Odyssey has a better long-term performance than most other batteries in its league though it is a bit more expensive. This is not unexpected as dual-purpose batteries are usually on the more expensive side of the scale. Overall though, the extra price is worth the top-tier performance. The manufacturer claims that the battery can be stored for up to 2 years on an open circuit without needing to recharge.

What We Like:

What We Didnt Like:

• Expensive

The Kind Of Battery Do You Need

The kind of battery youll want on board depends on what you need the battery to do . Sounds practical enough, but think about more than just starting your boat.

If you have a simple motor and no electrical gadgets to speak of, then a cranking battery will do the trick. However, if you have any electrical equipment like a GPS, depth finder or even a radio, youll want to check out a deep-cycle battery.

Cranking Battery its main purpose is just to start the engine by providing a quick burst of energy. This means while they arent reliable to keep your radio going all day, they are more than up to the task of getting your boat going for that early morning fishing trip.

Deep-Cycle a deep cycle battery offers a lower and more steady rate of energy than the cranking battery. This means that you can run all of your electrical equipment without the risk of having to charge your battery on the water.

Deep cycle batteries are also great if you need to power a depth finder, live well, bilge pump, GPS, fish locator etc.

Because these types of marine batteries are used for different purposes, they arent interchangeable. Make sure you stick with the battery type your boat was designed for. Attempting to use a battery that is not designed for your specific type of boat can lead to battery failure, or worse. If you want to learn more about different batteries in general, check out some basic battery knowledge.

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Where To Recycle Your Boat Or Marine Battery

At Batteries Plus Bulbs, we’re committed to preserving the environment by offering a safe, convenient outlet for battery recycling. You can drop off your used marine and boat batteries at any of our store locations. Whether you’re bringing in one battery or a boatload, we offer personal and commercial recycling options with our .

Replacing Your Boat’s Battery

Consult your boat owners manual or a marine dealer when replacing a marine battery, and be sure to buy a new battery that is a good match for your boat. Marine batteries are rated by their ampere hour rating, reverse capacity, and marine cranking amps. When shopping for a deep cycle battery, you’ll want to pay the most attention to the ampere hour rating and reserve capacity. For starting batteries, focus primarily on the marine cranking amps. Consult all three rankings when searching for a dual-purpose battery.

If you add electrical accessories to your boat, you may need to upgrade to a battery with a higher amp-hour rating, especially if you spend a lot of time trolling with the engine at a very low speed or you spend a lot of time beached or at anchor while using accessories like the audio system.

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High Quality Battery Manufacturers

The Surette and Rolls battery companies are well known as being the Cadillac of batteries. It is a fair assumption that battery quality is directly related to price. If you are seeking nothing but low cost, you can be guaranteed to end up with a low quality battery, and low quality batteries are never worth what you pay for them. You are unlikely to find the highest quality batteries sold at common retail outlets where price is always the primary consideration.

Some manufacturers that have reputations for high quality products are listed below. Note that none of them are cheap.

Promariner Multi 43008 8 Amp Battery Charger For Boat

Heres another great choice from ProMariner that gives you a lot of versatility and power in a portable package. In our opinion, this is the best boat battery charger for long-term on-board maintenance. While its not the cheapest option out there, the performance is worth the price.

You can use this charger for stored batteries, too. In that regard, the Recondition Mode is probably the most impressive thing about this charger. It gives stored batteries a monthly reconditioning so you can count on them when you need them.

Versatility and reliability are the strong points here. Itll work just as well for you on the boat as for off-season storage, and in the convenience of one portable unit.

Pros

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Which Battery Technology Do You Prefer

The battery technology you choose will determine the advantages you get from it. Lithium batteries have excellent capacities, C-rates, and DOD, but they are also more expensive. Marine AGM battery options provide good discharge currents, have high capacities, and have the best performancecost relation. Gel batteries have longer life spans than AGM models but are more delicate when charging. Wet cell battery models are robust, resistant to high currents, and have high capacities, but they require regular maintenance, have low DOD, and have shorter life spans.

Interstate Marine Deep Cycle

My first interstate battery was one I put in my car while in college. My battery died on a Sunday while I was visiting a buddy, and his dad happened to work in the county road commission garage. He went down and grabbed a new Interstate battery that they used for the plow trucks. I paid him back for the battery and never had to worry about starting that car, even when it was well below zero.

These are great deep cycle batteries and pretty hard to beat for the price. No, theyre not the absolute cheapest batteries out there, but they are less expensive than many other mid-level batteries and are still under $100. A nice feature are the insert terminals that give you more options in how you attach your wires, while reducing the extra terminal space you find on other batteries.

ProsConsBottom Line

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Promariner 43012 Prosport 12 12amp 12/24 Volt 2 Bank Generation 3 Battery Charger For Boat

For over three decades, Professional Mariner has devoted themselves to producing high-quality marine equipment. Their on-board fully-automatic marine battery charger is the top of the line for speed and efficiency. The dual charging banks are helpful, too, especially for seasonal storage.

This charger will work with both 12v and 24v batteries. Its very efficient, too, and offers automatic reconditioning features that can improve your batterys lifespan.

The price of this charger is reasonable considering what you get. Having said that, it is on the pricey side, especially for a hobbyist. For serious boaters, though, the extra expense is worth it for the dual charging banks alone.

Pros

What Should The Battery Size Be

This question is asked in regards to how many amp hours your battery store, not its physical dimensions. An example is a good deep-cycle marine battery rated at 100 amp-hours. If you are unaware of what this means, feel free to visit our guide related to such batteries. To fully recharge with a 10-amp charger, it would be 11 hours, assuming the battery is dead.

The rule of thumb which can be really useful in calculating the complete charge time is, dividing the ampere-hour rating of the battery by the charger rating and adding about 10% of the additional time to top off the battery completely.

If you want a faster recharge, you should look at chargers with more amps. But if you dont need or want to hurry, you can get a smaller unit. The essential thing here is that in your assigned time your charger manages to load your item.

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Motopower Mp00205a 12v 800ma Fully Automatic Boat Battery Charger/maintainer

If your budgets tight, youll love this little charger from MotoPower. It gives you the performance you need for charging and maintaining a boat battery for less than $15. Thats an incredible value whichever way you cut it.

Now there is a caveat to this. In terms of power, this has the lowest on the list. Its rated at 800mA, which is less than an amp. Thats fine for maintaining a battery but itll be very slow charging. It also wont restore batteries that are deeply discharged.

With the special functions, its safe for use.

Most people dont need a huge amount of power for maintaining a battery, though. If youre looking for a cheap option to keep a fresh battery in good shape, this charger will serve you well.

Pros

Think About The Design And Upkeep

Another important aspect that you have to consider in picking a marine battery is the design and maintenance demand of the power cell. Ideally, you want to go for the maintenance-free batteries with durable design. They are more convenient to use, and they will also help you save a lot of money in the long run by reducing the maintenance expenses and by providing longer service life. Considering the design of the power cell will also make it easier for you to install the battery itself.

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Odyssey 31m Trolling Thunder Dual Purpose

• Weight: 77.8 lbs
• Group: 31

The 31M model especially offers excellent reserve power of 205 minutes and capacity rating of 100 Ah. That is more than enough to power a fishing boat with several large fish finders, plus the livewells all day. Even the smaller 27M matches up favorably to the Optima 31M specification wise.

The 1150 cold cranking amps are enough to crank the bigger 200-250hp outboards found on top of the line bass boats. Motor manufacturers have been putting a higher emphasis on CCA requirements for their outboards in recent years.

Bottom line, if you need the best AGM battery to power everything on your fishing boat, the Odyssey 31M is our Editors Choice.

Does It Work Well As A Starter Battery

The battery you choose should provide the proper current or cranking amps to start the alternator engine or electric motor of your boat. This is why it is important to check the CCA, MCA, or PHCA when choosing a battery for your boat. The meanings of these acronyms are as follows:

• CCA Cranking amps for 30 seconds at 0ºF
• MCA Cranking amps for 30 seconds at 32ºF
• PHCA 5-second pulse of hot cranking at 80ºF

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