As all caravan owners will know, a functional leisure battery is a holiday essential. For those who don’t know, a leisure battery is vital to running 12V appliances in your caravan. So whether you’re using a traditional campsite pitch or camping off the grid, a charged, functional leisure battery is key.
To keep your battery in tip top condition, a portable battery charger is a vital piece of kit. Whether you’re just recharging, maintaining, or even recovering your leisure battery, these are the best chargers available:
- NOCO Genius10UK 10Amp fully-auto 12V battery charger
- CTEK MXS 10 10Amp fully-auto 12V battery charger
Before we get into more detailed reviews of these products, I’ll succinctly answer a few leisure-battery-related questions: what does a leisure battery do, how long does a leisure battery last, and how do I charge a leisure battery? To jump straight to the reviews of the best leisure battery chargers, please click here.
What Does A Leisure Battery Do In A Caravan?
A leisure battery is the power source for the 12V appliances and equipment in your caravan. For example, the leisure battery is the power source for the following:
- Lights
- Water pump
- Kettle
- Oven
- TV
Above’s just a small selection of the equipment and appliances that normally rely upon a leisure battery.
Above is an example of a leisure battery that can be used for a caravan.
Depending on the age of your caravan, a leisure battery could be essential, advised, or unneeded but useful. For example, appliances and equipment in older caravans would not function at all without a leisure battery. In some caravans, you could have all kinds of electrical problems if you powered 12V appliances and equipment without a leisure battery. If you have a newer caravan, technology advancements mean a leisure battery might not be needed, although having one is still beneficial.
Some argue that 12V appliances and equipment can be run directly from the charger. Yes, this removes the need for a battery and saves you a little bit of money. However, it can cause damage that costs much more to fix than a leisure battery would cost you! A leisure battery manages irregularities in the supply received from the ‘van’s built-in charger, so you can avoid damage to your electrical system and appliances.
How Long Does A Leisure Battery Last?
There are two aspects to consider when thinking about how long a leisure battery lasts. First, how long a full charge will last you. Secondly, how long the battery itself will last before you need a replacement.
How long will a full charge last?
How long’s a piece of string? That question is about as easy to answer as how long will a full 12V battery charge last?
How long a full charge lasts will depend upon several things.
- The capacity of your battery
- How many appliances you’re using
- The power your appliances consume
You can get a general idea of how long a full charge will last yourself, provided you have the information you need. There are two things that you will need to know.
- Your battery’s capacity in amp-hours
- The number of amps your appliances use
Your battery’s capacity will be displayed as xAH. For example, 110AH. In this case, your battery’s capacity is 110 amp-hours.
You can work out the number of amps your appliance uses with the following formula:
- Watts divided by Volts = Amps
With all this information, you can figure out how long a full charge of your battery will last. Please remember that you cannot fully drain most battery types, or permanent damage can be caused.
How Long Will A Battery Last Before A Replacement Is Needed?
Again I’ll ask: how long is a piece of string?
It all depends on how you take care of your battery. If you maintain your battery properly, don’t fully drain it, and keep it charged, it will last years. If you don’t take care of your battery, it won’t last long at all.
On average, a caravan leisure battery will last around 5 years. However, this is an average figure. Some leisure batteries will last 8 years, for example, whereas some may only last 3.
How Do I Charge A Leisure Battery?
There are numerous ways to charge a leisure battery, so let’s take a look.
- Connect caravan to EHU: If your caravan is plugged into the electric hook-up on a campsite, your battery will charge. The battery regulates the supply so it can be used by your appliances safely. But the hook-up will also charge your battery at the same time.
- Use a caravan battery charger: The subject of this blog post: use a caravan battery charger. There are several types of leisure battery charge, the best option being fully automatic. All of my recommendations are fully automatic, so we’ll take a look at those soon and how they work.
- Solar power: It is possible to maintain and charge your battery using solar power. This is a good idea in prospect, but that all depends on the weather!
The battery charger above is the one that I personally own. It’s great and I’d recommend it to anyone.
The 2 Best Leisure Battery Chargers (Reviews)
Now we’ve answered those important questions, we can finally have a look at the best leisure battery chargers out there. I’ve used one of these chargers myself, while my other recommendation is based on reviews and manufacturer information.
First things first, it’s worth emphasising that these are the best leisure battery chargers. There are cheaper chargers out there, but these are the best that money can buy. They’re fully-automatic, portable, powerful, and safe to use. Without further ado, I’ll explain my first recommendation.
NOCO Genius10UK 10Amp fully-auto 12V battery charger
Starting with the one I personally use, NOCO’s Genius10UK is one of the best battery chargers available. You can use this charger for a number of purposes, from charging your motorbike battery to recovering a long-dead battery. However, it’s brilliant for charging and maintaining your leisure battery.
- Charges a wide number of battery types: NOCO’s Genius10UK charges a wide range of battery types. It’s highly likely it charges your leisure battery, as it charges: 12V wet cell, gel, enhanced flooded, maintenance-free, calcium, AGM, lithium-ion batteries. It charges, maintains, and repairs virtually every type of popular leisure battery.
- Restores old batteries: Accidentally left your battery a little too long without charging? This device can help. NOCO’s device automatically detects battery sulfation and acid stratification (depending on the battery you have) then restores performance. It’s ideal for extending the life of your existing battery, giving it that extra boost until you purchase another.
- Advanced maintainer: More than just a leisure battery charger, NOCO’s device will maintain your battery. Genius10UK is a fully-automatic battery charger. It will ensure your battery’s charge never drops too low, and has a feature built-in to prevent over-charging. This type of battery charger is well-known as a ‘connect and forget’ device. Isn’t that what we all want – a device that maintains our battery without any manual hassle?
That covers most of the excellent benefits of the NOCO Genius10UK leisure battery charger. This device can trickle-charge your battery from empty or low, or maintain your battery as a connect and forget charger.
CTEK MXS 10 10Amp fully-auto 12V battery charger
The CTEK MXS 10 is an excellent fully-automatic battery charger. It’s perfect for charging, maintaining, and reconditioning caravan batteries. I haven’t personally tested this device but as 248 5 star reviews on Amazon atest, this is an excellent leisure battery charger.
- Simple to use: We’re not all battery experts, myself included. We just need a device that works. Well, reviewers suggest that this device is very easy to use. It comes with a manual, but the interface is pretty self-explanatory. Furthermore, it’s spark-free and reverse polarity protected. This is another connect and forget device. Simply connect it to your battery and it will charge and maintain it without any effort on your part!
- Robust body perfect for outdoor use: What’s with fragile gadgets, especially gadgets designed to be used outdoors?! The CTEK MXS 10 is robust and specially designed for outdoor use. It can be used in extreme cold and hot temperatures, which most battery chargers cannot. Additionally, it can withstand a drop or two without any damage thanks to the tough body.
- Reconditions damaged batteries: Most of us have made the rookie mistake of not keeping our battery regularly charged. At least, I hope it isn’t just me who’s made that mistake! Fortunately, the CTEK MXS 10 has a dedicated function for reconditioning damaged batteries. This can restore battery life and get you a couple more years out of your current battery, rather than forking out for a brand new one.
Hopefully this blog post has given you a bit more information about leisure batteries. These 2 battery chargers are both excellent and will keep your battery in prime condition for years to come.
