NOCO GENIUS5 5A 6V 12V Smart Battery Charger Automatic Maintainer Trickle Charger Desulfator with Overcharge Protection Temperature Compensation

I've used Schumacher SP1296 trickle chargers for many years now, on multiple vehicles and pieces of equipment. Recently I switched all of them to the NOCO GENIUS5 and it's better in every way! On all of the Schumacher chargers I've had, (and that's been a LOT of them) the cord has eventually frayed and broken where it exits the charging unit. On the NOCO, the cord has a rubber reinforcement where it exits the unit, extending the life of the cord. I've included photos of the NOCO (black) and the Schumacher (red) for reference. The Schumacher chargers I've had were dependable and functioned well, but their cord design was a major design flaw for me. Multiple times, It forced me to replace the units before I should have needed to buy new ones. The NOCO is slightly heavier and more compact in size than the Schumacher. The control has more functions and is easy to use. The NOCO display is aesthetically more pleasing and easier to read than the Schumacher. The NOCO also has an on/off switch which is nice. I always use the eyelets to connect to the battery. The charger connection to the eyelet cord has a click type plug to lock it in place, unlike the Schumacher which just presses together. Should you want to use the battery clips, the NOCO clips are bigger and stronger than those on the Schumacher. The only negative aspect of the NOCO that I found was that, according to their user manual, "This product is designed to work in ambient temperatures between -4°F and 104°F". This has not been a problem for me, even when used outside in northern Vermont. It does get below zero here, but typically not for extended periods of time. As long as the charger is kept on the battery, and it's always fully charged, that temperature limitation hasn't been an issue for me. Overall, the NOCO GENIUS5 appears to be a higher quality and better built charger than the Schumacher SP1296. I am very satisfied with their product, and I highly recommend it. Read more

I've used a number of different battery chargers over the years and this is by far the best one. I live in the middle of the US with hot weather in the summer and cold weather in the winter. Since I can't drive much due to medical issues my battery will not have enough juice to start my car (12v lead acid battery) and it's so easy to connect this for 1-2 hours and it's ready to go. My concern when I bought it as the size but it's great how well it works. It's a small device and is very accurate detecting how much charge my battery has. Also, a couple of times battery was dead and it was excellent. Read more

This totally recharged to full capacity a dead battery that I have for my car. This thing works and works well it took about 24 to 30 hours to completely charge but it's 100% and my battery is good 👍🏽 Read more

I’m very happy with the NOCO genius 5 battery charger. It brought my 2-1/2 year-old battery back to a fully charged battery in less than 24 hours, from an approximately 50% (12.3 volt) charged battery and is holding the charge for several months now. I originally bought a combination 4-amp battery charger/maintainer from a great company that has been manufacturing high quality chargers for a very long time but that charger was not able to bring up the charge on my battery any higher than 50% even after two weeks. After I read about battery sulfation, I realized that my battery probably had a sulfation issue since it sits garaged for 2-3 week periods now that I work from home and when I drive it, it’s usually not long enough to recharge it. The charger I had bought did not have de-sulfation capability. I decided to buy the NOCO genius 5 based on lots of great reviews from various sources not just Amazon and also because of all the different functions and versatility it offers. For what you get I think it’s very reasonably priced. It was the same price as my first charger that has far less capabilities. It comes with a detachable cable that has spring-loaded battery terminal clamps. These clamps can be removed leaving only ¼” eyelets that you can then attach directly to the vehicles battery terminal harness mounting clamps for a permanent installation if you prefer. This cable 24” long from end-to-end before connecting it to the shorter cable that is permanently attached to the charger body. I wish NOCO would have provided two separate cables, one with battery clamps and one with the eyelets as many other battery charger manufacturers do. You can buy the eyelet cable separately but I think it’s fairly expensive at $19 at this time. There is also no bag or container for storage, only the cardboard box it comes in. It looks to be put together very well and of good quality. Although since the entire body is plastic, I’m pretty sure if one were to accidentally drop it from an automobile engine height down onto a concrete surface it is likely to crack open. On the bottom of the NOCO charger is says Designed in the USA and Made in Vietnam. The only real complaint I have is the user guide that comes with it. The print is extremely small and very difficult to read. I could see that being a problem for people with poorer eye sight. The user guide does not mention anything about the de-sulfation process that is performed automatically by this microprocessor-controlled charger. De-sulfation is mentioned in the user guide for the 12-volt repair mode but I believe this is different from automatic de-sulfation that occurs during the normal charging mode. Anyway I'm loving this charger and glad I bought it and recommend it to others. Read more

The NOCO GENIUS5 does exactly what it’s supposed to do. It charges my older vehicle’s battery quickly and efficiently. I noticed it works faster and more reliably than the cheaper charger I own. It’s is more compact, well-built, and feels like a quality product that’s designed to last. However, I do wish it came with an instruction guide explaining its functions and indicators. As someone who isn’t particularly knowledgeable about cars, having clear instructions would have made things easier. My cheaper charger actually came with a very helpful guide, so I was a bit surprised that this one didn’t. I ended up having to look online to make sure I was using it correctly and safely. Another thing I notice is that the button is not as intuitive. There's a delay when pressing the button. That said, once I understood how it worked and managed my patience, it performed flawlessly. I just wish the user guidance matched the quality of the device itself. Read more