Best Leisure Battery Tester 12V
On Off Grid Power Geek today, we’ll be reporting our findings on the best leisure battery tester 12V.
We test them for their testing accuracy on 12V batteries. And we check out how tough they are, how long they last and how easy they are to use.
If you’re here reading this article, it’s probably because you want to keep an eye on your leisure battery. You may want to check out its voltage so that you know whether it’s getting low on charge. Or you may be thinking it’s starting to show signs that it’ll fail soon and you want to confirm those suspicions.
So we’ll let you know how useful the top 12V tester are to meet those needs. As well as giving you some advice on what to check for and how to interpret the results you get from the tester.
No.1 was the Digital Battery Analyzer (see price on Amazon), in second place was the Motopower battery checker, and in third was the Topdon Bluetooth tester.
Let’s get started, then!
Best Leisure Battery Tester List
How did we choose the winning models of tester?
We chose them based on how they performed in our tests of each model’s testing accuracy. And also their functionality, how simple they were to use, and their reliability.
In case you’re in a hurry, here are the basic specifications, and our ratings for each of the top 12V battery capacity testers. Then, if you like, you can read on for our full reviews of each model.
Each tester works with all kinds of Lead-acid batteries (such as AGM, Gel, Flooded), but not with Lithium (LiFePO4) leisure batteries.
| RANKING |   |  |  |
| BATTERY | Clean & Green Technology – Digital Battery Analyzer (12V) | Motopower MP0514A | Topdon BT Mobile Lite (Bluetooth) |
| VOLTAGE | 12V | 12V | 12V |
| TYPE | Capacity (Health Test) & Voltage | Simple Voltmeter (Tests voltage only) | Capacity (Health Test) & Voltage |
| WEIGHT | 330g | 130g | 250g |
| DIMENSIONS | 15 x 8 x 3.5 cm | 14.2 x 5.1 x 9.1 cm | 8.1 x 6.8 x 2.7 cm |
| PRICE (£ to £££) | £££ | £ | ££ |
| OFF GRID POWER GEEK RATING |  |  |  |
Leisure Battery Tester Reviews
Here are the full reviews each of these testers, we’ll check out what were our Pros & Cons from testing, and analyse which analyser will meet your specific needs.
Here’s exactly how you can decide which leisure battery tester meets your needs:
Look at the list below. We explain what each model does, the advantages it offers and why it may make sense for you to get that model. And we also explain what the weaknesses of each model and why it may not be the right fit for you.
Digital Battery Analyzer (12V)
Pros and who needs this tester:
Ideal if you want to measure battery capacity aka health
Choose this one if you want to know exactly how good the health of your leisure battery is. Then, you’ll know how the condition of the battery is, and how long it may last. The Motopower tester at No.2 measures only the voltage, the current amount of charge in the battery, it doesn’t measure health.
The most accurate 12V tester
Our testing revealed that this is the most accurate 12V battery tester on the market. It’s also been compared with industrial testers worth thousands of pounds, and is very close to them for accuracy.
Used by professional mechanics
Due to its ability to match extremely expensive industrial testers, it’s been a popular choice with professional mechanics and engineers for many years.
Cons and why this tester is not for you:
You may not need capacity test
It’s not for you if you only need to check the current charge (voltage) of your battery.
It’s expensive
Certainly compared to the Motopower model at No.2, it is. We’d only recommend getting this one if you want to accurately check your battery health, so you’ll know when it’s getting on a bit and needs to be replaced.
Where to get it?
It’s at lowest price on Amazon, here.
Motopower MP0514A
Pros and who needs this tester:
Gives an accurate reading for voltage
If you just want to know the current level of charge in the battery (aka voltage), this tester will measure it well.
Low cost
It’s the lowest cost option. If you just want a simple voltmeter there’s really no reason to pay more, this one works absolutely fine.
Super simple to use
Connect the clips and off you go. The battery voltage appears on the digital display. And you’re given a clear indication if charge is “Full”, “Medium” or “Low”.
Cons and why this tester is not for you:
It doesn’t test battery health (capacity)
That means you can’t get an indication of the battery’s true condition.
The unit isn’t very hard-wearing
It doesn’t feel particularly sturdy, solid and heavy duty in your hand. It won’t last forever (but this is completely to be expected given the very low price!)
Where to get it?
Check it out here.
Topdon BT Mobile Lite (Bluetooth)
Pros and who needs this tester:
The Bluetooth connection to the App & the App itself worked flawlessly
We had no problems connecting to the App, and we know this seems to be the case for the vast majority of people
It’s super useful to see battery health and charge over time
You can see all previous results on the App on your phone. So, for example, if you see health is falling, you’ll know you need to take action to charge if you’re leaving it unused too long. Or that you need a desulfating battery charger to remove sulfation (the main cause of death of lead acid batteries).
Cons and why this tester is not for you:
It’s a bit of a hassle to set up the App
Not massively hassle and strife-causing. But it wants you to sign up (why?? for what??) and then log in. But when you’re in it’s quite intuitive to perform the test and view results.
More than you need, time and cost-wise?
If you just want to check the battery charge on occasion, it doesn’t make much sense to pay for a tester which has capacity (health) test and has a smartphone App to negotiate. If that sounds like you, then the Motopower MP0514A is faster and cheaper.
Where to get it?
We found it at the lowest cost, here.
How To Choose Your Leisure Battery Capacity Tester?
Now you know what each model offers, let’s dive a bit deeper into how to actually make your choice.
Voltage (Charge) Test vs. Capacity (Health) Test
We talked a few times about this in our reviews of each model. But what does it actually mean? In other words, how do these tests differ and what does that mean about the lead-acid leisure battery?
A voltage test gives you the current voltage of the battery at that moment. It’s measure in Volts (V)
Effectively, this means the level of charge of the battery.
{Technically, voltage is the difference in potential between the positive and negative lead plates of the battery.}
If you charge a battery fully, then it is storing the maximum amount of charge its capable of at that moment.
A battery capacity test is a measure of the health or condition of the battery. It tells you what state the battery is in, and gives you an indication of how long the battery may last.
The capacity of a battery is how much power it can deliver. It’s measured in Ah (Amp-hours)
The capacity of a battery decreases as it ages, it delivers less power over time.
How to visualise this?
Here’s one way to think of the difference.
Think of a lead-acid battery as a water bottle. Water is like fuel to the human body.
At the start it’s full of water. Then imagine objects are dropped into the water over time (think of this as the ageing of the battery over time).
The water bottle can still be filled to the top but there’s actually less water in it (less fuel).
When a battery ages, you can still fill the charge to the top, but there’s actually less charge in it.
Battery voltage is a measure of how full the battery is, whereas battery capacity is a measure of how much power the battery can actually deliver.
When the battery is new
When the battery’s been in use for some time
In this water bottle example:
Battery voltage is a measure of how full of charge the battery is (compared to the maximum charge it can achieve in its current state).
How full is the water bottle? That’s voltage.
Battery capacity (health) is a measure of how much charge the battery can store and deliver as power (compared to when it was new).
How much water is in the water bottle? That’s capacity.
What does this means for your choice of 12V tester?
If you choose the Motopower 12V leisure battery tester, then you’ll be able to see the voltage of the battery, and identify whether it’s fully charged.
And you’ll know if it needs charging, or if it seems to be having trouble holding charge for long.
That’s valuable information.
However, you won’t be able to identify the condition/health of the battery. You won’t know whether the battery is on its last legs and may die soon (how long is a leisure battery’s lifespan?).
You’ll be able to see that it can be charged fully with a voltage test, but you won’t be able to see how much power it can deliver and therefore its health compared to when it was new.
To do these things, you’ll need a leisure battery tester with a battery capacity test, like the Digital Battery Analyzer (12V) or the Topdon BT Mobile Lite.
And as for choosing between them? Choose the Digital Battery Analyzer is you want the most accuracy. Choose the Topdon BT Mobile Lite if you’d like to use an App on your phone, and be able to see all test results you’ve ever taken, on the App.
Best Leisure Battery Tester 12V Summary
We deep-dived into this topic and identified the best leisure battery testers in the UK in 2022.
The ones we identified each offer something different. We looked at the pros and cons of each 12V tester.
We discussed what you may be looking for in a tester, and we let you know about the different types of test on offer and how each one can meet your needs.
Check out the 12V Digital Battery Analyzer on Amazon, here’s the Motopower tester that was rated No.2, and at No.3 the Topdon BT Lite.
Hopefully, you’ve now been able to identify the right analyser for you. Enjoy testing!