NOCO Genius 5 vs 10 (Comparison & Review)

What These Two Smart Battery Chargers Have In Common

Here are the good and bad things that are the same about both the Genius 5 and Genius 10.

‣ Same NOCO ability to deliver consistent, sustained power output levels

Both the 5A and 10A versions can deliver their claimed maximum amperage consistently over a long time. You can attribute that to NOCO’s use of high quality materials for both the internal components and the wiring, clamps, casing etc. As well as a sophisticated PCB to handle the electronic circuitry.

‣ Both are market leaders for temperature-adjustment

By that we mean, that both models have the same Genius (pun intended) ability to adjust to the ambient temperature. And, as we’ve used many dozens of chargers, in our time, we rate them as the market-leaders for how well they can change their charging cycle according to how hot or cold it is. Both models have a very smart integrated thermal sensor. But it’s not just having the sensor that is important, there are a few other car battery maintainers that have similar chips. The genius part is the way that their charging cycle responds – making sure that you still get a powerful enough charge, without going too hard and causing it to overheat. Some chargers we’ve tested will adjust too much, and slow the charging down to a snail’s pace.

‣ Very strong ability to keep batteries healthy

NOCO Genius chargers are good value considering their high quality. But there are quite a lot of low-cost chargers on the market that will do a decent job of charging your battery. What both the Genius 5 and 10 will offer beyond those other chargers is the ability to just charge your battery but keep it healthier for longer. That’s thanks to their reconditioning AKA desulfation mode, which uses bursts of high frequency pulses to remove lead sulfate buildup on your car battery’s plates (by the way, there are specialised battery reconditioners available). NOCO call it Repair Mode, and in our experience, it’s the best reconditioning mode in the world, even better than CTEK’s (also excellent) Recond Mode. Other cheaper chargers do offer similar modes, but they simply aren’t nearly as effective as the NOCO or CTEK chargers.

‣ Excellent clamp quality

We mentioned the clamps earlier, in our first point. But these clamps are worth mentioning as a point of their own; we’ll explain why: an automotive charger is only as good as its clamps. The unit itself can deliver as pure and powerful a 10 amp charge (for example), but if the clamps aren’t quite up to scratch, then it doesn’t matter how much charge it pumps, the power will never actually reach your vehicle battery. The clamps simple MUST be able to connect really well with your battery terminals, as much physical contact as possible, and really staying in that set position. So, then. The NOCO clamps are superb. You can feel their quality the second you pick them up. They give you great contact with battery terminals, for all kinds of batteries, and are really well made.

‣ Both are unsuitable for small batteries

Some chargers, like the CTEK MXS 5.0, for example, are suitable also for much smaller batteries. If you also have a scooter, and let’s say it has a 10Ah or 12Ah battery, you’d be able to use the CTEK charger to fill the battery. Both these Genius chargers, at 5 amps and 10 amps respectively, are too powerful for such a small battery.

‣ Both are relatively highly priced, compared to other maintainers of their size

We’ve mentioned a couple of times in this comparison review that these chargers are outstanding value for money, given their almost-unique strengths compared to other brands. But they are certainly more expensive than competitors of the same size.

The blue bullet points above listed our analysis from experience of the quality of both NOCO smart chargers.

Now, we’ll list the technical aspects that are the same for both:

• Both work with all kinds of 12V lead-acid batteries, lithium (LiFePO4) batteries, and 6V sealed lead-acid batteries
• Both come with a 72-inch AC cable, 80-inch DC cable
• Both have a specific AGM mode. If you have an AGM battery, you definitely want this (and you may want it in your battery tester as well).
• Both have NOCO’s (excellent) Force Mode, able to charge batteries that are deeply discharged down to near zero volts.
• Both work in extreme temperatures, from -4°F to 140°F

Now let’s check out what’s different about them.

The Differences Between the NOCO Genius 5 and Genius 10

Here’s what separates these two maintainers:

‣ 5A charging versus 10A charging

So, to be clear, the Genius 5 charges with 5 amps, and the Genius 10 offers a 10 amp charge.

How do you know what charging amps you need?

Well, the typical rule of thumb of automotive battery charging is that you use charging amps of around 10% of your battery’s capacity in Ah. So a 40Ah battery would ideally get approximately 4A charging, a 50Ah battery would best work with around 5A charge.

This is a rule of thumb, not a strict rule that you must follow. It applied more in the past, before smart chargers, when the unit could provide a dangerous overcharge. That’s not a problem with these NOCO maintainers, which have many protections to prevent that.

That said, the rule of thumb is still useful as an approximate guide.

‣ The Genius 10 works with 6V AGM

Both models work with all kinds of 12V lead-acid batteries, including normal sealed lead-acid, as well as AGM, enhanced flooded batteries (EFB), and lithium batteries.

And both work with 6V batteries that are normal sealed lead-acid (all kinds), and EFB. But only the Genius 10 works with 6V AGM batteries.

Do you need, or reckon you’ll ever need, to charge 6V AGM batteries? If so, get the Genius 10. If not, use some other criteria to make your decision.

‣ Genius 5 does not have 12V Supply Mode

The Genius 10 has a 12V supply mode, and the Genius 5 does not.

What is 12V Supply Mode. It basically provides a way to power some 12V DC devices, such as a tire inflator, oil changer or pump.

If this mode is something that you could make use of, then opt for the Genius 10.

You can also use it to maintain a power supply to your vehicle’s computer memory (often called the ECU or ECM) during a battery change. Depending on your car, removing the battery during the battery change process may wipe the computer settings, which may include the current driving mode, music playlists, GPS saved addresses, and suchlike.

Choosing Which NOCO Maintainer You Need

The top of this article had plenty of technical differences and discussion about that.

Let’s now give a simple way to decide the Genius 5 vs. 10 battle for you.