Are Optima Batteries Good?

A battery is one of the most important parts of a car, and having a reliable one is worth a little extra money. After all, anyone who has had their battery die when they are far from home knows how much trouble a bad battery can cause. Can Optima Batteries help prevent this?

Yes, Optima Batteries have a premium cost, but they do have good warranties and performance to justify the expense. These are a good choice if you want to buy a battery that lasts.

Do I Need a New Battery?

There are several reasons you may find yourself needing a new battery. If you are having trouble starting your car or it has died while you are driving, there are some things you may want to check. It’s really not complicated.

•           You should check to see if you have a cracked battery case. This isn’t too hard; just take a look at your battery to see if it is cracked. Although, you will need to remove it and look at the whole battery; use gloves and safety goggles.

•           If you have access to a multimeter, check the battery for voltage. Set the multimeter to the closest setting to 12-volts that you can. This will typically be 20 volts. Now, touch the black probe to the negative terminal and the red one to the positive terminal. With the car not running, it should read about 12 volts, and with the engine at idle, it should be about 14 volts.

•           Check for a frozen battery. You should be able to tell if this is the problem by checking for a bulging battery case. A battery can freeze if a car is left unused for an extended period in very cold weather. Make sure you check to see if your battery can hold a charge.

•           You should also check for loose battery terminals. Loose battery terminals can cause difficulty starting a car, charging your battery, or running headlights.

•           Another possible problem is missing battery filler caps. This will allow fluid corruption evaporation and the risk of damaging other parts with battery acid. This must be solved immediately.

Optima Batteries

These batteries use an absorbing glass mat design with spiral wound coils in individual compartments. They use plastic welding to make a sealed outer compartment, so you can place this battery in any configuration even sideways.

There are three distinct types of Optima Batteries. Let’s look at each one.

Optima RedTop Batteries

Optima Redtop Batteries are designed as automobile starting batteries. These batteries are designed for short bursts of high amp output. These, like all of Optimas batteries, are absorbing glass mat batteries. Further, this battery has a 3-year warranty backed by any dealers selling it, so you can avoid worrying about buying a new battery for a good while. Though it is not a cheap battery, Optima may be for you if you’re looking for an excellent battery with a good warranty.

Optima BlueTop Batteries

Optima BlueTop batteries are a little off-topic for us because these AGM batteries are primarily designed for non-automotive applications. However, if you need a battery for deep cycling repeatedly, such as for stereo, RV, or other purposes, this is for you. It may make a good secondary battery for these purposes. Just make sure to connect it with a battery isolator, so it doesn’t drain your starter battery. Unfortunately, these batteries have a slightly worse warranty at only 2-years.

Optima YellowTop Batteries

Optima YellowTop AGM batteries are basically a mix of the traits of Red and Bluetop batteries. These batteries work for deep cycling and starting applications. If you need to run equipment off of your vehicle’s battery and do not want to install multiple separate batteries, this is the one for you. With a 3-year warranty, you can depend on this high-end battery for a while.

Car Batteries

There are three main types of batteries, which are described below. You’ll want to choose the best type of battery for your car.

Absorbed Glass Mat

Absorbed glass mat batteries are high-performance batteries. This type of battery can be recharged more frequently than other batteries. It also costs more than standard batteries. However, it is useful for people who use a lot of power to charge mobile devices in their cars. It is also a good choice for those who use their car infrequently. However, this type of battery is costly.

Lead Acid

This type of battery is prevalent and reasonably priced. But, these batteries don’t hold a charge as well as absorbed glass mat batteries do. They also don’t handle a deep discharge very well.

Lithium-Ion

Lithium-ion batteries are a lot lighter than traditional batteries making them easier to work with. They can also hold more of a charge.

Unfortunately these batteries are very delicate. They do not withstand heat or impact well. Also, they are very expensive compared to flooded or agm batteries.

What to Look For In a Battery

There are some things to check for when getting a new car battery. Looking for these things will help you choose the best battery for you.

Battery Size

When shopping for a new battery, make sure you chose the right size. The battery needs to fit in the battery tray to avoid potential damage.

Reserve Capacity 

A large reserve capacity is a good thing. This is what allows the battery to run without the engine. It will allow you to drive for a while with a broken alternator or allow the car to start even when you’ve left the lights on.

Cold Cranking Amps

Cold-cranking amps is the energy needed to start a car at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This is important in cold weather where you’ll want a higher CCA.

Ampere Hour

The ampere-hours a battery has tells you how much electricity your battery can store. A battery with high ampere-hours is better as it is less likely to run out of power.

Warranty 

 A warranty with a free replacement period can be useful in case anything goes wrong.

Optima Batteries, So Are They Worth It?

If you are looking for a premium battery that will last a long time then this is the one for you. The Optima Yellowtop battery is a very good choice if you want to run powerful stereos or other power hungry equipment off of your starter battery.