Short on Time? Here’s The Article Summary

The article provides a detailed review of the Battle Born 12V 100Ah lithium battery, a popular choice for solar energy systems, RVs, and boats. It compares lithium batteries to lead-acid batteries, highlighting the former's longer lifespan, better performance, and lower maintenance requirements. The Battle Born battery is praised for its high quality, impressive 10-year warranty, and ability to withstand numerous charge cycles.

Pros of the Battle Born battery include its high performance, long lifespan, and warranty. However, its higher price and larger size compared to some alternatives are noted as potential drawbacks. Alternatives to the Battle Born battery, such as the Lion Energy UT 1300, Renogy 12V 100Ah, and AIMS 12V 100Ah, are also discussed, each offering its own set of features and pricing. Overall, the article concludes that the Battle Born 12V 100Ah battery is worth the investment due to its quality, performance, and warranty, but suggests considering alternatives based on specific needs and budget.

Introduction

Battle Born lithium batteries are a well known, highly rated American manufacturer of lithium ion (LiFePO4) batteries for solar energy systems, boats, RV’s and more.  Their 12V 100Ah model is one of the most popular batteries on the market today. If you are considering purchasing one of these Battle Born batteries, our team of solar power experts have put together this complete review to help you weigh your options. 

Battle Born Batteries 12V 100Ah Battery Product Review

Before we get started, we’d like to give a little bit of background about lithium batteries and what makes them great for solar energy systems.  After that, we’ll dive deep into the specifics, pros, and cons of the Battle Born batteries 12V 100Ah battery and explore some of the alternatives to the product. 

Lithium Deep Cycle Batteries for Solar 101

Within the wide world of off grid solar energy, there are two main types of batteries used to store electricity:  Lead acid and lithium batteries. Lead acid batteries of various technologies (flooded and sealed) were the longtime standard in electricity storage, used in solar, golf carts, and marine applications. Over the course of the past decade or so, lithium batteries have quickly grown to be a favorite amongst DIY solar power enthusiasts and we will explore the reasons why below.

Lead Acid Batteries vs. Lithium Ion Batteries 

• Lithium batteries last longer than lead acid batteries.  Most lead acid batteries are warrantied for 3 to 4 years of use.  Lithium Ion batteries are generally rated between 6 and 10 years. If you are planning to use your battery more than a few times each year, lithium batteries are also rated with much higher cycle life.  
• Lithium batteries perform better. In addition to being much heavier and less efficient, most lead acid batteries can only use about half of their capacity without damaging the system.  Lithium ion batteries are rated to discharge a larger percentage of their capacity, closer to 80% for most models.
• Lithium batteries do not require any maintenance.  With a lead acid battery, there are fluid levels to monitor and refill, taking up time, money and energy.  Lithium ion batteries are usually built with a battery management system (BMS) that prevents any maintenance necessary for continued operation.
• Lithium batteries cost less over time. Although they are usually about twice as expensive, lithium batteries last longer and perform better.  Therefore, the estimated cost per cycle of a lithium battery is significantly less than most lead acid batteries.  

What’s Included in the Battle Born Batteries 12V 100Ah Battery?

The Battle Born Batteries 12V 100Ah Battery utilizes lithium ion technology to store solar energy.  The product specs, as specified by their website are as follows:

• 100 Amp Hour, 12 Volt Battery
• LiFePO4 Chemistry
• 3000- 5000 Cycles*
• 100 Amp Continuous Current
• 200 Amp Surge Current (30 Seconds)
• 1/2 second surge for higher loads
• Drop in Replacement for Lead Acid Batteries
• Acceptable Voltages 14.4 – 14.6 for bulk charging
• 10 Year Warranty
• Designed and Assembled in the USA
• 12.75 x 6.875 x 9  (L x W xH)
• 31 lbs
• Bolt set included:
• 5/16″ x  1″
• 5/16″ x 1-1/4″

How Much are Battle Born Batteries? 

Compared to batteries with similarly advertised capacities and capabilities, the Battle Born 12V 100Ah Battery comes in as the slightly more expensive option.  At $949 upfront, this model is expensive, but may be worth it when considering its capabilities. Below, we will explore the pros and cons of this Battle Born Battery.

Pros of the Battle Born 12V 100Ah Battery

Battle Born lithium batteries are generally high quality products, as they are produced by an American company that cares about their customers’ experiences.  This model is no exception, as there are a lot of great aspects of this unit.

Battle Born Warranty

For starters, anyone who purchases the BattleBorn 12V 100Ah battery can be confident in their purchase knowing that the company has the product backed by an impressive 10 year warranty.  In a world where cheap batteries can be replaced in as little as 3 years, the 10 year warranty of this unit is among the highest available on the market today. 

Lots of Full Life Cycles

Under such a good warranty, the owner of this Battle Born battery can expect a large number of cycles to charge and discharge the solar electricity.  The 12V 100Ah battery is rated at 75%-80% of capacity remaining after 3,000-5,000 cycles. This is also among the highest life expectancies of batteries this size.  If you were to run a cycle everyday for ten years, that would be approximately 4,000 cycles, which means this battery would still be running with plenty of storage capacity after a full decade!

Extremely High Performing

When tested, the Battle Born 12V 100Ah Battery is a true 100 amp battery that is rated to hold 1,200 watt hours.  This makes just one of these the perfect size to power most small solar setups. It also has one of the largest ranges for charging and discharging temperatures, meaning that the Battle Born lithium battery can be used in varying capacity in (almost) any climate. The smart battery management system, low-temperature efficiency, and ability to safely connect multiple batteries in a series all make this product extremely high performing.  

Cons of the Battle Born Batteries 12V 100Ah Battery

Although this battery is extremely high performing, there are a few small aspects that may dissuade some customers from going with a Battle Born 12V 100Ah.  

High Price Tag

Originally listed at $999 and knocked down to $950 on their website, this Battle Born battery comes out at a slightly higher price then most other comparable models.  At the discounted price of $950, the price per watt hour comes in at right about $0.79, which again is slightly higher than a few of the options we will outline later in this article.

Heavier, Larger Unit than Most

Battle Born batteries are made with high quality materials which are great for performance and longevity, but cost the units points in size and weight.  At 31 pounds and just under 800 cubic inches, the 12V 100 Ah battery may be slightly too large to fit in applications where space is scarce, like a van, or where weight is precious, like for a boat’s trolling motor.  Still, these lithium batteries will weigh less than lead acid alternatives. 

The Battle Born 12V 100 Ah Battery:  Is It Worth It?

Overall, we believe yes, the Battle Born 12V 100Ah Battery is worth it.  If you have the capital to invest in a battery that costs about $1,000, then by all means, we can recommend the Battle Born 12V 100 Ah battery.  Despite that fact that it may be a bit bulky, its long life, high performance, and warranty make it a high quality lithium ion battery for solar applications.  

Alternatives to BattleBorn Batteries 

Here, you can see a side by side comparison of how well the Battle Born 12V 100Ah lithium battery stacks up against some of the similar models on the market.  Below this chart, we will explore each of the competing brands with a little bit more detail. 

Lion Energy UT 1300 Batteries

Those looking at BattleBorn Batteries should definitely take some time to consider the Lion UT 1300 as a strong alternative to the Battle Born 12V 100Ah Battery.  This lithium ion battery from Lion Energy is rated to last for 3,500 Life Cycles, which comes close to 10 years of daily use.  However, there are some strong reasons why the Lion UT 1300 is actually better than the Battle Born 12V 100Ah. 

For starters, the Lion UT 1300 has a higher amp hour output capacity and a larger watt hour storage capacity.  At the lower price of $899 and a capacity of 1344 watt hours, this unit from Lion Energy comes at a much lower cost per watt of about $0.67.  The Lion UT 1300 is also smaller and weighs less than the Battle Born 12V 100Ah battery. If you are low on space or budget and still need a high powered lithium battery, then the Lion UT 1300 is perfect for your solar setup.

Renogy Lithium-Ion Solar Batteries 

Secondly, you may want to consider the Renogy 12V 100Ah as a similar alternative to the Battle Born.  If you are running an off grid portable solar energy system, you may have heard of Renorgy, as they produce a number of high quality, efficient, and portable solar panels.  By sticking with the same brand for your entire set-up, customers may see optimal performance by bundling Renogy solar panels, charge controllers, and batteries. The Renogy 12V 100Ah battery is around $100 cheaper than the Battle Born model, however it also has half of the warranty period and a lower level of estimated cycles.  

AIMS Power Lithium Batteries

Lastly, for those looking to maximize their budget, we recommend the AIMS 12V 100Ah battery.  Retailing at only $799, the AIMS 12V 10Ah battery has a cost per watt hour of just above $0.66.  The battery is also warrantied for 10 years and has an estimated charge cycle count of 4,000 cycles!  The similarities are almost eerie between this and the Battle Born model, except that the AIMS battery is $200 cheaper.  The only immediate downside is that AIMS does not have quite the impressive range of battery operation temperatures that the Battle Born has.  However, if you are planning to use this device in moderate climate conditions, then that shouldn’t be of any concern.  

Conclusion

Ultimately, we are living in an age where high powered technologies are emerging to make solar power storage more affordable and effective than ever.  The Battle Born 12V 100Ah is a high quality battery that is appropriately priced for the product that you receive. With that said, there are a few alternatives that would also make for great lithium batteries for your solar energy system. Also read our review Deep Cycle Batteries with Solar Systems.  

Affiliate disclosure: We aim to provide honest information to our readers. That being said, we do not do sponsored or paid posts. In exchange for referring sales, we may receive a small commission through affiliate links. This post contains affiliate links. This comes at no extra cost to you.

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