Blue Smart IP65 12-Volt 5 amp 230V, Battery Charger, Bluetooth (UK)

My off grid Solar Panel setup has two 100ah LifePO4 Batteries with built in Battery Management Systems (BMS). The BMS protects the batteries, including the battery temperature, overcharging or the voltage falling too low/undercharging (Under Voltage Protection UVP). The problem is that when the voltage falls below the trigger level, the BMS UVP steps in and cuts off the battery voltage and from then on, the battery voltage reads as zero and most Battery Chargers that are 'supposedly' suitable for LifePO4 Batteries, will not recognise this scenario/state and as such, will not charge the battery, no matter how long you leave it connected. However, when the Victron Energy Blue Smart Charger is connected to the battery, it initially carries out a test and if there is no voltage, it will automatically reset the BMS UVP and start the charging process. For this reason alone, this battery charger is worth paying more for. This Victron Charger oozes quality, it is well designed and constructed and is simple enough to use straight out of the box. You just need to select the battery type and leave it to it. Once connected it carries out a quick battery test and within a minute, it is pumping up to 15 amps into the battery (if required). The Victron App is very useful in that you can view the charging process from a short distance and alter settings, but BE AWARE that you do need to be quite close to the Charger, i.e., you can't check it from a different location. It will reach from my house to the wooden garage but no further. An Added Bonus with this Charger, is that it can also be used as an adjustable Power Supply which is really useful for my Solar Panel setup (shown above), in that I can leave the Charger connected (in Power Supply mode) to my batteries whilst being plugged into the Grid Mains, and if the Batteries voltage drops below a pre-set voltage, say 12.90 volts, the Victron will step in and start supplying power but will then stop supplying once the batteries voltage is above 12.90 volts. To conclude, no major issues to date but I will edit this review if necessary. It works really well and I have no hesitation in Highly Recommending this upmarket charger.

I plugged it into my flat T2 VW camper van left it to do its thing, checked every so often on a handy app on my phone and it told me when it was fully charged, it works a treat! Also you can keep it plugged in when you are not using van and it keeps it topped up. It seems very well made and a great price. I’m very happy with this bit of kit.

Great product, does just what’s required. The reconditioning feature, lifepo4 and Bluetooth make it very useful

Like everything Victron that I have bought it works perfectly without issues. It charges without overcharging the battery, can monitor within its blutooth range. And runs cool to the touch. It maintains battery voltage below the gassing rate after charging which is essentially as most batteries can’t be topped up with distilled water.

A good product solid quality part. Lost one star as for price it should come with a case.

Quailty products, brought as had a flat battery on my VW camper, did a great job and the app worked well. Good crocodile clips meant easy to connected to both positive and earthing point without need to disconnect battery

good quality and works really well

Victron are one of THE top rated brands in solar chargers. I was going to buy the Ctek 6Amp charger, after my noco failed (3 months after warranty). Having seen a huge quantity of "refurb/repaired" Ctek's/Noco's on 'the' auction site, I started to search for an alternative. My Cteck XS0.8 still works after 3+ years, but it's job is for trickle maintenance. I needed something for a stop/start car that can charge a lot faster. The Victron can do 4amps or 15amps and they have a great reputation. The build quality is great and the weight tells you that it will not stress out with that 15amp ability. It has the option to use custom settings within the smart-app, and it can also do dead charging - along with supply mode if you need to replace the battery but maintain power to the vehicle for memory retention, you also have the added advantage of charge history, very useful in the long run as it can give you an idea on the condition of the battery over time. You get what you pay for - well worth paying for this.