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A trolling motor battery box can be a useful accessory for small boats and kayaks.
Not only is it designed to keep your deep cycle battery safe and secure while you’re on the water, but some of them come with a whole host of extra features that can make your life and kayak fishing trip easier.
But it can be difficult to narrow down your options when you’re looking for the best one. That’s why we’ve put some information together to help you choose.
7 Best Marine Battery Boxes
1: Newport Vessels Smart Battery Box (best overall)
- Dimensions: 17 by 10 by 12 inches
- Weight: 3 pounds
This Newport Vessels Smart Battery Box is designed for safety and convenience and can be a useful addition to your kayak trolling motor set up for kayak fishing. It features wing nut covers for the terminal connectors, giving added protection while you’re not using them.
It also benefits from having a built in battery meter with LED display that lets you check the status of your battery to see how much charge is remaining. A great feature of this Newport Vessels smart battery box is the additional power outlets. There’s a USB port and a 12 volt DC accessory port, so you can connect other electronics and charge your phone with a direct USB charger.
Video: The Newport Vessels Smart Battery Box Power Center
For added safety, there is a dual breaker for the circuits – one for the terminal connection and one for the external ports. Another useful feature is the rubberized grips on the bottom of the American boat battery box, which is designed to add traction to stop the box sliding out of place on your boat.
Features
- Rubberized feet
- Additional ports for accessories
- Battery meter
2: Minn Kota Trolling Motor Power Center
- Dimensions: 15 by 8.7 by 15 inches
- Weight: 1 pound
The Minn Kota Battery Power Center is a marine battery box that can be ideal for small fishing boats and kayaks. It features a secure strap with buckle closure and benefits from external battery terminals so that you can connect your motor and charge without needing to remove the battery or open the box.
Another feature is the dual ports for accessories. These two 12 volt ports can let you connect and charge other accessories using the battery. It also features dual integrated circuit breakers for both the battery terminals and the additional ports.
This marine battery box has battery compartments for battery sizes 24 and 27 batteries and comes with a top carry handle for easy carrying.
Features
- Ideal for small vessels and kayaks
- Dual circuit breakers
- Additional ports
3: SeaSense Deluxe Power Station Battery Box
- Dimensions: 17 by 14 by 11 inches
- Weight: 5 pounds
The SeaSense Deluxe Power Station Battery Box is designed to suit smaller boats and trolling motors and features a durable handle and a buckle strap for a secure closure.
A great feature of this marine battery box is the LED battery condition indicator which has a test button that can be pressed to show you the charge level of your boat battery so that you can see when it’s time to recharge. The battery can be recharged while remaining inside the box.
It has vinyl coated wing nuts to protect the terminals when they’re not in use and it also benefits from having a 12 volt power outlet for plugging in additional electronics.
Features
- Battery charge level indicator
- 12 volt accessory power outlet
- Exterior charging terminals
4: Camco 55363 Standard Battery Box
- Dimensions: 13.7 by 12.5 by 9.7 inches
- Weight: 3 pounds
This Camco Standard Battery Box can be an ideal box to protect your battery if you use a group size 24 battery. It is a simple battery case which might be better suited to you if you’d prefer something with less bells and whistles.
This is a durable polypropylene box that is designed for corrosion resistance and comes with hardware and straps to secure the lid on the box.
It does not have external terminal connectors but there are ports to allow you to connect your electric motor cables to your battery through the lid, so you can keep the lid on while your motor is in use.
Features
- Basic box
- Secure strap
- Ideal for size 24 batteries
5: Homeon Wheels Smart Battery Box
- Dimensions: 16.7 by 12 by 9.9 inches
- Weight: 4.9 pounds
This Smart Battery Box is built for trolling motor batteries. It features exterior battery terminals with wing nut covers, so that you can connect your electric motor without having to open the box.
It also benefits from having two exterior USB ports as well as two 12 volt accessory ports, so you can plug in multiple electronics at the same time while you’re on the water.
It has two circuit breakers to protect your electric motor and your electronic accessories. This marine battery box is designed to fit group size 24 and 27 batteries and can be ideal for kayaks and small vessels. Another great feature is the rubberized feet on the bottom to prevent the from box sliding around.
Features
- Dual USB ports
- Accessory ports
- High-grip feet
- Dual circuit breakers
6: NOCO Group 24-31 Snap-Top Battery Box
- Dimensions: 17.63 by 10 by 10.5 inches
- Weight: 1.85 pounds
This NOCO Snap-Top one is designed to hold group size 24 to 31 marine batteries. It’s a durable box with reinforced handles and is designed for impact resistance, even at temperatures as low as -20F. It’s also built to be UV resistant, as well as gas, oil and acid resistant.
This US Coast Guard approved battery box is vented to allow excess battery gases to escape. It benefits from having four cable ports to allow you to connect your motor to the terminals on your battery, while keeping the lid closed during operation of your motor.
The lid is a snap-close lid, but it also comes with a strap so that you can fully secure it.
Features
- Durable construction
- Side carry handles
- Cable ports in lid
7: Attwood Group 24 Battery Box (best budget box)
- Dimensions: 15 by 19 by 21 inches
- Weight: 2 pounds
The Attwood Group 24 Battery Box can be a good option if you’re looking for an affordable box to protect your battery. While it can be a pretty basic battery box it is built for durability, having been drop tested in temperatures of -20F and 120F, so it can be ideal if you’re using it in extreme conditions.
It features polypropylene construction, is acid resistant and it has secure straps that are designed to resist 350 pounds of force, so they should keep your battery safe and secure. It’s also vented for safety.
However, being on the basic end of the scale, it doesn’t have exterior terminals or a breaker.
Features
- Durable construction
- Affordable option
- Strong straps
Why Use A Battery Box?
Safety
One of the most important factors for using a marine battery box is that it helps to protect you from electrocution and any harmful toxins that might be released from the battery. These gases can be emitted even from sealed batteries while charging, so it can be a good idea to have a box to help provide an extra layer of protection.
Another reason is that the box protects your battery by keeping it safe and dry, sheltered from any splashes that might come aboard your kayak or boat. This can help to prolong the life of your battery, protecting it against corrosion.
Video: Why You Need A Battery Box
It can also help to stop your battery coming into contact with other conductors, such as any metals that might get close to your battery. This can help to minimize the risk of short circuits and shocks.
As well as preventing short circuits, a marine battery box can be useful if you use a lead acid battery, as it can help to protect the battery from spillages and help to prevent it from leaking battery acid over your equipment. Most boxes for batteries are designed for traditional wet cell batteries rather than more compact lithium batteries.
Convenience
Battery boxes can make it easier for you to connect trolling motors because in many cases, you shouldn’t need to touch the battery, as the battery is wired to the battery box. This means you can connect your electric motor directly to the box.
However, some battery boxes may have ports in the lid rather than terminals. These let you thread your wires through the holes or ports to connect your kayak motor to the battery.
Many battery boxes are also designed with good features so that you can easily charge your battery while it’s inside the box, which can, again, make it more convenient for you.
Waterproof
Marine battery boxes are designed to be waterproof, but they aren’t water tight. They can take some splashes, which is what you’d expect.
It goes without saying: you don’t want to submerge the box in water!
Should I Get A “Smart” Box?
A smart battery box can be a good idea if you want to be able to charge your phone or other electronics at the same time. Smart boxes can offer additional power ports, such as a USB charging port or DC ports, letting you power other devices from your battery.
A smart battery box can be a good idea if you want to be able to charge your phone or other electronics at the same time. Smart boxes can offer additional power ports, such as a USB charging port or DC ports, letting you power other devices from your battery.
These types of smart battery boxes can be useful if you prefer to have a more convenient set-up, as you can often recharge the battery while leaving it inside the box, with the battery indicator on the outside letting you know when it’s fully charged.
If you only need your box to protect your battery while you’re on the water, you may not need a smart box and a standard box could be sufficient.
What Features Should I Look Out For?
Vents
Vents can be important to allow any gases released from the battery to escape. Ventilation can help to prevent the build-up of some of the gases within the box that could be dangerous and potentially cause an explosion.
Power Outlets
Having another power outlet on your box can let you charge other items from your battery, such as a phone or other electronics, including navigation lights. Some battery boxes may have multiple outlets, including USB ports, so that you can charge a range of items more easily and have easy access to to power sources for your additional gadgets.
Battery Charge Indicator
A battery charge indicator can be a useful feature to have, as this can let you see how much charge you have left in your battery, giving you a better idea of when you need to head back to shore to recharge.
Non-Slip Feet
High traction feet or a base with grip can be useful for battery boxes that will be on a kayak or small boat, as they may frequently be on wet or slippery surfaces.
These sturdy feet or foot clamps can help to provide traction for the battery box so that it can maintain its position on your deck without sliding around.
Strap
An important safety feature that you might want to look out for is a strap. Most battery boxes will usually come with a strap included. This helps to keep the base securely in place, keeping your battery safe inside. A buckle closure can be handy for opening and closing.
Mounting hardware can also be helpful as it can let you mount the box to your vessel.
Circuit Breaker
This can be an important feature to look for on a box for a battery, as a breaker can help to cut the power in the event of an overload, helping to protect your connected electronics.
How To Hook Up A Marine Battery Box
Step 1: Place Your Battery Inside The Battery Box
The first thing to do is to put your battery into the box so that the terminals are on the top.
Step 2: Connect Your Wires
Connect the wires from the battery box to the terminals on your battery, with the positive (red) wire being connected to the positive terminal and the negative (black) wire to the negative terminal.
Step 3: Secure The Lid
Close the lid on your battery box and use the strap to secure the lid.
Step 4: Hook Up Your Trolling Motor
Now that your battery box is securely closed, you can connect the cables from your motor to the terminals on your battery box. Again, red cable to the positive terminal and black cable to the negative terminal.
If your battery box does not have external terminals you should connect the motor cables directly to the terminals on the battery, either through the slots provided or with the lid removed.
Last Words
We think the best battery box for your trolling motor, with great features, is the Newport Vessels Smart Battery Box. This Newport Vessels one has external terminals with additional power ports for extra gadgets, plus it’s compact for kayak use and has two circuit breakers.
However, a good runner-up is the Minn Kota Trolling Motor Power Center, as it can be a good choice for kayaks and small boats. It has the benefit of having two 12 volt accessory plugs, as well as circuit breakers and a battery level indicator.
When you’re choosing your own battery box remember to check the dimensions of the box to make sure it will fit in your boat and to make sure your battery will fit. It can also be beneficial to think about some of the additional features you might want and whether or not you need a more advanced battery box or a more simple one.
> Full guide to trolling motors
