OPTIMA ORANGETOP Batteries Explained

OPTIMA ORANGETOP lithium batteries
When OPTIMA Batteries first unveiled an ORANGETOP battery many years ago, it was a Group 34R AGM lead-acid battery for automotive use. The orange top was used to help differentiate the positive and negative post configuration of that battery compared to our Group 34 REDTOP battery (the "R" stands for "Reverse Termination). We have since moved to producing the 34R with a red top, but have re-released the ORANGETOP in three different battery lines- our powersport ORANGETOP battery line for motorcycles, UTVs, ATVs and personal watercraft, a marine battery line featuring our Group 31 ORANGETOP batteries and an automotive line with our QH6 ORANGETOP battery for cars, trucks and SUVs.

Having the OPTIMA ORANGETOPs spread across three different product lines can be confusing for some, since OPTIMA never had an AGM powersports or motorcycle battery line, the BLUETOPs covered the marine and RV market on the AGM side and the REDTOPs and YELLOWTOPs covered the automotive market on the AGM side. However, it is clear the ORANGETOP batteries in OPTIMA's product family now represent lithium technology, whether that is for powersports, marine/RV or automotive use.

Did you know the cases in our ORANGETOP lithium marine batteries also have a specific meaning? The white cases on our Q31M-DC150 ORANGETOP lithium batteries indicate those batteries are specifically designed for deep-cycle use and are not intended or warrantied for engine starting applications. On the other hand, our Q31M-DP120 ORANGETOP lithium batteries have a light gray case, similar to our YELLOWTOP AGM batteries, indicating those batteries are designed and warrantied for both starting and deep-cycle use (the black cases on our REDTOP batteries indicate they are designed & warrantied only for engine starting and not deep-cycle use). 

Now some might mistakenly believe OPTIMA offers a Group H7 lithium automotive battery because of our QUAD7 ORANGETOP powersports battery also having the letter "Q" and the number "7" in the name. There's no way we would recommend using a 1.7-pound lithium motorcycle battery in an automotive application. The QUAD7 ORANGETOP is definitely designed & warrantied for use only in appropriate powersports applications. The only lithium automotive battery OPTIMA offers at this time is our QH6 ORANGETOP.

Regardless of whether it is an automotive, marine, RV or powersports battery, all of OPTIMA's ORANGETOP lithium batteries have been tested and/or certified by independent third parties to the following applicable standards: UL 1973, UL 2580, UN38.3, IEC 62619 and IEC 63057. A quick search can go into great deal on what all those certifications mean, but they include a series of safety testing protocols for these batteries at both the cell level and the battery level. When other lithium brands have such certifications, it is often only at the cell level. OPTIMA's ORANGETOP lithium batteries are also UN38.3 certified, which means they are safe to ship and those with Bluetooth designations have completed the Bluetooth Qualification Process. That ensures the Bluetooth connectivity with your phone works like you'd expect it should, instead of some knock-off version that doesn't work on Android and only works in Mandarin on iPhones.

All of these batteries are available factory-direct on this website, but if you'd like your local OPTIMA retailer to carry them as well, please make a point of requesting them. The voice of the consumer is often far more influential with retailers! Don't forget a quality battery charger for your lithium battery too! You don't need to use an OPTIMA charger for OPTIMA ORANGETOP lithium batteries, but you should use a lithium battery charger or a battery charger with settings specific for 12-volt lithium batteries when charging OPTIMA ORANGETOP lithium batteries.

The next question people ask is why they need a lithium battery charger to charge an OPTIMA ORANGETOP lithium battery, but they don't need to make any changes to the charging system in their car, truck, boat or motorcycle? The simple answer is that the vast majority of vehicle charging systems have no issues with lithium batteries and normally operate in a voltage range well-suited for lithium batteries. However, it's a different story with battery chargers. 

Some people are using brand-new battery chargers that are microprocessor-controlled and have specific settings for litihum and AGM lead-acid batteries. Other people are using battery chargers they inherited from their grandfather. We don't know what kind of charger someone might use on an OPTIMA ORANGETOP lithium battery, but we know some chargers may not operate in a voltage range suitable for lithium batteries, whether it doesn't charge them at a high enough rate or it has a desulfation mode that might help lead-acid batteries, but could damage lithium batteries.

For that reason, we try to offer simple guidelines everyone can understand when it comes to charging OPTIMA ORANGETOP lithium batteries- use a charger designed specifically for 12-volt lithium batteries or one that has specific settings for 12-volt lithium batteries.