Aside from wheels and tires, your car's battery is the heaviest single piece of equipment you'll be handling as a DIY mechanic. While some batteries come with built-in handles, most do not, meaning picking them up and carrying them is an awkward, sometimes dangerous proposition. That's why I have a car battery carrier tool in my garage.

A battery carrier's only job is to make moving a battery from one place to another easier and simpler. Battery carriers come in different styles, but most work largely the same way, using a lever system that grips the battery by lifting it using the attached handle.

Battery carriers are good for more than just moving car batteries around. They can be used to lift batteries in and out of cars, which is especially helpful if your battery is located in an awkward place within your vehicle. And it's not like this tool is shaped specifically for batteries, either. You can carry all sorts of heavy pieces of equipment that might otherwise be tough to pick up, as long as the battery carrier can get a good grip.

Lisle Battery Carrier

Amazon’s Choice
Battery Carrier

Lisle Battery Carrier

$23 at Amazon

Because battery carriers are such simple tools, they're not expensive. This Lisle-branded carrier on Amazon uses the same design as the one I use, listed for just $13.17. OEM Tools makes an adjustable battery carrier with rubber grips on either end for just $18.99.

Headshot of Brian Silvestro
Brian Silvestro
Lead Deputy Editor, Rankings Content

Brian Silvestro is Hearst Autos' Lead Deputy Editor for rankings content. He spent over seven years as a staff writer for Road & Track Magazine, and still contributes regularly with car reviews, industry interviews, and more. 

He also has a taste for high-mileage, rusted-out projects and amateur endurance racing.