UK auto reviewer: CTEK’s CS ONE is a “magic box” for batteries
18 August 2025
The UK auto reviewer Planetauto put CTEK’s battery charger CS ONE to the test and was mightily impressed.
Planetauto’s Ben Quirk took a box fresh CS ONE and put it through its paces against the apparently dead battery in a Mercedes Benz W124 from the end of the last millennium.
In his YouTube review Ben says: “Now you’ve known for years and years that we’ve had challenges with batteries. The thing is, I have to keep throwing away batteries.”
With the CS ONE, says Ben, those days are behind us.
Describing the CS ONE as a “magic box”, Ben tells how CS ONE examines the battery and decides the best process to condition it and maintain it. He says: “I’m intrigued to see what it can resurrect.”
He praises the “decent length cable” and the polarity-free clamps as “nice and pliable”, plus the whole unit as “plug and play”.
Ben explores “unlocking the full potential” on CS ONE via the accompanying CTEK app on his smartphone, checking out the different options, additional functions and initiating the reconditioning program.
He connects the CS ONE to the Mercedes W124’s battery, likes how the app immediately pairs with the CS ONE. It immediately starts using its APTO fully automatic adaptive charging technology: “It repairs batteries … that you think have depleted beyond reasonable use.”
Ben uses the app to start the reconditioning program. Eight hours later and the Mecedes starts on the first turn of the key.
But Ben wants to know if the battery really has been reconditioned. Will the car start again after a week sitting locked and unused?
“Let’s see if it starts normally,” says Ben, one week later.
It starts first time. “So, the conditioner works extremely well. That is one smart bit of kit. It really is.”
CS ONE is the easiest charger you’ll ever use. Add in dedicated app control, to unlock additional features, and you’ve got the most advanced charger available today. Super simple. Super smart. Simply CS ONE.
