There are two philosophies on batteries.
One is to buy the cheapest battery you can find on sale and then just routinely replace every 3 to 4 years before they leave you stranded. There is nothing wrong with this philosophy unless you try to stretch the life beyond 4 years. Our platforms are heavily dependent on a good battery and when they start to go, there can be all kinds of wonky symptoms. Also, cheap batteries have a much higher initial failure rate and you may have to replace them once or twice in the first 2 months.
Cheap batteries are made with much thinner plates which makes them more prone to shipping damage.
The other philosophy is to buy the best battery you can afford and keep it 5 or more years. Simply load-test it a few times every year, especially once it starts getting a bit colder, and when they fail the load test, get another battery.
Personally, I am the type of person who would rather buy the best once than second best three times.
(I bought the AC Delco 7-year Professional Series and have had zero problems for 6 years. It still load tests higher today than its rated CCA capacity.)
Do some research but one way to tell the quality is through the length of the warranty. (When it comes to batteries, in most cases, you get what you pay for as well. A better battery costs more.)
Here's a tip. If you want the best OEM-style long-life battery, check out the AC Delco Professional series, and before you buy, price them at the dealer as well as parts shops. Interestingly enough, dealers actually sell them cheaper, believe it or not.)