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Are you looking for a rechargeable battery charger? Do you want to change the current charger that you have?
The batteries used in modern devices have a set lifespan depending on their use. It, therefore, means that you will have to keep dispensing cells and throwing them away once their lifespan is over. The onset of rechargeable batteries ensured the ability to minimize the cost of purchasing batteries now and then. The rechargeable batteries enabled the consumers to make a one-time purchase and then recharge the batteries for continued use on the devices. It made saving a lot easier and also brought in the need to have chargers for the rechargeable batteries.
Rechargeable batteries provide power to handheld devices used today ranging from phones, computers, iPods, and other accessories. Using a rechargeable battery charger that is not recommended nor fit for a particular type of rechargeable battery may result in injury as the battery may explode.
The device manufacturers should predetermine the problem of looking for a rechargeable battery charger. This predetermination ensures that you can get the right charger that is recommended and also safeguard yourself from any form of injury that may result from not having the right charger. The best battery chargers are those that are universal and do not limit the type of batteries that they can be able to charge. It reduces the recurrent cost of having to buy more chargers depending on the devices that you have.
The battery chargers are into three categories which include:
- Smart chargers – These chargers are also known n as delta-V chargers. They automatically stop charging batteries when the batteries are full, or they switch to a much lower charge setting referred to as trickle charge setting. This kind of chargers, considered the best, protect your batteries and safeguard them from instances of overcharging. The overcharging of cells has the effect of generally reducing the lifetime of the battery.
- Trickle Chargers – There are instances when the rechargeable batteries that you have purchased may not be low self-discharge models. The small self-discharge models have a mechanism that enables them to stop their charge from leaking away when they are not in use. The chargers used in such situations are the trickle chargers.
- Basic model – There are chargers not marked as either trickle chargers or smart chargers. These are the necessary model chargers that consistently charge your batteries by application of a constant charge until plugged out of charging. The chargers do not indicate whether the cells are full or not, which makes it easy to overcharge them. These kinds of chargers usually are cheaper than the rest of the chargers.
There are several household battery chargers with varying features and qualities. These battery chargers also come with varying prices, so it is essential to pick the best for the intended use.
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Some of the best rechargeable battery chargers are:
1. Panasonic BQ-CC17SBA (CC55)
This household rechargeable charger is convenient, especially if the devices that you use need the Eneloop batteries. It is also known as the CC55. It makes work to be very fast and easy as it gives maximum control over the process of recharging your batteries. The charger also allows you to be able to charger a single battery of several at the same time depending on the capacity it can hold.
The design of this charger has invested in the safety features, which is very commendable of the manufacturers. It comes designed with a smart charge functionality which helps in checking the voltage and temperature automatically. The charger also has a LED indicator assisting to know the charging progress to cut off when cells are full of charge. The manufacturers also provide a retractable AC adapter for connecting to the wall outlet.
Features
- Battery detection technology with auto shut off
- Individual battery charging
- AA and AAA cells charging
- Individual LED charging lights
- Retractable AC plug
Pros
- Easy to use – The Panasonic charger is straightforward to use. The process of usage is slotting in the batteries, open the AC plug, insert the charger to the wall socket then wait for the LED lights to indicate that the cells have charged before removing them from the charger and wall socket.
- Quick charging – This charger has a very high charging speed as compared to other chargers. It takes about three hours to be able to charge four batteries connected at the same time fully. The cells further halve the amount of time that will be made by one or two batteries inserted into the corresponding slots at the same time.
- Has LED lights to show the percentage of charge – This rechargeable battery charger comes with LED lights form the manufactures to allow you to know when the batteries have all charged. This charger comes with four LED lights on it with each light representing one of all the charger spots.
- It avoids overload – the charger has an auto-shutoff feature which automatically detects the batteries’ level of charge before cutting it off when fully charged. The design of this charger is such that it cannot allow the cells to get too hot when charging. This will prompt the charger to automatically deactivate and stop charging. This mechanism is in the charger because it is hard to realize that a given battery is getting overheated. In any case, you put a battery that is not rechargeable into the slots of the charger; it deactivates as well.
- Flexible charging – This device allows you to be able to place AA or AAA Eneloop batteries inside the charger. The charger comes with four slots which are for the AA and or the AAA batteries. The device also allows you to be able to charge devices that are half or partly charged.
Cons
- The charging of AAA batteries at times causes slight charging problems. It is vital to note that this problem does not always occur with all manufactured units.
2. AmazonBasics Battery Charger
The AmazonBasics rechargeable battery charger is not only a good charger for use at home, but it is also perfect for instances when you may want to travel outside or away from home. This characteristic is because this charger comes with a USB port that you can connect to a USB cable for use while traveling. The model and design of the AmazonBasics allow it to be portable wherever you go and therefore very convenient for use. The housing is thin and can fit into small spaces without seeming like baggage.
The charger comes in design with a retractable AC plug which is convenient for its transportation and storage. It is compatible with AA and AAA NiMH batteries which come in various capacities. The power usage of the device is about 100 V – 240 V. The machine takes approximately 3 to 3.5 hours to charge AA batteries of 1800 to 2000 mAh, 3.5 to 4 hours to charge, 3.5–4 hours to charge batteries of 2100–2300 mAh, 4–4.5 hours to charge rechargeable batteries of 2300–2500 mAh. The rechargeable battery charger requires 2–2.5 hours for those batteries of 700-800 mAh and 3–3.5 hours for batteries of 900-1200 mAh to charge the AA batteries.
The batteries do not take long to charge with this charger. The USB port that it provides is convenient, especially for those times when the number of outlets for power is not sufficient. It essential that you do not overheat the batteries, especially for lithium-ion batteries.
Features
- The design is travel-friendly
- The charger has a USB port for mobile devices.
Pros
- The AmazonBasics can be able to charge different battery sizes which include the NiMH, AA-plus, and AAA.
- The charger comes with a USB port for connecting USB cables and so serves as an input-interface port.
- The design of the AmazonBasics allows it to be able to protect against wrong polarity charging and overcharging.
- It has an in-built switching power mechanism which is applicable anywhere
- The AmazonBasics also comes with a retractable AC-plug and a design model that is very convenient for traveling and moving around since it is slim.
- The manufacturers offer instructions for the use of the product, and this makes the device easy to operate.
Cons
- The main disadvantage with this portable charger is the fact that it can only charge the batteries in pairs.
- It takes approximately 4 hours to charge.
3. EBL AA/AAA Rechargeable Battery Charger
The EBL rechargeable battery charger is compatible with several types of batteries with varying sizes. This battery is by far the best in terms of capacity during storage. It has a carrying capacity up to a maximum of 8 rechargeable batteries at a go. It is convenient to be used by families and large households where the numbers of devices are going to be more. The charger can be able to show the progress of charging since it has four LED indicators that assist with that. The charger also allows for enhanced heat dissipation, and inbuilt overcharge and short circuit protection. It automatically switches to trickle charge when the batteries are fully charged or automatically disconnects. The device also has the capability of detecting and recognizing a cell that has a defect.
Features
- The EBL AA/AAA Rechargeable Battery Charger has convenient charging ways allowing you to load in two different ways; either you can choose DC 5 V 2 A USB Input or the DC 5 V 2 A Type C Input to connect the charger.
- It has intelligent auto-detection which helps you to detect any bad or incompatible batteries. It has an LED with different colors to help you understand the status of the cell. The Red-light that flashes assists you to detect any batteries that are bad the Green flashing light helps you to see the charging status while the Keep Green-light helps you to know the charged batteries.
- The EBL AA/AAA Rechargeable Battery Charger comes with a unique Trickle charge which assists the charger in conducting voltage cut off which automatically turns to trickle charge. The charger also comes with overheat detection which helps in the prevention of overcharging, reverse polarity protection, and protection of short circuits.
Pros
- The use of MCU controls the charger.
- It is simple to use
- It auto stops if the wrong input is detected. The detection also happens when there is a short circuit or on the occasion that it detects non-rechargeable batteries connected to it.
- It is ETL-certified, which makes it safe to use.
- It is convenient for bulk charging
Cons
- The total time taken by the charger is not fast enough. Some batteries may take much longer than 6 hours have a full charge, especially for the 808 models. This speed also depends on your personal needs since it may not be that slow for you.
4. Nitecore SC4 Superb Charger
The Nitecore SC4 is considered one of the best rechargeable battery chargers. It is a much bigger charger as compared to others. It has extended slots and a much bigger screen area for displaying the features it has. The battery charger has a blazing charge speed of about 3 A in only one slot and a total of 6 A total charging output. It is capable of handling most NiMH batteries like 14500, 18650, 26650, 16340, and more and the IMR/Li-ion battery types. This device is capable of charging external devices like cell phones, iPods, and laptops due to the USB output that integrates it into the charger.
The Nitecore SC 4 is very easy to use because all that you need to do is insert the batteries into their slots then the charger will pick out the settings for you depending on the type of cells that you want to charge and their capacity. You can manually change the voltage depending on the type of battery and the speed at which you want the batteries charged.
This rechargeable battery charger provides an LCD screen that is unmatched by any other charger providing very-clear displays. The screen shows the charging status of the batteries. The charger also has an in-built protection system that helps break overheating, overcharging, and short circuit problems, therefore, helping to keep your batteries very safe. When the device encounters any issues or malfunctions, it will indicate “EE EE” to give you an alert, then it will stop charging.
Features
- Has a charging current of 3 A at its maximum hence very fast charging speeds.
- Has a maximum output of 6 A, it also allows you to change the charge rate by using the V button though can automatically select the right current depending on the type of battery and its capacity
- It has a prioritization feature that allows you to prioritize slots where you need fast charging.
- The charger comes with several safety features which include the anti-short circuiting and reverse polarity protection.
- It has a cooling fan that is very distinct and the material used to construct it is also very safe.
- High Definition LCD Display screen with information regarding battery voltage, current, charging volume, and energy, and the charging time.
- It has a program for charging optimized for the batteries
- The charger automatically detects the status of power in the cell and is also able to display the progress of charging.
- Enhanced compatibility with 1.2 V, 4.35 V, 4.2 V, and 3.7 V batteries.
- Has 300 mA – 3000 mA charging current which can be manually selected.
Pros
- It has an excellent build in terms of quality
- Has a lot of features to offer to the user
- Has embedded safety features
- It has a great display
- 3 A charging with 6 A total output
Cons
- It gets warm in the course of charging multiple batteries, especially at high currents.
- It makes repeating noises while charging
- The display does not turn off while the charger is connected
- Constant noise if there is no battery inside or if they are full
- The charger charges with its algorithm and second slot priority cannot be turned off
5. Zanflare C4 Battery Charger
Zanflare C4 is one of the best rechargeable battery chargers that are in the market today. The battery has excellent features and is ideal both in terms of function and appearance. The battery can fit in cells that have up to 72 mm in length and can support the charging of NiMH and NiCd. This ability makes it fit for family use as a universal charger.
The Zanflare C4 can be able to support two 26650s’ simultaneously as long as they are non-adjacent slots. It also has the capability of supporting up to four 18650s simultaneously. There is proper ventilation in the charger and therefore does not require a fan to be in-built into it. The charger provides a display option for viewing the actual voltage. It does this on top of the total energy accumulated. In any case, you want to preview individual cell information; the charger has the capability. The charger also has a power bank functionality that can charge the cell phones quite fast. The charger provides the option of using a cell within it as a power bank just as a means to be able to discharge it.
Features
- It has battery reverse polarity protection
- It can identify damaged batteries
- It comes with a 0 V voltage activation function
- Short circuit activation feature is also present
- It has overcharge and over-discharge protection mechanisms
- It has four slots which work independently of each other
- It comes with a total of 4 different charge current options which include (300 mA, 500 mA, 700 mA, and 1000 mA)
- It can charge batteries of different specifications simultaneously
- Integrated LCD which helps in the display of varying battery parameters like voltage and current.
- It has three different modes to select the form, which include Charge, Fast test, and Normal test.
Pros
- It operates the four slots independently thereby giving more control to you as the user
- It is very convenient in terms of use
- It provides mechanisms to alter the current to avoid shortening the lifespan of the battery.
- Portable devices use it as a power bank, especially for outdoor purposes.
- Can charge batteries of different specifications simultaneously
- It helps to protect your cells by use of the overcharge and over-discharge mechanisms.
Cons
- The rechargeable battery charger can only charge the NiMH batteries and Li-ion batteries and cannot charge LiFePO4 batteries. The misuse of either the charger or the cells may cause an explosion.
6. Bonai 18 Smart Rechargeable Battery Charger
The Bonai 18 smart charger is one of the best household rechargeable battery chargers that you can find. It follows the model of an independent charge design that allows you to charge any number of batteries that you have. There is no requirement that the batteries should charge in pairs.
This charger comes with a display LED screen that has two colors. The red mode in the colors represents charging, and the green one represents fully charged. In any case, you would like to know the status of each independent battery that you are charging; the charger provides the option and mechanism for you to be able to check the charging capacities.
This charger comes with a voltage range of between 110 V to 240 V and allows the charging of batteries much more accurately across the channels. The manufacturers of these chargers blended a safety mechanism that can assist in stopping the flow of charge when the batteries fully charge. One of the best tools implemented in this charger is its automatic ability to be able to switch to trickle charge. The Bonai 18 activates the trickle charge to protect the batteries and device form overheating, over-voltage and over-current.
Features
- It has an LCD that is easy to read to help in viewing the status of the battery that has a full charge.
- It can load one or two pieces of the 9 V Ni-MH, Ni-CD, and Li-ion batteries.
- Bonai 18 comes with an in-built smart technology that can provide full protection from over-heating, over-charging, and reverse polarity.
- The Bonai 28 comes with super-rapid charging time with the ability to charge batteries five times faster than the average speed.
- The charger comes with a smart switch and a clamshell design of the cover. The discharge button allows you to discharge the battery while the charger helps to restore to the charging mode once the discharge is complete.
- Over-temperature protection helps the charger to be able to power off when the temperatures exceed 600 Celsius.
Pros
- It ensures the safety of the batteries by having several protection mechanisms
- Multiple battery support in number and variety of types
- It has very fast charging speeds
- It has safety mechanisms to ensure that instances of overheating are preventable.
- The charger is rather affordable for its many features.
Cons
- The charger makes normal batteries to get warm and should be used at 0-400 C.
- It costs relatively higher as compared to other battery chargers
- The design is a bit cumbersome especially for the larger models and portability would be an issue.
- It has a lot of features that make it a bit complex to understand therefore takes time to understand and use.
- Its average charge time is about 3 hours
Buying Guides of when purchasing a rechargeable battery charger
There are several aspects that you need to consider before choosing the rechargeable battery charger that you wish to buy. Some of these factors include:
Speed of charging – Different chargers are formulation with varying charging speeds. A charger that can be able to charge very fast is highly recommendable. This factor should, however, be measurable by the specifications of the manufacturer of the battery that you will be using. It is necessary to avoid situations whereby an accident may occur due to incorrect application of voltage. It is also essential to know that this kind of charger costs more than the average chargers.
Design – The overall design of the charger that you purchase should be one that is easy to use and understand. There are those chargers that come with USB ports.
Battery capacity – Always consider the ability of the battery charger you are purchasing. I would recommend you go for a charger that can be able to charge more batteries at the same time as this saves you on time and general cost.
Compatibility – Battery chargers that can be able to charge different types of batteries would be the best choice for you to make. Compatibility helps avoid the problem of purchasing different kinds of chargers because of the different device batteries that you have. This factor also helps you to save on expenses that may be unnecessary.
Power output – The chargers that are in the market come with different power output voltages meant for different types of batteries. It is essential to consider the power output of the charger since this will help you determine the batteries you will charge on it.o
Durability – the performance of battery chargers is generally affected by so many other things. Natural external factors may affect the performance of your charger. These factors usually affect the durability of the battery charger that you purchase for your use.
Ease of use – The best household battery charger is that charger that is very easy to use. The simplicity of usage also goes a long way to determine the level of acceptance by the customers. You do not want to purchase a charger that is going to be a problem to use.
Size – the battery chargers often come in different shapes and sizes. The predetermining factor, in this case, is supposed to be the types of batteries that you are going to use with the battery charger. The standard-sized cells are the best to use if there are no specific requirements with the charger.
Cost – The costs of buying and using a charger should be one of the critical issues that you are supposed to consider before making any purchases. It is not prudent for you to buy a charger that is going to cost you so much in terms of electricity consumption and maintenance.
Quality – The quality of the charger is a crucial factor in your selection. We know everybody out in the market is trying to sell chargers. You need to consider the quality of the charger that you are buying so as not to spend money on a battery charger that is not worth and will not give you the service you required.
Safety Agency requirements – Always consider the safety agency requirements on the charger that you are purchasing. The specifications placed by different quality assurance bodies help you to determine the safety of the device and also to know whether it has been tested and approved or not. Always make sure to choose those chargers that have been approved as safe to use.
Conclusion:
It is essential to realize that continually applying a charge to the battery will protect the cells apart from the fluctuation of current and the safe usage of the charger. In any case, the charger experiences a problem; you shouldn’t open the charger yourself. Disassembling and reassembling of the charger may not be a safe move to take. Always seek the help of technicians who are well knowledgeable about the charger that you are using. The companies that produce these chargers offer technical expertise in case of such issues. If not, they can always give referrals to their dealers who may assist.
Also, note that for your safety, you should not try charging different types of batteries with varying capacities in the same rechargeable battery charger at the same time. Finally, always take precautions to ensure all the cells are placed correctly in the charger and that the charger correctly plugs into the power source before beginning to charge.
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