Best charger ever
What you will NOT find here:
NiCd batteries are now considered obsolete so we will not review this chemistry.
Chargers that are work at 110V (USA) will also be ignored. Portability is an important factor, as you may want to take your charger with you when you travel with your digital camera.
Weak chargers (under 2100mAh) has been ignored also. This place is not for lamers 🙂
What you should expect from a charger:
Powerful, portable and most of all, smart! Smart means it that it measures the voltage and temperature of the battery during charging process. This way it knows when to stop the charging, protecting your batteries.
| Charger | Max charge current (mAh) | Cells | Channel layout | Power supply | Smart control | Speed | DISPLAY | Price (about) | Made in/Brand name | General score | Comments | Picture | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA | AAA | C | D | 9V | Europe (220V) | USA (110V) | Car (9V) | DeltaV or MaxV | Temp. protection | Trickle charge | Recovers dead batteries | Identifies Defective Cells | Reverse Polarity Protection | Short Circuit Protection | Charge_rate mA | Discharge mode | |||||||||
| 2500 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Simultaneous 2 or 4 | Yes | Yes | no | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | 800 | 300mA | 2 LED | $25 | Taiwan Unbranded Unlabeled | 10 |  | ||
| La Crosse 900 Alpha Power | 3000 | 4 | 4 | Adapt | Adapt | 0 | Independent channels | Yes | Yes | no | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ? | ? | 200, 500, 700 | Yes | Smart LCD! | $80 | USA Big brand | – | As 700 but with lots of accessories. |  |
| La Crosse 700 Alpha Power | 3000 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Independent channels | Yes | Yes | no | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ? | ? | 200, 500, 700 | Yes | Smart LCD! | $50 | USA Big brand | 9 | Very smart (shows battery voltage and capacity) | |
| Hightech 6-Bank Universal | ? | 6 | 6 | Yes | Yes | 0 | Independent channels | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | 500, 1000, 1000, 1000 | Yes | LCD Display | $80 | N/A |  | |||
| Titanium Ultra Fast Smart Charger | 2900 6000 12000 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | Independent channels | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | AA -> 1600 C/D -> 1600 AAA -> 500 9V -> 80 | Yes | $60 | ? | N/A | |||
| Uniross Sprint | 2900 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Simultaneous 2 or 4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Red/Green LED | $33 | ? | N/A |  | |||
| Multiplier UNIVERSAL | 2900 6000 12000 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | Independent channels | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | LED | $26 | ||||
You know a better charger? Please let us know (email us).
Explanations:
Channels – the charger can load the batteries two by two (not so great) or independently (this way you can load three batteries at once, for example, instead of two or four)
General score – Score given by other people/reviewers. On a scale from 1 to 10.
Advices for storing batteries:
Store between 40 and 80 degrees F. Do not refrigerate.
Batteries will self-discharge if left unused.
NiMh batteries should be stored fully charged and recharged every 30 days to keep in peak capacity.
NiCd batteries should be stored fully discharged.
Do not “store” batteries in the charger.
It is not recommended to “condition” batteries until after they have bee charged and used 10 times.