How would you like to help save the environment and some money in the process? It may be a slight contribution but it surely is useful. The benefits of rechargeable batteries are numerous but you won’t be able to use them unless you have a charger.
Nowadays, most household items, or even gadgets like a walkie-talkie for example, require AA batteries and most chargers are made for those however, some features might differ. With that being said, take your time to go through this article to understand how these devices work and which one is the right option for you.
What’s a Rechargeable Battery Charger?
Before getting into this, you should know that batteries can be disposable or rechargeable. As the name suggests, the former can be used once and then thrown away and the latter is “refilled” and reused over and over again.
The charger does that job but not all of these devices are compatible with just any battery.
How Does It Work?
Basically, the charger has several compartments in which you place the drained out batteries. It usually takes a few hours to fully refuel them once you plug the charger in.
Most products indicate when the charging process is completed so you could take out the batteries and put in others.
Different Battery Types
As mentioned earlier, not all chargers are compatible with all the batteries which is why it’s necessary to know which ones you use the most. You should also learn about the different types of batteries so you could buy the charger you need.
Important Features in an AA Battery Charger
As you could imagine, there are some specific features that should be included in the charger so you could make the best out of it. You should also know that some chargers are labeled as Smart since they include additional functionalities.
Docking Stations or Bays
In simple terms, this indicates how many slots are there in the charger. The more there are, the more batteries you can charge simultaneously.
Fast Charging
People look for this feature when they’re buying a cell phone charger so why not here as well? If this functionality is there, you might have to wait a few minutes instead of the usual few hours for the batteries to be fully refueled. Keep in mind that they might last for a relatively short period compared to the batteries that have been charged in the regular method.
Automatic Stop
The Automatic Stop is one of the features found in smart chargers and it deactivates the charger once all batteries are full.
Overheating Detector
In addition to the previously mentioned functionality, this is also a safety measure. If the charger or the batteries are overheating, the former will turn off instantly.
Trickle Charging
Let’s say that you have the Automatic Stop feature and the batteries are already at maximum capacity, leaving them there can drain their power. With Trickle Charging, the charger will make sure that these batteries are full whenever you decide to use them. This is also found in Smart chargers.
LCD Screens
Just like CB Radios, some models here have an LCD display. It may not be a necessary feature but it sure is helpful. Chargers that don’t have a screen might have a few lights that indicate the charging level, among other things.
Two-Way Signal Reviews the Best AA Battery Chargers
After going through all the necessary information, it’s time to discover the best picks on the market.
Panasonic BQ-CC17SBA Battery Charger
Whether you want to charge a single battery or a bunch all at once, the BQ-CC17SBA is the perfect charger for you. Be careful though, this device is compatible with eneloop batteries made by Panasonic. If you use those then you’ll witness a fast and reliable charging process.
Pros of the Panasonic BQ-CC17SBA
- Versatile Charging: as long as you’re using eneloop batteries, you can charge anything you want, whether it’s AA, AAA, or even both at the same time. You can also refuel totally drained batteries or half-empty ones. In addition, as mentioned earlier, you can place a single battery or a maximum of 4.
- LED Indicators: the device is equipped with lights that will notify you when the charging process is complete.
- Fast Charging: a single battery need a little more than 1 hour to be fully recharged while 4 batteries can stay up to 3 hours.
- Overheating Detector: if you insert a wrong battery type or the device itself is overheating, the power will be automatically cut so nothing would be damaged.
Cons of the Panasonic BQ-CC17SBA
Some units are reported to have a problem with AAA batteries. Rest assured that this issue only affects a minority of devices. No other complication has been detected.
EBL 999 Battery Charger
This charger qualifies as Smart thanks to several built-in features. The EBL 999 is fast and powerful but at the same time, it’s equipped with a giant LCD screen. You can literally charge anything in this device.
Pros of the EBL 999
- Single Charging: you can put just 1 battery and the charger will replenish it.
- Numerous Bays: if you need to insert several batteries then you can put up to 10.
- Different Battery Types: this is indeed a versatile charger since it accepts AA, AAA, and 9V batteries.
- Battery Enhancement: when you put a rechargeable inside of this device, you will notice that it starts to last longer when used. That’s because the charger adjusts the voltage.
- Trickle Charging: a smart safety feature that you don’t find in most chargers. It will stop the device or the batteries from being damaged by overheating.
- Large LCD Screen: instead of just having a few lights, the EBL 999 has a huge screen that displays all the necessary information.
Cons of the EBL 999
There’s truly nothing bad you can say about this item however, some people mentioned that sometimes you can see clearly what’s written on the screen.
Opus BT-C2400 Battery Charger
Another smart chargers, the BT-C2400 includes features that you didn’t even know you could benefit from. If this is the first device you buy or you’re already experienced with battery chargers, this is the right model for you.
Pros of the Opus BT-C2400
- User-friendly: this charger is easy to set up and even simpler to use.
- Different Battery Types: of course you can charge AA and AAA batteries but you can also include NiMH or NiCd.
- Four in one: there are 4 different channels in this charger which means that you can use each one individually or all at once.
- Various Benefits: you don’t only charge your batteries here, you can also discharge them, refresh them, or even test them.
- Backlit Screen: the LCD display shows you information regarding capacity, voltage, current, among other things.
Cons of the Opus BT-C2400
A handful of customers said that the charger heated up so much that smoke started coming out of it. These are just a few isolated incidents and the support team is always ready to hear you out.
Zanflare Speedy Universal Battery Charger
A smart charger as well, the Speedy Universal from Zanflare accepts more battery types than any other device on this list. It may be a bit more expensive than the others though but it’s definitely worth it.
Pros of the Zanflare Speedy Universal
- Truly Universal: if the battery is rechargeable, this device can replenish it. The specifications list is larger than you might think.
- Car cable: you can plug this charger in your vehicle so you don’t waste any time.
- Power Bank: this item double as a power bank so you could charge other devices and not just batteries.
- LCD Display: monitor the status of all of the batteries you’re charging with a wide and clear screen.
- Independent Slots: you have 4 slots that are independent from each other which means you can charge a single battery or all 4 at once.
- Different Current Options: choose from 300mA, 500mA, 700mA, or even 1000mA.
- Additional items: once your purchase this device, you also receive a power adapter, a car adapter, instruction manual, and 2 years warranty.
Cons of the Zanflare Speedy Universal
If you surf the internet, you will notice that just after a few months, some bays were completely disabled. This can be frustrating for sure however, if you bought the charger from Zenflare then you can benefit from the warranty.
La Crosse BC1000 Battery Charger
For sure, you can charge a wide range of battery types with the BC1000 but if you’re known to use NiMH and NiCAD the most then this is the right model for you.
Pros of the La Crosse BC1000
- 4 different slots: choose which mode you want for each slot and charge almost any kind of battery. Whether it’s AA, AAA, or the other two types mentioned above, you can “refuel” them here.
- Trickle Charging: even if you leave the batteries after they’re fully recharged, the device will not allow them to overload and they will remain in full power until you decide to use them.
- LCD Screen: the display will show you the status of each battery.
- No Overheating: it’s indeed a smart charger so if any battery (or the device itself) starts to overheat, it’ll automatically block it.
- Special Bag Included: you will receive a bag with several pockets in which you store the charger as well as the batteries.
Cons of the La Crosse BC1000
For no reason whatsoever, a small number of the BC1000 malfunctioned and stopped working for no obvious reason.
Notice: TwoWaySignal.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.