Battery Charger Comparison

Knivesandtools offers you various rechargeable batteries or accupacks. We have some high-quality battery chargers in our assortment to charge each of these. These are all modern chargers, which monitor the charging process for each battery separately. This means that, if you charge different batteries at a time, the charger decides for each battery separately which charging current they need and when the charging process is finished. The chargers use displays or led's to report the charging status.

How long does it take approximately for a battery to fully charge?

A battery with a capacity of 2000 mAh can deliver a current of 2000 mAh for 1 hour. This battery should be loaded in 2hrs, if you use a charging current of 1000mAh. The charging current will decrease if the battery is loaded approximately 80%. As a result, the charging process takes longer. You should also consider energy losses during charging (think for example heat development) in practice, the charging process takes about 50% longer then it would according to the math. A rule of thumb for the formula is: charging time in hours = (capacity in mAh/mA charging current) x 1, 5.

This is a fine indication for the charging time. Using a higher charging current may result in heat formation, which is more encumbering for the battery. This could, theoretically, reduce the life span of the cell. Our Eden 18650 batteries are of such high quality that they can be loaded without risk, using the 2000 mAh charging current in the XTAR SP2. If uou don't want to take any chances, use a charging current of 500 or 1000 mA.

If a battery is fully charged, the charger stops automatically. The charger keeps a close eye on the battery. It makes sure that the battery remains fully charged. So even after a long time, the battery always remains fully charged. Lithium-ion batteries, such as the 18650 batteries, can remain in the charger for a long time without any problems. They can also be partially charged. NiMH batteries (practical, well-known batteries, such as the AA, AAA, C and D) are hardly sensitive to the famous ' memory effect '. However, it is still advisable to use these batteries every now and then until they are empty.

What is the USB output for?

The USB output of some Chargers can be used to charge, for example, a phone. Quite handy. It is well to bear in mind that the output current of 500 mA can be insufficient in many cases, like when you want to charge a tablet.

What does the discharge function do?

As the name implies, a battery charger with discharge function discharges the battery. This is like hitting the 'reset button' on the battery. This reduces the amount of memory effect which some batteries have to deal with. With Lithium-ion batteries this memory effect does not exist. However, discharging of these batteries will cause the electronics which are in the batteries, to accurately know the charging condition. These electronics regulate the charging and discharging, so it is good if this is calibrated regularly. Batteries that seem to have ' passed away ' can sometimes be revived using the discharge function. But even if it helps, it is wise not to wait too long with replacing these batteries.

Note with the XTAR chargers:

XTAR-chargers are suitable for more batteries than mentioned in the table above (These are stated in the description of the charger), but the 18650 battery is the only battery which we provide for our flashlights, that can be charged in these chargers.

Which battery charger should I choose?

As with all products, we completely support our product range. All battery chargers are of high quality and do what they are supposed to do. The following steps will determine which charger is ideal for you:

• What batteries do I need to charge?
• How many batteries need to be charged in one charging cycle?
• Which charging currents must be available?
• Which extras are important (display, USB output, 12V adapter)?
• Price