The Best 18650 Battery Charger -Charging Current and the Best Buy

One of the major factors that will impact how long your battery lasts is the way you charge it. Using an inappropriate charge to charge your battery may lead to immediate or long-term effects in terms of performance and safety. That’s why it is important to carefully choose a charge for your battery to avoid facing the negative effects of using a wrong charger.

You may choose to buy any type of charger because it is cheap. This may seem to be a good decision in the short run. But if you analyze the long-term impacts of using a fake charger, you will realize spending more on a genuine charger is a more economical alternative in the long run. So, think twice before buying that cheap charger.

While choosing the 18650 chargers to buy, there are a couple of things that you need to look at and some of these include;

• The number of charging slots: Most of the 18650 battery chargers are able to charge more than one battery at a time. This is because they have a couple of slots where you can put different cells and charge them concurrently. So, while choosing a charger for your battery, choose one with several slots so that you charge several batteries at a go

• Voltage: This should be one of the most important things you look at. The maximum voltage a charger should apply on the 18650 battery is 4.2V. Anything beyond this may damage the battery permanently or even lead to explosion and fire in the worst-case scenario. So, it is important to properly look at the voltage rating of the charger and make sure it’s not beyond that.
  

• Current: The current will mainly affect how fast the battery will be charge and the temperatures generated during the charging process. The more the current the faster the battery will charge and the more the heat generated. If you’re not in a hurry, it is recommended to charge using a smaller current to avoid generating a lot heat that could affect the battery life in the long run
  

• Protection circuit: Some chargers have a protection circuit that automatically cuts off charging when the battery is full. This is meant to avoid over charging of the battery that could lead to severe implications like explosion and fire. Chargers with these circuits may be a bit more expensive but they are safer to use especially if you charge your batteries overnight
  

What current should you charge your 18650 battery?

As we have seen before, current is among the key parameters you need to look at while choosing the charger you need to charge your battery. The current that is best for charging the 18650 depends on the specifications of the 18650 battery that is to be charged. The maximum charge current that is appropriate for charging your battery should be 0.5 times the capacity of the battery

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This means a 3400mah battery should be charged with a charge with an output current of 0.5x3400=1700ma. Using anything beyond that could lead to over heating of the battery that in the end reduces its life. On the other hand, using a charger with about 1A or 0.5A will charge the battery safely without heating but at a slow pace.

However, if there is urgent need to have your batteries charged, you may use a charger with a slightly higher current (like 2A) to charge battery in order to charge it faster. Fast charging the battery once in a while may not lead to any serious effects on the battery in a long run. If you charge your batteries over night while sleeping, you may even opt to use a charge with 0.5A since such current won’t generate any heat

What are the best vape 18650 battery chargers?

The best Vape charge is one that can charge the battery without creating any negative effects on the long-term battery life but at the same time meeting the demands of the battery users. Such a charger should have the right voltage, adjustable current, protection circuit, LCD display to show charging information, etc.

One of the brands that I would highly recommend is Nitecore. They have some of the best and most versatile battery chargers in the market. Most of their chargers have a protection circuit and an LCD display for showing the charging information such as the voltage, charge time and current. This is useful for safety and monitoring purposes.

How can you buy the best 18650 battery charger?

To buy the best 18650 battery charger, you need to know some of the basic things to look at. I have mentioned most of them above. If you don’t have a big budget for buying a charge that has variable output parameters, then you need to really pay close attention to your battery specifications. You will need to know the capacity of your battery so that you choose a charger that will provide the right current to charge it without generating heat

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Another important thing you need to look is the brand and its reputation in making these chargers. One of the brands we recommended above is Nitecore. If you intend to buy the battery form an online store, make sure you read the reviews from previous buyer so that you get to know the good and the bad about the battery charger you’re about to buy. Buying the battery charger from your local shop will give you chance of looking at it physically before you buy which may be an added advantage

Conclusion

Like we have seen the above, the charger you buy for your battery will not only affect how fast and efficient the battery charges. It will also affect the overall battery life of your battery and the safety of the battery user. Always take a close look at the battery charger output parameters to make sure they match with what your battery manufacturer recommends

If you can afford, it’s better you buy a battery charger that has an adjustable current and a protection circuit. Such a circuit will ensure your battery doesn’t over charge while left on the charge for long hours. The adjustable current is important in times when you want to charge the batteries slightly faster than normal. So you can increase the current slightly is such moments.