Considerations for Choosing a Universal Battery Charger

Universal battery chargers are becoming more important, as the number of different electronic devices being used increases throughout everything from everyday life to critical applications such as Defense and Aerospace. There are many things to consider when choosing the right universal charger, and to protect your devices and maintain their battery life, finding the right charger is important. 

What ‘universal’ means in the context of charging

Universal is somewhat of a misleading term for a battery charger. No charger is truly ‘universal’. Different batteries, especially for different devices, often have unique chemistries or voltages that need to be kept in mind. If a charger is not compatible with a battery’s chemistry, it could damage the battery or charge it improperly. 

Universal battery chargers have built-in charging algorithms and an intelligent system to manage the voltage, current, and charge method for many different types of batteries. They will also have a number of charging ports which will accommodate a variety of adapters that are specific to each battery. These types of universal chargers also offer the convenience of charging multiple devices at once. 

What to keep in mind when choosing a universal charger

There are many factors that go into determining the right universal charger for your application. One of the first and most important things is the compatibility with the various batteries that you need to charge.  If compatible, the charger will also be compatible with the chemistry and voltage of your batteries in order to not cause any damage.  Along with compatibility something to consider is the number of charging ports. This will determine the total number of batteries and the number of different batteries that can be charged at one time.

Another factor to consider is the overall power of the charger.  The overall power of a charger should be great enough that it can sufficiently charge all of the connected batteries at once.  Older universal chargers, which were much less powerful that modern chargers, would have much longer charge times when fully loaded with batteries.  If charge time is important a modern universal battery charger will be critical.

Lastly it may be important to consider the portability of the charger. Power systems are not always lightweight, so if your application requires something that is portable or easy to carry, make sure you get a charger that matches those needs.

Looking for a manufacturer of batteries and power systems?

Bren-Tronics has been a leading manufacturer of rechargeable batteries, adapters, chargers, and more since 1973. Check out our website to learn more.