Parents with small children may know that the amount of battery powered devices in their lives grows exponentially with the birth of their first child. Last year we bought Energizer’s battery charger to handle the AA batteries from our son’s music box, the C batteries from his music table, the D batteries from his swing, and AAA batteries for assorted other devices. In the past we purchased a AA charger, but had limited success and were reluctant to spend $30 on a charger, plus a premium for rechargeable batteries. Click here for the entire rechargeable line from Energizer.
To ensure that we would use it enough, we purchased a charger that could handle all four types of mentioned previously batteries. The only style we have in the house that does not fit are 9 volt batteries. The other day I charged one set of batteries (4 C batteries) for the fourth time in a year. The start-up cost of the charger and batteries ($11.95 for two C batteries) is high when compared to a 12 pack of conventional C batteries for the same price. However, because the device can charge five different types of batteries, and up to four at a time, we been able to justify the upfront expense. I have not sat down to calculate the total return on our investment. (What I can say is that we have not recovered the cost on all the batteries to this point, let alone the charger. However, we have only had it for one year and the batteries seem to be charging completely, i.e. no loss of capacity). The high cost of larger batteries (C and D) makes the charger a worthwhile investment. Without these larger, more expensive batteries it may not be worth the cost of the charger. The first unit I purchased from Energizer, which only charged AA and AAA batteries, does not make sense from a flexibility standpoint. In addition, it did not seem to work well. I don’t think the batteries were ever fully charged. However, the family charger (as mentioned below) includes an LCD screen indicating the state of the charge. When buying a charger, definitely consider one that can charge several types of batteries.
Here are the features of the charger according to Energizer’s website:
- Charges up to 8 AA, 8 AAA, 4C, 4D or 2 9V NiMH rechargeable batteries
- Super safe – will only begin charging when the lid is closed
- Easy-to-read LCD screen shows the charging status of the batteries inside
- ENERGY STAR certified
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