Car chargers for car or motorcycle batteries are very useful and come with different basic and additional functions. Of course, there are also the car chargers with USB port, which you can plug into the cigarette lighter or mount on the handlebars to charge your mobile device from powerbank to smartphone to laptop.
There are different aspects to consider, because not every car charger is compatible with every car or motorcycle battery. Certain things must also be observed with car chargers with a USB connection for the cigarette lighter to ensure that your devices are not damaged.
This car charger test 2022 should give you an insight into the different models and help you to find exactly the right device for you. Whether it’s a car battery charger or a cigarette lighter plug with a USB or laptop port, here are the basic differences for you to consider, and what alternatives might be of interest to you.
The most important thing is to make sure that your charger matches the electrical power spectrum of your battery or mobile device.
The most important in short
- not every car charger is suitable for every battery: when buying your car charger, pay attention to the indicated volt and ampere (hour) numbers, so that the power of your new car charger is sufficient.
- The watt-hour (wh) or ampere-hour (ah) number indicates how much capacity your battery has – accordingly, the charger should have enough power: the weaker the charger, the longer the charging process takes, even with sufficient voltage (volt).
- Most car chargers with USB port for cigarette lighter or for mounting on the handlebars of motorcycle or e-bike are universal and will safely charge your powerbank, smartphone or tablet.
Also interesting
comparison of car chargers: ratings and recommendations
Car chargers are available for car batteries and of course there are also cigarette lighter chargers for mobile devices with USB cables, such as your smartphone, a powerbank, your navigation device or other mobile devices with micro-USB or USB-C ports.
Here is a small overview of the different types of car chargers:
First now the car chargers for the car battery or motorcycle battery and further down the car chargers for the cigarette lighter and others.
The best all-round car charger for car or motorcycle batteries
65,99 EUR
78,00 EUR
79,00 EUR
Latest price updates: amazon.De (30.01.22, 13:17), other stores (30.01.22, 12:32 pm)
With this CTEK car charger for your car or motorcycle battery, you get a fully automatic and spark-free car charger for battery capacities from 2 to 110 ampere hours (ah). In addition, it also has the added feature of worry-free long-term trickle charging up to 160 ah. Even deeply discharged batteries can be brought back to life with this charger and is compatible with most battery types. This car charger for car batteries or motorcycle batteries has been developed and tested in sweden, is very robust and can be used indoors as well as outdoors.
When connecting the car charger to the battery, always connect the RED cable to the PLUS pole first. In the second step, connect the BLACK cable to the MINUS of the battery. The car charger should only be plugged into the socket after the battery has been connected. If you are unsure whether this charger is the right one for your battery, check again the voltage (V) and ampere-hour (ah) rating on the battery you want to charge.
Editor’s rating: as an all-round car charger, this model 56-305 MXS from swedish manufacturer CTEK has proven itself and offers everything you normally need for standard car and motorcycle batteries from fully automatic charging to trickle charging.
The best all-round car charger for the cigarette lighter socket
The ANKER powerdrive 2 alloy is the best all-round car charger for the cigarette lighter with 24 watts output power at 4.8 amps. With the 24 watt charging power you can easily charge two smartphones at the same time, because this car charger for the cigarette lighter has two USB ports. As a unique selling point, it has a compact design and is one of the smallest and lightest car chargers with two USB-A ports on the market today.
This best all-round car charger powerdrive 2 alloy from ANKER is available in different colors: there is a silver, a black and a red one to choose from. The circuits are gold-plated to ensure reduced temperature build-up in the device, providing maximum charging speed and efficiency. In addition, it is quite stylish and fits with minimalist and aesthetic design her also in any vehicle. In addition, this device comes with an 18 month warranty with always friendly customer service.
editor’s rating: the anker dual usb-a car charger is perfect for anyone looking for a small and lightweight cigarette lighter charger.
The best car charger for e-bikes and motorcycles
For motorcycles or e-bikes there is the DUAL USB 3.0 quick charger with 6-30 voltmeter with led display. The two USB-A charging ports can be switched on and off by a separate switch. This car charger is waterproof and supports all common fast charging functions. In addition, this car charger for e-bikes with quick charge 3.0 can also be connected to 12V-24V strong car or boat batteries to power navigation devices or dashcams – or just to charge your smartphone.
This car charger from kriogor with USB 3.0 quick-charge function is mounted on the handlebar, the diameter of the handlebar should be at least 1.9 centimeters and a maximum of 2.1 centimeters. With this charger, compatible devices can be charged up to 80% in 35 minutes. The fast charging arrangements like DCP BC1.2, apple divider3, samsung AFC, huawei FCP and qualcomm QC2.0/3.0 are supported.
Editor’s Rating: this seems to us to be the best car charger for e-bikes as it is easy to mount on the handlebars, has two usb ports and supports the fast charging features of many smartphone manufacturers.
The best car charger for your smartphone or iphone
The best car charger with induction charging for your smartphone or iphone is this device from hinyx including a cell phone holder for your car. With induction technology, you can conveniently charge your compatible smartphone or iphone without the need for a cable, while it can also safely serve as a navigation device in the phone cradle. if you want to put the smartphone on it, thanks to the advanced sensor, it is enough to put the phone on the cradle. The clamps will open automatically and close when you release the smartphone: easy one-handed operation.
This car charger for your smartphone or iphone with wireless induction technology has a timeless design and fits in any vehicle. It is attached to the louvers of the vehicle ventilation system. Your smartphone is also charged in a case. The case must not be thicker than five millimeters.
Editor’s rating: this 2-in-1 car charger from hinyx is optimal for all smartphones or iphones with induction compatibility, because it is a phone holder and charger in one.
The best car charger for your laptop/tablet
The best car charger for your laptop or tablet is shown in the KFD 90W 12V-24V universal car charger with all connectors currently on the market: almost all laptop manufacturers can be charged with this car charger. In total, the model has 14 different plugs from lenovo over samsung to acer, asus and hewlett packard.
this car charger for your laptop plugs into the cigarette lighter and you can charge your computer or work with it on the road. The device weighs only 360 grams and is ideal as an accessory for unrestricted laptop mobility.
Editor’s rating: this car charger for your laptop from the brand KFD is an excellent choice if you often travel by car and need your laptop on the road or at your destination.
The best car charger for your macbook
From the company GISSARAL there is this car charger for your macbook pro, macbook air or a simple macbook. In addition to the macbook port, it also has two free USB-A ports to charge your powerbank or iphone via lightning cable. Both USB-A ports are powered with 5 volts and offer excellent space for simultaneous charging of two additional devices.
The charger is in white color and has a timeless design. In addition, it is of course possible to charge other smartphones or mobile devices via the USB ports. Of course, you only need the appropriate cable, which is not included in delivery. The fast charging function automatically detects the fastest possible electrical power to charge your device as fast as possible.
editor’s rating: this car charger for your macbook is ideal if you are often in the car and want to use it everywhere or if you just want to charge it quickly on the way to work.
Car chargers: buying and evaluation criteria
When buying car chargers for car batteries, you should always make sure that the charger has the appropriate electrical power for your battery or accumulator. In particular, the voltage (volt) and also the battery capacity (ampere hours) are required here, which the charger must absolutely comply with.
A car charger is perfect to power your mobile devices during a trip. (hakon sataoen/unsplash.Com)besides the basic functions that your car charger should be able to do, there are of course many other additional functions that can fulfill your wishes. For example, there are car chargers with jump start function to bring a lame car battery back to life and start driving immediately. Also the winter mode or. The trickle charge function can be very helpful to get a mothballed motorcycle battery or the battery of your convertible through the winter.
Additional function: jump start
There are models of car chargers that offer the additional function of jump starting.
They are of course very helpful for broken down cars that have been parked too long in the garage or behind the house.
In this case, it is a good idea to use a car charger with a jump-start function to revive a deeply discharged battery.
Additional function: trickle charge / winter mode
The winter mode of a car charger is optimal to keep your battery safe over the winter. Otherwise, the battery can be deep discharged and lose power or even break down.
With the trickle charge or. the winter mode can be stored with the KFZ charger the battery usually carefree and optimally, without that the battery deep discharges itself. Most of these chargers also have a temperature monitor, so that the battery and the charger do not overheat.
6V, 12V, 24V or 48V and ampere-hour (mah, ah) capacity compatibility
Depending on which battery you want to recharge, you need a specific charger. So you should always make sure that there is compatibility between the car charger and the battery: look at the battery, how many volts and how many ampere hours it has, then buy a charger with at least exactly the same values. A 6 volt charger will not be sufficient for a 12 volt battery. The charger can be more powerful, but it should have an automatic function to detect which type of battery is connected. Means a "smart" charger that can also downscale.
Car chargers for the cigarette lighter socket
When buying a car charger for the cigarette lighter, it is necessary to have enough wattage to be able to charge two or more devices at the same time at full power. In addition, there are different devices with different numbers of USB-A ports – the more devices you want to charge at the same time while on the road, the more ports the charger should naturally have.
So on the one hand there are the different number of ports, but there are even models that have an extra USB-C or via a laptop or a tablet. Macbook connector available. What they all have in common is that they draw their power from the cigarette lighter. Further up in this guide, we have given a few examples of what you can buy.
Car chargers: frequently asked questions and answers
Of course, there are different questions about these devices, which we answer briefly here:
What is and for whom is a car charger suitable??
Car chargers for the cigarette lighter are especially suitable for you if you are often on the road in the car. With this you can always and everywhere charge your mobile devices or in case of emergency even work on your laptop at a rest area. Or you can give your passenger the possibility to work on the laptop during the ride.
but please always observe the road traffic regulations and stick to the rules: do not operate any devices at the wheel while driving. To make a phone call or write a message, always pull over to the right.
What types of car chargers are there??
| car charger for the car battery | additional functions: long time trickle charging and jump starting | not all chargers are compatible with all batteries |
| Car charger for the cigarette lighter | allow you to charge your mobile devices | – |
| Car charger for laptop/macbook | allow the operation and charging of your laptop or macbook | are usually a bit bigger than simple USB ports for the cigarette lighter |
Especially in problematic situations such as traffic jams, a car charger for the cigarette lighter is always a helpful companion to provide your mobile devices with a permanent power supply.
Car chargers are usually not that expensive and will always serve you well if you take good care of them. Who needs an empty battery? Exactly! Nobody! That’s why it’s always helpful to have a car charger for cigarette lighter. Of course, you then only have to make sure you have the right cables for the respective devices from smartphone to tablet to laptop.
How much does a car charger cost??
| Car charger for the car battery | 10 to 205 euro |
| car charger for the cigarette lighter | 8 to 25 euro |
| car charger for laptop/macbook | 40 to 50 euro |
Then there is the question of where to buy a car charger.
Where can I buy a car charger??
What are the alternatives to car chargers??
Or if you just want to jump start your car, it might be enough to ask your neighbor about a running car and then use a jump lead to bring the car that won’t start back to life.
| voltage converter | a voltage converter or power inverter converts the current from the cigarette lighter in such a way that conventional mains plugs can be supplied with 230 volt voltage. |
| Jumper cables | the jump-start cable can be used to connect two vehicles together in order to bring the car that has become lame back to life. Note: the engine of the assisting vehicle should be on at the same time! First connect the red plus-poles with each other and then connect the black MINUS-poles with each other. The freshly started vehicle should now be driven for at least 45 to 60 minutes in order to recharge the battery properly. |
Then the following question may arise:
How to correctly connect a car charger to the car battery?
With a car charger for car batteries, you can always get your car, motorcycle and boat batteries through the winter. in winter mode with trickle charge function, a car battery charger offers you the advantage that the battery will not be deep-discharged during long periods of non-use, thus prolonging the battery’s life.
Conclusion
In our car charger test, we found that it is important to make sure that the charger is compatible with the car battery: voltage values and ampere-hour values should absolutely be met by the car charger. In addition, there are useful additional functions, such as the winter mode with the trickle charge, in order to be able to store a battery well over the winter, and in addition, some car chargers even have a jump-start function, in order to bring deeply discharged batteries back to life.
There are different types of car chargers for your smartphone or iphone: normal plugs with usb ports and even smartphone holders with wireless induction chargers. You should then make sure that your smartphone is also induction-compatible, i.e. that it can be charged without a cable. Car chargers for your laptop or macbook are also of great advantage for all those who work a lot on the road and want to keep their laptop always ready for use.