How to Pick the Right Battery Charger

Step 1: Choosing a Charger Based on Battery TypeSome folks wanting quick recharge should look for a charger with more amps, such as a golf cart charger. If you’re not in a hurry, you can select a smaller charger. The most important thing is to make sure you have enough charger power to do the job you require in the time you allocate.

Step 3: Choosing a Battery Charger Based on Desired OutcomeGaN chargers are physically smaller than current chargers. This is because gallium nitride chargers don’t require as many components as silicon chargers. The material is able to conduct far higher voltages over time than silicon.

GaN chargers are not only more efficient at transferring current, but this also means less energy is lost to heat. So, more energy goes to whatever you’re trying to charge. When components are more efficient at passing energy to your devices, you generally require less of them.

As a result, GaN power bricks and chargers will be noticeably smaller when the technology becomes more widespread. There are other benefits, too, such as a higher switching frequency that enables faster wireless power transfer, and bigger “air gaps” between the charger and device.

At present, GaN semiconductors generally cost more than the silicon kind. However, due to improved efficiency, there’s a reduced reliance on additional materials, like heatsinks, filters, and circuit elements. One manufacturer estimates cost savings of 10 to 20 percent in this area. This could improve even further once the economic benefit of large-scale production kicks in.