How to Choose a Car Charger?

Due to the pandemic, everywhere has become an office. However, more and more people are on the go as people learn to live and work in this new normal. These two factors make the ability to charge on the go more important than ever. Not every car comes equipped with a car charger and not all car chargers charge the way we would want them to. So, the article is to inform people what to look out for when choosing a car charger.

Car Outlet

If you drive a car, you are almost certainly familiar with the car outlet that the cigarette lighter plugs into. However, there are a number of names for this device. Some of the names include the cigarette lighter receptacle, the car power socket, or the automobile auxiliary power outlet. In this article, we will be referring to it as the car outlet. 

It was initially designed to be used to light a cigarette. Increasingly, the main use of this outlet is to supply DC power to our electronic devices. For cars that don’t come with their own chargers, these outlets are the only option to get a convenient charge while driving. 

Things to consider

There are a number of things to consider when shopping for a car charger such as power supply, versatility, and fast charging. For the most part, any charger you find on Amazon will be able to charge your device. But, there are things to consider to maximize your experience. 

Power Supply

Most consumers will be familiar with the term watts. This is what is commonly used when describing a charger’s power output. The wattage is equal to a charge’s volts times the amperes. In the USA and in Europe, the car socket will usually supply 12 volts of power and the outlet usually supplies a maximum of 10 amperes. This means the maximum watts the charger can supply is 120 watts, but don’t expect to get the maximum charge when charging your phone. There are a lot of factors that can affect your phone’s ability to charge, such as fast charging protocols and what kind of cable is being used to charge your device. If you want to learn more about fast charging, click here. 

So, if you have ever wondered why you can’t use a blow drier in your car, it is because the blow drier requires too much power. According to Spark Energy, a hair dryer requires about 1500 watts. 

Fast Charging Protocols 

Electronic devices are delicate and generally, it is better for a battery to be charged at a lower voltage. However, fast charging is a way your phone can tell your charger exactly how to supply power to your device to do it quickly and safely. If charging quickly is important to you, you should consider a charger that has fast charging protocols. This charger has QC 3.0 fast-charging protocols that will fast charge a Samsung or Google Pixel device. It also supplies the maximum charge for an iPhone. However, if you use an OPPO, Xiaomi, or Huawei phone, you will need a different charger to fast charge. 

Versatility 

Another thing to consider is the versatility of the charger. Some car chargers have multiple outlets to allow multiple people to charge at once. Still, chargers can do more than just supply power to your device. Some chargers can act as radio transmitters or act as a Bluetooth adapter. Also, if you are a smoker you might not want to use your car outlet as a charging port and forgo your electric lighter. However, there is a car charger option for you as well. Whatever you need your car charger to do, there is a car charger for it. 

What Does This Mean for You?

The first thing you need to consider is what kind of phone do you have? If you have an iPhone you don’t need a car charger that draws a lot of power because the iPhone charges slowly at a lower wattage. If you have an OPPO phone, you might have to buy something directly from OPPO if you want to take advantage of OPPO’s speedy fast charging. But, maybe you have an older car that might benefit from Bluetooth or maybe you want to be able to keep the cigarette lighter charged. You should consider your needs before you hop on Amazon and make a quick purchase. You might not realize what you are missing out on.