The Best Rechargeable Battery Charger (for AA and AAA Batteries) | Reviews by Wirecutter

By Sarah Witman

Sarah Witman is a writer focused on batteries and charging accessories. She has spent countless hours charging, discharging, and recharging batteries.

We’ve corrected this guide to reflect that the Tenergy TN456 is not designed to charge 1.5 V Li-ion batteries (though, unlike our other picks, it can charge some lithium-based batteries).

Today’s rechargeable AA and AAA batteries are much more efficient and reliable than those you may remember from years past. If you’re making the switch to rechargeables, you’ll need a charger to keep them powered.

The Panasonic Eneloop BQ-CC55 is small and compact, and charges up to four batteries at once. It has a built-in plug that folds up for easy storage, and colorful lights that clearly indicate when each battery is dead (red), half-full (yellow), or fully charged (green).

This is the charger we’d buy. It has a fold-out plug—so it sits flush on your wall outlet—and notification lights over each battery slot. And it can charge up to four batteries at a time.

This eight-slot charger is ideal for households that use lots of batteries for toys, gaming controllers, and more. Despite holding twice as many batteries as our other picks, this charger is relatively small and compact, and its screen gives you key info at a glance.

This four-slot charger measures battery capacity, voltage, internal resistance, and charge time. It can charge AA, AAA, AAAA, and C batteries, including NiMH and some lithium-based batteries, all with custom charge rates.

We confirmed that chargers could charge one battery at a time by inserting a single battery, waiting, then checking to see if it charged.

After fully discharging a pair of batteries we recorded how long it took to fully recharge.

We noted which chargers included features like a USB port or display screen.

We prioritized chargers that were compact and intuitive to use.

This is the charger we’d buy. It has a fold-out plug—so it sits flush on your wall outlet—and notification lights over each battery slot. And it can charge up to four batteries at a time.

The Panasonic Eneloop BQ-CC55 is simple to use: You pop in the batteries (any brand of AA or AAA NiMH batteries will do), plug it into a wall outlet, and wait for the status lights to indicate that each battery is fully charged. An auto-shutoff feature detects the batteries’ charge level and cuts off power when they’re done charging, so you don’t have to immediately remove them to prevent overcharging.

The BQ-CC55 is made by a company we trust based on decades of customer experience, and it performed well in our battery-capacity and drain-time testing. It also has a neutral, unobtrusive look that will blend into the background of most rooms.

The Tenergy TN480U eight-bay charger is the best choice for people who regularly need to charge a lot of NiMH batteries at once. It has eight individually charging battery slots, and it charges AA, AAA, and AAAA batteries.

The TN480U’s screen tells you which batteries are charging and how charged they are, on a scale of one to five. This charger is smaller and more compact than most eight-slot chargers we’ve tested, so it easily blends in with its surroundings.

The screen is bright and simple to read when viewed up close, but from a distance it’s pleasantly subtle. The TN480U is powered via Micro-USB or USB-C, and it comes with a Micro-USB charging cable (though you’ll have to supply your own USB wall charger).

The Tenergy TN456 four-bay charger is the best option for people who want to helicopter-parent their batteries, potentially making them last longer. It lets you set custom charge rates from 300 to 1,000 milliamperes (mA) to charge a variety of battery sizes at their most efficient rates. It also allows you to keep a close eye on your batteries’ capacity, voltage, internal resistance, and charge times. Unlike the rest of our picks, this charger is compatible with some lithium-based batteries as well as NiMH and other nickel-based batteries. And its size-adjustable slots let you charge a wide variety of battery types, including AA, AAA, AAAA, and C (the only one of our picks that can charge the latter).

As the writer of this guide, I spent 11 hours researching and 45 hours testing chargers for rechargeable batteries. I’ve been a science writer for more than nine years, covering a wide variety of topics, from particle physics to satellite remote sensing. Since joining Wirecutter, in 2017, I’ve reported on rechargeable batteries, power banks for phones and tablets, power banks for laptops, portable power stations, and more.

Gone are the days of pricey rechargeable batteries that always seemed to die right away and took forever to charge. As we explain in our guide to the best rechargeable batteries, the technology has vastly improved over the past few decades: Many (including our picks) hold a charge longer than their disposable cousins, they’re more affordable (you’ll recoup the up-front cost after just a few uses), and they’re better for the environment.

And they’re not just for your TV remote. Lots of electronic devices can be powered by rechargeable batteries—including some instant cameras, flashlights, wireless mice, LED lanterns, vibrators, electric pepper mills, and more. By investing in a good charger, you can help ensure that they’re charged and ready to go when you need them.

We checked out major retailers like Target, Home Depot, and Amazon to find the most well-known and widely available makers of rechargeable battery chargers. From there, we built a list of contenders based on the following features:

To test the chargers, we rounded up 28 brand-new rechargeable AA batteries. We assigned two batteries to each charger and labeled them with washi tape so we could tell them apart later. We plugged all 14 chargers into wall outlets and tested the performance of each model in a few key areas, including:

This is the charger we’d buy. It has a fold-out plug—so it sits flush on your wall outlet—and notification lights over each battery slot. And it can charge up to four batteries at a time.

The Panasonic Eneloop BQ-CC55 embodies everything we look for in a rechargeable battery charger. It’s easy to use and has an auto-shutoff function, and (as shown by our capacity testing) it charges batteries quickly and completely. It’s compact—roughly the size of an iPhone 13 and about an inch thick—and it charges one to four batteries at a time. Panasonic is a trusted brand, and it also made our former top pick, the BQ-CC17. We especially like that the BQ-CC55 has a fold-out plug, so it sits right on the wall outlet as it charges, and its notification lights correspond to the individual battery slots.

This charger could hardly be easier to use: You simply insert up to four AA or AAA rechargeable batteries and leave them charging for an hour or so. That might seem like a given, but it’s not true of every charger we tested. For example, the EBL C9008’s adjustable slots make it tricky to pop batteries in place for charging, and the XTAR VC4 Plus displays an intimidating amount of text on its screen. Plus, the Panasonic’s plug folds out and slides into a wall outlet more smoothly than other models we tested with a similar design.

In our testing, the Panasonic took about one and a half hours to charge two AA batteries; this is on a par with the time it took all of our picks except the 8-slot Tenergy charger (which took two and a half hours to perform the same task). And since the BQ-CC55 has an auto-shutoff feature, you don’t have to worry about overcharging (although to prevent cumulative damage, you should never store batteries in your charger for more than a day).

The BQ-CC55 has a neutral, minimalistic design. When plugged in, it blends in with its surroundings fairly well, especially if you have white walls. When the charger is empty, the notification lights appear as a thin, gray strip above the battery slots. When you insert a dead battery, a bar of red light illuminates above that slot and then turns yellow (when partially charged) and green (when fully charged) over the next couple of hours. This is incredibly helpful when you’re charging, say, one completely dead battery and one partially charged battery, so you can find out in real time when either one is ready to use.

You can buy the BQ-CC55 on its own, but if you don’t already own rechargeable batteries and want to stock up, the Panasonic Power Pack (K-KJ55MBS66A) is an excellent deal. It comes with a BQ-CC55 charger, six AA batteries, and six AAA batteries. The batteries are Panasonic Eneloops, which we’ve recommended for years in our rechargeable batteries guide. Though as of our latest update they are no longer a pick, due to the emergence of higher-capacity options, they are still great batteries. And since they typically cost about $2.50 apiece, you’re getting about $30 worth of batteries plus our favorite charger for the cost of the bundle (about $45 at the time of writing).

Panasonic backs all of its multi-bay battery chargers for up to a year after purchase, which is as long as that of any of our picks. We’ve also had good experiences with its products and customer support in the past.

The BQ-CC55 has been our top pick since 2019, and in that time it’s continued to work perfectly and look pristine (aside from accumulating some dust between each use). Despite our conducting several new rounds of testing and adding more picks for various needs and preferences, this one remains our favorite.

Wirecutter staff engineer Justin Yost owns the BQ-CC55, and he said he’s never had an issue with it. “It’s super reliable and still in perfect condition, though admittedly it stays in one spot [in] an office no one else really comes into,” he said. “It’s been recharging batteries basically once a week for about two years.”

Deputy audience director Sebastian Compagnucci bought the BQ-CC55 in early 2022, and he said it’s worked well for him so far. He got it with the sole intention of charging AA batteries for the twinkly string lights his son uses as a night-light, and he said he’s relieved he no longer needs to stock up on single-use batteries once a month to power them.

The BQ-CC55 is the most streamlined-looking model we tested, but it’s still a bit brick-like. Plus, since it doesn’t have a cord, you can’t tuck it out of sight as you can some other chargers. When it’s plugged into the bottom of an ordinary AC wall outlet, you should be able to use the top outlet with no problem—unless your other plug is especially chonky too. But in our testing we found that the BQ-CC55 blocked the outlet to the right of it when it was plugged into one of our surge protector picks. So if your power strip is tight on space, you might need to find a dedicated outlet for the charger.

The BQ-CC55’s listed charge-rate range is between 275 and 750 mA, which means it should be able to charge AAA batteries at their recommended rate (500 mA) and charge AA batteries at slightly below their optimal (1,000 mA) rate. We’d prefer if this charger allowed you to set a custom charging rate, like the Tenergy TN456, since this can help maximize the lifespan of your batteries. However, we didn’t make this feature a requirement because it’s probably more effort than most people want to put forth anyway.

If you go through lots of batteries—for remote controls, toys, kitchen appliances, and more—it might be worth spending a little extra on the eight-slot Tenergy TN480U charger. It has a streamlined look, an intuitive interface, and a surprisingly low-profile design, considering it holds twice as many batteries as our other picks.

The TN480U has eight individually charging battery slots, each of which is able to charge AA and AAA batteries. Plus, in our testing we found that the TN480U can also charge AAAA batteries (used to power some super-slim devices, such as laser pointers and styluses), even though this is not an advertised feature.

Like our other picks, this charger is designed to charge NiMH and other nickel-based batteries, including those we recommend in our guide to the best rechargeable batteries. In our testing, the TN480U charged batteries slightly slower than our other picks, taking about two and a half hours to fully charge two AA batteries.

This charger is sturdily built, and it’s smaller and more compact than most eight-slot chargers we’ve tested, so it easily blends in with its surroundings. It's powered by either a Micro-USB or USB-C port on the back of the unit, and it comes with a Micro-USB cable (though you’ll have to supply your own USB wall charger).

The TN480U’s LCD screen is bright and easy to read when viewed up close, but from a distance it’s pleasantly subtle. It’s also more informative than our other picks: Above each battery slot, there’s an icon showing the charge status of the corresponding battery on a scale of 1 to 5, rather than a simple notification light. If there’s a weak connection or some other problem with any of the inserted batteries, an error message will appear on the screen.

The listed charge-rate range of the TN480U is between 250 and 500 mA, allowing you to charge AAA batteries at their optimal speed, potentially helping them last longer. However, that means it will charge AA batteries at half their recommended rate, which also means it will take longer to get a full charge than it would with the Panasonic BQ-CC55. As with those chargers, the TN480U does not let you set the charge rate manually, which is less than ideal.

Like Panasonic, Tenergy is a well-established company with a robust web presence and responsive customer support. Its chargers are backed by a one-year warranty, the same length as the warranties for the rest of our picks.

If you want to baby your batteries, to make them last as long as possible, the Tenergy TN456 is your best bet. This four-slot charger lets you set custom charge rates, and it measures capacity, voltage, internal resistance, and charge times. It’s also our only pick that can charge some lithium-based batteries as well as NiMH and other nickel-based rechargeable batteries, and it allows for more battery types than our other picks, including AA, AAA, AAAA, and C.

The TN456 has four size-adjustable charging slots that let you charge a wide variety of common battery types, and each slot has a button above it to select charging or testing settings for a given battery. Otherwise, the charger has just three main control buttons, which are large, prominent, and clearly labeled: one to set the charge-rate current, one to turn on the display’s backlight and cycle through various screens, and one to toggle between the charging and testing modes.

Despite its many added capabilities, the TN456 is a breeze to use. As soon as you insert the batteries, it starts charging and recording their capacity, voltage, internal resistance, and elapsed charging time.

If no rate of charge is selected with the “current” button, the charger will auto-detect and set a charge rate itself, as our other picks do. However, the TN456 offers a wider range of charging rates than our other picks, with options for 300, 500, 700, or 1,000 mA.

We recommend 300 mA for AAAA, 500 mA for AAA, and 1,000 mA for AA and C batteries, since these rates will charge your batteries most efficiently. As with our Panasonic pick, it took the TN456 about an hour and a half to fully charge two AA batteries.

Our other picks are limited to charging NiMH and other nickel-based batteries, which is all that most people need, but the TN456 is also able to charge some lithium-based rechargeables (though, notably, not the 1.5 V Li-ion batteries we recommend in our guide to the best rechargeable batteries). Most devices work fine with either battery chemistry, as long as the battery is the correct size, but some devices (whether it’s a detachable camera flash or a child’s toy speedboat) may function better with the additional burst of voltage that a lithium-based battery provides. If you use both types, or you’d just like to have the option, this is a convenient feature to have.

Like our other picks, the TN456 is made by a reputable company, which is reflected in its sturdy build quality and good overall design. Its display is easy to read and navigate when illuminated, and since the TN456 dims after a few seconds, it won’t light up a dark room.

This charger is also the only one of our picks with a USB-A output port, which isn’t necessary by any means, but it’s convenient for charging a phone or other small device when other outlets are occupied. Also, The included proprietary wall charger is removable, which is handy for storage, and it allows you to easily disconnect the unit from the outlet when your batteries are done charging.

The plug is somewhat bulky, but it didn’t block neighboring outlets in our testing. The charger has a low profile—especially compared with the other models we tested in this category—and it has a 3-foot cord, so it is easy to tuck out of sight.

If you want a basic AC-powered charger that’s slightly smaller than our top pick, or if our top pick is unavailable: Get the EBL 907. It has all the key features of our top pick, it’s more compact, and it’s half the price.

However, the EBL 907 is not a pick primarily because the build quality is noticeably worse—we noticed that scratches started to accumulate on the plastic surface almost immediately—and the flip-open plug is brittle and sticky, whereas the Panasonic’s slides open smoothly. Also, this charger’s brightly backlit screen is more obtrusive than our pick’s indicator lights, despite not contributing any additional information.

If you want to charge up to four batteries via USB, including AA, AAA, and AAAA, and you can live with a subpar screen and so-so build quality: Get the HiQuick 4-Bay charger. It has four battery-charging slots, Micro-USB and USB-C input ports, and a backlit screen that (while a bit cluttered with text) clearly shows each battery’s charging status.

It performed well in our charge-time and capacity tests, and unlike most models we tested it’s compatible with AAAA as well as AA and AAA batteries. However, it’s not a pick because it’s made of a flimsier plastic than otherwise comparable models..

If the Tenergy TN456 goes out of stock, and you don’t mind a flashier and more cluttered screen: The XTAR VC4 Plus is the next next-best option. Like the TN456, this charger has four size-adjustable battery slots, and it’s compatible with NiMH AA, AAA, AAAA, and C batteries.

Instead of the TN456’s included proprietary charger, the XTAR charges over USB-C and comes with a compatible 18W USB wall charger and charging cable. It lacks the TN456’s USB-A output port, which can be handy to charge a phone or other small device, but we don’t think most people will greatly miss it.

The main reason the XTAR isn’t a pick is because its brightly backlit screen is as busy as the dashboard of an airplane cockpit, making it difficult to quickly parse key information like measured capacity, voltage, and charge times. But if you can train yourself to understand the layout at a glance, it’s a good alternative to the TN456.

By using rechargeable batteries, you’re already taking a major step toward reducing electronic waste, or e-waste. Devices with built-in batteries can be more convenient to charge, and they are certainly more commonplace, but they typically require you to buy a whole new device when the battery wears out. Also, single-use alkaline batteries can leak and damage your electronics, and they don’t last nearly as long as rechargeables.

Although our picks in this guide are designed to prevent overcharging—they detect charge states through Negative Delta V detection and pulse charging and cut off current when batteries are full—small leaks and trickle charges over long periods of time may still cause cumulative damage. So while it’s fine to leave your charger plugged in when it’s not in use, you should take your batteries off the charger within a day after they’re done charging.

Although most Americans recycle plastic, metal, paper, and cardboard on a regular basis, less than half recycle used batteries and other e-waste. We have advice on how to care for and recycle batteries in our guide to the best rechargeable batteries, as well as a separate piece on how to get rid of old electronics.

This is not a comprehensive list of all battery chargers we’ve tested. We have removed any models that have been discontinued or no longer meet our criteria.

The Panasonic BQ-CC17 is a former pick, but we were won over by the BQ-CC55’s ability to tell you when each battery is dead, halfway charged, and fully charged. The BQ-CC17 also takes a bit longer to charge batteries.

The IKEA Stenkol lacks the fold-out plug and individual notification lights that we prize in the Panasonic BQ-CC55.

Several models we tested—the four-slot EBL FY-409, the four-slot LiitoKala Lii-500S, and the eight-slot EBL FY-809—suffer from nearly identical issues, despite having a wide range of features. In our testing, we found these units to have flimsy build quality and inelegant design in terms of both form and function. Most concerning, we found that every charging cable we plugged into these units wiggled precariously in their ports, indicating connectivity issues that could cause spotty or inefficient charging.

The Powerex Maha MH-C800S’s three-year warranty is longer than that of any of our picks, but it costs more than otherwise comparable models. Also, its screen doesn’t show if the “condition” or “soft” charging options are turned on.

The Powerex Maha MH-C808M is bulkier and has a less intuitive interface than comparable models from other brands. Also, despite being the priciest battery charger we’ve tested, it doesn’t have a particularly sturdy build quality.

The EBL C9008 can charge or discharge up to eight AA or AAA batteries (or up to four C or D batteries) at a time. It has an informative screen and a good range of currents (500–1,800 mA) for efficient charging. It’s pretty easy to use, but it’s harder to correctly pop batteries into the slots compared with most chargers, and if you don’t align them just right, they won’t charge.

The EBL C9010N is small and compact, and it charges up to eight AA or AAA batteries at a time. It’s easy to use, has indicator lights over each battery slot, and has a good range of currents (225–1,800 mA) for efficient charging. However, it charges via a Micro-USB port, and in our testing it did not always have a solid connection—shown by dim or blinking indicator lights—which could slow down charging times.

The Bonai 16-Bay Rechargeable Battery Charger has more battery slots than any of our picks (16) and it’s relatively compact and sleek-looking. Tiny lights next to each of the 16 individually charging slots turn red when the corresponding battery is charging or if there’s an error, and turn green when it’s fully charged. However, it has a flimsier build quality than otherwise comparable models we tested, and its low listed charge-rate range (159–200 mA) was reflected in its sluggish charge times during our testing. If you use lots of batteries, we think you’re better off getting two of our eight-slot Tenergy pick.

This article was edited by Ben Keough and Erica Ogg.

Sarah Witman

Sarah Witman is a senior staff writer who reports on powering and charging technology for Wirecutter. She previously worked as a writer, editor, and fact checker for several science magazines. Though she researches and tests chargers for a living, her phone battery is usually low.

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NiMH (nickel metal hydride) compatibility: AA and AAA compatibility: No more than 16 charging slots: Individual charging: Auto shutoff: Informative interface:Good reputation: Less than $50:Individual charging: Capacity:Extra features: Look and feel: If you want a basic AC-powered charger that’s slightly smaller than our top pick, or if our top pick is unavailable:If you want to charge up to four batteries via USB, including AA, AAA, and AAAA, and you can live with a subpar screen and so-so build quality:If the Tenergy TN456 goes out of stock, and you don’t mind a flashier and more cluttered screen:

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The Best Rechargeable Battery Charger (for AA and AAA Batteries) | Reviews by Wirecutter