EBL Smart Rapid Battery Charger: One battery charger to rule them all

EBL sent us their Smart Rapid Battery Charger for Rechargeable 3.7V/3.6V Li-ion IMR Batteries. It charges many kinds of batteries — “smartly” — in a travel-sized package.

Note: EBL sent us the EBL Smart Rapid Battery Charger for Rechargeable 3.7V/3.6V Li-ion IMR Batteries. However, this is a completely independent review. All thoughts about this item are our own.

Pros

• EBL’s charger warns you if you have reversed the battery mistakenly
• Flexible – charges many different kinds of batteries sizes and types, including lithium-ion, Ni-MH, and Ni-CD.
• USB-C charging allows you to charge from a laptop, car, or elsewhere
• Safety features, including over-heat and over-current protection, short-circuit protection, over-voltage protection, over-discharge protection, non-rechargeable, and defective battery detection.

Cons

• I cannot find any shortcomings.

EBL Smart Rapid Battery Charger — Technical Specifications

All the technical specifications for the Smart Rapid Battery Charger for Rechargeable 3.7V/3.6V Li-ion IMR Batteries are from the Amazon link they provided us.

• Brand: EBL
• Product Dimensions: 2.71″D x 5.07″W x 1.35″H
• Output Voltage: 4.2 Volts
• Input Voltage: 3.7 Volts
• Current Rating: 0.5 Amps
• Battery Compatibility: 3.7V/3.6V Li-ion Lithium-ion IMR INR ICR 10440/14500/14650/RCR16340/16650/17500/17650/17670/18350/18490/18500/18650/20700/21700/21750/22700/26650/26700 rechargeable batteries and Ni-MH/Ni-Cd AA AAA rechargeable batteries.
• Fast Battery Charger: The upgraded TC2S universal battery charger features a charging current of up to 2000mA (max) for a single lithium battery, 1000mA for 2pcs lithium batteries, and 500mA for 2pcs ni-mh/ni-cd batteries. effectively charging batteries, saving your time.
• Smart LED Indicator: This lithium ion battery charger with intelligent LED light not only has the capability to detect faulty/non-rechargeable batteries but also identifies lithium batteries and nimh/nicd batteries. Additionally, it can show its charging progress, when 3 LED lighting together means the battery is fully charged.
• 0V Activation Function: The TC2S battery charger is capable of activating rechargeable batteries that have been over-discharged and equipped with protection boards.
• Safety Guarantee: Advanced MCU control and -∆V function, over-heat and over-current protection, short-circuit protection, over-voltage protection, over-discharge protection, non-rechargeable, and defective battery detection.

EBL Smart Rapid Battery Charger — Ergonomics and build quality

Ergonomics

The ergonomics are typical for a battery charger, which is to say that it’s simple to use. However, we have to consider that this single charger accommodates a wide variety of batteries, making it incredibly flexible to use. One charger to rule them all. It will even tell you if you have placed the battery backwards (reversed). It does this via the first LED indicator light.

Build quality

The cables and batteries seem solid. The USB-C ports fit snugly.

EBL Smart Rapid Battery Charger — In the field

I took the charger and batteries on a short night photography trip. The small size of the battery charger as well as having a flexible USB-C cable was great for saving space. I was also able to charge the EBL BRC 18650 Rechargeable Batteries in my car en route to my night photo shoot.

The charger has a maximum charging current of 2000mA when you charge one lithium-ion battery in the right bay, and 1000mA in the left bay.

I used the batteries for my ProtoMachines LED2 light painting device, which uses two batteries. On another trip, I also used one in my Ants on a Melon RGB Critter BT. The batteries seem to last for a very long time with both, lasting the entire evening and having plenty of charge for most likely two more nights.

About EBL

EBL has been around for over 26 years, making Ni-MH and lithium-ion batteries in many different forms, including AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, 18650, and more. Shown above are two of the many kinds of batteries that work with this charger. The products I have seen or reviewed so far are innovative and seem to be solidly made.