Stay Fully Charged on the Road with a Car Charger
A charger in your car is an important appliance for keeping your cell phone and other devices charged while on car journeys, especially long journeys, during which you might need to use your phone often. Check out eBay for a great range of new and second-hand chargers ready to keep your phone fully charged on the road.
How does a car charger work?A typical cell phone car charger is a small appliance that plugs into your car’s 12 volt DC accessory port or cigarette lighter socket. At the opposite end of the charger is a USB socket. The USB plug of your phone’s charging cable can be plugged into that socket, with the other end plugged into your phone. Charging will then begin.
Charging more than one phone at a timeSome car phone chargers have more than one USB socket for charging more than one device at the same time. That’s an important consideration when you have passengers with phones, tablets, or other devices needing to be charged.
How long does a full charge take?Charging time can be as quick as with your home charger, but it depends on several factors. These include:
- The phone: High-end smartphones need more power than a basic phone to be able to receive a full charge in a reasonable time.
- The usage of your phone while driving: Using your phone in the car while it’s charging extends the charging time required, especially when using GPS for navigation, or if you make or receive numerous phone calls.
- The power output of the charger: Chargers vary in the amount of power they’re able to deliver to your phone. Many chargers are rated at 2.4 amps per USB output, which is good enough for charging any phone as well as other power-hungry devices such as tablets or digital cameras.
- The number of devices being charged: The more phones and other devices being charged, the greater the time needed, but some chargers are able to regulate the current flow and divert more current to the device needing it most.
There are some other things to keep in mind when buying a cell phone car charger. First to consider is that, provided it has sufficient power delivery, a small charger is a good choice as it's less prone to being knocked and damaged than a bulky charger sticking out from the dash, and it also looks better. In addition, a charger with a charging light is easy to locate while driving at night.