Versed Vaper TeamCharge your batteries efficiently and safely with these reliable vape battery chargers
If you’ve been reading up on your battery safety, you’ll probably know that it’s not a good idea to use your mod to charge your vape batteries. Your box mod isn’t meant to be a charger, and using it as one can lead to many battery problems. You could get uneven charging, overcharging, or even overheating of your batteries.
At best, this will dramatically decrease the life of your batteries and you’ll find yourself having to replace them more frequently. At worst, your batteries and mod could explode and you or someone else could be seriously injured. To stay safe, you should use a dedicated vape battery charger.
Battery chargers are made to do one job and one job only and they do it extremely well: charge your batteries. Using a dedicated battery charger will extend the life of your batteries by charging them both safely and efficiently. Therefore, having a good reliable charger is a must.
With these qualities in mind, we’ve put together our list of the best battery chargers for vaping in 2024. To make choosing easier, we’ve split them up into three categories: two-bay chargers, four-bay chargers, and eight-bay chargers.
No matter which one you choose, you can rest assured that you’re getting a safe, accurate, and efficient battery charger for your vape batteries.
Be sure to check out the comparison table at the end of our list to more easily compare the battery chargers listed below.
Batteries are powerful and can be dangerous if used improperly. Always make sure that you have a proper understanding of Ohm’s Law and battery safety measures before handling or using any 21700, 20700 or 18650 battery to vape.
OUR TOP PICKS
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All of our buyer's guides and reviews are based on market research, expert input, and practical experience with the products we include. This way, we offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.
How we test
Best Overall
5.0
Exemplary
- Battery Bays: 2
- 1 x Battery Charging Speed: 3A QC / 2A
- 2 x Battery Charging Speed: 2A QC / 1A
- Depleted Battery Activation: Yes
Why We Picked It
The NITECORE UMS2 is a superb two-bay battery charger that can recharge batteries insanely fast. Like its big brother the UMS4, the UMS2 features two charging modes: quick charge and standard. In QC mode it’s capable of charging a single battery at 3A, or two batteries at 2A. In standard mode, the UMS2 will charge a single battery at 2A, or two batteries at 1A. A QC adapter (sold separately) is required to use QC mode.
The UMS2 is compatible with all sorts of vaping batteries ranging from 18350 to 26650, and features a detailed and useful display that shows all sorts of information about your batteries and their charging status.
When it comes to safety, the UMS2 is built with over charge, short circuit, and reverse polarity protection and is known as one of the safest and most reliable battery chargers on the market.
Nitecore has made a simple, effective, and efficient battery charger that is sure to last you for many batteries to come. If you’re looking for a two-bay battery charger that works and works well, the UMS2 is definitely worth checking out.
Best Value
4.5
Outstanding
- Battery Bays: 2
- 1 x Battery Charging Speed: 3A QC / 2A
- 2 x Battery Charging Speed: 2A QC / 1A
- Depleted Battery Activation: Yes
Why We Picked It
Affordable but highly capable, the EFEST IMATE R2 is a two-bay battery charger that supports a wide range of batteries, including the most popular ones used for vaping such as 18650, 20700, and 21700 batteries. In quick charge mode the EFEST IMATE R2 can charge two batteries simultaneously at 2A, or a single battery at 3.0A. In standard mode, it will charge two batteries at 1A, or a single battery at 2A. A QC adapter (sold separately) is required to use QC mode.
The IMATE R2 has the same LED indicator setup as its bigger brother, the IMATE R4. These LED indicators light up to display the charging speed for each battery bay, as well as the charge level for each battery. Charging will stop automatically when your batteries are fully charged to prevent overcharging.
As with any of the best battery chargers on our list, the IMATE R2 has a number of safety features built-in such as overcharge protection, short circuit protection, reverse polarity protection, and much more.
If you’re looking for an affordable battery charger that will charge your vape batteries quickly, safely, and efficiently, you can’t go wrong with the IMATE R2.
Best User-Friendly
4.0
Excellent
- Battery Bays: 2
- 1 x Battery Charging Speed: 3A FC / 2A
- 2 x Battery Charging Speed: 1.5A FC / 1A
- Depleted Battery Activation: Yes
Why We Picked It
The NITECORE CI2 is a two-bay intelligent battery charger that is capable of charging any size of vaping battery. While it doesn’t have as detailed of a display as the Nitecore UMS2, or even the Efest IMATE R2, it gets the job done. This simplicity can also be a selling point if you’re looking to purchase your first charger.
When it comes to speed, the NITECORE CI2 features fast-charging which charges a single battery just as fast as the other two-bay chargers on this list, at 3A. However, dual battery charging is slightly slower at 1.5A compared to 2A+ from the IMATE R2 and UMS2. A fast charge adapter (sold separately) is required to use fast charging mode.
In normal mode, the CI2 charges just as quickly as the best two-bay chargers, will speeds of 2A for a single battery and 1A for two batteries.
Even with the slightly slower dual battery charging speeds in fast charge mode, the reliability and simplicity of the CI2 make it an attractive choice. It also still has all of the safety features that you would expect such as overtime charging protection, an-short and reverse polarity protection, and temperature regulation.
Best Overall
5.0
Exemplary
- Battery Bays: 4
- 1 x Battery Charging Speed: 3A
- 2 x Battery Charging Speed: 3A
- 3 x Battery Charging Speed: 1.5A
- 4 x Battery Charging Speed: 1.5A
- Depleted Battery Activation: Yes
Why We Picked It
The Nitecore SC4 is a powerhouse and it’s the absolute best 4-bay charger for charging your vape batteries. It can charge up to four batteries at once and supports all of the most common battery sizes such as 18650, 20700, 21700 and 26650 batteries.
When it comes to charging speeds, no other 4-bay charger can compete with the SC4. It can charge one or two batteries at 3A, while three or four batteries will charge at 1.5A. For vapers who need to charge multiple batteries at once, the Nitecore SC4 will get those batteries charged faster than any other charger.
One of the features that we like the most about the SC4 is its user-friendly “Intelligent Charging”. The SC4 will automatically detect the type of battery and its capacity, and then select the appropriate charging current based on the battery type.
The Nitecore SC4 features an LCD screen which will display real-time information on the charging status of your batteries. As a bonus, it is also capable of safely recovering and reactivating fully depleted batteries; handy for batteries that you haven’t used in a while.
Runner-Up: Best Overall
4.5
Outstanding
- Battery Bays: 4
- 1 x Battery Charging Speed: 3A QC / 2A
- 2 x Battery Charging Speed: 2A QC / 1A
- 3 x Battery Charging Speed: 1A QC / 0.5A
- 4 x Battery Charging Speed: 1A QC / 0.5A
- Depleted Battery Activation: Yes
Why We Picked It
Built to last, the NITECORE UMS4 is a high quality, four-bay battery charger with all of the extra features that you could desire. It can charge batteries from 10440 to 26650 sizes and features two output modes: quick charge and standard. A QC adapter (sold separately) is required to use QC mode.
Quick charge mode will charge one battery at 3A, two batteries at 2A, and three or four batteries at 1A. In standard charge mode, it will charge one battery at 2A, two batteries at 1A, and three or four batteries at 0.5A.
The NITECORE UMS4 is built with all of the safety features that you would expect to get from one of the best vape battery chargers, such as reverse polarity protection, short circuit protection, overcurrent protection and overcharge protection.
The LCD display is also great on the NITECORE UMS4 and shows some basic essential information about your battery such as battery health, charging status, charging time, and more.
All in all, the NITECORE UMS4 is a great four-bay battery charger that will definitely meet the needs of those with multiple batteries to charge.
Best Value
4.0
Excellent
- Battery Bays: 4
- 1 x Battery Charging Speed: 3A QC / 2A
- 2 x Battery Charging Speed: 2A QC / 1A
- 3 x Battery Charging Speed: 1A QC / 0.5A
- 4 x Battery Charging Speed: 1A QC / 0.5A
- Depleted Battery Activation: Yes
Why We Picked It
The Efest IMATE R4 is a close second to the Nitecore SC4. It features the same 3A max charging speed for single batteries, however the charging speeds for multiple batteries are slightly lower than the SC4.
The IMATE R4 can charge up to four batteries at once and will automatically set the charging speed according to the number of batteries inserted. However, it features two charging modes: quick charge and normal charge. A QC adapter (sold separately) is required to use QC mode.
QC mode will charge your batteries faster, but at the cost of longevity. Normal charging will charge a little more slowly, but it’s better for prolonging the life of your batteries.
In quick charge mode the IMATE R4 will charge one battery at 3A, two batteries at 2A and three or four batteries will charge at 1A.
In normal charge mode the IMATE R4 will charge one battery at 2A, two batteries at 1A and three or four batteries will charge at 0.5A.
There are four LED indicators; one for each battery bay. The LED indicators will light up to display the charging speed for each battery bay, as well as the charge level for each battery. Charging will stop automatically when your batteries are fully charged to prevent overcharging.
Like the SC4, the IMATE R4 can recover and reactivate fully depleted batteries. It also has a number of safety features such as reverse polarity protection and short-circuit protection.
Best Overall
4.0
Excellent
- Battery Bays: 8
- 1 x Battery Charging Speed: 1.5A
- 2 x Battery Charging Speed: 1.5A
- 3 x Battery Charging Speed: 1A
- 4 x Battery Charging Speed: 1A
- 8 x Battery Charging Speed: 0.5A
- Depleted Battery Activation: Yes
Why We Picked It
Need to charge 8 batteries at once? The Nitecore i8 can do just that. It supports all of the most popular vape batteries such as 18650, 20700, and 21700 sizes. Most impressively, the Nitecore i8 has eight microcomputer-controlled charging slots that monitor and charge each battery independently for guaranteed even charging.
The Nitecore i8 automatically detects the number of batteries inserted to select the most appropriate voltage and charge mode. It can charge one or two batteries at 1.5A, four batteries at 1A and 8 batteries at 0.5A.
The simple red/green LED indicators show the charging status of each battery, with red indicating that charging is in progress, and green indicating that charging is complete. It’s simple and effective, but if you’re looking for detailed battery information then you won’t get that from the Nitecore i8.
If you have multiple batteries that you need to keep charged, the NITECORE i8 is the best option out there.
Battery Charger Comparison
| Battery Charger | Bays | 1 x Charging | 2 x Charging | 3 x Charging | 4 x Charging | 8 x Charging |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nitecore UMS2 | 2 | 3A QC / 2A | 2A QC / 1A | |||
| Efest iMate R2 | 2 | 3A QC / 2A | 2A QC / 1A | |||
| Nitecore CI2 | 2 | 3A FC / 2A | 1.5A FC / 1A | |||
| Nitecore SC4 | 4 | 3A | 3A | 1.5A | 1.5A | |
| Nitecore UMS4 | 4 | 3A QC / 2A | 2A QC / 1A | 1A QC / 0.5A | 1A QC / 0.5A | |
| Efest iMate R4 | 4 | 3A QC / 2A | 2A QC / 1A | 1A QC / 0.5A | 1A QC / 0.5A | |
| Nitecore i8 | 8 | 1.5A | 1.5A | 1A | 1A | 0.5A |
Qualities of a Good Vape Battery Charger
Having good set of batteries and a dependable battery charger are extremely important and will make for a better and safer vaping experience. Be aware however that not all battery chargers will perform the same. To ensure that you’re getting a good battery charger for vaping, there are three important factors you should consider before making your purchase:
- Safety: A good vape battery charger will have battery safety features like overcharge protection, reverse polarity protection, and short circuit protection. A battery charger will also keep your batteries well-ventilated, keeping them cool and at a safe temperature while charging.
- Accuracy: A good battery charger, like the ones of our list, will ensure that your battery gets charged up to its full capacity (4.2V). A good charger will also ensure that it stops charging once full as overcharging is bad news for your batteries.
- Speed: When it comes to speed, not all battery chargers are created equal. While the best vape battery chargers will charge two batteries at upwards of 2A, others will only output 0.5A. Similarly, you want a four-bay charger that charges four batteries at a minimum of 0.5A. Some chargers will only output 0.25A. By purchasing a good vape battery charger, you’ll have shorter charge times and longer vape times.
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