Customer Reviews

Energizer CHFMWB-4 Easy Charger W/4 AA Rechargable Batteries

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I bought this charger at a Target around a year ago and have been really happy with it. After researching the various chargers available at the time, I selected this one because:

1) it has an auto shut-off so you don't have run to unplug it after x hours

2) it has a "done" light (and a charging light) so you know if it's working and when it's done

3) it has an on/off button so you can leave it in the surge protector or outlet

4) it charges AA or AAA batteries

5) it comes with four AA batteries

6) the plug folds in like some of the Apple chargers so it can lie flat when in storage

7) Didn't buy it for this but it comes with three "skins" (covers); white, black, and I think the other is silver

8) Didn't buy it for this but I like the way it looks

8.5) I *think* it also has an indicator of a problem battery, like both lights lighting up or the done light being red or something, but I don't remember for certain and can't find the instructions

The only drawbacks I know of are:

1) it is larger than a lot of Energizer chargers (but I haven't found one of the smaller ones that shuts itself off reasonably -- suggestions welcome!)

2) you cannot charge ONE or THREE batteries; it has to be TWO or FOUR (and they have to go in the two left or two right slots if it is charging two batteries)

3) two of my slots stopped working a couple of weeks ago. The other two still work fine. I do not know if there was some kind of issue with my power or batteries. The two batteries in there died at the same time, but they were older and had been in a power-hungry camera so it could be that they leaked or were dead

All the same, it is the best charger I have found (given that I frequently need to charge AAs and that it is best for me to have clear indicators of charging and done, and an auto-shutoff) so I am getting another one. If only it could charge one at a time it would be perfect!

EDIT 12/19/07: of the two I just ordered, one seems to be working; and the other started charging its batteries and then the indicator lights stopped working and it never charged anything again -- those batteries nor any others.

So, quality control on these is not what it should be (2 out of 3 dead, in my small sample size). Pity, it's a great product when it works;-)

EDIT 01/10/08 (although should have posted 12/24): They got a replacement to me for the aforementioned defective one that for a long time UPS gave a delivery date of 3 weeks, HOWEVER it got to me within a few days ON DECEMBER 24. It worked properly, out of the box!! Very happy with product and service! If they'd let me, I would change my original rating of 4 to a 5.

I have spent some time with this charger now and think I can give a good review for it. If you want your batteries charged and are in no hurry to do it, this may be the charger for you. It takes around 8 hours on average to charge all batteries and is rather basic. Still, out of all the chargers I found, this seems to be the best (excluding 15 minute, which can't be good for the batteries). It has a simple design with 3 different faceplates, which can be a pain to switch but nice to match any color scheme you may have or prefer. It has a clear cover that opens and closes to where the batteries go. There is a hole in the back, which is probably so they don't heat up to much and makes them very easy to get out. It normally chargers AA, but you can flip down the top part to switch it to AAA. There is an On/Off button and Charge (Red) and Done (Green) light.

Sadly, the instructions don't seem to cover everything the charger may do. For example, I once had both lights flash (only happened once so far out of like 10 charges), which I guess meant one set was charged but not the other? Another problem is charging 4 AAA, it seems you can only charge 2 at a time with the unused side set to AA. You can charge 2 AA and 2 AAA though as well as 4 AA, so maybe I just did it wrong. Another problem is it can be hard to get into outlets. It is a bit bottom heavy, so may have trouble plugging directly into a wall outlet. This also made it a little difficult to get in a power strip. But once you get it in, it should work fine. Also, it came with 2 AA and 2 AAA, which was a bit disappointing because I already got many AAA.

So overall, it think it is a good charger. All chargers have their flaws, but I can live with this one's flaws rather easily =)

I bought it from Wal-mart back around March. Mine has "CHFM1" engraved on the back; I'm not sure how it differs from the one here. It looks the same. I've not had any problems with it. I like the folding plug, the on/off button, the automatic shut-off, the "charging" and "done" indicator lights, and that it will charge AA and AAA. There is a large hole in the back so that you can push the batteries out for removal. It's approximately 5 3/8 in. x 3 1/2 in.

I've probably used it less than 10 times. I have no complaints.

I'm on Amazon shopping for a new charger as I've misplaced my Energizer CHFMWB-4 that I have used for 7 years. I noticed some negative reviews so I thought I would share my experience. This did not charge my batteries quickly, but it never said it would. I would usually charge batteries overnight. The auto shut-off worked every time (or at least the light went off) and I never had any problems. Always used the energizer rechargeable batteries with it. I wish I could find my charger LOL! This time around, I'm going to look for LSD batteries and maybe a smart charger. But for the money, this charger has served me very well.

Bought this for a family member after purchasing them a digital camera. It's easy to use and travels well. They still use it with no problems. We also own the same charger for our Wii and it hasn't failed us yet. The 3 color option for the charger I found a bit odd. But now that I leave the charger plugged in all the time. I did try to match the charger color to the room! The charger has a green light when it's finshed charging and red light while it's charging

To get it out of the way, yes the face plates are ridiculous. I threw them out (I kept the white one) as soon as I saw them. Sorry Energizer, I'm not going to yell at you like everyone else, but I would have preferred just one color, and not produce more waste and cost.

Aside from that, this charger is attractively round, akin to a small flattened ostrich egg, or a very very big chicken egg. There's a clear battery hatch covering the batteries as they charge. This keeps things from bumping into the batteries and knocking them lose. It's also pretty fancy with its cut design, but it also serves to provide ventilation as the batteries to get warm when charging for several hours.

This is a slow basic charger, which means low functionability and long charge times, but it is more thorough for longer charges (and I personally think that you should use these types with rechargeable batteries). There's only one button, which is pretty self explanatory. You press it once and it turns on. A light will turn red, indicating that the batteries are charging. Once they're finished, the light turns green, and your batteries are ready. Hit the button again and the unit shuts off. Don't worry about over charging, the unit stops charging the batteries once it senses they are at maximum capacity.

The unit comes with 4 AA batteries, but can also charge AAA batteries by flipping a little adapter panel inside the unit to let you do several combinations of charging.

My main complaint is the location of the charging prongs. They sit at the very tip of the unit, and fold into it for easy storage and travel. But it's very ill fitted for sharing space on power bars, and looks awkward almost anywhere you plug it in.

But for 20 dollars, this is a very reasonable deal for a basic charger. It's reliable, lets you customize it, and comes with batteries already.

I bought two of these... one for myself and another for a family member. I probably got about 5 charges out of my own (during a 6 month period) before it failed to charge my batteries. The one I got for my family apparently didn't work right out of the packaging. I wasn't sure if they didn't follow the directions, but after mine died I'm convinced that their charger was defective as well.

I can't believe another reviewer had one die, but was still willing to give this five stars. I've had so many battery chargers over the years and they all worked until I lost them or gave them away. If mine were still working, I'd have given it five stars, but even if Energizer replaces it it's just not worth the hassle. The whole reason I paid a little more for the Energizer name was because I expected it to be better quality than the chargers that are 1/4 the price. I also thought this one looked pretty cool, although it can be awkward to plug in. Oh and the replaceable faceplates are laughable.

Well the best thing about this is that it does not damage the batteries once the charging is complete and the convenient on/off button.

This charger only works with 2 or 4 batteries, and won't work with an odd number. Considering that the primary motivation of me getting it was so I could charge the batteries in my bike light, which takes 3, this is a substantial disappointment.

The package doesn't say anything about this restriction. Save your money and go with a more honest company.

I've had this for almost 6 month and i really regret buying this piece of junk,i cannot blame the charger it is doing its job but the batteries doesnt hold long enought charges and it runs out of juice pretty quickly,ive bought rechargable duracell batteries and it hold longer charges and it last longer,dont waste money on this just buy duracell stuff.