Xtar, a brand specialized in Li-ion batteries, smart battery chargers, LED lights, and related accessories for more than 15 years, pays great attention to every detail, provides reliable products and dependable services. thanks to XTAR’s R&D team dedicated to quality, creativity, and innovation. Which made it get more than 70 patents. The XTAR VC4SL Battery Charger is the latest innovation.
Its contains some improvements in terms of compatibility with 21700 batteries and the self-control of the charging current (0.25A to 3.0A). The highlight is automatically identifying each battery type and it will charge with the correct current, and the backlit LED display allows you to see the battery voltage, charging current, internal resistance, capacity, and battery type with reverse polarity protection, short circuit, overcharging and overheat protection systems as well. So, is this battery charger any good? This is what the tests will show us!
Xtar VC4SL Features
- Smart LCD Display, USB Type-C port
- 4-Bay Battery Charger
- Compatible with 3.6/3.7V Li-ion and 1.2V Ni-MH batteries
- Charge protected 21700 batteries
- QC3.0 fast charge, max 3A for a single slot
- Adjust Current Manually
- Battery real capacity test and storage function
- Safe charging with multiple protections
Design And Build Quality
The XTAR VC4SL Battery Charger is black in color and made of fireproof and flame retardant ABS materials. The charger measures 15.5cm x 11.5cm x 3.5cm and the LCD screen measures 7.5cm x 3.0cm and weighs 238g.
The VC4SL has a display and buttons located above 4 independent spring-loaded charging channels. Through the display you can see real-time charging status, battery current, capacity, and internal resistance with their own “clock” icons giving you a quick glance.
Below are two “Curr” and “Mode” buttons to switch charging currents and modes and display charging information plus four red/green status LEDs, one for each slot (unfortunately very dim). Also, red means charging and green means full.
In the upper area is a USB C port that powers the charger and uses a QuickCharge QC3.0 compatible power supply for maximum performance. You can also power the XTAR VC4SL Battery Charger from a simple 5V power supply up to a power bank as well, perfect for charging the battery on the go. But for best results, you’ll need to supply a decent Quick Charge DC power supply from a suitable USB source.
Xtar VC4SL Performance
The four-hole charging area allows you to insert a battery and the spring-loaded contacts hold it in place. Once inserted and turned on, the screen shows you the battery type and other information such as capacity, voltage, internal resistance, and more. The screen turns off after 1 minute, press the CURR button to turn it back on again.
Other features include the ability to repair an overcharged battery and a battery storage feature that safely discharges the battery for maximum life or long-distance travel. When the battery is fully charged, the XTAR VC4SL Battery Charger will automatically turn itself off as well. Even if you insert the battery incorrectly or if it is broken, it automatically determines it by polarity protection and shows you the ERR code before starting the charging process. Other types of protection include short circuit/overcharge/overheat protection.
The VC4SL has slots long enough to protect 10440 to 21700 and all batteries up to 79.5 mm. The battery charger can charge the vast majority of cylindrical batteries currently available, including: 3.6V / 3.7V LI-ION / IMR / INR / ICR: 10440 145003.6V/3.7V Lithium Ion/IMR/INR/ICR: 10440, 14500, 14650, 16340, 17335, 17500, 17670, 18350, 18490, 18500, 18650, 18700, 20700, 21700, 22650, 25500, 26650, 32650
1.2V Ni-MH/NI-CD: AAAA / AAA / AA / A / SC / C / D
The XTAR VC4SL is a simple, easy-to-use charger for up to four Li-ion/NiMH batteries, supporting 21,700 shielded cells. After the batteries are inserted, the charger measures their internal resistance to automatically determine the appropriate charging current. After that, the selected currency is shown along with the current-voltage in steps on the graphic display.
Modes
The charger is controlled by two buttons – currency and mode. Below the graphic display, there is a digital display with additional data. You can switch between capacitance, charging current and internal resistance with a short press of the mode button:
- Capacitance (Cap.): The capacity charged from the start in milliamperes.
- Current (Cur.): The actual charging current in milliamperes.
- Internal resistance (IR): Approximate internal resistance in mΩ.
Long pressing the mode button will move the charger to “Grad” mode and then “Store” mode.
- Grandi (Grad.): This mode tests the capacity of the batteries, by the “charging-discharging-fully charging again” process, so that users can know whether the battery capacity is over-stated. And it usually takes a long time to finish the process
- Store Mode: This one is for Li-ion batteries, and it will charge the batteries to about half capacity. This is useful when you want to store batteries for a long time without using them.
By default, the charger is in charging mode and the charging current is determined automatically based on the internal resistance. The charging current can be changed manually by pressing the “Curr” button which cycles through 250mA, 500mA, 1000mA, 2000mA, and 3000mA, this is for all slots together and cannot be selected for each slot individually. Or in another way, specify the charging current from 3 amperes to 0.25 amperes.
After charging is finished, the screen appears full with the capacity charged and the LED indicator turns green.
Final Verdict
Overall, I think the XTAR VC4SL Battery Charger is a very good one, high build quality and good value for money. With good battery compatibility and basic analysis functions. Hence, it is one of the best USB chargers available for consumers and it is also very affordable. So I highly recommend it if you want a charger for different types and sizes of batteries.
Xtar VC4SL Price And Where To Buy
The Xtar VC4SL Battery Charger is currently available on the official website of Xtar for a very good price and you can get 10% off by using the code “GE90” So, don’t miss out on this great deal.
What’s in the Box?
- Xtar VC4SL Battery Charger
- USB-C Cable (doesn’t support QC 3.0)
- XTAR Carrying Bag
- User Manual (multi language)
Xtar VC4SL Specifications
- Input – QC3.0 5V=3A / 9V=2A
- Constant Current – 3Ax1 / 2Ax2 / 1Ax4 / 0.5Ax4
- Cutoff Voltage for Li-ion Battery – 4.2V ±.05V
- Cutoff Voltage for Ni-Mh Battery – 1.45V ±.1V
- —— Current – <120mA
