XTAR VC8S battery charger review – Eight is enough

REVIEW – I prefer to use rechargable AA and AAA batteries when I can. The charger that came with my batteries can only charge four at a time, but the XTAR VC8S accepts up to eight with an LCD display. Let’s see what this charger can do.

What is it?

The XTAR VC8S battery charger can recharge 16 different types of 3.6/3.7V lithium-ion batteries, as well as the common 1.2V Ni-MH AA and AAA batteries. The best part is, it’ll charge eight at a time.

What’s in the box?

• XTAR VC8S battery charger
• AC to USB-C power adapter
• USB-C cable
• Instructions

Hardware specs

• Input: PD3.0 (15V at 3A recommended), QC3.0 (9V at 2A, 5V at 2A)
• Constant charge current: 3A x2 / 2A x4 / 1A X8 / 0.5A x8 / 0.25A x8
• Charge cutoff voltage: 4.20V +/- 0.05V
• Charge cutoff current: < 150mA
• Operating temperature: 0-40°C
• Dimensions: 210mm x 152mm x 39mm
• Net weight: 452g

Design and features

Each of the XTAR VC8S battery charger’s eight battery slots features a spring-loaded terminal that accepts a wide variety of battery lengths.

The underside is slotted. Don’t use this on a wet surface.

There is one USB-C charging port in the back. Power supply and cable included.

The power “brick” features folding prongs and has one USB-C port.

The XTAR VC8S battery charger has two LCD displays for the first and second set of four battery slots. A “Mode” and “Curr” button is on the bottom of each to switch modes.

Setup

I managed to find an assortment of AA, AAA, and lithium-ion batteries. The charger fit them all.

Performance

The LCD display provides a great deal of information, including voltage, current and battery type. Depending on the number of batteries in the charger, you can select different charging speeds from 0.25A up to 3A. Of course, the more batteries in the slots, the charger will adjust accordingly.

Once charging is complete, the display will flash “FULL”.

The XTAR VC8S battery charger also features a Storage Mode, which brings the batteries to a state of charge best suited for long-term storage. I found the Internal Resistance (IR) test interesting: It tests the resistance of the cell. As you can see, I got a wide range.

There’s also a Capacity test, a feature that charges your battery all the way, then discharges to the cutoff point, calculates the capacity in mAh, and then charges the battery back up. It flashes “DONE” when complete.

What I like

• Eight at a time
• Informative LCD display
• Can calculate capacity

What I’d change

• The user interface is a little confusing. I had to refer to the manual often.

Final thoughts

TheXTAR VC8S battery charger is now my home battery charger of choice. I doubt I’ll run out of slots now! For me, eight is enough.

Price: $68.31 (at time of this edit)
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by XTAR.