Product Description

Duracell Value Charger with 4AA Pre-Charged Rechargeable NiMH Batteries - CEF14DX4

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #137 in Health and Beauty
• Brand: Duracell
• Model: CEF14DX4
• Released on: 2007-10-24
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 4.00" h x 5.00" w x 6.00" l, .61 pounds

Features

• Charges 4 AA or AAA batteries
• LED to indicate charge status
• Compact size is great for travel
• Plugs directly into the wall - no cords
• Comes with 4AA Pre Charged rechargeable batteries

Customer Reviews

Good Batteries, Bad Charger
[Updated Dec 24, 2008]
I was only half-right when I boldly proclaimed that "Duracell Pre Charged AA are rebranded Sanyo eneloop cells" in my original review. It turns out that the first batch of Duracell AA cells I bought from Amazon are made in Japan, and those are identical to eneloop (both mechanically and electrically). But lately I bought some more Duracell AA from a warehouse club. Those are made in China, and they are identical to the Rayovac Hybrid.

[Original review follows]

This package (CEF14DX4N) includes four new Duracell 'Pre Charged' NiMH AA cells, plus a simple charger. The batteries are similar to the Sanyo eneloop low-self-discharge cells. In fact, based on their identical technical specifications and physical shapes of (+) and (-) terminals, I am convinced that the Duracell Pre Charged AA is actually SANYO eneloop AA underneath a different wrapper. Therefore all the good things you heard about eneloop apply to Duracell 'Pre Charged', too.

The 'value charger' (CEF14) included here, however, is not a good value because:

1. It is a timer-based dumb charger, meaning that it doesn't detect when cells are full charged. It simply charges at 360mA for 6 hours and turns off. You have to wait until your cells are fully exhausted before recharging, otherwise they will be over-charged. With a 'smart' charger, you may choose to top-off your rechargeable cells any time.

2. It can only charge either 2 or 4 AA cells in pairs. This is very inconvenient if you have appliances that require odd number of cells.

3. It can only charge two AAA cells, and you cannot charge any more AA cells at the same time.

My advice is to get the CEF23DX4N package for just a few dollars more. It comes with four Duracell Pre Charged cells (2xAA + 2xAAA), but the included charger (CEF23) is far superior in every aspect. It even operates from your vehicle battery, and doubles as an USB charger, too.

Better charger now?
I purchased the CEF14 charger with four batteries and the charger supplied is not the same one pictured, nor is it a "dumb" charger as some have described. It can also charge four aa or aaa batteries and is not limited to two aaa's again as some have described. When I tested it, different batteries charged at different speeds and the charger switched modes to a trickle charge when a set became fully charged.

As for the batteries themselves, they do indeed seem to be comparable to Sanyo Eneloops or Rayovac Hybrids at a slightly lower price.

Product description misleading ("Charges 4 AA or AAA batteries")
I don't really have any experience with other battery chargers, but this one seems OK to me so far (I've had it for 4 months now). My two cents:

- Yes, it charges 4 AA batteries at once. No, it doesn't charge 4 AAA batteries at once. Only 2 can be charged at a time, and it takes about 6 hours to do it. So, if you have something that takes 4 AAA batteries, be willing to wait at least 12 hours before a recharge.

- The light that indicates whether the battery has been charged is sometimes green after putting fully depleted batteries in there.

Other than the above two points, it's a decent charger.