Just out of curiosity, how much diffference would a different brand of battery charger really matter?
Currently using an old Energizer charger but might change to a different charger if it makes a HUGE difference.
This is for AA and AAA batteries.Or does it just matter the brand of battery - currently on IKEA and Aldi rechargeable and waiting on someEneloop deals.
Speed is not an issue
There are battery chargers that support different battery chemistries, as well as ones that provide digital read-outs of the charging current, voltage, and useful features like 4-channel charging meaning you aren't limited to charging two batteries at a time, you can do them individually.
Plus features like the ability to test your batteries so you know how healthy they are
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/589605
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/9809411/redir
i tend to trust known brands when it comes to things like battery chargers, i pay a little more for peace of mind, i don't want exploding batteries, or anything like that.
some battery chargers offer a lot more features, i think some let you choose how much voltage to give them and other crap like that, as well as showing how full the batteries are etc.
There are smart and dumb chargers…
The dumb ones charge for a set amount of time so you can end up under or over charging the cells which isn't too healthy for them.. I'm fairly sure my old Energizer was a dumb charger, if the cells were only half discharged they'd end up quite warm while charging, probably due to overcharging…
Smart chargers cut off once the cell is full, they're a lot kinder to the cells…
If you google "NiMH smart dumb charger" or the likes you should find plenty of info about them..
It matters to an extent of compatibility.
Talking about NiMH charger, you want one to operate in compatible voltage ranges, and work on the compatible current range.
If the charger delivers higher current than the batteries expect, it would damage the batteries or even cause fire. Lower current would normally be safer but slower. You mentioned speed is not a concern.