LAVA Charge-Check.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/Overcharging is bad for the lithium-ion batteries inside your devices. This issue is why companies like Apple have introduced charge optimization features to their devices. But many devices don't have these kinds of protections -- and their batteries can suffer if they are left on charge for extended periods.
Now, Canadian firm LAVA Computers has a simple and low-cost gadget that claims to add years to your device's battery life.
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CalledCharge-Check , this compact, universal plug-and-play adapter uses Battery Modulation to protect your lithium-ion battery from overcharge and bloating.
Claiming to be the ultimate battery protection for personal devices, LAVA's Charge-Check is a compact, universal plug-and-play adapter that uses Continuously Active Battery Modulation to protect your lithium-ion battery from overcharge and bloating.
View at LAVACharge-Check is small and lightweight.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/Using Charge-Check is simple. You pop it in-line with whatever device you are currently charging, and it starts working straight away.
There's a built-in default charge strategy, where Charge-Check monitors charge level of the device using CABM (Continuously Active Battery Modulation) and charges the battery until sufficiently topped-up for up to a maximum of 4 hours.
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At this point, Charge-Check will stop charging for a fixed length of time, the default being 3 hours, before attempting to top-up the battery again. According to LAVA, this is a good strategy because lithium-ion batteries are proven to last longer when the battery's charge percentage is kept in the 50-60% charge zone.
The power input is a micro-USB port.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/You can customize the amount of time -- from 1 hour to 5 hours -- using the button on the front, and Charge-Check can also be set to do a single charge and then stop.
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On the front of Charge-Check are a pair of LEDs that act as charge indicators, but if you charge things at night in your bedroom, these could become annoying, so LAVA have included a night-mode feature that turns these lights off.
The LEDs on the front can be turned off.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/I've been testing this device and it does what it says in terms of controlling charging, and does so without overheating or causing any problems. In fact, it's a great tool for looking after things that you keep on charge and turn to every so often.
For example, on my workbench I have an LED light, thermal camera, and power bank that are constantly on charge, and I feel adding Charge-Check to the equation would help keep the batteries in these devices healthier for longer.
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Note that the output port on Charge-Check is USB-A, and with the supply of these cables dwindling, rapidly being replaced by USB-C, you might need to dig out older cables from your stash, or use a USB-A to USB-C adapter, which I've tested and works fine.
The power output is a USB-A port.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/The only thing I can't test right now is how much extra battery lifespan Charge-Check would give me. However, the way it charges is certainly better in terms of lifespan, and it will be a lot better than just piling power into a device continually. I think this tool is perfect for devices that are on charge for extended periods of time. It's certainly an innovative solution to a tricky problem.