There are several considerations when buying a cell phone charger. First, you may need to purchase more than one to satisfy all your charging needs. Second, you may want to have a cell phone charger on hand that can be used in emergency situations when you are not near a power source. Also if you are traveling and use a wall plug charger, you will need to purchase a plug adapter, or a special plug charger for areas outside of the United States and Canada. Alternately if you are traveling from Europe to the US, you will also need a special charger.
There are numerous types of cell phone chargers. The most common cell phone charger usually comes with a phone and will plug into a standard wall outlet to charge the phone. Some phones also come with a car charger, which can plug into your car outlets, often where cigarette lighters used to be, or in numerous places in vans and SUVs, to charge the phone when you are on the go. This second type, if purchased separately from the phone, should be rated for use with your phone. If you have questions regarding the appropriateness of a cell phone charger for your specific phone, consult the manufacturer or a reputable cell phone or electronics store.
Another type of cell phone charger is the emergency cell phone charger. This can come attached to a crank flashlight. A minute of cranking can give you a couple of minutes of charge on your battery, allowing you to make an emergency call if your car battery is dead, for example. The company Solio makes a solar power charger, which may give you about 10 minutes of talk time, and may be beneficial if you are hiking. Solio’s cell phone charger tends to only be compatible with the newest phones.
Most frequently, replaceable batteries, usually AAAs, power an emergency cell phone charger. As long as the batteries in the emergency charger don’t need replacing, these products will give you anywhere from 30-60 extra minutes of battery life. You might want to carry some extra batteries with you, in case an emergency leaves you without access to a power source.
If you are traveling to Europe and wish to take your cell phone, you do need to purchase a special plug, which will conform to the standard outlets in Europe. Outside of the US and Canada, you may want to check with a reputable travel bureau to see if you need this additional cell phone charger.
For domestic use, you should probably consider owning a plug in cell phone charger, a car charger, and an emergency charger. These should help you adequately address your cell phone needs, and provide backup in cases of emergency. Do follow manufacturer recommendations for your specific phone model, as this will help preserve the battery life of your phone.