Best charger for a lot of AA and AAA NiMH batteries at once: 8-bay and 16-bay chargers compared
Revision 2026-10-27 r6.
Use the Buy link for the model you choose.
- Tenergy TN480U, $23.99. Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/tenergy-tn480u-8-bay-nimh-charger
- Tenergy TN438 16-bay, $57.99. Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/tenergy-tn438-16-bay-nimh-charger
- Tenergy Premium PRO Rechargeable AA, $42.99. Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/tenergy-premium-pro-aa-2800mah-20-pack
These are affiliate links: each opens the brand's official US store at no extra cost, and the brand pays Dealectric a commission that funds the cart tests. The other brands in the table link to their own stores; we earn nothing on them.
For a household or a camera bag with dozens of AA and AAA NiMH cells, the charger that matters is one with 8 or 16 bays, each on its own channel, so a tired cell in slot 3 does not stop slot 4 from filling. The table compares every such charger sold in the US today, including the brands Dealectric does not list, on the figures the makers publish: current per bay, time for a full AA, how the charger decides a cell is full, and what else it does (refresh, per-slot display, USB-C power).
Short answer. Sixteen bays at once: the Tenergy TN438 ($57.99; buy: https://dealectric.com/go/tenergy-tn438-16-bay-nimh-charger, 500 mA per AA, Delta-V cut-off plus a safety timer, refresh mode) or the cheaper BONAI 16-bay (LEDs only, 250–500 mA). Eight bays, fast: the Powerex MH-C800S (1 A per bay, conditioning cycle) or the 1-hour MH-C801D (2 A). Eight bays, cheap and USB-C powered: the Tenergy TN480U ($23.99; buy: https://dealectric.com/go/tenergy-tn480u-8-bay-nimh-charger, 500 mA per AA, per-slot LCD) or the EBL C9008. Eight bays for eneloop owners who want Panasonic's own charger: the BQ-CC63, which Panasonic does not sell in the US. Anything with 4 bays (La Crosse BC1000, SkyRC MC3000, eneloop BQ-CC65) is here for reference only: better per-cell data, far fewer cells per session.
How to read the current column: NiMH cells charge well at 0.3–1 C (300–1,000 mA for a 2,000 mAh AA; 100–300 mA for a 800 mAh AAA). Below 0.3 C the end-of-charge signal is too weak for the charger to detect and a timer has to stop it; above 1 C only cells rated for it (most 2,000 mAh+ AAs) should be used. Chargers that end on −ΔV (the small voltage dip when a NiMH cell is full) stop on the cell's own signal; those with a timer alone stop on the clock.
| Model | Bays | Cells | Independent channels | Charge current, AA / AAA | Time for a 2,000–2,800 mAh AA | How it stops | Display, modes | Power | Price | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenergy TN480U Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/tenergy-tn480u-8-bay-nimh-charger | 8 | AA, AAA (mixed) | Yes | 500 mA / 250 mA | about 4–6 h (not published) | −ΔV, bad-cell detection | Per-slot LCD | USB-C or micro-USB, 5 V 2 A (adapter not included) | $23.99 | No discount code applies. |
| Tenergy TN438 16-bay Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/tenergy-tn438-16-bay-nimh-charger | 16 | AA, AAA NiMH/NiCd | Yes | 500 mA / 250 mA | ~5.2 h (2,000 mAh), 6.5 h (2,500 mAh) | Delta-V cut-off + safety timer; overheat, short, reverse protection | Two backlit LCDs; refresh (discharge at 200–300 mA) | AC adapter 12 V 2 A and car adapter included | $57.99 | No discount code applies. |
| Panasonic eneloop BQ-CC63 Panasonic's only 8-bay; sold in Europe, China, Taiwan and the CIS, not by Panasonic US | 8 | AA, AAA | Yes | not published | 5 h (1,900–2,000 mAh), 6 h (2,450–2,550 mAh) | −ΔV; dry-cell and bad-insert detection shuts the slot off | 8 single-colour LEDs | AC 100–240 V cord | No US list price | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| Powerex (Maha Energy) MH-C800S | 8 | AA, AAA NiMH/NiCd | Yes | 1,000 mA / 1,000 mA (soft mode 500 mA) | 1–2 h rapid, 2–4 h soft | Not named in the manual (pulse charging) | LCD per bay; conditioning cycle (charge–discharge–recharge, up to 16 h) | 18 V 1 A adapter, AC 100–240 V | $49.95 (mahaenergy.com; out of stock on 2026-10-23) | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| Powerex (Maha Energy) MH-C801D Maha now points to the MH-C980 as its successor | 8 | AA, AAA NiMH/NiCd | Yes | 2,000 mA / 700 mA (soft 1,000 / 350 mA) | 1 h rapid, 2 h soft | Not named in the manual; the manual says not to rapid-charge AAs under 2,000 mAh or AAAs under 700 mAh | LCD; conditioning cycle | 18 V 2 A adapter, AC 100–240 V | $74.95 (mahaenergy.com) | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| EBL C9008 8-bay LCD | 8 (AA/AAA) or 4 (C/D) | AA, AAA, C, D | Yes | not published | 2.5–3 h for one 2,300–2,800 mAh cell (EBL's listing) | −ΔV with MCU control, then trickle; overheat, over-current, short and alkaline detection | LCD (charging / error) | USB-C or micro-USB 5 V 2 A (adapter not included) | $19.99 (eblofficial.com) | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| EBL 808U (C9041UW) 8-bay EBL sells no 16-bay charger today; its indexed 16-slot pages are gone | 8 | AA, AAA NiMH/NiCd | Yes | 1,000 mA / 500 mA | not published | −ΔV | LEDs; two USB-A 5 V 2 A outputs | AC 100–240 V cord, 15 W | $16.99 (eblofficial.com, sale) | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| BONAI 16-bay AA/AAA charger No manufacturer site; figures from the brand's Amazon listing | 16 | AA, AAA NiMH only | Yes | 250–500 mA (a range, not per size) | 2–6 h for one 1,300–2,800 mAh cell (listing) | Not named; overcharge, over-voltage, overheat, short and reverse protection claimed | LED per bay (red/green; flashing = bad cell) | AC 100–240 V cord | $29.44 (Amazon, 2026-10-23) | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| XTAR BC8 | 8 | AA, AAA: 1.2 V NiMH and 1.5 V Li-ion | not stated | 500 mA / 500 mA | not published | Automatic cut-off (method for NiMH not stated); 0 V activation | Six protections; no display per bay | USB-C, 18 W QC 3.0 adapter sold separately | $19.90 charger only, $29.99 with adapter (xtardirect.com) | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| La Crosse Technology BC1000 Alpha Power 4 bays, for reference | 4 | AA, AAA NiMH/NiCd | Yes | 200 / 500 / 700 / 1,000 mA selectable (1,500 / 1,800 mA with two cells) | depends on the setting | Not named; stops on overheat, trickle after FULL | Charge, discharge, refresh and test modes; LCD with V, mA, time and mAh per bay | AC adapter 3 V 4 A | $89.95 (lacrossetechnology.com) | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| SkyRC MC3000 4-bay analyzer, for reference | 4 | AA, AAA, C, 18650 and more; NiMH, NiCd, NiZn, Li-ion, LiFePO4, LTO | Yes | 50–3,000 mA settable | depends on the setting | −ΔV or 0ΔV, plus temperature, timer and capacity cut-offs; optional trickle | Discharge 0.05–2 A, cycle, break-in, refresh, internal resistance, Bluetooth, PC link | DC 11–18 V 4 A adapter | No price on skyrc.com | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
| Panasonic eneloop BQ-CC65 4 bays, for reference | 4 | AA, AAA | Yes | not published | 1.5 h for 1–2 cells, 3 h for 3–4 (2,000 mAh) | Voltage detection, stops before overflow | 3-inch LCD (time left, voltage, capacity bars, end-of-life warning); refresh; 5 V USB out | AC 100–240 V cord | No US list price | Not sold through Dealectric; listed for comparison. |
Rows marked with a code and buy link are products Dealectric lists: the price was verified on the brand's own US store on 2026-10-27 and the code is tested daily in that brand's cart; the date shown is its last pass (last check 2026-10-31). The other rows (BONAI, EBL, La Crosse Technology, Panasonic eneloop, Powerex (Maha Energy), SkyRC, XTAR) are included so the comparison is complete; their figures and prices were read from the makers' own US pages on 2026-10-23 and are not re-checked daily. The buy links are affiliate links: they open the brand's official US store at no cost to the shopper, and the commission pays for the testing; see the disclosure.
Which one, for which pile of cells
- Sixteen or more cells in one go (a houseful of remotes, flashlights and toys): the Tenergy TN438, if you want a display, a refresh mode and a stated cut-off; the BONAI if LEDs are enough. Both run at 500 mA or less per AA, so a full set takes an evening.
- Eight cells fast, for cameras or flashes: the Powerex MH-C800S or MH-C801D. They charge at 1–2 A, which is only for AAs of 2,000 mAh and up; the manual says to use soft mode for smaller cells.
- Eight cells from a USB-C port: the Tenergy TN480U or the EBL C9008. Both need a 5 V 2 A supply, which with eight bays limits them to 500 mA per AA; plan on several hours.
- Cell health over speed: the La Crosse BC1000 or the SkyRC MC3000 measure capacity and internal resistance per cell, which is how you find the one bad cell that keeps draining the rest. Four bays, so they complement an 8- or 16-bay charger rather than replace it.
The cells
A high-capacity AA to charge in bulk: the Tenergy Premium Pro AA, 2,800 mAh, 20-pack ($42.99; 1,200 cycles, 85% charge after a year on the shelf). No discount code applies. Buy: https://dealectric.com/go/tenergy-premium-pro-aa-2800mah-20-pack Panasonic's eneloop (2,000 mAh standard, 2,550 mAh Pro) remains the reference for low self-discharge: Panasonic states up to 70% charge after 10 years of storage and up to 2,100 recharges (IEC 61951-2:2011 method).
Sources
- Battery University BU-408, charging NiMH: fast chargers use about 1 C; below 0.3 C the end-of-charge signal is indistinct and a timer must stop the charge; good chargers combine −ΔV, voltage plateau, dT/dt, temperature threshold and time-out — batteryuniversity.com
- Panasonic eneloop FAQ: recharge when about 70–75% is used; Smart Charge shuts off a slot just before it overflows — www.panasonic.com
- Panasonic: eneloop retains up to 70% of its charge after 10 years in storage (IEC 61951-2 7.3.2, 20 °C) and recharges up to 2,100 times — www.panasonicbatteryproducts.com
- Tenergy TN438 16-bay product page — power.tenergy.com
- Tenergy TN480U product page — power.tenergy.com
- Panasonic eneloop BQ-CC63 (global lineup) — www.panasonic.com
- Maha Energy MH-C800S and MH-C801D pages and manuals — mahaenergy.com
- EBL C9008 and 808U product pages — www.eblofficial.com
- XTAR BC8 product page — www.xtar.cc
- La Crosse BC1000 page and manual — www.lacrossetechnology.com
- SkyRC MC3000 page and manual v1.17 — www.skyrc.com
Published 2026-10-23; figures for other brands read on 2026-10-23; our prices verified 2026-10-27. Corrections welcome at [email protected] or /feedback.