Are you looking for the best LiPo battery charger for your FPV drones? Here’s a list of the best LiPo chargers that you can get, the specs that you should look at when choosing a LiPo charger.
Best LiPo Battery Charger
Here is the list of the best LiPo battery chargers you can get in 2023. Note that I’ve included affiliate links. If you make any eligible purchases through those links, I will earn some commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me maintain and update the site with more useful contents.
If you are flying only tiny whoops, please check out my recommended chargers for tiny whoops.
Best Multichannel, AC/DC Charger – HOTA D6 Pro
If you are buying your first LiPo charger, the HOTA D6 Pro should be your first choice. First of all, this smart LiPo charger has 2 charging ports, which allows you to charge 2 batteries at the same time. And those batteries can be of different specs. This is especially important if you are not ready to try the more complex parallel charging.
Secondly, it is capable of taking both AC and DC input. That means you don’t have to buy a separate field charger.
However, it is not as small as a DC charger. So, it might not be as handy to bring it to the field. But of course, you can always get a dedicated field charger at a later stage, when you have enough budget.
HOTA D6 Pro can support up to 200 W using AC, and 650 W with DC. The current output is 15 A, which is sufficient for most use cases.
Most Convenient AC/DC Charger – ISDT 608AC
ISDT 608AC is a AC/DC charger. Its power output is rather small. It is only 200 W on DC and 50 W on AC, and up to 8A current. You can charge up to 4 4S LiPo or 2 6S LiPo with a parallel charging board if you are on AC. To me, that’s acceptable.
What is so cool about this charger is that you can remove the internal PSU if you are taking it out for field charging. This makes the charger less bulky than it would.
Produced by ISDT, the best brand in the field of LiPo charger, you don’t have to worry about its quality.
Best Value DC Charger – ISDT Air8 500 W
Selling at 70 bucks, the ISDT Air8 is the most promising DC charger at its price range. It has a max current output at 20 A and power output at 500 W. That allows you to parallelly charge a lot of 6S battery packs!
This smart LiPo charger comes with an LCD touch screen, which looks kinda cool compared to some other chargers. It is packed with standard features that you need to manage your LiPo, such as balance charging, storage charging, discharging. It also has a built-in fan to disperse the heat built up during charging.
Like all DC chargers, the ISDT Air8 is mainly used in the field. It is so small that you can put it inside your pocket. However, you need an external power source to fuel your charger.
You can connect the BattAir Plugin to your batteries. That allows you to check your battery status on your phone. I personally don’t think it is useful though.
Best Budget DC LiPo Charger – ISDT Q6 Nano
ISDT Q6 Nano is not the cheapest charger, but it is the best DC charger for anyone with a tight budget.
With a power output of 200 W and 8 A current rating, ISDT Q6 Nano is able to fulfill most pilots’ need. The only downside is the balance charging speed. It has the lowest balance charging speed amongst the charger in this list.
Key Specifications of LiPo Battery Charger
Contrary to what you might’ve expected when you bought your first FPV drone, there are things that you need to have that didn’t come along with the package. That includes having the right charger for your LiPo battery.
So, what are the key specs that you should be looking at when choosing the best LiPo charger? There are a few things that you should consider. In short, choose a charger with appropriate output current and high power to charge multiple batteries at once. You may also need a parallel charging board for parallel charging.
Charger Output Current Rating
When choosing a LiPo battery charger, make sure the output current rating matches the specs of your batteries.
Like all other chargers, the current rating of a LiPo charger basically tells you how fast the charger can charge your LiPo. However, faster doesn’t mean better! You need to consider the charge rate of your LiPo as well.
Many LiPo have a 1 C charging rate, while some expensive LiPo can charge at 2 or 3 C. Let’s say you have a 4S LiPo battery pack with 1050 mAh. If your LiPo is capable of charging at 3 C, the maximum Amp that it can be charged at is 3150 mA or 3.15 A (3 C x 1050 mAh). In such a case, you want to have a charger with 3.15 A for the fastest charging speed. Of course, you can choose to charge at 1 C, which is 1.05 A (1 C x 1050 mAh), by using a 1.05 A charger.
If your LiPo battery is built for charging at 1 C, you should charge it at 1 C! Don’t charge it at a higher current because that damages your battery and cause overheating which may result in fire. However, you can charge your LiPo at a lower rate than specified.
Please don’t confuse yourself between the charge rate and discharge rate of your LiPo battery. Both of them use “C” as their unit of measurement. Charge rate is typically low, ranging from 1-3 C; while discharge rate can be more than 100 C.
Charger Output Power Rating
The output power should be higher than the requirement of all the LiPo batteries that you would like to charge at a given time.
Another thing to look at is the power rating of your charger, measured in watt, W. Power rating is important because it decides whether your charger operates at the maximum charging rate.
The relation between power, current and voltage is:
Power = Current x Voltage
Let’s say you have a 16.8 V LiPo battery pack with 1050 mAh. If your LiPo is capable of charging at 2 C, the maximum Amp that it can be charged at is 2100 mA or 2.1 A (2 C x 1050 mAh).
Your charger has a 2.1 A and 50 W rating. Given the voltage of your battery pack is 16.8 V, to charge at 2.1 A, you need 35.28 W (16.8 V x 2.1 A). Hence, this charger is sufficient to charge your battery since the power rating is more than required. If your charger has a 20 W rating instead, it can only charge your 4S battery at 1.19 A (20 W ÷ 16.8V), even though the maximum capability of your charger is 2.1 A.
Generally, you would want your charger to have a higher power rating than you need. This is because some of the energy (wattage) will turn into heat instead of charging your LiPo. Moreover, that will future proof your charger for LiPo batteries with a higher capacity and charge rate.
Charging Multiple Battery At Once
You will probably own a lot of LiPo battery packs, and you don’t want to waste your time charging them 1 by 1. There are 2 types of methods to charge multiple LiPo batteries simultaneously, using either a multichannel charger, or a parallel charging board.
Multichannel chargers are LiPo chargers that allow you to charge 2 or more LiPo batteries. You can charge batteries of different voltage, capacity and cell count simultaneously with such chargers. You can also charge multiple batteries using a parallel charging board, only if the LiPo batteries are identical.
Multichannel charging is often considered a safer option in charging multiple LiPo. This is because the batteries are separated from each other in independent circuits. Most of the affordable multichannel chargers support only up to 2 batteries. Anything beyond is expensive. That’s why most of the pilots will go for parallel charging, even if it is deemed more dangerous.
Note that the power rating of a multichannel charger is shared between all channels in use.
I have written a guide on parallel charging if you want to learn more.
AC vs DC Chargers
You should consider getting a DC charger if you need to charge outdoors or if you need a high power charger to charge multiple batteries together. Otherwise, an AC charger will be more convenient for use.
A LiPo charger can be powered up by either alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC).
AC chargers can be connected directly to a wall socket. Hence, it is considered more convenient to use than the DC chargers.
However, AC chargers typically have lower power. Many AC chargers offer power not more than 100 W. Of course there are some AC chargers with higher power at a higher price tag. If you plan to charge 3 or more 6S lipo batteries at the same time, chances are, you have limited options with AC chargers. But of course, you can mitigate this by having multiple AC chargers.
On the other hand, DC chargers need to be connected to a power supply to power up. It is rather troublesome to use a DC charger because you need to have additional gadgets with you (which is the power supply/battery). The size of the whole setup becomes bulkier due to the additional component.
Having said that, DC chargers do have a significant advantage. The power rating of a DC charger is typically higher than that of an AC charger. This allows you to charge multiple high voltage battery packs at the same time. Moreover, DC chargers allow you to charge your LiPo outdoors!
Some chargers such as the HOTA D6 Pro recommended earlier, have dual input, which allows you to connect it to either AC or DC supply depending on what you need. But of course, it can be more expensive than chargers with a single AC or DC input.
Why Do You Need A DC Charger?
No one likes to be left out during a flying session because your batteries need to charge. This is why drone pilots, especially the racers, would have extra packs of batteries with them and at the same time, have a DC or field charger.
A DC charger is a great tool that you should consider if you like to fly outdoors, where there is limited access to wall power sockets. The DC charge is also handy if you need to charge your LiPo batteries in the midst of a race, in case all power sockets are occupied.
Of course, you can sort of avoid the need of a DC charger by having more charged LiPo batteries. But, how many do you plan to carry with you at 1 go? 8? Assume each flight cycle takes 5 minutes, to fly for 1 hour you need 12 LiPo! That’s a lot!
Moreover, sometimes you need more juice than what you have expected. For instance, when you are about to run out of batteries flying solo, someone comes and invites you to fly together. I bet you want to say yes because flying solo is boring. But then, you are running out of batteries so, what a shame! Having a DC charger with you becomes handy in such occasions.
External Power Supply Unit
You need an external power supply unit (psu) to operate your DC charger. It is not easy to find a suitable one with enough power and voltage output for a high output DC charger. For your information, to achieve the maximum power/voltage output as labeled on your DC charger, you need a psu with even higher power and voltage output.
ISDT SP2417 400W/SP2425 600W
With only 400 W rating, the ISDT SP2417 would be enough to power up your Q8 BattGo 500W for normal use, say, charging 8 6S batteries parallelly. If you want to charge at a higher charge rate and more batteries, then you can go for the 600W variant. Both variants have 24 V output, which is ideal for the recommended ISDT Q8.
The price of the ISDT psu may scare you off. There are a lot of cheap psu out there for half the price. But to me, it is worth spending extra money on a reliable psu with stable power output, because you know that you can always count on it!
Generic 24V Power Supply
If budget is a concern, or if you rarely do field charging, or if you don’t need to charge that many LiPo in the field, you can always get a generic power supply unit. You should really get a psu with 24 V output rating instead of 12 V, so that you can charge faster. There is nothing fancy with these psu, but they get the job done.
Charging Modes
Chargers nowadays have different charging modes to cater different needs. In my opinion, balance charging mode (for battery with more than 1 cell) and storage charging mode are the 2 modes that your charger must have. Let’s see what are the common charging modes that a LiPo charger may have.
Direct/Fast Charging Mode
Direct/Fast charging mode is where the charger charges your LiPo packs without monitoring and balancing the voltage of the individual cell. Instead, it measures the overall voltage of the LiPo pack. This is not the same as charging your LiPo at more than 1 C.
For instance, there are 4 cells in a 4S battery pack. Each has a capacity of 4.2 V, and the total voltage is 16.8 V. When fast charging, the charger will charge until the final voltage is 16.8 V. However, 2 of the cells may be overcharged at 4.3 V and the other 2 cells with 4.1 V.
While this charging mode is slightly faster, it damages your LiPo packs in the long run because certain cells in your LiPo pack might be overcharged without you realizing.
Direct/fast charging feature can be enabled by either unplugging the balance lead of the LiPo or setting in your charger.
Balance Charging Mode
In balance charging mode, the charger charges and monitors each cell in your LiPo battery pack so that each of the cells are fully charged at 4.2 V. Obviously, balance charging is not required for battery pack with 1 cell.
Most modern battery chargers have balance charging capability. You just need to connect the balancing lead of your LiPo to the charger for balance charging, and maybe ensuring this feature is turned on in your charger.
What happens during balance charging is the charger will regulate the voltage of every cell in your battery pack individually. If a cell has higher voltage than the rest, it will be charged slower than the rest. As a result, all cells in the battery pack will achieve 4.2 V when charging is completed.
Balance charging kicks in as the cell voltage is close to 4.2 V. Hence, the charging speed will be slightly slower towards the end of charging.
When comparing balance charge between chargers, you can refer to their balance charge current. A charger with higher balance current is able to balance the charge faster than those with lower balance current.
Balance charging is an important practice for LiPo battery life and safety. Whenever possible, always do balance charging.
Storage Charging Mode
Storage charging is a feature where the charger charges or discharges your LiPo batteries so that the voltage of your LiPo is at the level which is suitable for storage. In my opinion, that is the most basic feature that a LiPo charger must have.
Battery Type Support
Obviously, LiPo charger charges LiPo batteries, which is commonly used in FPV drones. But you might use Li-Ion one day, if you fly long range, or LiHV if you are joining a racing competition.
Most modern LiPo chargers can charge multiple types of battery pack. If the one you plan to buy doesn’t support multiple types of battery, you might want to reconsider your options.
Here’s a link for you, in case you need help finding the best battery for your FPV drones.
Voltage Support
Modern chargers can support 1S to 8S batteries. Some might support only 1-2S, or up to 4S. Choosing a charger that can support up to 6S allows you to fly 6S without getting a new charger.
Size
LiPo chargers come with varying sizes. Many pilots prefer pocket size chargers (such as ISDT Q8) because it is easy to bring around.
Make sure you take the size into consideration especially if you are buying a DC charger.
Other Features
Aside from the core features which I have listed above, there are other additional features which a charger may have. Many of those features are good to have.
Below are a few features which I think you should consider having when choosing your charger:
- Voltage display
- Cell count detection (if you having LiPo packs with different cell count)
- Warning buzzer
- Overhear protection
- Adjustable current
- Discharging mode (for battery disposal)
- Charging period/timeout
Final Words
A good charger can power up your LiPo batteries timely and safely. Similar to a radio transmitter, you will use your charger for a long time before changing it. Therefore, you should choose the right charger that suits your current and probably future needs if this is the hobby that you want to indulge in for a long term.
Additional Information
How long does it take to charge a LiPo battery?
A 6S, 1100 mAh LiPo battery pack takes around 40 minutes to be fully charged at 2 C, using a charger with 60 W and 5 A output. The same battery needs around 50 minutes if a 40 W charger with 5 A output is used. The time required can vary depending on the balance charging speed and efficiency loss.
In the above example, charging at 2 C means charging at 2.2 A. When a 40 W charger is used, it can only supply 1.6 A output (40 W divided by 25.2 V of the 6S), even if its max output is 5 A. As such, the LiPo will be charging at less than 2 C charge rate.
Balance charging is normally slower than standard charging or fast charging. Certain LiPo chargers have slower balance charging speed than others, even though the other specs are similar. This will affect the time required to charge the LiPo when balance charging kicks in.
During charging, there will be energy loss in the form of heat, which is inevitable. Aged chargers may be less efficient and cause more energy loss due to degraded components. Obviously, the higher the efficiency loss, the longer it takes to charge your battery.
Why do I need an extra charger if it is included in my drone bundle?
If you are buying an RTF drone, you would probably have a charger included. Chances are, the charger bundled with your drone is a cheap charger that can only charge 1 LiPo, slowly at a time, and/or has no additional safety features.
Given charging LiPo batteries can be dangerous, you would need to be around when you charge your battery. And since you likely have a few batteries if you are an avid pilot, charging all of them can be quite troublesome and time consuming.
Hence, you would probably want to have multiple chargers or a better charger than can charge multiple batteries fast enough. Otherwise, you will need to spend hours charging your batteries, and keep an eye on your batteries for hours while they are charging.
