FAQ: Is it Okay to Use an Off-Brand Charger?

If you have a phone from a company like Samsung, HTC or Apple, then you know that replacement chargers and cords can often run anywhere from $30 – $50. But, pretty much every gas station has a box somewhere full of $2 chargers in bright fun colors. So, what’s the difference, and are these cheap chargers safe to use? As it turns out, there is a lot that goes into phone chargers and such. In general, I recommend sticking with the charger that came with your phone. All phones have different requirements for electricity input and output and using a charger that doesn’t match that can result in slow charging or actually harm your device. You know all of those pictures you see of phones that burst into flames or melted? A majority of those can be blamed on using the wrong kind of charger. However, that doesn’t mean that all cheap chargers and cords are to be avoided or will destroy your device. There are several companies that sell off-brand chargers which are perfectly safe and reputable (Belkin is one that comes to mind, although there are several others as well). What you want to look out for are knock-offs, or super cheap look-alikes which oftentimes will lack the safety features of the name-brand chargers. Without getting too much into the technicalities, basically just know that with chargers, you really get what you pay for. Whenever you’re buying a cheap charger or cord, find reviews to see how it works for actual people, and check to make sure that the input/output of the cheaper charger matches the phone.]]>