When you buy a new phone, you nearly always get a shiny new phone charger accompanying it in the box. Likely from top suppliers like Apple or Samsung, you can be assured that these carry the best quality, and the right fit for your phone. Made for your phone, you’re in the safe hands of heavily funded research & development teams.
The same can’t be said for when you’re purchasing a cheaper phone charger. For one, cheaper models don’t meet the UK safety regulations due to poorer quality components, and the chargers themselves aren’t assembled as efficiently.
But when you have more than one phone in the household, it can be very tempting to skip the high price tag in favour of cheaper models. Because they do the same job right? Technically they do, but at a greater cost to you in the long run.
Ultimately, you need to ensure that you aren’t causing unnecessary hazards for you and your family – so what are the top 5 tips for safe phone charging?
- Don’t skip on quality
As we’ve mentioned, investing in cheaper phone chargers will only cause more harm – for you and your bank account. At best, inexpensive phone chargers will just stop working far sooner than quality branded phone chargers, so you’ll be buying more in a shorter space of time.
- Avoid universal chargers
Phone chargers that claim to charge all sorts of phones are ones to avoid. Different phone models require varying levels of power. What you’ll find is that as these chargers aren’t for any specific model, they aren’t fully optimised for any phone. And because of this, it can often leave your phone taking longer to charge or overheating – both of which are straining your phone battery.
- Never leave your phone charging overnight
Phone chargers from quality manufacturers should hold enough intuition to stop charging your phone when the battery is full, but it’s never good to risk it. Hazards arise when the battery overheats on a flammable surface, so it’s best to ensure that you don’t set your phone to charge overnight. Leaving your phone unattended and charging for long periods of time could damage your battery or even start a fire.
- Regularly check your phone charger for wear and tear
Exposed wires from your phone charger poses as a major hazard. As a precaution, make sure you’re regularly inspecting your phone chargers for damage. If you touch an exposed wire you could put yourself in harm’s way with potential electric shocks.
- Keep your phone charger uncovered
When in use, make sure that your phone charger is uncovered so it doesn’t overheat. Any heat generated by the phone charger needs to scatter and not build up.
Phone health is so important, and an inefficient phone charger can affect its vitality, so don’t skip on the quality. But even with the right branded phone charger it’s important to be educated on our 5 tips for phone charging safety – as with any electronic device, your environment has a huge impact.