[REVIEW] Zanflare C4 (Multi-functional Smart Battery Charger and Analyzer)

The Zanflare C4 is Zanflare's entry into the Battery Charger market. The C4 is a 4 bay multi-functional smart charger which can charge and analyze NiMH, NiCd and Li-Ion batteries. The C4 is great for anyone looking to upgrade from their non-analyzing chargers.

I was provided a copy for review by Zanflare (GearBest PRC stock).

Official Product Specifications

Main Features:
- 4 different charge current options to choose from ( 300mA / 500mA / 700mA / 1000mA )
- It can charge simultaneously rechargeable batteries of different specifications ( 18650, 26650, 26500, 22650, 18490, 17670, 17500, 17355, 16340, 14500, 10440, A, AA, AAA, SC sizes )
- Provided with integrated LCD display to monitor battery parameters including voltage ( V ), current ( mA ), time ( h ), capacity ( mAh ), internal resistance ( mR )
- Overcharge and overdischarge protection
- Short circuit protection
- Overheat protection
- 0V voltage activation function
- Smart identification of damaged batteries
- Battery reverse polarity protection
- The 4 slots work independently
- CHARGE, FAST TEST and NORMAL TEST, three modes to select from

Specifications:
- Input: AC 100 - 240V, 50 / 60Hz, 0.6A max, DC 12V, 1.5A
- Output: USB 5V 2A
- Charge current: rechargeable Li-ion batteries 4.2V, 300mA / 500mA / 700mA / 1000mA, rechargeable Ni-MH batteries 1.48V, 300mA / 500mA / 700mA / 1000mA
- Discharge current: 300mA, 500mA
- Material: ABS
- Environmental conditions of use: humidity: 5 percent -90 percent; temperature: 0 Deg.C - 40 Deg.C

Product weight: 0.2700 kg
Package weight: 0.5700 kg
Product size (L x W x H): 18.00 x 10.00 x 4.00 cm / 7.09 x 3.94 x 1.57 inches
Package size (L x W x H): 20.00 x 18.00 x 5.00 cm / 7.87 x 7.09 x 1.97 inches
​

Packaging and Contents
1 x Battery Charger
1 x Power Adapter
1 x Car Charger
1 x Manual

Both a wall plug and car plug were provided. I really like the inclusion of the car plug so that I can charge my batteries on camping trips.

Fit and Finish
The C4 is made out of ABS plastic and has a mild "texture" which gives the appearance of a subtle sheen as well as helping to reduce the visibility of finger prints.

Size-wise, this charger is significantly bigger than the Opus, Littokala Lii-500, Xtar VC4 and Nitecore D4 among others.

All 4 slots are evenly spaced, which helps make it easier to insert/remove batteries from the center slots.

Mode and current buttons.

Power input and USB output.

Individual buttons for each slot.

Lots of ventilation keeps the charger cool. Additionally, since the vents are on the bottom you could set this on top of a laptop cooler for heavy use.

User Interface and Modes
Each slot can operate completely independently (for example, slot 1 can be set to charge, slot 2 can be set to Fast Test and slot 3 can be set to Normal Test). In order to set different modes for each slot, you have to insert each battery one-at-a-time, set the mode and then wait a few seconds before inserting the next battery. Each slot can also have separate a current setting. The mode and current is set within 10 seconds of a battery being inserted.

Operation:
* When battery is inserted, press MODE within 10 seconds to rotate through the modes (Charge, Fast Test and Normal Test).
* When battery is inserted, press CURRENT within 10 seconds to rotate through the current options (300/500/700/1000mA for Charge and 300/500mA for Test). 500mA is default.
* Once charging/analysis has started, press the individual buttons (1, 2, 3 and 4) to rotate through the display for each slot.

Modes:
* CHARGE - Basic battery charge mode (300/500/700/1000mA)
* FAST TEST - Discharge then re-charge and measure capacity (300/500mA)
* NORMAL TEST - Charge, discharge than re-charge and measure capacity (300/500mA)

Display:
Each also has it's own individual display and can display:
* mA - Charge/Discharge Current (Shows the setting, it does not fluctuate in real-time)
* V - Voltage
* mAh - Cumulative charge
* mR - Internal Resistance
* Time - Cumulative charge/analysis time

Battery Chemistries:
* NiMH and NiCd
* Lithium-ion (4.2V ICR, INR, IMR, etc.)
x Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePo) Not Supported

Battery Sizes:
* 18650, 26650, 26500, 22650, 18490, 17670, 17500, 17355, 16340, 14500, 10440, A, AA, AAA, SC sizes
* Protected 18650s Fit. The Protected Panasonic NCR18650GAs fit at about 70mm. I estimate that it can fit cells up to about 72mm in length. Someone with a proper caliper will need to measure this.
* Like most chargers, 26650s will fit but only 2 will fit at a time in non-adjacent bays (width constraint).

Power Bank:
With 1x18650 battery, and main power disconnected, the unit can output 5V 1A via the USB port. With 2 or more batteries, Zanflare states that the output can hit 5V 2A.

Always good to be able to see the actual voltage while charging.

Charging a single battery works fine.

Li-ion batteries charge to 4.16V on the charger. When taken off, the battery measured 4.13V. I consider this a positive as I prefer charging batteries around this range. For comparison, batteries off my VC4 are 4.17V and off my Lii-202 are 4.13V.

Resistance measurements can vary significantly between readings for the same batteries in the same slots. I observed this with both Li-ion and NiMH batteries. Compare values in next 3 pictures.

Some NiMH tests.

NiMH ends around 1.45V.

1st Gen Eneloops

Size Comparison
The Zanflare C4 is one of the largest chargers of its type on the market. It is significantly longer than the VC4. Although the VC4 is a little wider and has more spacious outside bays.

Wish List / Recommendations
I would recommend the following changes to make this my ideal charger. Maybe Zanflare can create a "C4 Plus" model.
1) I feel like the existing design is "upside down". Change it so that the display is on top, the batteries "point up" and the power plug goes on the top (side with the display). Examples: Nitecore D4 and Xtar VC4.
2) I would "indent" the positive connection where the battery touches. This would make it so that button-top batteries would stay in place better (like the Liitokala). Otherwise, I felt like it was easy for batteries to slide out of place, especially when trying to fit 4 batteries at once.
3) Make the whole unit about 2-3cm wider so that 4x26650 fit and also so putting in 4 batteries is easier. Since this charger is already big, I don't think this would be a problem.
4) Make the individual slot buttons (1, 2, 3 & 4) illuminated with a color LED or put an LED above each slot. Make Green=Charged & Red=Charging/Analyzing. This would make it easier to tell if charging/analysis is complete because it can be hard to see the display from a distance.
5) Make it possible to change the display for all 4 slots at the same time with the MODE button once charging/analysis is started. This would be better than having to click the button for each slot if I want to change the display.
6) Make it possible to have the display rotate through all the information automatically (auto rotate = ON/OFF).
7) Make it possible to keep the display illuminated when main power is connected (always on = ON/OFF).
8) Maybe have a separate "DISPLAY" button which controls recommendations #5, 6 & 7.


Summary and Conclusion
The C4 is a nice analyzing charger both in terms of function and appearance. It supports up to 4 18650s simultaneously and can charge up to 2 26650s simultaneously (non-adjacent slots). It can also support charging NiMH and NiCd so this makes it a good universal/family charger. It can also fit protected cells up to about 72mm in length although longer and wider cells like GAs feel cramped and tight. It does not support LiFePo or C/D cells.

I like the charge and discharge current options (300/500/700/1000mA for Charge and 300/500mA for Test). I know that some people prefer chargers that can support more than 2A+ for charging or 1A for discharging. However, I prefer charging/discharging my cells at lower speeds for better longevity and less heat. I normally charge my 18650s at 500mA regardless of charger used. The 300mA charging option is also great for people charging smaller cells like 14500s.

The charger has good size and ventilation and does not need a built-in fan. When charging 4 cells at 500mA, the charger gets warm. When charging 4 cells at 1A, the charger gets very warm (but not overly hot). If someone wanted to add cooling for heavy use, you could set this until on top of a cheap laptop fan since there are a lot of vents on the bottom.

I like the display options and the ability to view actual voltage on top of accumulated charge. I also like that there is individual information for each cell so that I can monitor voltage for all 4 cells at the same time. However, I would prefer if the unit/interface was not "upside down" (design preference).

I like that the unit is powered with a proper wall/car plug and not USB-powered.

The sliders move well (not too stiff or too sloppy).

The power bank functionality works well and charges my phone pretty quickly even on one cell (1A charge). Using cells as a power bank is also a good way to discharge cells (either for storage or testing) without "wasting" energy.

My unit terminates charge around 4.16V and the voltage accuracy is within 0.3V when removing cells and measuring them with a voltmeter.

Thanks for the review!

I'm thinking of buying this charger instead of the Nitecore sc4 based on hkj's reviews of both of them. Does anyone that owns it have any thoughts on it positive or negative. I haven't seen much said about it on cpf.

bkb said:

I'm thinking of buying this charger instead of the Nitecore sc4 based on hkj's reviews of both of them. Does anyone that owns it have any thoughts on it positive or negative. I haven't seen much said about it on cpf.

Click to expand...

I bought this based on HKJ's review and I love it. Definitely my favorite analyzing charger. Straight forward, easy to use performs great including internal resistance! I have several chargers.

Hmm, interesting and I was wondering if the supplied PS at 12VDC 1.5A was sufficient to drive all slots at 1A without terminating itself in heat or dropping its output voltage.

Bigger is fine with me as it should be cooler internally if key components are heat sunk as well.

I can see the reverse design as being an issue. +ve is downwards to the display which is at the bottom. Very odd but not a deal breaker if the functions are good.

I like this charger however it terminates at 1.56V. charging healthy Eneloops.
Is it normal to terminate at 1.56V?

marcosg said:

I like this charger however it terminates at 1.56V. charging healthy Eneloops.
Is it normal to terminate at 1.56V?

Click to expand...

This is normal. NiMH is about 1.5V fully charged although they are rated as 1.2V nominal. If you take a look at HKJ's review of the "factory" Panasonic BQ-CC55 smart charger, you can see that one terminates at around 1.65V.

SoCalTiger said:

My unit terminates charge around 4.16V and the voltage accuracy is within 0.3V when removing cells and measuring them with a voltmeter.

Click to expand...

Just wondering if you meant to write 0.03V, not 0.3V? 0.3V is a pretty big error when measuring the voltage of a 4V cell.

SoCalTiger said:

This is normal. NiMH is about 1.5V fully charged although they are rated as 1.2V nominal. If you take a look at HKJ's review of the "factory" Panasonic BQ-CC55 smart charger, you can see that one terminates at around 1.65V.

Click to expand...

Thanks,
I was checking the graphics for the BQ-CC55 and the BQ-CC17 (I have both).
On the CC-17 it seems it ends at 1.6V and the CC-55 1.63V.
Not sure if I'm looking at the right part of the line.
The red line I'm considering is thick red one so I'm going for the top part of the red line as the voltage termination.
Am I correct?

sbslider said:

Just wondering if you meant to write 0.03V, not 0.3V? 0.3V is a pretty big error when measuring the voltage of a 4V cell.

Click to expand...

Oops, good catch! Yes, I did mean it was only a 0.03V variance (small).

marcosg said:

Thanks,
I was checking the graphics for the BQ-CC55 and the BQ-CC17 (I have both).
On the CC-17 it seems it ends at 1.6V and the CC-55 1.63V.
Not sure if I'm looking at the right part of the line.
The red line I'm considering is thick red one so I'm going for the top part of the red line as the voltage termination.
Am I correct?

Click to expand...

The highest reading of the top of the red line is the highest measured voltage during the charge. However, it should be noted that the red line is thick because the voltage measurements fluctuate up and down due to the nature of the pulse charging. The thick red bar is really a square wave if you were to zoom in on it. So for example, the peak reading may represent a range between about 1.65V and 1.50V (top to bottom of the thick line). The top reading are the pulses.

The actual voltage of the cell after charging terminates is the thin red line at the end. You can see there that for both the C4 and Panasonic chargers that the measurement is around the neighborhood of 1.50-1.55V and that the battery voltage then slowly "settles" once the charging has terminated even though the final charge pulses may be around 1.65V or so. Lithium batteries also have a similar settling.

Hi Tiger, thanks for the explanation.
Since you have reviewed this charger, I have another question.
I Charge more Eneloops than Li-Ion batteries. I was wondering if you have other chargers that you could compare this to.
As far as termination, temperature and other features. Termination and temp. would be the most important.
Ex: Maha C9000, Opus or others..

Regards

marcosg said:

Hi Tiger, thanks for the explanation.
Since you have reviewed this charger, I have another question.
I Charge more Eneloops than Li-Ion batteries. I was wondering if you have other chargers that you could compare this to.
As far as termination, temperature and other features. Termination and temp. would be the most important.
Ex: Maha C9000, Opus or others..

Regards

Click to expand...

For Eneloops, I primarily use the Panasonic BQ-CC55 simply because of convenience:
1) I have two of them so I can easily charge 8 cells at a time
2) The form factor is smaller and there is no external power cable/brick which means that I can easily leave a couple of them stacked by my desk without creating a bunch of clutter

For lithium-ion, I also own a couple MiBoxer chargers, the Xtar VC4 as well as the Lii-202. Out of all of them, if I'm only charging 1-2 cells, I default to the Lii-202 simply because of the smaller form factor convenience and ability to simply plug into a USB power source. I also like that it defaults to a slower charge (better battery life and less heat). For charging up to 4 cells, the choice is usually between the Zanflare C4 and the Xtar VC4. The Zanflare shows way more/better information but what I like about the Xtar VC4 is I don't have to be as concerned about accidentally knocking a cell out. The VC4 is the best 4-bay charger in terms of being able to properly retain 18650 cells without them flying out. But the downside is the VC4 has an overly simplistic display and no functions. The MiBoxer chargers are nice ergonomically and I like how much detail is on the display but I personally don't like that they default to higher charge currents (most people probably prefer this, though). The default charge rate is the one thing I would change with the MiBoxer units. If I wanted to analyze cells, I'd default to the Zanflare C4.

Here is a reply I posted on the other forum comparing the Zanflare C4 to the MiBoxer C4-12. The person asking already owned a Lii-500:

If you already have an analyzing charger like the Lii-500, this makes a good 2nd. I have both the Zanflare C4 and this. If you are stuck between them, my main points of comparison are this:
Function:

• Zanflare has full capacity test function
• Both have resistance function
• MiBoxer can charge faster and will automatically select charge current (may be a negative if you prefer charging slower by default)
• Both have dedicated power adapters included
• Zanflare can use all 4 cells for the powerbank function (MiBoxer only C4)

Ergonomics:

• MiBoxer is wider and deeper. It's much easier to get cells in and out, also less likely to knock cells out accidentally
• Neither have inset notches on the positive terminals that help hold cells down (Xtar does this and it's very helpful to prevent knocking a cell out)

Appearance:

• MiBoxer is "right-side-up" (Zanflare is "upside down")
• Overall construction quality and appearance is similar

Display:

• MiBoxer has better display overall IMO and I like that I can view a lot of information for a single cell at once
• Zanflare allows you to view info on all 4 slots at once but you have to click on the display for each slot to rotate
• MiBoxer shows temperature
• MiBoxer automatically rotates through stats

Thank you Tiger,
I also have the BQ-CC55, but it doesn't like some of my old batteries, only the newer ones.
Again, thanks for taking the time to give this great input.