In today's society, charging mobile phones, tablets, notebooks, etc. in the car has become more and more common. For first-time car owners, is it better to choose a car charger or a car inverter? Below, Inverter will introduce the differences between the two in detail to help users make a choice.
What is the difference between a car charger and a car inverter?
The main difference between a car charger and a car inverter is that the car charger mainly converts the car power supply into an output voltage of 5V, which is used to charge digital products such as mobile phones and tablet computers with DC 5V input. The car inverter converts the car power supply into an output voltage of 220V, which is used to charge notebooks, car refrigerators, and other equipment.
Car chargers and car inverters differ in other ways as well.
Function: Car chargers are primarily used to charge electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops using the car's electrical system. A car inverter converts the car's 12V DC power to standard household AC power (usually 110V or 220V, depending on the region), allowing you to use AC-powered devices in your car.
Input/Output: Typically plugs into the car's cigarette lighter or 12V accessory outlet, and provides a USB port or other connector for device charging. Plugs into the car's cigarette lighter or directly into the car's battery using a clip, and provides a standard AC outlet.
Power Conversion: Converts the car's 12V DC power to the appropriate voltage and current required by the connected device (usually 5V DC for USB devices). Converting 12V DC to AC allows the use of larger appliances or electronic devices such as laptops, small TVs, power tools, or kitchen appliances that require AC.
Use Cases: Great for charging small electronic devices directly from the car's power system. Suitable for powering a wider range of devices that require household AC power, making it useful for camping, road trips, or as a backup power source in emergencies. Car chargers are used to charge small electronic devices, while car inverters allow you to use larger AC devices.
In power conversion, car chargers convert 12V DC to lower voltage DC (e.g. 5V DC), while car inverters convert 12V DC to higher voltage AC (e.g. 110V/220V AC). In applications, car chargers are used for portable electronic devices; car inverters can power household appliances and larger electronic devices.
A car charger or a car inverter, which is better?
The choice of the car charger or car inverter mainly depends on which devices are usually charged in the car. If you just charge your mobile phone, tablet, etc., then you only need a safe and efficient car charger. If you often charge your laptop, car appliances, etc., you need to buy a car inverter. In addition, from the perspective of safety, the output voltage of the car charger is 5V, 1~3.1A, which is safer than the 220V output voltage of the car inverter.
Precautions for purchasing a car inverter/car inverter
- When purchasing a car charger, pay attention to the voltage and current of the supporting equipment. Generally, the standard input voltage of portable and handheld terminal products is 5V/700MA, while that of iPhone is 5V/1A.
- Know the output voltage of your car cigarette lighter, the output voltage of the car is 12V, and the output voltage of the truck is 24V. Generally, the car inverters sold on the market are 12V to 220V.
- Pay attention to the conversion efficiency of the onboard inverter. The power of the onboard inverters currently on the market is very high.
The conversion rate is only about 70% to 80%, and the quality is relatively good. - Choose the power of the car inverter, and choose the power that is more common at present, including 100W, 200W, 300W, 500W, and other specifications. It is recommended that car owners should choose a 200w or 300w car inverter. Inverter.com's car inverter provides an AC power source by plugging directly into your cigarette lighter, perfect for use on road trips, work trips, vacations, and camping trips.
