The drawer full of chargers problem

If you use rechargeable batteries in more than one format - say, AA for your wireless keyboard and 18650 for a flashlight or vape mod - you probably have a small graveyard of dedicated chargers somewhere. One per battery type, all slightly different cables, none of them doing anything useful when you need the other one.

I started looking for a single charger that could handle multiple formats without costing more than a decent dinner. The Liitokala Lii-CH4 kept coming up. Here is my honest take after looking into it properly.

What the Lii-CH4 actually does

This is a four-slot smart charger that supports a wide range of battery chemistries and sizes. It handles NiMH and NiCd batteries at 1.2V (standard rechargeable AAs and AAAs), lithium-ion at 1.5V, LiFePO4 at 3.2V, and the more common 3.7V and 3.8V lithium cells - including 18650, 21700, 26650, and 32700 format batteries.

The charger auto-detects what you put in each slot and adjusts the charging voltage accordingly. In practice, that works as advertised. You can drop a NiMH AA in slot one and an 18650 in slot two, and each one charges independently at the correct voltage for its chemistry. The display shows the charge level for each slot in real time, which is more useful than a simple LED indicator.

Each channel genuinely operates independently - mixing chemistries across slots is not a problem. Users have confirmed this specifically in reviews, noting it charges any battery and shows individual charge levels without issue.

What surprised me is that this feature set is usually reserved for chargers in the $40 to $60 range from brands like Nitecore or Xtar.

The honest cons

There are two things worth noting plainly.

First, there is no wall adapter included. The unit charges over USB, which is fine if you have a USB wall plug spare - and most people do. But it is something to know before you buy, especially if this is a gift.

Liitokala Lii-CH4 Review: One Charger for Everything?

Second, the charge speed is not fast. This is not a rapid charger. If you need a depleted 18650 topped up in under an hour before you head out, this is probably not the right tool. It charges reliably but at a slower rate than premium multi-amp chargers.

What does $23 normally buy you in this category?

At this price, you typically get either a basic two-slot lithium charger with no display, or a simple AA/AAA charger with no lithium support at all. Rarely both, and almost never with per-slot status readouts.

A comparable Nitecore or Xtar unit with universal chemistry support and a proper display will run you $40 to $60 or more at retail. The Lii-CH4 sits well below that price for genuinely similar core functionality. The trade-off is charge speed and brand assurance, which matters more to some people than others.

Buy it if... / Skip it if...

Buy it if you regularly use multiple battery formats and want to stop maintaining a separate charger for each one. It is especially good value if you use 18650 cells alongside standard AA rechargeables. The auto-detect chemistry feature alone makes it more capable than most chargers at this price.

Skip it if you need fast charging, if charge speed is a priority for how you actually use batteries, or if you want a well-known brand with documented safety certifications and responsive customer support.

My honest take: the Lii-CH4 does what it claims, handles an unusually wide range of batteries, and costs less than most competitors with similar specs. It is not a premium product, but for the casual to intermediate user consolidating their charging setup, it is a solid purchase.

Price: around $23, free shipping.

Check it on AliExpress: https://www.ali-ex.com/IvFEuA