[gruez]

>AllThingsOnePlace on YouTube [1] has been doing a good job of reviewing performance characteristics of many different chargers

I watched one of his reviews recently[1], and while it's true that he reviews performance characteristics, it's unclear whether it's something I should care about. For instance, he talks about how that particular charger has a low power factor. Sure, having a high power factor[2] is nice in theory, but is that something I should care about? Judging from the wikipedia article it's more of an issue for the grid itself, and I'm not personally billed for it. I care far more about how much noise/ripple is being outputted by the charge, or whether it's going to damage my electronics, but that's doesn't seem to be evaluated.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uasxk9HBAtE

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_factor

[porkbeer]

Low power factor can make other devices nearby unstable by introducing noise or uneven ac cycles. Its overblown, sure, but tends to be a reliable indicator of overall quality as most engineers will only optimize for it with higher quality designs. Lower quality designs can often be dirtier and shorter lasting due to feedback, inefficiency and parts omission.

[bradknowles]

Depends on where you are, and who your power company is. Some places have started charging you more for apparent power draw due to poor power factor.