Is it safe to use OEM laptop charger?

I have an HP pavilion 6134cl. I think the original charger was 120W. Since I've been using my 90W replacement charger, two different laptop batteries have lost their ability to charge, one after owning it for only 2 months, and my laptop only runs when its plugged in

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Laptops come in handy when you’re working on the go – but using a fake laptop charger to boost power can quickly lead to disaster.

The main appeal of laptops is, of course, that you can take them anywhere with you. But always remembering to bring your charger along as well can be tricky....

That’s why many people choose to buy a second laptop charger, so they can keep one at home and stow another in their laptop bag.

When it comes to purchasing an ‘extra’ or replacement charger, it’s vital that you go to a reputable manufacturer. Counterfeit laptop chargers often don’t meet UK safety regulations, and frequently use poor quality components that can lead to fires, electric shocks and other injuries.

Read on to discover more about the importance of using a suitable charger with your particular laptop model.

Acer | Packard Bell | Asus | Dell | Hewlett-Packard | Lenovo | Samsung | Toshiba | Advent | PC Specialist | Apple MacBook | Chromebook | Sony

Acer laptop chargers

Acer laptops are well-known for being compact, stylish and good value, and the Acer Aspire range in particular is popular amongst both household and small businesses users.

But did you know how dangerous it can be to use a counterfeit laptop charger with your Acer laptop? Not only can they damage your computer, but they can also cause electric shocks and fires too.

Use our 3-point safety check to establish if your laptop charger’s safe to use.

Packard Bell laptop chargers

Packard Bell laptops, and the EasyNote range especially, are a big hit with students as they’re generally affordable. Many of the more recent models boast touchscreen control too.

When it comes to charging your laptop, you should always purchase a Packard Bell-branded charger or buy a safety-checked alternative from another trusted retailer.

Worried that the charger you’re currently using might not be fit for purpose? Our 3-point safety check can help you find out for sure.

Asus laptop chargers

With a huge range of Asus notebooks and ultrabooks available, there’s one to suit every type of user, from gamers to business users.

To prevent your laptop from getting damaged as well as protect yourself from receiving a nasty shock, it’s important that you use either an Asus-branded charger or one provided by another reputable retailer.

Concerned that your laptop charger might not be all it seems? Read our 3-point safety check to check that it’s safe.

Dell laptop chargers

While they were once only available to buy online, you can now pick up reliable Dell computers from selected retailers on the high street too.

When it comes to boosting the battery power on your Dell laptop, you should always use a charger from a reputable manufacturer.

Think the laptop charger you’re using could be a fake or otherwise not fit for purpose? Follow our 3-point safety check to find out for sure.

Hewlett-Packard laptop chargers

Hewlett-Packard (which is often shortened to HP) is particularly renowned for its range of printers – but they also build very capable laptops including the COMPAQ too.

You should always have an HP charger to hand so that you won’t run out of battery power. And to prevent electrical accidents, you need to be 100% sure that this charger is definitely suitable to use.

If you want to check that the charger you’re using with your Hewlett-Packard laptop is totally safe, follow our 3-point safety check.

Lenovo laptop chargers

From the G50-30 to the Flex 10, Lenovo laptops come in a range of configurations, including convertible touchscreen and tablet functionality.

If you want to leave one Lenovo charger at home and pick up another to carry with you, you should always be sure to buy from a reputable retailer.

If you think you’ve been sold a counterfeit or dangerous laptop charger, read our 3-point safety check.

Samsung laptop chargers

Samsung has been a technology leader for some time, and things are no different when it comes to the world of computing.

Whether you own a Series 5, ATIV Book, Series 7 or one of the many other laptops in the Samsung range, you should always use a charger that you’re sure has gone through the required safety checks.

To find out if you’ve been sold a potentially dangerous fake charger, follow our 3-point safety check.

Toshiba laptop chargers

Japanese manufacturer Toshiba is a trusted name in technology, and their laptops are amongst the market leaders.

The best way to be sure that you’re not sold a potentially dangerous charger that could damage your Toshiba laptop is to buy from a regulated high street store or another reputable retailer.

You can use our 3-point safety check to discover how to spot a fake.

Advent laptop chargers

Advent laptops are particularly well known for being budget-friendly.

But when it comes to picking up a laptop charger for your Advent machine, trying to make savings by picking up a counterfeit version is never a smart move.

Our 3-point safety check will help you to identify a laptop charger that’s not fit for use.

PC Specialist laptop chargers

PC Specialist is one of the UK’s best-known custom PC and laptop manufacturer, and its powerful laptops are especially popular with keen gamers.

If you’ve invested in a PC Specialist laptop, you won’t want to risk any complications by purchasing a dodgy laptop charger.

You can follow our 3-point safety check to make sure that your charger is safe to use.

Apple MacBook chargers

Apple MacBooks – with their sleek design and distinctive operating system – are rightly considered to be some of the best laptops on the market.

In order to avoid putting yourself or your machine in danger, it’s vital that you use a MacBook charger provided by Apple or another qualified, trusted retailer.

Our 3-point safety check is the easiest way to ensure you haven’t been sold a counterfeit or otherwise unsafe charger.

Chromebook chargers

Chromebook technology was first introduced in 2011 as an alternative to the Windows and Apple operating system.

Do you have a laptop that runs on Chrome? When it comes to boosting the battery power, you’ll want to be sure you’re using a charger that’s totally safe.

Take a look at our 3-point safety check to discover the signs to look out for when it comes to fake or dangerous chargers.

Sony laptop chargers

There are a huge range of Sony Vaio laptops available, each designed to suit different types of users.

As counterfeit laptop chargers can cause injury and even fire, you should always use a safety-regulated charger with your Sony Vaio laptop.

Follow our 3-point safety check to check if the charger you’re using might be dangerous.

When you buy a new laptop, it’s normal for people to look for the best combination of performance, reliability and value for money. However, the same isn’t always applied for a replacement laptop charger which is often substituted with the cheapest possible option when someone looks for a spare.

This is why a lot of people who hunt for replacement laptop chargers first look at the larger, auction-based websites. On sites like these there are lots of chargers for sale at incredible cheap prices, including some for potentially less than £20 or even £10! A percentage of these are even supposedly genuine, but if you were to look closely by buying a test on any of these you can see a large number of these chargers are in fact fake.

Example of a Fake Replacement Laptop Charger

Take the below example of an HP laptop charger posted on an auction site. The photo in the auction was very different to what another website received when they ordered a test.

The above is what was shown in the auction, but the below is what was ultimately received:

There are two mistakes here for anyone wanting to look closer. Firstly, the manufacturer’s name of the OEM supplier is actually spelt wrong. Secondly, there are two mentions of HP part numbers which don’t match up and are for totally different replacement laptop chargers. Most people won’t pick up these differences but this goes to show how easy it is to fool people with a cheap and fake replacement laptop charger. The fake also weighed a lot less than the original.

Safe Laptop Chargers: Why This Is Important

Now this isn’t surprising. Ultimately any electrical component can fail (a fact of life) but some are built better than others. It costs more to manufacture a charger that has thicker cables, for example. People don’t like weight, so the fakes are made to be as thin as possible to make these light and also reduce costs. That’s fine UNTIL a break in the cord happens and sparks are sent flying!!

Manufacturing a charger to comply with the Restrictions on Hazardous Materials (RoHS) laws in the UK is also more expensive. However, many manufacturers flout this to be able to make their products at a cheaper price – again, a real danger of buying a cheap, fake replacement laptop charger.

Even OEM Chargers are Poor Quality

Finally, it’s worth reminding everyone that even some OEM chargers can sometimes (not always of course) be of poor quality. Take the example of the poor boy who got burnt by an official laptop charger last month. Obviously chargers must be made to a minimum safety standard, but often manufacturers make them to this standard and no higher.

Manufacturers make money on the laptops themselves, not the chargers (perhaps except for Apple who charge significantly more for their chargers. Incidentally, our Apple laptop charger tips are compatible with both MagSafe and MagSafe 2 if you need one, and is cheaper than the Apple store). This is why they want to make their chargers as cheaply as possible. It’s not surprising, therefore, when one fails.

Safety Features on Good Replacement Laptop Chargers

A couple of safety features to be mindful of when you buy a new replacement laptop charger:

• Thick cabling. This will make the charger heavier but also means the cables are more resistant to damage. However, no matter how thick a cable is, if you bend it often and there’s a gap visible, replace it! It is never a good idea to have exposed wiring, regardless of how good or bad a charger is. If you had to choose though, always go for a power supply with thicker cables.
• A heavy charger unit / brick. This is because one of the core pieces of safety in universal laptop chargers is a number of layers of plastic separating the circuitry from the outside. In more expensive and safer chargers, there are more of these layers and the addition of surge protection as well (which will break your charger of course, but MUCH better than breaking your laptop!).

When buying a charger, look for a reliable and reputable company based in the UK. Don’t just look at the domain name, because anyone can buy a .co.uk domain and sell but actually ship from elsewhere. Check that they are UK based and actually ship your product from the UK (which we do).

Also remember that cheap chargers are almost always cheap for a reason. Often these will have no brand name as nobody actually wants to have their name associated with a dodgy product.

Finally, any charger that claims to be a genuine or OEM charger but looks very cheap, is often just a fake – and even the genuine ones can sometimes be of shoddy quality. So choose carefully and be wary of auction websites!

As a high quality laptop power supply shop, Imperial Gadgets is committed to giving chargers that we are proud to put our name on. Every sale is covered under a replacement warranty and we are compatible with all major brands of laptop charger and manufacturer.