Anyone had any experience buying the $2 cheapo adapters from HK instead of the $30 Apple branded one? (Easy to find in the $20 range if you shop)

My thought is - ALL OF THESE are made in China anyway. Knock offs could be getting sold out of the same factory as the one Apple contracts with for all we know. And ultimately - if the spec isn't right - it won't work! I know this because I've tried other 120V to USB charging adapters and the iPad just says "not charging" if it doesn't like it.

You need to check that they can charge at 2.1A if you don't want to see that 'Not charging' message on your iPad.

Tim

This one has the right spec and is the cheapest on I found that looks like the Apple model - so theoretically....

• Input: 100-240V ~ 0.45A (0.45) 50/60Hz
• Output: 5.1V -2.1A

USB Wall Power Charger Adapter for All iPad iPhone iPod | eBay

Made in China doesn't necessarily mean the same quality. Quality control, materials, labor, etc., can vary widely. Up to you whether you want to risk it, of course. I wouldn't risk it with anything electrical, because it involves personal safety and possible fire risks, beyond any device.

Since I can charge from my Mac's USB port overnight, and my husband has the "official" Apple charger for his iPad, I've decided to take the risk on the cheap one. If it works, great. If not it's no big loss I'll just toss it.

I've been wondering about this sort of thing too. Specifically if it is at all harmful to charge the iPad with a 5v charger (like an official Apple iPhone charger, for example - I realize that 3rd party chargers can damage a device if poorly made, etc) or if it just means it charges more slowly. Ditto for charging from a computer via USB if it is locked and the screen is off (says not charging when you wake it, but it obviously charges).

So I guess that's my related question - if using an otherwise reliably safe and AFAIK not damaged or defective charger ie Apple iphone or Apple sync cord connected to computer USB, is it harmful in any way to the iPad battery, or does that merely extend the charge time?

I've been monitoring my actual battery capacity via BatteryDetective from Cydia and have actually found that when I've lost 3-4% of battery capacity over a month or so, I actually regain it when charging via one of these two methods. But does that mean it's actually slightly "helping" my battery, or not?

I'm really new here so if this is the sort of thing I should make a new thread for please let me know.

Sent from my iPhone using iPF

The lower power charger won't affect your battery life at all. Like you thought, it just extends the charging time. Nothing to worry about.

Excellent, thanks! Something got corrupted or went wrong on my first iPhone (a 3G) and near the end the battery would only last for about two hours. It would get so hot I would literally strap it to a cold water bottle to keep it cool if I had to be on the phone for more than 20 minutes. When I tried to back it up I would put it on top of an ice cube tray and it would melt the ice into liquid before it was done syncing. This was back before I really knew much at all about iOS or iPhones and I was afraid to restore it. It may have been from a crappy eBay knockoff charger.

Anyway, ever since then I have extreme "battery OCD/PTSD." 

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That's why I stick with name-brand chargers. If my chargers go bad, damage my electronics, start a fire or injure me, I know where to find Apple or Griffin.