Source: www.filairsoft.com
There are a few types of chargers available. There are trickle chargers, which plug it into the wall, and then into the battery. This type of charger charges the battery at a very slow rate (typically under a few hundred mA, so charging usually takes several hours or overnight). They look like a regular wall mounted transformer (or a "wall-wort") with a wire plug that connects to the battery. There are different kinds, one for each different voltage of battery. They can and do overcharge the battery (since there is no way to tell if the battery is full and stop the charger); but there should be minimal damage to the battery since the current is so low.
Another kind of charger is the timer-based "fast charger". These chargers can charge up a battery in an hour or so. They typically feed it with a few amps of charging current. Most of these units (around $20-$30) are a small box with a few switches/dials for setting the battery voltage and/or the charge time or battery capacity. There is one wire that goes to a wall plug, and another that goes to the battery. They charge at a fast rate, and use a timer (that you either manually set for a certain amount of time, or calculated based upon the capacity that you told it your battery had). The problem with this is that the charger has no idea when your battery is really full. These can undercharge the battery (resulting in less battery time for your AEG, and possible memory effect if your battery capacity is more than the charger was set for. If there is still some power left in your battery, the charger will most likely overcharge it, which can cause it serious damage. It is important that you use a battery discharger to make sure that the battery is empty before you charge it back up if you are using with one of these chargers.
Peak Chargers (also called an "intelligent charger" or a "smart charger") can be acquired as well. This is the best type of charger you can have. These chargers can detect the slight drop in voltage that signals that the battery is full and automatically switch themselves off. These chargers also usually incorporate a discharger as well. These chargers typically cost $40 and up, and look similar to the timer based chargers, except that they are usually bigger and have more switches/dials/indicators on them. One very popular charger in the world of airsoft is the $50 TLP Intellicharger, that can run off 110 volt AC, 220 volt AC, and 12 volts DC. A peak detecting charger can help you ensure that your batteries are in tip-top condition and they charge batteries quickly. You can save a little bit of money by getting a cheap timer-based charger, but your batteries will thank you if you buy Peak instead. Before charging any NiMH batteries on your Peak Charger, ensure that it is designed for that or you may risk damaging the battery.
Executive summary
* mAh and Volts are what is important: how much juice you've got and how much it puts out
* Peak Chargers are best for conditioning your batteries
* NiCD Inexpensive and generally lower MAH, NiMH: Expensive but excellent performance
* While people 'know' there is some sort of 'memory effect' no one can explain how it works
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