Rechargable Batteries – Handy or a Hassle?

Since leaving home about six years ago I have been using rechargeable batteries in various devices (such as remote controls, wireless keyboards, wireless mice, Wiimotes, etc). I don’t know why my folks were never keen on using them but I’ve always disliked the idea of single use batteries especially as people become more environmentally conscious.

I don’t know how far battery technology has advanced over the last decade but it seems to me that nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries are still around as are the superior but more expensive lithium ion (Li-ion). There has been some evolution with lithium-ion polymer batteries but it sill seems to me that we are still waiting on widespread use of solutions such as ultra capacitors to overcome the issues of long recharge times for higher capacity batteries.

In the meantime, I’ll have to settle for the humble rechargeable battery. I have been annoyed in the past by those fast recharge batteries that recharge quickly but never seem to hold their charge for long. Then I’ve had issues with the chargers busting my batteries by overcharging them or failing altogether. I found this frustrating to the point where I gave up on rechargeable batteries for a while and went back to corded devices and standard batteries.

That was until I found these fantastic USBCell batteries made by Moixa:

USBCell (Packaged)

Basically, these are rechargeable batteries that do away with a separate recharging station and allow you to recharge them using any powered USB port. Given that most computers come with heaps of USB ports these days this is pretty handy but if you still have a dedicated NiMH charger you can use that too (so long as it doesn’t pump more than 600mA (the recommended amperage on a recharge cycle is 250mA for 7 hours).

USBCell (Unpackaged)

As you can see, the top pops off to reveal a standard USB plug. There is another models that has a flip top with a slightly different USB connector (one that has just the USB contacts on it) and another one that has a mini-USB connector. There are also adapters that will turn these AA size batteries into C and D size batteries.

USBCell (Recharging)

Recharging is a snap and there is an LED light built in to show you the progress of the recharge. Solid green means the battery is recharging, flashing means it is topping off and unlit means the battery is fully charged and ready for use.

These batteries aren’t without their drawbacks though. These batteries will be hard to fit into those USB ports that are recessed or are otherwise packed closely together (like on the back of desktop cases for example). The batteries are also slightly fatter than the usual AA battery size which means that sliding them inside devices could mean they get stuck and become difficult to remove if you aren’t MacGyver (which is most of us). The other drawback for some might be the extra cost at AU$17 per two AA batteries.

Personally, I love these batteries as they do the job well and I’ve yet to have one fail one me (but that’s not to say that I won’t as batteries do have a finite lifespan). So if you are  in the market for rechargeable batteries, give these a shot.

Finally, don’t forget to recycle your batteries. Places like Battery World will  happily accept pretty much any old batteries (single use and rechargeable).