Paleblue USB-C Rechargeable Batteries

 £19.99

With Christmas fast approaching and a plethora of gadgets and toys soon to be filling up your home, batteries are one of the most important things to have on hand, and one of the things that so often gets overlooked. No one wants to leave their kids sad on Christmas day when they can't power up their new toy because there are no batteries that are the right size in the house. To avoid disappointment and to keep your gadgets powered up, paleblue has developed a range of rechargeable batteries that are perfect for ensuring you have batteries on hand without the excess waste and the financial cost of constantly buying new disposable batteries.

I was excited to get to test out the paleblue USB-C Rechargeable Batteries because I’ve heard a lot about this kind of design in recent years. The batteries are designed to replace over 1000 disposable batteries thanks to their rechargeability, which saves lots of single-use batteries from ending up as waste, whilst saving you money in the process – two things I can very much get behind! Each battery comes in a lovely little travel case, with a charging wire to charge your batteries. We tested out the AA and AAA batteries, and each set of 4 came with a charging cable that can charge all 4 batteries simultaneously. The cable just needs to be plugged into your usual phone charger wall plug via the USB-A end, and then each battery has a USB-C port that you plug the cable into. The batteries take around 2 hours to recharge, and each one features a glowing ring around the top which will flash when charging, and maintain a solid colour when fully charged. Once charged, you just pop your batteries into a device, gadget or toy like any other battery for power.

I like how simple the whole charging process is, largely thanks to the included wire that allows you to charge them all simultaneously rather than one at a time, which would take a lot of effort. Plus, they don’t need any special cradle or docks to charge the batteries, which takes up space; instead, you just plug them in, charge, and they’re ready to use. Then once they aren’t needed, you can pop them back in their travel case, ready to be recharged for their next use.

Each battery delivers a constant voltage of 1.5V, offering a stable output for your gadgets, which is designed to manage even high-drain devices well. I was glad to see that the batteries have been engineered with a multi-layer safety system and smart battery management to avoid overcharging, overheating and short-circuiting for added safety. Thus, in comparison with a traditional disposable battery, the lithium-ion batteries are designed to deliver the same amount of power but will have a much longer lifespan as each one can be recharged when they run out, instead of needing to be disposed of. This is something that paleblue is very passionate about, as every aspect of the batteries has been designed with sustainability in mind. Everything from the lithium and cobalt that goes into the batteries, to the packaging used to ship and house the batteries is made with sustainability in mind.

Overall, if you know you’re going to be needing batteries this festive season, or are looking for a more sustainable option rather than constantly replacing disposable batteries, the paleblue USB-C Rechargeable Batteries are a great option. With a set of 4 A or AAA batteries priced just under £20, they’re a small investment, but one that will pay off quickly in place of disposable batteries and will help save the planet from more waste in the process.

Pros:

• Easy recharging with included charging wire
• Flashing light to alert when charging and when fully charged
• Work just like disposable batteries, but can be recharged rather than being thrown away 
• Will save you money in the long term
• Each Battery purchased potentially replaces 1,000 alkaline batteries going to land fill.

Cons:

• The batteries are more expensive than a traditional pack of AA or AAA batteries, where you might get many more for the same price. However, as a long-term investment, the paleblue USB-C Rechargeable Batteries will hopefully mean you never need to buy disposable batteries again, and so they will save you a lot of money in the long run.