If you’re like me and never replace your batteries until it’s too late, then this product might be for you. If you have kids, lots of remotes, RC cars or anything that takes AAA and AA batteries, then the Battizer could prove to be a great investment. My home theater remotes, thermostat batteries, and Wii controllers are the items which to die at the most inconvenient times., so instead of saving money by going to the Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s and buying a bulk pack of AAs, I usually run to the convenience store and spend $6 on a pack 4 AA batteries.
Of course I don’t have to wait till the last minute to buy them, but laziness always ensues, and I guess I must like spending more than I should for batteries. Not to mention that these battery runs usually happen only after I have cannibalized the batteries from a lesser-used device, leaving them dead and forgotten. The Battizer aims to change all that by saving you money and helping the environment at the same time; let’s take a look.
Battizer sent me a review unit a few weeks ago; I needed to run down some batteries to really give it a good test and run it through the ringer. At first glance, the packaging is well put together, listing all of the features and uses for the alkaline battery charger. The Battizer comes with the charger, power cable, Manual (on disk), and 4 AA batteries. The charger is very simple and safe to use. There are no switches, buttons or anything to figure out. You just put in the batteries, and plug it in.; it could not be more easy to operate.
I had a lot of questions when I first got the device, and the packaging information, the CD manual and the website answered most of them. There are also some product reviews by other consumers on the site which explain the devices people are having success charging. The website is nicely put together, and it has a ton of info on the device.
According to the manufacturer, the Battizer will:
- Charges Alkaline and Zinc Carbon batteries.
- Full charge in just 1 hour
- Batteries do not heat up. Heat is probably the #1 killer of batteries, your laptop can back me up on that one.
- Erases memory effect on weak overused rechargeable batteries
- You can charge more than 100% of capacity on a regular Alkaline battery
The simplicity of the unit is great; you just put in your batteries and plug it in. An on/off switch would be nice, but it’s not necessary since the Battizer probably wouldn’t be left running all the time. The LED blinks green when your batteries are charging, and it goes solid when they are done. The only caveat to this is that the LED status does not work on NiMH and NiCD batteries. For those you just pop them into the charger, wait one hour and you’re ready to go.
My first go around didn’t work out, but the batteries were years old and discharged beyond saving. So I gave the Battizer another shot with some newer rechargeable batteries, and it has worked like a charm so far. I even recharged the batteries in my solar garden lights, and they are now brighter than ever and last longer throughout the night. Without any long-term testing, I really cannot confirm that the charger re-conditions the batteries and makes them last longer any longer than normal, but so far so good.
One thing I wanted to point out is that you can indeed recharge your off-the-shelf regular alkaline batteries. Battizer doesn’t necessarily recommend doing this, because regular alkaline batteries are not rated or designed to be charged again after use. But I’ve tested a few different types, and so far have had no problems — even though the LED status became red. As when doing anything not recommended there is a chance of unforeseen and possibly dangerous results when doing this, so if you decide to charge your alkaline batteries, proceed with caution and understand that it is at your own risk; it’s better to be safe than sorry.With that said, I had no problems with charging alkaline batteries, and they did not heat up at all.
If you have some old rechargeable batteries now and want to keep them refreshed, or use the Battizer brand Alkaline or Zinc Carbon batteries, then this could be a good investment. There are currently 5 colors to choose from. I also wanted to say thanks to Alvin at Battizer for sending out the review model.
The Battizer is available directly from the manufacturer.
MSRP: $77
What I Liked:
- Simple design, very easy to use
- Saves money, time, and the environment
- Charge time is very fast
- Charges some batteries above original capacity
- Charges without heating up the batteries
- Battizer is very environmentally conscious and is dedicated to helping the planet.
What Needs Improvement:
- I would like an on/off switch. I’m conscious about leaving things plugged in with open leads
- More than just an indicator LED. I like power meters and capacity meters. Although it would increase cost, I like to see more than a dual color LED as a readout
- Larger models
- Currently ships with European plug. You’ll have to replace the power cord with a common two prong plug from another gadget. (Battizer stated that the newer shipments will have the NA plug. I would call to be sure before you order)
- Only charges 4 batteries at a time