You’ve probably heard of rechargeable batteries, but have you ever heard of USB-chargeable batteries? Me neither, until I had the opportunity to check out Pale Blue’s rechargeable batteries.
Made of lithium polymer, Pale Blue’s rechargeable batteries work a little bit differently than what you used to. Available in both AAA or AA size batteries, they can charge in under two hours and stay charged for even longer. Unlike most rechargeable batteries that are usually unreliable or eventually fail to charge, Pale Blue’s last much, much longer. That being said, I still have more questions than answers when it comes to actually using this product.
Each battery charges individually, using a microUSB cable, which is something that seems more of a hassle than practical, but Pale Blue did manage to include a cable that has a four-way splitter with four microUSB ends that will allow you to charge your batteries if you need to. The issue being if you lose this, you have to carry multiple microUSB cables in order to charge the batteries faster than one at a time. There’s no dock here and there’s no single charging unit, meaning plugging in each battery is the only means of juicing them. It’s not the most ideal situation, but alas.
However, it does work as Pale Blue says, and they do last longer than your average rechargeable batteries on Amazon. To sum this all up: You’re not really SAVING money compared to buying a 24 pack of rechargeable batteries for the same comparable price either, but on the flip side, Pale Blue promises that its products reduce toxic waste. This is an approach I’m all for, so kudos to not filling our landfills with toxic batteries. But for me, keeping this cable handy and individually charging batteries instead of just having a single source unit to charge all the batteries. It seems kind of redundant.
If this is your thing, I would say to try them out for yourself. Maybe you using them might work a little bit better than they did for me. I’ve already lost the cable twice in my backpack as well as just laying around the house. And even though the batteries do last about two or three hours longer, I just can’t justify charging my batteries that way.
You can learn more at Pale Blue’s website.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review unit
What I Like: Saves on battery waste in landfills; Completely rechargeable via USB
What Needs Improvement: Practicality here isn’t the best knowing you have to charge each battery separately
