Rechargeable batteries are a whole lot better for the environment than single-use ones, but they often require a special charger. Not so with the latest style, which uses the humble USB port.
Not everything relies on a built-in rechargeable battery. Sometimes, we just need to turn to one of those often replaceable batteries, whether it’s for a remote control (particularly an older model), a gaming controller (also likely an older model), a flash head, an instant camera, or something else that needs an AA, AAA, or any other replaceable battery.
The problem is these things are often disposed of after they’re done being used, adding to the landfill problems we all have to deal with.
A solution is to include rechargeable batteries in devices, or even to replace the single-use batteries with rechargeable models that can be reused repeatedly until they run out of charge. That’ll happen after a few hundred uses, compared to the limited use disposable batteries are stuck with.
While rechargeable batteries are an obvious solution, they tend to need their own charger. There are plenty out there, but if you lose it, you can’t just easily recharge it by plugging it into something familiar, like a USB port.
Except you also can, thanks to a new style of rechargeable battery popping up in Australia.
The Paleblue battery looks like any other battery, and even comes in your regular AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, and C123A battery options, but it’s also a little different because it includes a Type C USB port for easy recharging.
Each Paleblue rechargeable battery relies on Lithium-Ion technology and can be used for up to roughly 1000 times, recharging using the standard USB-C port that’s become a standard in the EU and the world over. Even the iPhone made the jump from the Lightning port last year.
Paleblue’s battery packs also come with a cable to charge up to four batteries at once, basically making it a four-port USB-C cable for charging four batteries from your laptop or a wall plug, or even a sizeable power bank of sorts. There’s a built-in LED charge indicator glowing to let you know whether the batteries are charged, with an expected recharge time running from an hour to under two.
In Australia, the Paleblue USB rechargeable batteries start from $49.95 for a four pack, arriving in AA, AAA, C, D, C123, and 9V options, available from Amazon and Paleblue’s online store.
