One of France’s well-known tech review channels, Bricolage c’est cool, recently made an in-depth comparison of USB-C lithium AA batteries against multiple well-known AA brands on the market, and the results were impressive.
In the test, XATR AA 4100 USB-C and AA LR 3000 USB-C batteries delivered the highest measured capacity among all tested models, while also showing the most stable performance under high-power loads.
Unlike traditional rechargeable batteries, USB-C lithium batteries feature a built-in charging system. No need dedicated charger, simply plug a USB-C cable directly into the battery for fast and convenient charging. The testing highlights a key advantage of rechargeable 1.5V lithium batteries: performance remains stable even in demanding devices where conventional batteries often struggle.
If you’d like to explore the full methodology and detailed results, watch the complete review here:
I use USB AAs for my teevee remotes, because range is limited at 1.2V and is much better with 1.5V. And they last long enough that I only have to charge them after months of use.
1.5V Li cells are electrically noisy, though. In my clock/thermometer, using them will let the beastie “tell time” (from its initial 12:00) and show the temperature, but the buttons don’t work! Switch to NiMH or hateful little alkaleaks, and everything works 100%. NiMH perpetually shows a low-battery warning, though.
They work great in AA lights that aren’t too high-strung, but fall off a cliff and shut off with zero warning when spent.
Point being, to me, they’ve got limited use-cases despite their convenience. Doodads that aren’t affected by electrical noise will be fine, as well as doodads where unexpected shutoff isn’t traumatic. Otherwise I just stick with NiMH out of necessity.
Oh, and things like cat-toys that take multiple AAs in series, I again just stick with NiMH, because no one can tell me what happens with 1.5V Li cells in series when the runt of the litter runs down, and would be forced to 0V and even go negative.
