Awesome review, Lee! 😃 I won a little charger and 4 AAA batteries from that brand from Gal Kremer. They are in the pressure measuring thingy my father uses... They're in use for about 2 or 3 weeks. He removed them yesterday to check and they're still full! 😂 "Normal" AAA batteries never last that long! Anyway, stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

Never had any problem with Eneloop NiMh batteries. They don't self discharge in years, which is a giant advantage.

Interesting, it must have some sort of DC to DC regulator built in to the cell to step down to 1.5v?

This kind of "cell" is a Li-ion cell and a DC-DC converter together in an AA or AAA size package. One small problem is a small amount of radio interference emitted by the DC-DC converter. This means I can't use them in my portable short wave radios without getting poor reception. Also they often don't hold charge quite as long as one might hope (still better than most Ni-MH or Ni-Cd though).

That's a pretty clever little thing actually,.... Litium Ion chemistry produces 3.7-4.2v,.. it CANNOT generate 1.5v. Therefore, this litle device MUST have 4v to 1.5v DC conversion circuitry inside it, in addition to all the "battery" stuff, and in addition to various charging, and safety electronics for short circuit and current limiting protection (Li-Ion goes boom!) Impressive that they can get those mAh capcities in such a small form factor, shared with a bunch of conversion and saftey electronics.(not surprised they're like $5 each!) Of course, If you're powering a device that uses multiple 1.5v cells, it's probably better to use a custom Li-Ion pack with one single DC-DC conversion rather than one in every 1.5v cell as each conversion has inefficiencies. (e.g 2 x AA => 1Li-Ion + 1 x 4.2v-3v BMS, 4 x AA =>2 x Li-Ion + 1 x 8.4v-6V BMS)

I would love to know how they do long-term. Will they expand like the 'regular' Li-Ion packs, will they leak like Alkaline, how do they do temp wise and - can they catch fire/explode... Until then, I'll continue using the regular Lithium AA/AAA batteries. Yes, they're not rechargeable, but I need them for their long-time stability in low power devices (I use NiMH which also extremely rarely leaks, a 'deep' cycle once in a while them keeps them 'fresh')

Thanks for a clear and concise review. Obviously these need to have a buck converter built in, which means they have a much higher static discharge than a regular battery. I mostly use AA & AAA cells in multimeter and similar portable instruments as well as remote controls which means that becomes an issue. If it's not too much to ask, could you put a single cell on a long term test and see how long a cell lasts with no load?

You hit the key point explaining why NiMH are not the perfect replacement for Alkaline: they have different voltages! Nominal voltage is 1.2V and 1.5V respectively, and sure, that's only the nominal voltage and during the discharge cycle, the alkaline loses voltage faster than the NiMH so the voltage spread between the two diminishes as they discharge. But what if the appliance I'm using requires higher voltage? Then, as you pointed it out, it just won't work. I just think that the international standard for batteries is a little outdated and something needs to be done to modernize

These have one mayor drawback, self draining, that’s why you should not use them in low powered devices, for instance in a remote, this battery drains faster than the remote itself does. Typically I change remote batteries once in a year or much longer, these will drain much…Much faster. Reason is the conversion from 3.7 volts to 1.5, it uses a buck converter which always uses power, and there’s also the protection electronics, also drain the battery overtime. These are low draining currents but it will drain the battery overtime.

Good review. I have tested several brands. All did not have the 1.1 volt warning. All did not come close to the promised capacity. I just replace them on a schedule. Will take a look at these

Lee these have been out for years. Really surprised this is the first time you've seen them. I hope the quality has improved as they used to have a high failure rate. Also as you mention you can tell on a normal device when they are going flat as the device battery meter can't see the true cell voltage. They do make some that drop the voltage as the lithium cells drops btw but they are even more expensive.

I am using those AA sized Li-Ion cells for my wireless microphones and wireless in-ear monitoring. It has been a game changer. No need to mark matching NiMH pairs, no need to fully discharge before recharging, no unreliable delta-peak detection.

I went and ordered this charger along with some batteries as a combo. Look forward to trying this out!

I have had some for a few months. One thing I have found is that standard AA ones last longer in fact many times longer. There are good for the finicky devices that want full voltage. I have a device that runs on 4 AA's will not use NIMH. But I can also take 2 lithium batteries in series and operate it. A bit over voltage but it does not seem to mind. How ever at 25 bucks for 4 of them they are pricy. As always any change of state of power has a loss. The circuit that reduces the voltage has loss. Loss equals less run time. Alkaline batteries still have a place with good shelf life. Also if power is out you can always throw a fresh set in. Energizer batteries are best for not leaking. And they say will replace device if they do leak.

I've been waiting for these for a long long time! Awesome.

Very interesting Lee! I'll look at getting some of these.

Thank you very much for bringing this to my attention. Good thing I subscribed to the channel 🙂

So do you just use them instead of normal AA batteries? Or do you build things to power up a FC to power up a GPS pre-flight for example? I use a vifly gps mate for my 1st wing build, but could see this as a way to build a small powerpack for numerous things?

These make sense for devices sensitive to voltage, because they were poorly engineered to use the wrong battery or # of cells such that they can't keep working until the full capacity of the cells is consumed. Outside of those cases, it is a very expensive way to power things that don't need them, and their voltage droops on high drain devices so you again run into the issue of whether that voltage droop causes the device to cease operating prematurely. Personally I like to just avoid devices that can't get the full charge out of the batteries they were designed for, and will return products due to this design flaw. Since I do that, I am fine continuing to use LSD NiMH AA and AAA, but it puzzles me how the video seems to pretend that they take longer to charge because they don't if you simply pick a suitable charger, if your priority is fast charging. However if you have LSD cells, and want to throw money at your problem anyway, then I just have spare sets of cells so I can grab an already charged set to swap into a device and then let the discharged cells charge slower, which promotes longer life as well. Don't expect these Li-Ion cells to live up to their recharge cycle rating. It is very unlikely that they will if adhering to industry standards of % capacity remaining by the time the cells reach their recharge cycle rating. At the same time this is not necessarily as important to someone as the runtime using a specific device, if they can't or don't want to replace it with something designed to use Li-Ion out of the box.

Thanks for sharing. These XTAR batteries look to be a game changer. The reason you could not get AA and AAA LI-ION is not because they could not make them small. The issue was the voltage. The chemistry that original AA and AAA were based on creates 1.5V. The problem is that LI-ION chemistry produces about 3.6V - which would blow out your 1.5V based devices. So, what changed? The 1.5V LI-ION batteries have a built-in converter that can drop the voltage. There are several batteries out there that can do that but the challenge is how do you charge them? For most brands, there is a special charging connector but this adds to the cost of the battery. What XTAR has done is make a battery that can be charged using the standard power pins. They do that by charging with a higher voltage (3.5-5V) which the circuit inside the battery detects and shifts is into charging mode. Very clever.

Interesting, I'll have to try and track one down. I'm a bit disappointed with the charger though, as it's only half done, you need an existing USB charger to make it all work as opposed to just plugging it into a power outlet. Also there is the questing of how many amps the cells can deliver, can they handle high demand use like camera flash guns and toy racing cars that normally drain a cell very quickly. Then there is the other extreme, things like clocks, it'll be interesting to find out. Now to find out where to get them - not seen at my regular shopping haunts.

How much does the voltage ripple?

Started using Melasta 9v, and 1,5v AA Li-Ion a few years ago. The best thing about these is that they give you full power until they are drained.

Very good value. Great review video. I have a 4 pack of the xstar 3300mah batteries. So far the batteries and charger are working very well. I also plan on getting some more. 👍😎

Thanks for the info! 👍

How is the shelf life? Can you charge up a set and expect them to be fully charged a year later?

Since we are all RC enthusiasts, I simply use my hobby grade charger and a 2 or 4 cell blank tray and charge that way. These li-ion batteries have overcharge protection, so instead of using Balance charging I simply set to charge to bypass the balance cable requirement. Works just fine. Been using these type batteries for 3 years now, no issues.

Thanks for sharing this video. I've used Li-Ion 21700 packs and 18650 cells in the drone hobby but I've never used AA or AAA Li-Ion cells. Embarrassingly, I didn't even know they exist😅. I regularly use NiMh rechargeable AA and AAA cells because I hate purchasing alkaline one use cells in remotes, flashlights etc etc. I plan to pick some of these up and give them a go. I wonder if D cells, C cells, and 9v Li-Ion cells are on the horizon. Thanks again for creating interesting, informative, and entertaining content. Happy flying amigo 🫡 🍻.

Hi Lee, would these cells be ok for powered dead bolts on smart locks? I know nimh don’t really keep up very well on the current draw and I’ve had to use single use alkaline batteries.

Are they dimensionaly the same as brand name alkaline, I bought some off brand AA and AAA LITHIUM rechargeable batteries and they do not fit in some of my equipment as they the diameter is to large.

Thanks for the info Lee. I wonder would they degrade much if left at full charge for a long period of time?

How does the XTAR L8 charger compare to the BC8?

I have a bunch of these already, both AA, AAA and 9V varieties. Chargeable over USB (USB-C or MicroUSB). They are life savers because in absence of shop nearby (or at night) you can get device powered with them back on track in less than a hour if you have working phone charger, computer or power bank and USB cable with you. These cells have noticeable difference with sibling alkaline cells though. They are always full ... until they doesn't 🙂 Because of that they are not recommended for RC transmitters because you may only guess when you radio will go dark together with your quad or plane.

Bought a dozen of these ..diffrent brand.. and I'm sold for use in devices that I use a lot. However , I find they don't last quite as long as alkaline batts and devices won't register the charge state like they do with alkaline. Much better by far than NIMH batts.

is there KZfaq clip for the power supply quoted in this clip

Thanks for the interesting video. I guess that in addition to having a step down voltage converter, it probably also has a charge circuit built into it. The charger is probably just providing a constant voltage to the cells and monitoring the current. Could you confirm this please? it would allow hobbyists to charge them using simple circuits.

How much current can they source? And is there a dip in current near the end that could be used to give a warning if monitoring current?

I was using AA size protected Li-on 3.7v batteries years ago in custom e-cig mods. My first 2 megapixel digital camera from way back would eat alkaline batteries like crazy, also the Ni-cd's would not work due to the 1.25 volts. I eventually solved the problem with rechargeable AA Ni-Zn 1.5 volt batteries. They worked great in my camera. I was able to buy AAA, AA, and 9 volt sizes at the time.

My biggest complaint about regular batteries is their leaking when you leave them in a device and don't get back to them in a while. Are Li-ION batteries prone to leaking? Especially when you've left them unattended for long periods of time?

woohoo! I've been waiting for 1.5V rechargeable batteries for years. put a charged 1.2V into something and half the time it doesn't work 😕 I'm looking forward to 1.5V being maintained right up to being drained. I'll believe it when I see it. I'm ordering right now 😀

Would a cell phone charge block be ok to use ? I am not familiar with the power supply mentioned.

I tried lithium AA before, one fatal fault of it is the voltage won't decrease until it's dead. So most devices can't figure out how much juice is left in it. Like an xbox controller will always show full battery until it's dead.

LiIon in those sizes has been around for years. I was already using 14500 batteries 15 years ago. The difference is there's a buck converter inside these that lowers the voltage.

Are there any 1.5v rechargable Li-ion batteries that can be charged with regular NiMH battery chargers?

Good review Lee

Hi Lee, that's a great idea, I'm constantly buying AA batteries and throw them away when they are empty. If I can recharge them it would save me a lot of money. Thanks for the video and information about this charger and batteries.

I personally use ikea laddas who are rebranded eneloops

Interesting product! You mention NiMH shortcomings but if anyone wants good ones Ikea 1900mAh Japanese made AAs are £5 for 4 and testing side by side in two identical DAB radios they lasted slightly longer than basic Duracells that cost £2.50 and can be uses once.

Did you ever messure the capacity of the batteries? Had bad expirience with xtar😢

How about doing a teardown of these cells? Using the unregulated cell of this size is very intriguing for other RC applications.

Nice review. I have been using these for a year now, specialy like the small charger. I do have the feeling they don't last as long compared to NiMH when using them in a game controller. Also, what I read from other brands, if battery breaks, the voltage is suddenly 3.7v, scary. And what I also find a bit scary. Li-ion have stricter rules compared to nimh, its yet an extra fire hazard. This is holding me back replacing all my nimh eneloops with these. BTW you can only charge these in this special charger, not in a regular nimh charger, at least that's the case with mine.

My insulin pump EATS alkaline batteries. Unfortunately, the low voltage protection circuit in a lithium battery and the discharge nature of the cell will not provide ample warning or time when the cell " turns off." This video did bring this to light, but I just wanted to post a practical example. Bravo, great video !

I’ve been waiting for years for this to enter the marketplace. Hasn’t trickled down yet into the mainstream suppliers/shops in my country though.

Been using Li-ion AA & AAA for several years, they are fabulous, they have outlasted all my NiMH cells which eventually stop holding a good charge or start leaking. The best thing you can do to make them last at least a decade and possibly a lifetime is to not let them drain all the way down, the worst thing you can do which is sometimes an immediate killer is to forget about the cell in a device that you rarely use which has a parasitic drain so even if you aren’t using it the battery drains and several months later you try to revive the cell but have severed much of its useful life which is why I’d only recommend to use them in higher drain and daily used devices that you don’t leave in your hot car either since they aren’t exactly cheap, and are a slight fire hazard when careless but when taken care of you can far exceed the usual 1,000-1,500 charges. If you like Li-Ion technology the next question you will ask yourself why you didn’t hear of these sooner is your car battery, yep, they exist, and are even cheaper than a lead acid battery at your local store, at a very small fraction of the size and weight with much more amperage and way more charge cycles.

Since they're Li-ION, do you need to hand carry these batteries instead of checking them in when flying in planes?

Do they only work on this charger? Or will they harm in a regular smart NiMh charger?

Interesting thanks 🙏 Uggh- you were using Duraleak Alkalines! Those damn things are the worst batteries on the planet for leaking- have ruined so much of my gear.

nice video. I have just ordered some of the Soshine types with build in USB-C port and charger. both AA and AAA. one thing: could we please soon kill the proprietary Qualcom QC charging standard!!! just use USB PD please!!🙏

What’s the difference between XTAR L8 and XTAR LC8?

Very interesting. At aproximately 7.50 per battery and 20 plus for the charger it's quite expensive as an initial investment. However, I imagine these will work out as more economical long term.

Do these cells shut off when they get to a minimum voltage? Or can you discharge them completely? I’ve been using NiZn batteries for my Sennheiser wireless mics, and that’s their greatest weakness: if you discharge a NiZn completely, there’s a chance you’ve killed it and it can’t be recharged any more.

How long do they provide power compared to an quality alkaline battery?

are the same as energizer lithium's???

How did you guessed that this video will be on purpose for me ? 😅 My NiMH cells are getting old and unreliable. It may be a good move to change them and you come with these ones. Thank you a lot. Cheers.

I use low self discharge ni-mh and charge them in 15minutes on a duracell fast charger that has a fan. I like being able to leave it for months and know it'll work when I go to use. These are intriguing for things I use often.

This will be excellent for photography flashes. Always wondered why Lion wasn't available in AA/AAA sizes.

2500 mah.. Not bad mah for a smaller cell. Do thev make 21700 cell size? For long range builds, nothing beats Molicel 21700 P42A 4200mAh 45A Batteries 10 for 4.65 US Ea 18650batterystore

I've always been confused that some people think of "Lithium Ion" as a specific chemistry and others consider it a category which includes multiple chemistries such as LiPo and others. Battery University says LiPo is a subset of Lithium Ion for example. Comments?

These have more capacity compared to the ones I've been using. USB chargeable AA and AAA batteries. the AA have a USB-A and the AAA have a USB-C. give up a little bit of space for the charger/port. As said Lithium batteries run from 3.5-4.2v so there is a 1.5v regulator in each battery. great for flashlights, no dimming you get 1.5v until the Lithium cell is empty. Great for my remotes. Also I have a 9v version for my smoke alarm.

Do they make a 9volt?? My paintball gun eats a 9v after a long weekend of play

Trying to locate a store, but the site keeps sending me to Warsaw!

Thanks for bringing these to my attention. Didn’t realise they were a thing. Just bought some of these for my cat flap 🤣

I got fed up with leaking alkaline batteries, caused hundreds of dollars of damage/lost equipment. I been using EBL Li-Ion AA & AAA for almost two years with no issues. Even had brand new Duracell batteries still in package leaked and they are not expired.

Great idea that really helps poluting our planet way less ... I am always feeling bad when restocking these one way batteries for a few devices that have sadly never been designed to operate on 1.2 V cells or are supposed to but just practically don't. That is a great concept, even if these cells may have less real life endurance compared to the traditionell one way cells, is so worth it👍

What about the self-discharge of these batteries? Anyone with experience? I use aa batteries in plenty in low power smart home sensors

Why not just get the USB rechargeable Li-On AA/AAA batteries? No need for a special charger, you can plug them into any USB charger, and they usually come with a USB C "squid" cable to charge four at a time from a single USB port, which is super useful.

2 amps max discharge is not what i call "high drain device compliant" I've been using EBL li-ion AA for 2 years and i love them.

Tempting, but just a bit too pricey. LSD NiMH are great for most things, I don't have many things that complain about the lower voltage. You will need to be careful not to put these li-ion cells into a normal charger I think (and that no family members do so!)

I've been using these AA's for a while. Really pleased with then. But the drop off is brutal....Like instant

Nice idea but I can't see them gaining in popularity at the current price - £50 for a pack of 8 AA's is a lot to ask.

I did this 20+ years ago and recommend this to everyone.

Just don’t try to charge them if they are below freezing. LiON batteries can be damaged if you do that

Nice technology but they are pricey - over $5US each (even in volume). I can get rechargeable for a $1 and disposables for about 1/4 that. I think I'll wait until the price comes down a bit.

I had some of these before....they were junk. They over discharged and did not recover. Maybe I'll try again.

The secret of rejuvenating a "dud" Li-ion battery, is to slowly raise the Voltage over time, while charging. Nice to see it on this charger.

4:56 👍

This is news to me, awesome! 🙌

Duracell AA capacity is around 3000mah@$1ea. At this price point the breakeven point is if you get around 20 recharge cycles out of it. It sounds good so far. But on my Samsung door lock (4AA), I need to recharge every 6 months, so it will take me 10 years to breakeven... The good thing about these cells is they won't leak fluid like the Duracell does and the weight is very light. I also think that they are more susceptible to dropping due to the voltage regulator built inside.

nice!!

Yes! ❤

I'm thinking they might be better also because they shouldn't leak acid and destroy devices like the alkaline. Thanks for posting I will give them a try.

I would have said brilliant because of the great versatility and battery protections..UNTIL I checked the price! If you want this WITH the 8 pack of batteries, you are looking at £55 quid. There are much cheaper rechargeable solutions available, not as clever, but plenty adequate..unless you don’t care about cost I suppose!

Funny… AliExpress will sell a xtar l8 charger to me here in Finland. They will, however, NOT ship those small AAA nor AA li-ion cells to me. Disappointing.

I use for long time the lithium rechargable AA and AAA batteries with usb connection

Wish we had these back in the Gameboy days......

I use trail cameras, which typically use 8 AA cells but won't work if the voltage falls under 11.5V. regular rechargeables would not even turn the camera on.

I like this idea a lot, BUT am very wary of those unwary of the potential differences in charging etc using them unwittingly 😬

When I started FPV, I quickly learned AA batteries were for kids. Lmao. Big boys use Li-ion.

It would be awesome if voltage drops like alkaline cells. Then we can see in device how many bars left.

I'm totally sold...one somebody tells me how they work with Blink Outdoor cameras