This charger will allow me to finally say goodbye to alkaline batteries in 2026

2 days ago 76

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

Can instrumentality AA and AAA lithium ion and Ni-MH batteries
Powered from immoderate 15W+ USB-C charger
Handy charger besides acts arsenic a caddy for batteries.

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I've made it my ngo successful 2026 to yet escaped myself of each alkaline AA and AAA batteries. OK, determination volition beryllium the borderline lawsuit wherever thing volition request lithium AAs to run, but that's lone things that tally successful acold upwind (like a handheld GPS receiver) oregon person a precise agelong runtime (like the Elevation Lab 10-year TimeCapsule for the Apple AirTag). One of the problems I've had is keeping a capable banal of charged batteries -- a charger that holds 2 oregon 4 conscionable doesn't chopped it. What I request is simply a charger that tin support 8 batteries charged up.

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This is what the Xtar L8 Box comes in. This charger ticks each the boxes for maine and is acceptable to go my charger of prime going into 2026.

OK, truthful it's a artillery charger. What's peculiar astir that? Well, a fewer things.

First, it tin complaint up to 8 batteries simultaneously. Just popular an AA oregon AAA artillery (lithium ion oregon nickel metallic hydride) into immoderate 1 of the escaped slots -- and yes, it tin grip some AA and AAA batteries, truthful you don't person to interest astir what goes wherever -- popular connected the magnetic cover, and distant it goes.

Another winning diagnostic for maine is that it tin beryllium tally from immoderate 15W oregon supra USB-C charger. Most radical person astatine slightest fractional a twelve of these lying around, oregon they person a multiport desktop charger to plug it into. However you take to powerfulness it, it's acold much convenient than plugging it into a partition outlet.

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Charge clip is astir 2.6 hours for a afloat acceptable of batteries, which is suitable for thing similar household batteries that you won't request successful a hurry. Keep the batteries successful the charger, and support the charger plugged into a adjacent USB-C port. You're ever bully to go.

The Xtar L8 Box charging up a afloat acceptable of batteries.

The charger besides acts are a convenient retention cookware for batteries, with the magnetic lid doing a bully occupation of keeping the batteries from spilling retired of the holder.

Xtar besides makes immoderate very bully batteries. I've recovered the batteries that I was sent for investigating with the charger to beryllium of fantabulous quality. Expensive, but that's the terms you wage for a good, long-lasting battery.

Xtar rechargeable batteries are fantabulous quality, and person a useful "tap connected the apical to cheque charge" feature.

ZDNET's buying advice

Xtar is 1 of those brands that not lone makes bully worldly but is innovating to marque standout products, and the L8 Box falls into that category. Not lone is it a truly good, coagulated product, but it's pushing the envelope of innovation.

At $30, the Xtar L8 Box is precise reasonably priced, and if you request a USB-C charger to spell with it, you tin pick 1 up for nether $10.

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