Moixa MXAA02 USBCell AA Rechargeable USB Cell Batteries 4 Pack Kit

by Moixa

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B001RPZQ5G
• Item model number: MXAA02
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 5, 2009

Product Description

Introducing our revolutionary new rechargeable battery - the USBCELL. This NiMH AA cell can be used like a normal battery and can be recharged simply by plugging into a USB port. With over 15 billion Alkaline batteries made and thrown away each year - wasting resources, C02 and creating toxic Landfill - USBCELL offers a eco-friendly alternative as can be re-used hundreds of times as no charge adaptor or cable is needed, saving you money, hassle and waste. Chemical System: Sealed Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH). Nominal Voltage: 1.2 Volts. Capacity: 1300 mAh. Recommended Charge: 250mA. 90%+ Charged after 5 Hours by powered USB. Also rechargeable by approved NiMH charger at 250ma for 7 Hours.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Ingenious product - just not very practical, May 29, 2009

By 

NLee the Engineer (Nashua, NH) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 10 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Moixa MXAA02 USBCell AA Rechargeable USB Cell Batteries 4 Pack Kit (Electronics)

This product (Moixa MXAA02 USBCell) is based on a great idea - the kind of idea that makes you smack your forehead and exclaim "Why didn't *I* think of that!" Basically you take a '3/4 AA' NiMH cell, and attach an USB-powered charger on top of it. Now you've got a rechargeable AA battery that can be charged from any USB port. So you'll never be caught without a battery charger - as long as there is a computer nearby.

Great idea aside, there are practical limitations for this USBCELL:
- It is very expensive (about 4 times the cost of a typical AA NiMH cell).
- Its capacity is only 1300mAh (compared to 2000-2700mAh for a typical AA NiMH cell).
- Its charging time is relatively long (5 hours to charge to 90%)

The product description claims that you can also recharge the USBCELL in an "approved NiMH charger" at 250mA for 7 Hours. But make sure that the charger is a 'smart' one. A timer-based 'dumb' charger will badly overcharge the USBCELL, because it treats all cells as having a typical capacity of 2500mAh.

It is true that you don't need to buy a separate charger for the USBCELL. But the economy of scale is stacked against it in any demanding appliances such as digital camera. For the price of just two USBCELL, you can buy a good charger+battery package (such as the Sanyo USB Charger or Sanyo Travel Charger). This way, you get much greater battery capacity and shorter charging time. For anything that requires more than two AA cells, the USBCELL solution becomes even less cost-effective.

It is also true that using USBCELL instead of disposable alkaline cells can reduce your 'carbon footprint' on this planet. But the same can be said for any rechargeable batteries. Compared to a typical AA NiMH cell, the USBCELL requires more energy to produce, and has a shorter lifespan (lower capacity means it has to be recharged more often). Therefore it generates more waste in the end.

Of course, for certain niche applications (such as wireless mouse) the USBCELL is still a good option. At least it looks cool, and makes a great conversation piece.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Xbox controller I use on Win7, March 22, 2011

By 

Eric J. Swanson - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moixa MXAA02 USBCell AA Rechargeable USB Cell Batteries 4 Pack Kit (Electronics)

I've had four of these for well over a year, they have mostly made for good conversation and I hadn't used them much and honestly didn't ever know when they were charged or not. Mostly figured they would be good for controllers and wireless mice and keyboards.

I started using them with my xbox controller I use to play pc games and so far the experience has been good, I keep two charged or charging while I use the other two because I'm never sure when the other two are going to die and I hate being in the middle of a game and having to search for my stash of regular batteries.

The only complaint I could give is that they aren't easy to get out of the controller, but that's more of a combination of the way the xbox batteries slide in snagging the cap of the battery, more traditionally loaded battery operated devices shouldn't have that problem at all.

I haven't had time to test the longevity and memory effect on the batteries, but so far it beats keeping a stash of batteries on hand, since the computer is right there that I can plug them in and charge them with.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WORTH EVERY PENNY!!, December 11, 2010

By 

Patricia D. Dees (Prairieville, LA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moixa MXAA02 USBCell AA Rechargeable USB Cell Batteries 4 Pack Kit (Electronics)

I purchased 4 of these, solely for my wireless keyboard and wireless mouse. I rarely have to charge them but when I do, it doesn't take long and they are good to go for quite a while longer---I wasted so much money with regular batteries and even the rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable were a pain and have to charge for a long time. This is definitely a good purchase. I have used them in remote controls also but I have never tried them in any heavy duty items.