is ebl rechargeable batteries good?

REVIEW – You’re familiar with standard alkaline AA batteries from companies like Duracell, and you are probably familiar with rechargeable NiMH AA batteries, like these from Energizer.  They are all the same size (diameter 14.5 mm, length 50.5 mm) and have a standard range for voltage (1.2 to 1.5v), though their capacity can vary widely (typically from 1000 to 2800 mAh).  What you may not know is that there are a host of other types of AA batteries that use different materials internally, each having slightly different properties and uses.  Today I’m going to be reviewing NiZN AA batteries from EBL.

This is a set of 8 rechargeable Nickel-Zinc (NiZN) AA batteries with a charger.  They have a 3000 mAh capacity, use 1.6v, and can be recharged 1000 times.  EBL has been delivering batteries and chargers for 24 years, and their mission is “to deliver the highest quality and most reliable batteries possible.”  They are headquartered in China.

The specs of the batteries are:

The specs of the charger are:

At a glance, these appear to be normal AA batteries with an attractive black and gold design.  The size, however, is not the same size as standard AA batteries; the height is identical, but the diameter is slightly wider.  Some gadgets have very tight spacing for their batteries, so these NiZN batteries could get stuck if I’m not careful.

The charger is made of plastic and has a matte black color.  It’s a very simple, open-top design that is typical of chargers.  The charger can recharge all eight batteries at once, and its size is not much bigger than the batteries themselves.  It can also charge AAA NiZN batteries, though none are included in this package.

One word of caution:  This charger is only designed for NiZN batteries; don’t use this with other types of batteries, and don’t put NiZN batteries in other types of chargers.  I wish the batteries and the charger had a bright warning icon or label to this effect, as I think it will be all too easy for me to forget at some point and make this mistake.

The batteries and charger arrived in a small, cardboard box.

The batteries were in a pair of plastic cases and the charger in bubble wrap; EBL did a good job protecting everything while in transit.

Using this charger could not be any simpler.  I opened the plastic cases, removed the batteries, and popped them into position, taking care to put the positive terminal on top.  The charger has ports for both USB-C and micro USB. Unfortunately, EBL took a short cut here and only included a micro USB cable, which is quite out of date at this point.  I wish that they would drop the micro USB port and include a USB-C to USB-C cable instead.

I plugged the USB-A side into my Soundcore Wakey and the micro USB into the top of the charger.  While charging, small LEDs above each battery turned red; when finished, they turned green.

Because these are NiZN batteries, there are a few differences from the alkaline or NiMH batteries that I typically buy.  One, it has a nominal voltage of 1.6v, which is higher than normal AAs.  When freshly charged, their terminal voltage can be slightly higher, around 1.85v, which can be hazardous to some gadgets.  I need to be careful not to use them in any gadget whose circuitry could be sensitive to this higher voltage.  Two, these batteries are ideal for high-drain devices, anything that uses a lot of power in a short period of time, like a portable video game player, a radio-controlled toy, or an external camera flash.  Three, historically NiZN batteries have not held their charge very well once they’ve been cycled more than 50 times.  Time will tell whether this is true of these batteries.

I tested the batteries in two devices.  The first device was a pair of Craftsman LED lanterns.  They’re designed for camping, but we tend to use them in the backyard while grilling on our Breeo.  We often grill after the sun has set, so these lanterns are perfect when we need to check how well done our meat is or to see while eating.  Each lantern takes six AA batteries, and on the highest setting can put out 500 lumens, more than bright enough to light up the back porch.  When I replaced the alkaline batteries in one lantern with EBL’s NiZN batteries, I could see the difference.  At each of the four settings, the lantern with the NiZN batteries was noticeably brighter than the one with alkaline batteries from Duracell.  In the photo above, the lantern on the right has the NiZN batteries.

The second device was a Speedlite 430EX II, an external flash for my Canon DSLR camera that uses a set of four AA batteries.  When repeatedly shooting flash photography, the batteries in my flash can drain in a hurry.  The NiZN batteries had no problem powering the flash, even when firing repeatedly.  I can’t tell that the pictures were brighter when compared to alkaline batteries from Duracell, but they worked without any problems.  I would be happy to bring a couple sets of four to a photoshoot.

Here at Charger Harbor, I’ve reviewed a ton of power banks, and as you probably know, portable chargers are some of the best chargers to own. However, there is something that can be more reliable and useful than a portable charger: rechargeable batteries that you put into appliances. Most consumers are too focused on buying single-use AA or AAA batteries, which is a waste of money and bad for the environment.

In this review, I’m looking at these EBL rechargeable AA batteries with 2800mAh capacity. Specifically, I’m reviewing the 8 Pack AA batteries with the charger. I’ve been using these batteries for a few weeks now, and I have to say that it makes a lot more sense to get these rather than single-use ones. Of course, certain batteries perform differently for different appliances, but with them being rechargeable, it’s pretty hard to beat.

The battery capacity of each of these EBL batteries is 2800mAh, and that is probably the highest that you’re going to find with most other AA batteries that are rechargeable as well. Even Duracell rechargeable batteries have a 2500mAh capacity, so these EBL batteries are doing well.

Well, since these are AA batteries, you can use them with nearly any device that requires AA batties to be powered. Toys, remotes, videogame controllers, clocks, and many other devices work great with these batteries. I used these batteries with an Xbox wireless controller, and two batteries have lasted a few weeks for moderate gaming time. The best thing is to swap out the batteries for fully charged ones and immediately recharge the empty ones. It does feel good not having to throw batteries in the trash.

Included in the box with the batteries is the battery charger with eight slots that can fit AA or AAA-sized batteries. The best part about this battery charger is that they are compatible with EBL Ni-MH rechargeable batteries. However, you can also use other brand rechargeable batteries that are also Ni-MH or Ni-CD, and they will still recharge from this battery charger.

Regarding recharging these EBL AA batteries from 0% to 100%, the included battery charger can get them back to full power within 6 hours. Something important to know is that the battery charger has a 5V/2.0A (10W) max input, so you should use a 10W USB-A port with the charger to get the fastest recharging speed for the batteries.

The accessibility of recharging these batteries is also great because you can use a wall charger or even a power bank to recharge them. After all, the battery charger uses a Micro-USB input port to be powered from. Also, the charger has LED lights above each battery slot; a red light means the battery is still recharging, while a green light means the battery is fully charged. Some batteries may recharge to full power sooner than others, so it’s very helpful to know which battery is fully charged and which one is not.

I ran two battery capacity tests using a separate charger; the charger only allows testing up to four batteries simultaneously. For my first test, I had the discharge rate set to 500mA, which is pretty high. With that, I averaged about a 1926mAh capacity from the batteries, which is low and was about 68% efficiency from these batteries. That said, a high discharge rate would naturally result in lower efficiency, so I ran another battery capacity test with EBL batteries having a 200mA discharge rate. This time, the EBL batteries scored about 90% efficiency, which is much better.

I honestly can’t say much about the build quality of these batteries because they’re just batteries. The average consumer won’t know the build quality difference between these EBL batteries Vs. Duracell ones, and it’s something I didn’t take into consideration. As long as these recharge well and are functional, they’re good in my book. On a side note, these batteries feel like any other AA battery brand.