Manufacturer: Linogy
Price as tested: $129
Link: linogy.com
Compared to standard nickel metal hydride technology, these lithium batteries maintain a higher voltage for longer, which for some devices can be the difference between working as expected or not at all.
New chemistry demands a new charging solution. Fortunately the charging station handles Li-ion and NiMh. And it cleverly aids in organization by dumping all the batteries into a drawer when they’re done.
My first set of “innovative” AA rechargeable batteries were alkaline. They worked well for a few cycles in the included charger before they oozed all over my uncle’s kitchen counter. Years later I watched a photographer gleefully try 1.6V NiZn batteries in a camera flash that chewed through AAs. He gave up after they ran out multiple times in one session.
Fully charged, Linogy’s AAs measured about 1.7V, compared to NiMh 1.5V. But I’ve heard misleading numbers before, so I wanted to see how they did in real-world examples.
I first tried them on color-changing string lights inside a 3D-printed egg lamp. The higher-voltage blue emitters lasted longer than on NiMh, but not as long as alkaline batteries.
Timelapse stills from testing color-changing RGB LEDs.
More impressively, they absolutely smoked NiMh cells in a Kit Cat Klock.
Modern Kit Cat Klocks chew through C batteries like candy. Long ago I switched to rechargeable AA’s in adapters, but they only lasted a couple days, so they’re reserved for special occasions. But I was amazed when Linogy batteries didn’t just last a few days longer, but powered the tail motor for two whole weeks.
Other use cases were less drastic, but still an improvement. They lasted over 20% longer than NiMh in a plasma globe.
I had nitpicks, but no dealbreakers. The AAA adapters are fiddly, and the charger itself is bulky. The e-ink screen is neat, if unnecessary. But the charger performed reliably and handled both Linogy Li-ion batteries and three brands of NiMh cells. The up-front cost is high, but if your situation means it saves you from buying and tossing more AAs, it’s a no-brainer.
Batteries either work or don’t, and Linogy’s Li-ion batteries work well, and beat the pants off of NiMh in the right applications.
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