GP Recyko Charge 10 AA Review
90% capacity in just 10 minutes
Verdict
Who wants to wait for batteries to charge? Not me, which is the reason I’m impressed by the GP Recyko Charge 10 AA. Able to get to 90% charge in just 10 minutes, these batteries are ready to go quickly in emergencies. The downside is that fast charging cuts battery life considerably, so I recommend using the Eco charge option where possible. If you don’t care so much about charge times, then higher-capacity ‘normal’ rechargeable batteries may be a better option.
Pros
- 90% charge in just 10 minutes
- High capacity
- Low self-discharge
Cons
- Fast-charging reduces battery life
Availability
- UKRRP: £58.99
Key Features
- TypeNiMH rechargeable AA batteries that come with the option of a 10-minute fast charge
- CyclesThese batteries can be recharged 700 times when using a normal charger, or 250 times when using the fast charger
Introduction
The eternal problem with rechargeable batteries is that they’re never ready when you need them. That’s something that the GP Recyko Charge 10 AA is designed to fix. When used with the Charge 10 fast charger, you can achieve a charge to 90% in just 10 minutes, so you’re good to go quickly – but at the expense of battery life.
There’s an Eco mode for charging more slowly, which increases battery life. Although in the latter case, you may be better opting for batteries with more capacity.
Design and Charges
- Low self-discharge
- Number of charging cycles depends on the charge type
- Super-fast charging
The GP Recyko Charge 10 batteries are only available in AA form; you can’t currently buy AAA batteries of the same type. You can buy the batteries as packs of four, although you’ll want to initially buy the set with the charger, since this is what delivers the fast-charging option.
Each battery is rated at 1700mAh, and can be charged using the fast or Eco options. With fast charging, 10 minutes is all you need to get to 90% capacity; on Eco mode, charging takes longer, but you can get to the full capacity.
Aside from charging speed, the difference in charging options concerns battery life. Use fast charging and your batteries are rated to last for only 250 cycles; use Eco mode and you’ll get 700 cycles.
At the lower limit, the GP Recyko Charge 10 AA batteries won’t last that long compared to the competition, making them relatively expensive. It makes more sense to think of fast charging as an option for when you quickly need batteries, such as for games controllers when you want to game immediately rather than wait a few hours to recharge batteries.
Although the charger is nominally for the Charge 10 batteries, it’s also capable of charging any AA or AAA NiMH rechargeables, so you can use it with any current (or future) rechargeable units you buy.
These batteries are low self-discharge ones, which means that they’ll retain 80% of power after one year. That’s handy, as you can charge them and leave them in a drawer until you’re ready to use them.
Performance
- High capacity when slow charged
- Fast charging works well
To see how well the GP Recyko Charge 10 AA batteries worked, I used an Ansmann Energy XC3000 to measure capacity and voltage. Rechargeable batteries such as these should have a nominal starting voltage of 1.2V, although I measured these at a higher 1.35V, which is good.
Voltage drops as the batteries are discharged – although, with NiMH, the voltage drop is much slower than with alkaline batteries. In turn, this makes rechargeable batteries able to cope with higher-drain use, delivering higher capacities than non-rechargeable batteries, such as the Duracell Plus AA.
First, I drained the batteries and then fast-charged them for 10 minutes. I measured the tested capacity at 1769mAh using a high load of 600mAh (+/- 20%), with the test stopping when the batteries reach 0.94V. The results here were spot on the rated capacity.
Next, to see how well the batteries cope with multiple charges, I cycled the GP Recyko Charge 10 batteries (charging and discharging), taking a capacity reading every 10 cycles. As you can see, there’s a small variance in each of the 10 cycles. Thanks to the slow charging, the batteries showed much healthier capacities, mostly exceeding 2000mAh.
Latest deals
I’ve listed the price of the batteries and charger here, as that’s your starting point. You can buy additional AA batteries without the charger.
Should you buy it?
If you need batteries that you can fast charge in a hurry, these 10-minute miracles offer plenty of flexibility.
If overall capacity is more important, then there are better value ‘normal’ rechargeable batteries available.
Final Thoughts
The claims of 10-minute charging for the GP Recyko Charge 10 AA batteries were held up in my tests, making these rechargeables ready to go quickly if you find that they’re flat. I’d urge caution over how often you choose to fast charge, as doing so dramatically reduces the battery life.
Think of these, then, as regular rechargeable batteries with decent capacity that offer the option to fast charge in emergencies. That makes them great for use in games controllers or torches, where you may need them quickly charged. If you’re after the longest life and capacity, look elsewhere.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every rechargeable battery we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
We use an Ansmann Energy XC 3000 to drain batteries, so that we can test capacity in mAh. After the first run, we charge and discharge 50 times, measuring the capacity every ten runs.
We measure the initial voltage of the batteries, checking that the starting voltage is at least 1.2V.
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Full specs
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.