Varta Recharge Accu Solar 800mAh Review
Built for solar lights
Verdict
The low capacity may seem alarming, but that’s because the Varta Recharge Accu Solar 800mAh are built to be used in solar lights, which don’t require as much power. Designed for high-frequency charging, these are a great replacement for existing batteries, for when you want to bring your solar lights back to life.
Pros
- Good value
- Designed for high frequency charging
- Consistent results
Cons
- Not very versatile
Availability
- UKRRP: £3.33
Key Features
- TypeThese are AA NiMH batteries (rechargeable).
- CyclesVarta says that these batteries can be recharged hundreds of times, and are built to withstand high-frequency (daily) charging.
Introduction
Outdoor solar lights are a great way to add a bit of interest to a garden, gently lighting the space at night. When the batteries in your lights go, the Varta Recharge Accu Solar 800mAh are a great replacement. Designed for low-current charging, and frequent recharging, these batteries are niche but ideally suited for the job.
Design and Charges
- Built for high-frequency charging
- Hundred of recharging cycles
Solar lights require their batteries to work in a certain way: as soon as the sun hits the solar panel, the batteries start to charge, and every night, the batteries are drained. Long-life storage of power isn’t important, but being able to handle the high frequency of charging cycles is. That’s exactly what the Varta Recharge Accu Solar 800mAh batteries are built to do.
The capacity may seem quite low, but that’s because there’s no point in having more: the solar panels on your typical outdoor light wouldn’t be able to fully charge higher-capacity batteries.
Varta doesn’t quote the battery life in the number of charge cycles, merely stating that they will last for “hundreds of cycles”.
Performance
- Small variation in charge capacity
- Exceeds capacity rating
To see how the Varta Recharge Accu Solar 800mAh performed, I put the batteries through my normal tests using an Ansmann Energy XC3000 battery tester. First, I measured the voltage of the batteries, which should start at a minimum of 1.2V.
Here, the Varta Recharge Accu Solar 800mAh were measured at 1.29V. Voltage slowly drops as power is consumed, but this is a good starting point.
Next, I tested the initial capacity of the batteries, with a high-drain test of 600mA (+/- 20%). I recorded the batteries at 915mAh, which is super-impressive and considerably more than the 800mAh rating. Next, I ran the batteries for 50 cycles (charging and discharging), taking a capacity reading every 10 cycles.
As you can see from the graph below, the batteries were exceptionally stable, with little variation in performance.
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Should you buy it?
If you have solar lights that have stopped working and they need new batteries, these are the ones to buy.
If you have any other needs, you’ll want to buy rechargeable batteries with higher capacities.
Final Thoughts
If you have solar lights that have stopped working and need replacement AA batteries, the Varta Recharge Accu Solar 800mAh work as intended. However, for all other needs, you’ll want to choose alternative batteries, such as the Duracell Rechargeable AA 2500mAh.
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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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.
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.
