We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
If you have a device that just doesn’t seem to hold a charge anymore, you may be wondering how long a rechargeable battery can last. The lifespan of a rechargeable battery is measured in charge cycles; the number of times you use the full capacity of the battery and recharge it. According to industry battery cycle standards, the end-of-life “failure point” of a battery is when it declines to 80% of its maximum health. After this 80% health threshold, degradation begins to accelerate further, meaning it is time to completely replace the battery.
Energizer claims its AA and AAA rechargeable batteries can be used for up to 1,000 charge cycles. The manufacturer equates battery life to 12 years under typical usage conditions. Amazon Basics Rechargeable AA NiMH Batteries also claim to be rechargeable up to 1,000 times. This is the maximum theoretical capacity of many lithium-ion batteries manufactured for use in consumer electronics.
If you count the charge cycles of your batteries, you may find that they don’t quite reach the number promised. This may be because you accidentally damage the lithium batteries in your device. Sub-optimal battery management can affect the actual lifespan of your rechargeable batteries. This is reflected in a study conducted by Christian Clemm (via ResearchGate), which found that only 55% of smartphone and tablet batteries tested maintained greater than 80% health between 800 and 1,000 charge cycles.
Is there a way to extend the life of rechargeable batteries?
If the limited lifespan of a lithium-ion battery seems like a major drawback, you might naturally wonder if USB rechargeable batteries are actually worth it over disposable alkaline batteries that can last up to six months in a computer mouse or other average-draining device without the hassle of constant recharging.
The good news is that you can extend the life of your rechargeable batteries by taking good care of their health. One of the most important considerations is to prevent the battery from getting too hot, which means not using your device while it is charging and avoiding any fast charging settings as much as possible. This simple change can improve overall battery life, bringing it closer to the goal of 1,000 charging uses. And thanks to a recent study looking at restoring the health of lithium-ion batteries using an electrochemical bath, it may one day be possible to continue using a rechargeable battery indefinitely.
