A great set of batteries for all jobs, the GP ReCyko 850mAh AAA last for a reasonable number of charges, offer decent capacity and hold onto their charge well. Tough competition means that better options are available in all those areas, however.
Pros
- Consistent performance
- Holds charge for up to one year
- Good capacity
Cons
- The competition is better
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TypeThese NiMH AAA batteries are rechargeable -
CyclesThese cells can be charged up to 500 times
Introduction
Although GP makes larger-capacity batteries, the GP ReCyko 850mAh AAA do a good job of offering a balance of price, performance and longevity. These are decent all-rounders, although the competition is tough. As such, you can find batteries that are cheaper, last longer, or that come with higher capacity.
Design and Charges
- Last for 500 cycles
- Will retain charge for up to 12 months
The GP ReCyko 850mAh AAA are a more standard set of batteries, offering slightly lower maximum capacity than the GP ReCyko 950mAh AAA. However, they come in at a better price. Given the minor differences, these are the superior choice in my opinion.
Rated to last for 500 charge cycles, these batteries are decent enough; but the budget Amazon Basics Rechargeable AAA 800mAh are rated to last for double that at 1000 cycles.
The GP ReCyko 850mAh AAA are standard when it comes to charge retention, too: 80% charge after 12 months is basic. This makes these batteries good enough for use in low-drain devices such as remote controls, while there’s enough power for more demanding uses, too, such as toys and torches.
Performance
- Consistent performance
- Capacity tests just under the rated value
To see how well the GP ReCyko 850mAh AAA performed, I put them through my standard tests using the Ansmann Energy XC3000 battery tester. I began by measuring the initial voltage when fully charged, which should sit at a minimum of 1.2V. The result of 1.32V is a good starting point, since voltage drops as the batteries are drained.
Next, I measured the capacity using the high-drain test (600mA +/- 20% with a cut-off voltage of 0.94V). On the first run the batteries returned a charge of 834mAh, which is just under the rated value; most batteries that I test do better than the rated value, although the result here is very close.
I then ran 50 charge and discharge cycles, taking capacity readings after every 10 cycles. As you can see from the graph, the results were extremely consistent, with the GP ReCyko 850mAh AAA showing no signs of fading.
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Should you buy it?
If you want a set of quality batteries for all types of use, you can do worse than the GP ReCyko 850mAh AAA.
If you need batteries that will hold their charge longer or you want to save cash, there are better alternatives.
Final Thoughts
As a set of all-purpose batteries, for everything from high-drain to low-drain uses, the GP ReCyko 850mAh AAA are a decent choice, and better value than the 950mAh cells. The main issue they have is the tough competition: the Eneloop AAA last longer, and the Amazon Basics Rechargeable AAA 800mAh are cheaper with similar performance.
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.
