Verdict
Built to last, the GP ReCyko Pro 2000mAh AA can be charged 1500 times over their life, and they’ll hold 70% of their charge over five years. A little more expensive than rival units, these are a great choice for those who have demanding needs and find that they have to charge batteries often.
Pros
- Huge number of recharge cycles
- Holds charge well
- Powerful
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TypeThese are AA NiMH batteries (rechargeable) -
CyclesYou can recharge these batteries 1500 times
Introduction
One of the reasons that rechargeable batteries are so environmentally friendly is because of the ability to reuse them. The GP ReCyko Pro 2000mAh AAs can be charged 1500 times over their life, which is considerably higher than most rechargeable batteries. Add in their high capacity and there isn’t a lot to complain about here, bar the relatively high price.
Design and Charges
- Built to be recharged multiple times
- Comparatively high capacity
It’s common to see NiMH rechargeable batteries that have a total life of around 500 charge cycles. That’s good, as one battery replaces 500 alkaline batteries; but the GP ReCyko Pro 2000mAh AA go further. These batteries have a lifetime of 1500 cycles: that’s more than double the GP ReCyko Charge 10 (when slow-charged).
No only that, but these batteries are designed to hold their charge: up to 70% after five years. This is excellent news, meaning you can charge these batteries so that they’re ready to go and use them at your leisure. In addition, they work well in low-discharge devices, such as remote controls: you should see similar battery life here as you do with non-rechargeable batteries.
Capacity is decent, too, with the ReCyko Pro rated at 2000mAh. That’s sufficient power to cope with most tasks, although those who want higher-capacity batteries should consider the Ansmann Digital AA HR6 2850mAh.
Performance
- Capacity consistently above rated
- Stable performance
I use an Ansmann Energy XC3000 battery test to measure actual performance. First, I measure the voltage of the batteries when fully charged. The initial voltage of the GP ReCyko Pro 2000mAh AA was 1.4V, which is pushing what you’d expect from an alkaline battery.
I then measured the initial capacity of the batteries, which came in at 2218mAh when tested with a high drain of 600mA (+/- 20%). That’s higher than the rated capacity by a decent amount.
Finally, to see if the batteries suffered any adverse effects from many charge cycles, I tested them by charging and discharging 50 times. I took capacity measurements every 10 cycles. As you can see from the graph below, there’s no evidence of capacity reducing over time – which is not surprising, given that these batteries can be charged so many times.
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Should you buy it?
If you have high demands and constantly find yourself charging batteries, these batteries will last you a long time and offer decent capacity.
If you use rechargeable batteries less regularly, then opt for a cheaper set. If power is important, then look for batteries that offer a higher capacity.
Final Thoughts
The GP ReCyko Pro 2000mAh AA are more expensive than much of the competition, but if you factor in how many times they can be charged, the cost begins to make sense. If you constantly find yourself charging batteries, then these could prove ideal. If you use rechargeable batteries less often, then you’d be better opting for cheaper batteries with fewer recharge cycles, 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.
