Why did you choose the name ‘Pale Blue’?

In 1990, the Voyager 1 space Probe took a photo toward Earth from 3.7 billion miles away in which Earth can be seen as nothing more than one small blue pixel. This image helped many people realize the finiteness of our world and our resources. We believe that we should be using these resources more wisely and see the recent advancements in battery technology as a way to help us avoid the need to use or dispose of so many batteries.

What makes these different from my old rechargeable batteries?

Most rechargeable batteries, historically, were NiMh chemistry. They recharge very slowly and have a hard time keeping up with any high use applications. For example, your flashlight may seem not as bright as it would with other batteries. 

Also, NiMh batteries will discharge when not in use. So, if your headlamp hasn't been used in a couple months, you'll find your batteries will have lost a lot of charge over time. Pale Blue's Lithium ion chemistry and smart circuitry resolves all these issues.

My old rechargeable batteries never seem to hold a charge. What should I expect from Pale Blue?

Almost all rechargeable AA and AAA batteries that we all have experience with are NiMh rechargeables. One of the problems with this chemistry for rechargeables is that it has high self discharge. This simply means that the charge goes down on its own when the battery is not in use. So, whether you charge them and put them in a drawer or into a device but don't use it, later when you go to use them, the battery will have less charge. Combine this with the voltage drop that you get when NiMh discharges to a certain level, and the battery suddenly performs poorly and for not as long as you'd expect. 

Pale Blue are Lithium ion chemistry which has a much lower self discharge current and also holds a strong voltage through its discharge cycle. 

And don't forget, Pale Blue recharges super fast so you can recharge conveniently anytime you need a fresh charge.

Do Pale Blue batteries leak?

No. Lithium ion batteries have a very stable chemistry that will not leak like traditional alkaline or NiMh rechargeable batteries.

How safe are Pale Blue batteries?

Among other certifications, we are certified to IEC 62133:2012, the most important and relevant safety certification for Lithium Ion batteries. This standard specifies requirements and tests for the safe operation of portable sealed secondary cells and batteries (other than button) containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolyte, under intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse.

Why Mirco-USB and not USB-C?

One of the keys to preventing the need for and existence of more disposable batteries is to have the ultimate in convenience. Micro USB cables are ubiquitous and almost alway within arms reach. This means, no matter where you are, you should be able to find a Micro USB cable to charge up. USB C has it's upsides, but it's just not as readily available — yet.

Why don’t the big battery companies offer these?

The big battery companies want to sell you more batteries, not less. Our goal is to have people buy and use fewer batteries. If 'big battery' were to sell you this type of battery, it would erode their entire business model.

Do I need a special charger?

No need! Pale Blue batteries have a micro-USB port right on the battery. We provide a 4 ended micro-USB cable so you can charge 4 at a time.

How long do they take to charge?

Charging time is surprisingly fast, but will depend on the USB power you are using. You should expect under one hour to charge your AAA's and under two hours to charge your AA’s. Our 9V and D batteries take under 3 and 5 hours, respectively.

What kind of charger should I use?

Each Pale Blue battery will draw 0.5A when charging. If you are charging 4 batteries at the same time, using our 4:1 cable, the USB power supply should be rated at 2A output for optimized charging time (this will be marked on the power supply itself). 

Most new smartphone and tablet power supplies will support 2A charging, but some older power supplies, or your computer USB port, might only support 0.8A or 0.5A output. Pale Blue batteries will still charge with a lower output power supply, but it will take longer. 

We will soon offer a Pale Blue certified 2A output power supply on our website, to ensure that your batteries will charge at the optimized rate.

How many times can they be recharged?

Thanks to the advanced Lithium Ion technology, your batteries will last over one thousand charges. They charge fast and easy, so if you need to put them to work and suspect they are not full, just plug them in for a little while and you'll be good to go very soon.

Can I use my Pale Blue batteries while recharging them?

We cannot recommend this use case despite it being physically possible for two reasons. We cannot anticipate all the use cases and possible problems that could occur in those infinite use cases so it is not possible for us to ensure the safety or reliability of our product when recharging while in use. It is also worth noting that any battery that is constant in charge / discharge or on/off situation like this would likely have negative affects on the battery’s life, including your laptop and power banks.

How do I know when they are charged?

Our early batteries were red when charging and green when fully charged, more recent batteries will flash green when charging and be solid green when charged.

How does the capacity compare to typical alkaline batteries?

This is a technically complex issue to answer comprehensively, but let’s look at it through the lens of power output. For any application where power matters (such as a headlamp where brightness matters or a remote control toy where power/speed matters), lithium ion chemistry is superior. 

The power output of our product is consistently 40% stronger than an equivalent Alkaline and 50% more than a NiMh rechargeable. (Pale Blue holds stronger longer)

How long will Pale Blue batteries last?

When measuring useful capability, we can look at the time for the battery performance to degrade to half of its starting power. The discharge time to get down to 50% of starting power is about the same for Pale Blue and Alkalines. So, in this respect, we are competitive with what you expect from Alkalines. 

Can I bring these on an airplane?

This should be no problem in your carry on luggage. We cannot speak for the policies of every airline, so please check.

Can I use Pale Blue batteries to charge my other devices, such as my phone?

Unless you have an adaptor for that purpose, then you can not. The micro USB port on Pale Blue batteries is for charging the batteries only.

We know you won't be disappointed!

If the batteries are punctured, is there a risk of explosion?

The batteries are tested (and have passed) IEC62133-2:2017 This is the international safety standard for all lithium batteries. It includes very extensive safety testing, a crush test and flame test. Pale Blue batteries are designed to pass all these tests safely with the external metal casing, which is stronger than many typical Lithium battery designs. No Lithium battery should ever be punctured with a metal object, such as a nail, this is the same for a mobile phone battery or power bank, or even a Tesla EV.

Can I use your 9V in my smoke or carbon monoxide detector?

Most smoke detector and carbon dioxide detector manufacturers recommend not using rechargeable or rechargeable lithium batteries in their products. Always double check your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector instruction manuals and manufacturer’s recommendations before making the right battery selection. When in doubt, do not use rechargeable or rechargeable lithium batteries in your detectors.

Why should I consider Pale Blue when I can just buy cheap alkaline batteries in bulk?

Every battery you buy needs to be produced, shipped, stored, sold and disposed of. We believe this is a huge waste of the world's resources and creates unnecessary waste and carbon footprint. By using one Pale Blue, you can displace the need for 1000 batteries. This will save a lot of resources, and will also save you a lot of money over time.

Can they be recycled?

Yes. Please ask your recycling center where to put these. They may not want them mixed in with the other dry cells. For more information visit call2recycle.org