This charger will allow me to finally say goodbye to alkaline batteries in 2026

ZDNET's key takeaways

• Can take AA and AAA lithium ion and Ni-MH batteries
• Powered from any 15W+ USB-C charger
• Handy charger also acts as a caddy for batteries.

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I've made it my mission in 2026 to finally rid myself of all alkaline AA and AAA batteries. OK, there will be the edge case where something will need lithium AAs to run, but that's only things that run in cold weather (like a handheld GPS receiver) or have a very long runtime (like the Elevation Lab 10-year TimeCapsule for the Apple AirTag). One of the problems I've had is keeping a sufficient stock of charged batteries — a charger that holds two or four just doesn't cut it. What I need is a charger that can keep eight batteries charged up.

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This is what the Xtar L8 Box comes in. This charger ticks all the boxes for me and is set to become my charger of choice going into 2026. 

OK, so it's a battery charger. What's special about that? Well, a few things.

First, it can charge up to eight batteries simultaneously. Just pop an AA or AAA battery (lithium ion or nickel metal hydride) into any one of the free slots — and yes, it can handle both AA and AAA batteries, so you don't have to worry about what goes where — pop on the magnetic cover, and away it goes. 

Another winning feature for me is that it can be run from any 15W or above USB-C charger. Most people have at least half a dozen of these lying around, or they have a multiport desktop charger to plug it into. However you choose to power it, it's far more convenient than plugging it into a wall outlet.

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Charge time is approximately 2.6 hours for a full set of batteries, which is suitable for something like household batteries that you won't need in a hurry. Keep the batteries in the charger, and keep the charger plugged into a nearby USB-C port. You're always good to go.

The charger also acts are a convenient storage pot for batteries, with the magnetic lid doing a good job of keeping the batteries from spilling out of the holder.

Xtar also makes some very good batteries. I've found the batteries that I was sent for testing with the charger to be of excellent quality. Expensive, but that's the price you pay for a good, long-lasting battery. 

ZDNET's buying advice

Xtar is one of those brands that not only makes good stuff but is innovating to make standout products, and the L8 Box falls into that category. Not only is it a really good, solid product, but it's pushing the envelope of innovation.

At $30, the Xtar L8 Box is very reasonably priced, and if you need a USB-C charger to go with it, you can pick one up for under $10.