For today’s lifestyles, the most important attribute to consider is mobility. Advanced electronic devices such as portable computers and cell phones allow people to perform much more effectively than ever before. With mobility comes the increased need for portable power sources.

Fortunately, this advancement in electronics is matched with improvements in batteries that power these devices. Ni-MH batteries provide much more power than the Ni-Cd batteries and also eliminate any concerns on the usage of heavy metals in the making of these cells. The exciting new technology used in the sealed Ni-MH rechargeable batteries provides optimum results for battery-powered devices, in terms of performance and environmental friendliness.

Introduced to the commercial market in 1988, the Ni-MH battery is still at an early stage of maturity, but has already proven to be an attractive power source for today’s devices.

There are several benefits of Ni-MH batteries, such as a higher energy density, which is almost 40% more than the nickel-cadmium batteries. This increase in energy density helps with providing longer run times, which means longer service life than ordinary batteries of the same size. They also charge much faster, in approximately one hour. They are safe to use and designed to withstand a variety of abusive conditions in consumer devices. Unlike the Ni-Cd batteries and other battery systems, they are environmental friendly, as there is no fear of cadmium, mercury or lead toxicity.

Today, the Ni-MH battery is hugely popular with high-end portable electronic devices where the performance of the battery translates into run-time, which is a major consideration for a consumer and influences their decision in the purchase of product. The reduced weight and volume also play an important role.

Ni-MH batteries are similar to Ni-Cd batteries as they use the same technology. The only difference is that they use hydrogen-absorbing negative electrode instead of the cadmium-based electrode used in Ni-Cd. This small change increases the electrical capacity of the battery as well as eliminates the toxicity problem. The problem of “memory” does not exist in the Ni-MH batteries, as there is no cadmium used.

These batteries are designed to ensure maximum safety with a safety vent, to avoid build up of pressure in case of being exposed to high temperature, charged excessively or abused in other ways. They can also be used in any position and the only maintenance that is needed is to keep them dry and clean while in use as well as in storage. Whether stored when charged or discharged, nothing happens to these batteries.