This Smartphone Habit Can Help Your Wireless Keyboard's Lifespan Too

By now, most people have either heard of or understand the 80-20 rule for rechargeable batteries, more specifically lithium-based batteries. The idea is not to fully discharge or recharge the battery but instead to keep it charged between 20% and 80%. This cuts down on the number of full cycles the battery experiences, and it also avoids the high and low extremes, meaning the battery is under less chemical stress. Typically, it's a habit reserved for smartphones, tablets, handheld game consoles, and anything with a sizable rechargeable battery. It's even a charging mistake that could be killing your laptop battery when not followed correctly. However, the rule can be applied to almost anything with a rechargeable battery, including your wireless keyboard.

That's because the batteries are rated for a certain number of cycles — a cycle is a full discharge to 0% and then a recharge back to 100%. The average battery in consumer electronics can last anywhere from 300 to 500 cycles, more or less. Modern lithium batteries don't need a full charge and discharge for training or activation like traditional nickel-metal hydride batteries. Keeping them above 20% prevents irreparable damage due to undercharge issues and keeping them around 80% prevents added stress from full-charge states.

The majority of the best Bluetooth keyboards out there come with rechargeable batteries, which means this rule should apply. Follow the 80-20 rule and your wireless keyboard's battery will last longer.

What if you don't want to deal with the hassle of maintaining the right charge levels? Realistically, it's not a difficult process, you just have to ensure you plug in to charge the battery before it's empty and unplug the charger when it's near 80%. But, you could also opt for a wired keyboard instead of wireless. If you're at your desk all the time, or the same static workspace, you don't necessarily need a wireless keyboard. Some of the best ergonomic keyboards for a home office are wired, anyway. Wired also gives you a better selection of mechanical keyboards, as well, which a lot of people prefer to the traditional membrane style boards. That's also why gamers prefer wired keyboards over wireless, better precision and feedback.

Some rechargeable wireless keyboards take disposable batteries, which is another option if you don't want to deal with recharging all the time. That does bring the downside of added cost since you'll have to buy spare batteries. If you do decide to use a wireless keyboard with a lithium battery, it might be helpful to know there are tools to check the battery health of your Bluetooth devices and other rechargeables.