As a promising technology, electrically rechargeable zinc–air batteries have gained significant attention in the past few years. Herein, in this review, we focused on the main challenges of the electrically rechargeable zinc–air batteries in alkaline electrolytes and the up-to-date progress from materials to technologies towards overcoming these technical barriers. We first overviewed the design and working mechanism of the battery and classified the hindrances into dendritic growth at the anode, lack of higher performance bifunctional catalysts at the air electrode, and electrolyte-related problems. Then, detailed discussions have been provided on the latest progress to address these technical issues based on the nano/micro-materials. Flexible zinc–air batteries as a new development have also been discussed in a separate section. Finally, conclusions have been provided followed by future perspective.