The Battery Thread

[JayAgostino]

In a mission to find the best battery out there, CBC News compared batteries from dollar stores versus batteries from major brands such a Duracell and Energizer.


One thing I noticed is how unreliable the Duracell batteries seem to be. They seem to leak way more often than Energizer batteries. I believe it might have to do with what they're made of. Energizer makes its batteries out of lithium, but Duracell batteries are just regular alkaline batteries.

Has anybody else had a poor experience with Duracell? Are their rechargeable batteries any better?


Both Energizer and Duracell go far back. At one point, they almost merged into a single company, but the merger was blocked under antitrust charges.


In general, I try to avoid traditional batteries nowadays. Most of them can only be used once and don't seem hold as much of a charge. That's why I always prefer electronics with built-in lithium-ion batteries.

 

[Nycturne]

Energizer makes its batteries out of lithium, but Duracell batteries are just regular alkaline batteries.

What? Energizer sells alkalines too. At least two are in the thumbnails/screenshots of the videos in your post.

 

[JayAgostino]

What? Energizer sells alkalines too. At least two are in the thumbnails/screenshots of the videos in your post.

Sorry, I thought I remembered reading somewhere that Energizer made the decision to stop selling alkaline batteries years ago. At first glance, they didn't seem to sell a "regular" battery on their website.

 

[Nycturne]

Sorry, I thought I remembered reading somewhere that Energizer made the decision to stop selling alkaline batteries years ago. At first glance, they didn't seem to sell a "regular" battery on their website.

Energizer Max is alkaline (right on their main page). I also saw a bunch of "regular" alkalines on Amazon with Energizer's label on them that don't carry the "Max" branding.

As for rechargables, I tend to stick to eneloops, or rebranded versions of them.

 

[Cmaier]

Energizer Max is alkaline (right on their main page). I also saw a bunch of "regular" alkalines on Amazon with Energizer's label on them that don't carry the "Max" branding.

As for rechargables, I tend to stick to eneloops, or rebranded versions of them.

Eneloops are the best.

 

[JayAgostino]

Energizer Max is alkaline (right on their main page). I also saw a bunch of "regular" alkalines on Amazon with Energizer's label on them that don't carry the "Max" branding.

I took another look at their website. You're correct, so thank you.

As for rechargables, I tend to stick to eneloops, or rebranded versions of them.

I found that Eneloop batteries don't seem to last as long as Duracell and Energizer's rechargeable solutions. Obviously, your mileage may vary depending on what you're using the batteries for.

 

[Nycturne]

I found that Eneloop batteries don't seem to last as long as Duracell and Energizer's rechargeable solutions. Obviously, your mileage may vary depending on what you're using the batteries for.

Standard Eneloops are ~2000mAh while the Eneloop Pro is ~2500mAh. The difference is that the Eneloop is more shelf-stable (90% charge after 1 year, vs 70% after 1 year), and can handle more charge cycles. So it depends how you use AAs, really. For something like an Xbox controller? Eneloop Pro for sure. Something that draws very little current like sensors? Eneloops last longer for me.

Looking at the specs for Duracell and Energizer, they look a lot like the Eneloop Pro. I even see some discussion that at least some of the Duracells that were made in Japan are likely re-wrapped Eneloop Pros.

 

[Cmaier]

Standard Eneloops are ~2000mAh while the Eneloop Pro is ~2500mAh. The difference is that the Eneloop is more shelf-stable (90% charge after 1 year, vs 70% after 1 year), and can handle more charge cycles. So it depends how you use AAs, really. For something like an Xbox controller? Eneloop Pro for sure. Something that draws very little current like sensors? Eneloops last longer for me.

Looking at the specs for Duracell and Energizer, they look a lot like the Eneloop Pro. I even see some discussion that at least some of the Duracells that were made in Japan are likely re-wrapped Eneloop Pros.

I have a couple of those Duracells and I’m pretty sure they are Eneloop pros. Exactly the same specs, same build, etc. There are a few companies that sell Eneloops under their own brand, of course.

 

[MEJHarrison]

In general, I try to avoid traditional batteries nowadays.

I was there, but now I'm swinging back the other way. Here's an example. I was fooling with Unity recently. Normally I use a trackpad on my computer. But Unity is much (MUCH) better with a Windows style mouse. So I pulled it out of the drawer, popped a battery or two in and was up and running. When I'm done, I can remove the batteries because I might not touch it again for a year or two. If it was rechargeable, I'd need to make sure the battery gets charged from time to time. With a traditional battery, it can sit in a drawer (minus the batteries) for years getting ignored until it's needed.

If it's something that gets used regularly, I'm good with a built-in battery. But if it's something that doesn't get much use, I'd much rather have a battery that can be removed/replaced as needed.

 

[JayAgostino]

I even see some discussion that at least some of the Duracells that were made in Japan are likely re-wrapped Eneloop Pros.

I have a couple of those Duracells and I’m pretty sure they are Eneloop pros. Exactly the same specs, same build, etc. There are a few companies that sell Eneloops under their own brand, of course.

Do you think that Energizer's rechargeable batteries might also be rebranded Eneloops? I never realized that Panasonic manufactured white-label products...

I was there, but now I'm swinging back the other way. Here's an example. I was fooling with Unity recently. Normally I use a trackpad on my computer. But Unity is much (MUCH) better with a Windows style mouse. So I pulled it out of the drawer, popped a battery or two in and was up and running. When I'm done, I can remove the batteries because I might not touch it again for a year or two. If it was rechargeable, I'd need to make sure the battery gets charged from time to time. With a traditional battery, it can sit in a drawer (minus the batteries) for years getting ignored until it's needed.

If it's something that gets used regularly, I'm good with a built-in battery. But if it's something that doesn't get much use, I'd much rather have a battery that can be removed/replaced as needed.

My only concern with traditional batteries is that they often leak within a few years. Most rechargeable batteries are made of lithium, so that isn't an issue.

 

[Cmaier]

Do you think that Energizer's rechargeable batteries might also be rebranded Eneloops? I never realized that Panasonic manufactured white-label products...

My only concern with traditional batteries is that they often leak within a few years. Most rechargeable batteries are made of lithium, so that isn't an issue.

The energizers seem to not be Eneloops. They also have a reputation for being inferior to eneloop.

 

[JayAgostino]

They also have a reputation for being inferior to eneloop.

Oh, I never knew that. I've heard nothing but good things about Energizer. Eneloop or Duracell's rechargeable batteries seem to be the way to go then.

 

[Nycturne]

Do you think that Energizer's rechargeable batteries might also be rebranded Eneloops? I never realized that Panasonic manufactured white-label products...

Sanyo developed the batteries initially and manufactured white label Eneloops for a while. It's possible Panasonic is operating under existing agreements with Sanyo. But batteries are pretty heavily commodified when talking about AAs and the like as fewer devices take them over time. But there will be a long tail to this part of the battery market, so as companies seek to outsource, why not be the one people are outsourcing to?

Apple was known to use Eneloop for the batteries they sold in store back in 2010.

My only concern with traditional batteries is that they often leak within a few years. Most rechargeable batteries are made of lithium, so that isn't an issue.

Lithium-Ion/Poly have had their own issues though, and are generally considered hazardous enough for warnings and limits on how they can be shipped. NiMH batteries like these are nice and boring by comparison.

 

[JayAgostino]

I ended up deciding upon Energizer's "Alkaline Power" batteries. For whatever reason, they're only available on Amazon.

Energizer : Alkaline Power

Long lasting batteries provide dependable power for everyday use and emergency situations

www.amazon.com

 

[JayAgostino]

Make sure to store your batteries in a proper container!

 

[MEJHarrison]

Make sure to store your batteries in a proper container!

We picked up a Battery Daddy from the local Ace Hardware. It's fantastic.

Battery Daddy® - Store, Organize, and Protect ALL Your Batteries!

Battery Daddy® 180 battery organizer & storage case with tester! The better way to store & organize batteries! No more endlessly searching through cluttered junk drawers! Order Battery Daddy® Today!

www.getbatterydaddy.com

 

[Yoused]

My only concern with traditional batteries is that they often leak within a few years. Most rechargeable batteries are made of lithium, so that isn't an issue.

You have that slightly mangled. Most rechargeable batteries that are built in, and most phone batteries, are lithium. When it comes to letter batteries off the shelf, the rechargeable ones, IME, are almost entirely some NiMH-like things, and most chargers are built to handle those, while lithium letter batteries are almost always single-use (primarily because lithium charge management requires additional logic that is kind of difficult to implement in a $10 charging unit).