The Best Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers

By / / 393 Comments / Batteries, Portable Electronics

Here are my recommendations for the best rechargeable AA batteries:

  • If you want the best energy capacity (2550 mAh) — get the Eneloop Pro (about $18 for a pack of 4)
  • If you want maximum recharge capacity (2100 times) — get the 4th Generation Panasonic Eneloops (about $11 for a pack of 4)
  • If you are on a budget, don’t mind a little less performance from your batteries —  get the Powerex AAs (about $10 for a pack of 4)

Overall, the best rechargeable AA battery is the Eneloop Pro. They have a high energy capacity (2550 mAh), and they perform better than similar high-capacity AAs. They can only be charged 500 times (versus 2100 times for regular Eneloops). But most people will never charge their batteries that many times. For example, if you charged your batteries twice a week consistently, it would take 5 years to reach 500 charges.

Also worthy of consideration is the Powerex battery, which is cheaper than the Eneloop Pro. These Powerex are also low-discharge, high-capacity batteries (2400 mAh), but they do not perform quite as well as the Eneloop Pro (see this review for the details on their performance).

The Details

Today, the best rechargeable batteries are the “low self-discharge” Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) cells.

These batteries have a lot going for them: they come fully charged (like alkaline batteries), and they can hold their charge over many months (unlike regular Ni-MH rechargeables). Because they can hold their charge for so long, they are suitable for low-drain devices like remote controls and flashlights. However, they are ideal for high-drain electronic devices like digital cameras, which outperform alkalines. See this graph for comparison:

eneloop-comparison

Generally, the best low self-discharge batteries are made in Japan (the others are made in China). These are Panasonic’s Eneloops, Duracell, Energizer, and Sony. The Eneloop Pro batteries from Panasonic hold their charge the longest, and they are my top recommendation. I do not recommend the Energizer or Duracell rechargeable batteries — these name brands seem to produce inferior rechargeables, perhaps to protect their sales of alkaline batteries.

Eneloop Rechargeable Batteries by Panasonic

Better designed than other rechargeables, Eneloop batteries have become a best-selling battery. Eneloops can be recharged up to 2100 times, and they will retain their charged capacity even after years of storage. After 6 months, they retain 90% of their charge. After five years, they retain 70% of their charge (stored at 20 degrees Celsius). Panasonic recommends keeping the batteries in a cool location to maximize charge retention.

The AA-sized Eneloops are rated at 2000 mAh, and the AAA-sized Eneloops are rated at 800 mAh (mAh stands for “MiliAmp hours” — a unit that indicates how much energy a battery can hold.)

The charge times are as follows: AA Eneloops charge in 230 minutes, and AAA Eneloops charge in 135 minutes.

Eneloop batteries are available at Amazon in 8 packs, 16 packs, and 32 packs. They are also available with a charger: 8 Eneloop Batteries with a Charger. Note that these links to the second-generation 2000 mAh eneloops.

Eneloop Pros

Sanyo XX "Powered By Eneloop"

The Eneloop Pro is a high-capacity version of the regular Eneloop cell. The Eneloop Pro has a capacity of 2500 mAh –this is 500 mAh more than the regular Eneloops. Their only potential downside is that they can be charged 500 times — not 2100 times like the regular Eneloops. However, on average most people will charge their batteries about 100-200 times over a 5-year period.

The Best Battery Chargers

How about some good battery chargers to go with these batteries? The chargers featured below are some of the smartest out there — they have built-in protection to prevent overcharging or undercharging. They can also handle most battery sizes.

PowerEx MH-C9000 WizardOne Charger-Analyzer

The PowerEx MH-C9000 is one of the more sophisticated NiMH AA battery analyzers/chargers available. It has excellent ratings on Amazon — an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars from about 300 reviewers.

The drawback is that the single-status LCD panel has a long programming sequence, making it difficult to use for multiple cells. If this is an issue for you, consider the Maha charger listed below.

The PowerEx MH-C9000 is available at Amazon for about $60.

Maha PowerEx “Ultimate Professional” Charger

Maha PowerEx Battery Charger

The Maha’s Ultimate Professional Charger lives up to its hyperbolic name. This compact charger can charge any combination of 1 to 8 batteries. You can mix and charge AA, AAA, C, and D-sized cells simultaneously on individual charging circuits. Each battery has its own fixed contact charging points (i.e. not a spring). An LCD display shows the charging and conditioning status of each rechargeable battery.

Maha’s chargers can restore batteries to optimal performance by repeatedly charging and discharging them. It also has intelligent charging technology and overcharge protection. It also comes with an international AC adaptor, and short-circuit protection.

It’s available from Amazon for around $110.

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393 thoughts on “The Best Rechargeable Batteries and Chargers”

    1. Peter

      Hey Justin, how come you state Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA batteries have a higher capacity than Powerex PRO AA? Eneloop Pro AA 2550 mAh vs Powerex Pro AA 2700 mAh? What the deal?

  4. Joseph Raymond Soria

    I’m looking for rechargeable batteries for my flashlight. Looking for a set with charging stand so I may charged two and have two in my flashlight. I have a UltraFire CREE XML – T6. I do not know what type of batteries they use since I can not find the old ones. My email is: usmchotshot@yahoo.com if anyone can help me.

  5. Hans Daoghn

    I have been using regular (white) Eneloop AA and AAA batteries since 2006. They are used in computer mice and keyboards, thermostats, pencil sharpers, TV and Roomba remote controls, calculators, postage and kitchen scales, under-counter lights, and clocks. They do well. I have labeled the year I bought them (2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012). To date I can not detect any diminution of their capacity. In 2017 I purchased a pair of the AA Eneloop Pros (the black ones). I don’t find they last longer than the regulars despite their 20% extra capacity. I charge all the Eneloops with a PALO PL-NC01 4 place charger. It charges quicker than the Panasonic/Eneloop charger I also have.

  8. Rich Stiebel

    I am looking to replace the rechargeable batteries in my Craftsman portable screwdriver. These are shown in the attached picture.

    Each battery is 1 5/8 inch long by 7/8” diameter. The ampere-hour is not printed on the batteries, but obviously the higher the A-H, the better. The overall length of the two battery assembly is 3 3/8”.

    Note the end tabs welded on each end. These are used to connect to the screwdriver.

    What do you have that is equivalent to these batteries, what is there ampere-hour capacity, and how much do they cost with the tabs welded on the ends?

    Rich Stiebel
    email: W6APZ@comcast.net
    I’ll upload a jpg picture of the batteries I have if you send me an email that permits attachments.

  9. Buyprobattery

    Hey Justin, hope you are well. I love the portable charger for batteries and personally use Duracell batteries for my camcorder, but after reading your blog about Eneloop, I also tried it and I am very impressed. Compared to my old one, this one performs better.

  11. clipping expert asia

    Purchased Eneloop charger with four batteries two months ago. Charger works great and ONE set of batteries operates my digital camera great but the other set lasts only about 15 minutes before I get the “change batteries” signal on my camera. How to solve this?

    1. Frank

      make sure to check your cam settings, it should have thr option to switch from single use to rechargeable type, so it doesnt recognize a slight V drop as an empty battery.
      might wanna get some rechargeable lipo aa/aaa, as they keep the voltage at 1.5 till they are empty.
      just make sure to use a li charger for them.

  14. Para

    Purchased Eneloop charger with four batteries two months ago. Charger works great and ONE set of batteries operates my digital camera great but the other set lasts only about 15 minutes before I get the “change batteries” signal on my camera. Probably just one bad battery dragging the other one down but it’s beet a little frustrating. Batteries and charger purchased at Walmart.

    1. Samuel Ruiz

      Its not about capacity its more about how well these batteries are built I have a set from 2015 and they’re still chugging and they’re only slightly under their rated capacity other batteries lose their capacity after their first 100 charges

  17. Eric M

    Any recommendations other than Powerex brand? I have had 3 MH-C9000 units fail in a period of 7 years, sort of getting sick of basically paying a $50 annual fee just to charge batteries…

    1. Jaybo

      I’ve had 2 Powerex chargers die on me.. the invididual slots either die or start acting strange. I got tired of the Powerex chargers dieing as well, just got a La Crosse BC-1000 for a change.

      3. Anonymous

        I’ve had similar experiences with the La Crosse chargers. I’ve had 4 and have not found them all the wonderful. And when I bought the charger they threw in several of their brand of rechargeable batteries. And half of the batteries would report ‘Null’ when I tried to charge them. And the ones that did charge were way under their rated capacity even when using the refresh mode.

        I’ve had great success with the Eneloop Pro batteries as well. They are my go to rechargeable.

    2. jerry

      I just bought their new “Pro” version of the Powerex C-9000. In a week it failed twice to terminate charging, and overcharged (cooked, and ruined) two very new Varta batteries. I also noticed that this Powerex MH C9000 Pro charger seriously overheats the batteries because of poor re-design. Gone is the kick stand, electronics are now all cramped at the bottom, under the batteries, so heat does up. The original had temperature sensors, and seem to be gone on the new version.

      I think Powerex are overrated junk, and only popular because they buy a lot of Google ads.

  20. RNR

    With our caravan and touring holidays, we try to make sure that there is a charging station (USB ports) that we can access when on the road. That way we don’t have to rely on batteries packs or rechargeable batteries.
    RNR

  25. Jim

    Would Enloop Pro batteries be good in Solar Power products – like Solar Powered Christmas Lights or Garden Lights? Or would the solar panal not be good enough to recharge them? James

      1. MixerFistit

        Most solar lights don’t really need such high capacity as Eneloops, and the panels may not be able to charge the fully either, but they should still work.

  28. Dan

    Somewhat related comments. While shopping recently for Duracell CEF14 bundles are a local store, I noticed the one which have been stocked in the last few weeks specifically state on the packaging that the cells are made in China. Prior to December all the Duracell CEF14 packages stated the charger was made in China while the cells were made in Japan. This seems to be a very recent change-possibly occurring in December 2018.

  30. Jackson

    Thanks, For a high energy capacity (2550 mAh), and they perform better than similar high-capacity AAs. They can only be charged 500 times (versus 2100 times for regular Eneloops). But most people will never charge their batteries that many times. For example, if you charged your batteries twice a week consistently, it would take 5 years to reach 500 charges.

  31. Stefan Nilsson

    I have Three powerex chargers which are very good. I went to buy some eneloop batteries but some of them failed after a few charge cycles. So what about some real world testing instead of just reprinting press releases?

    1. master

      You make baseless accusations. The Eneloops have a 4.6 rating on Amazon from thousands of reviewers, and are recommended by Wirecutter. Perhaps you need to (1) check your charger (2) ask for a refund on those batteries.

  32. ultYmate

    I have 3 brands of batteries.
    Eneloop (AA) 1.2v 1900 mAh (made by Sanyo).
    Very good with low self-discharge.

    Orbtronic (18650) 3.7v 3400mAh (made by Panasonic).
    Very high self-discharge. Store them for a week and you’ll have to recharge back up from 85%.

    EBL (AAA) 1.2v 1100mAh (Chinese)
    I can’t give you figures but the seem to have a very low self discharge.

    I bought an EBL torch with a CREE XML-L2 LED bulb. It gives me a chassis to use 3 AAA batteries which provides a voltage of 3.6v, or an option to use a single (26650) type battery. EBL sells a (26650) 3.7v 5000mAh battery.

    Ques: If i use the chassis with the 3 (AAA) 1.2v with 1100mAh each (one after the other, in sequence not in parallel) — does that produce 3.6v with a total capacity of 1100mAh or does it produce 3.6v with a total capacity of 3300mAh?

  36. web master

    Note: this comment was accidentally deleted so I’m reposting:

    From Brian (bferguss@accesscomm.ca) —

    I have two Maha chargers, one MH-C801D “Eight Cell 1-Hr PRO AA/AAA Charger” and one MH-C808M “Charger for Eight AA/AAA/C/D NiMH/NiCD Batteries”. Battery performance improved immensely when I switched from a cheap charger that charged in pairs. I had a camera that took 4 batteries and it would get perhaps 30-50 shots before giving a low battery warning. After switching to the Maha charger I could easily get 400-500 shots from a charge. My theory is that not all batteries were being charged properly / evenly, so one or more in each set were causing the camera to set off the warning.

    Most of my batteries are PowerEx 2700 mAh (not LSD) and they work fine. I do note their performance deteriorates after repeated ‘top-up’ charging, but I recently ran them through the conditioning cycle of the Maha charger and that made a huge improvement in performance. My wife and I shot a wedding on the weekend using speed lights as fill flash outdoors (200-300 flash shots with each camera) and neither of us needed to change batteries. To be fair these were only fill flash, not full manual shots, but we were both surprised we didn’t need to change the batteries.

    BTW, I’m looking to get another charger and I’m looking at a few chargers – does anyone have experience with one or more of these chargers?:
    1) PALO 12 Bays/Slots Smart Battery Charger – https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07FC5L8T2/ref=psdc_677270011_t1_B07CNBW2D4
    2) Tenergy TN438 16 Bay Smart Charger – https://www.amazon.ca/Tenergy-TN438-Auto-detect-protection-Intelligent/dp/B00ZYTX93M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1533751954&sr=8-1&keywords=Tenergy+TN438+16+Bay+Smart+Charger
    3) EBL Smart Individual 12 Bay/Slot AA AAA 9V Battery Charger With LCD – https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01LVZY6TJ/?coliid=IE9X1V5K56QXM&colid=2UJH8AF6I31BR&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

    I’m also looking to get more batteries, LSD this time, and I’m quite intrigued by some of the very positive reviews / comparisons of the IKEA LADDA 2450 batteries to the Eneloops. Other than low self-discharge, I’m keen to see faster recycle times for flash. Some reviews:
    1) https://www.slrlounge.com/panasonic-eneloop-vs-ikea-ladda-are-they-the-same/
    2) https://petapixel.com/2018/02/16/eneloop-pro-20-batteries-ikea-ladda-5-batteries/

    PowerEx Pro batteries look good as well, albeit at a higher price than the IKEA LADDA: https://www.slrlounge.com/powerex-pro-aa-batteries-vs-eneloop-a-practical-review-for-photographers/

  38. agudeza

    In the beginning of this article, it says:

    “If you want maximum recharge capacity (2100 times) — get the 4th Generation Panasonic Eneloops (800 mAh)”

    Why would you buy 800mah for 2100 cycles when eneloop comes with 2000mah and gets 2100 cycles? What battery is this article even referring to? And for that matter, what makes the pro worth the money for an additional 550mah if they only get 500 cycles? Because the article says that even excessive use and recharging would still only exhaust 500 cycles in 5 years? Well, the best value is obviously the most for the least and that is clearly the eneloop 2000mah with 2100 cycles. I might not ever use my 2100 cycles. Point is, 2550mah does not really offer any type of amazing increase in duration to make the Pro a good value. 550 cycles will eventually be exhausted and that will happen way faster than 2100 cycles. Any device that actually benefits from 2550 mah over 2000 mah likely sucks the life out of batteries anyway. And you will definitely be paying for replacements while those using the eneloops with 2000 mah with 2100 cycles will likely get a lifetime out of their batteries. I have already given several of my AA eneloops to my kids and they probably won’t exhaust the 2100 cycles either. My grandkids will likely see use from these same batteries. Why not save your money over the short and long term?

    1. Vito Meuli

      My two cents: buying the more expensive Eneloops Pro (2550mAh) is only worth if you use them for really important tasks, like flashlights while wedding photography, or flying a drone…something where a 25% more long time is worth for you. Otherwise, I agree normal Eneloops are better.

    2. Matt

      agudeza – Your numbers are all wrong which is probably why you’re confused.

      Regular 4th Gen AA Enelope has a capacity of 800 mAh and can be recharged 2100 cycles.

      The Pros have a capacity of 2100 mAh (1300 mAh or 262% higher) and can be recharged 500 cycles.

      You only use the pros if you have high drain devices where the regular one won’t work or last long enough.

      1. Jay

        Agudeza’s numbers are all wrong, but so are yours. You compared AAA capacity to AA capacity. The AAA Eneloop (Enelope?!) batteries have 800mAh capacity, while the Pro AAs have 950. The Eneloop AAs have 2000mAh capacity and the Pro AAs have 2550, not 2100.

  41. Bren McHugh

    The choice of font and background colors makes this site very difficult to read especially for old eyes. I had to stop soon after I started. Seems good site but a hard slog.

      1. Allen Blum

        I had not seen you site’s colors before you made the change. but I certainly respect the attitude you displayed by responding to Bren McHugh’s concerns. I’ve been on the internet since the early 80’s and have visited more than a few sites with poor choices in colors and/or fonts.

        I have been thinking about getting into web design, and this discussion motivates me to see if I can find information on the subject. Among other things, I plan to search for info on color choices that would not disadvantage a color-blind person.

  45. Andrew

    Nice article and great website content. We are a provider of waste disposal services on the Gold Coast in Australia http://www.skipbinsgoldcoast.co and we support and respect the regulation and laws relating to waste management. We always encourage our customers to recycle and we are passionate about preventing hazardous products and waste entering landfill areas. Thank you for sharing your knownledge.

  46. Andrew

    The Powerex batteries have been awesome. I have used them for the last 8 years. Have a killed a few, due to usage and charging beyond their recommendedife span.. But have been great, used in a variety of flashes.. Would have been good to include in the review.. Given their extra storage.. ☺

  47. Mississippi_MAN

    I have had excellent luck with the Opus BT-C2000 charger for the NIMh batteries. It is reasonably priced and it will charge/test and refresh NiMh batteries. It has charging current selection from 1400ma to 400ma. I charge the AA batteries at 800ma and the AAA’s at400ma. It is powered by a 12VDC wall wart adapter. It can also be powered from a 12 VDC car adapter also. I have tried numerous other chargers and I always use my BT-C2000 first. One thing to avoid is the use of chargers that only charge pairs of batteries. Buy a smart charger that charges single batteries. The pair type chargers sense the total series voltage of the two batteries. If one battery is mostly charged and the other one mostly discharged the charger will over charge the partially charged battery damaging it. Using the pair charger is the quickest way to ruin perfectly good batteries. The battery manufacturers still build the pair chargers knowing that they are prone to ruining batteries. (I guess it makes for more battery sales sooner rather than later). Pay the few dollars more for a smart charger/analyzer that will take care of your batteries.

  52. Mike Skvarenina

    A few questions:

    1) You don’t mention the Powerex 2700 mAh in your review. At 2700 mAh they have greater capacity vs the 2500 mAh Eneloops. Are the Powerex bad batteries?

    2) How can one tell if their Nimh batteries need to be replaced? Some say they be recharged 500 times, other 2000 times but when does one know it’s time to replace them?

    1. web master

      I haven’t test thet Powerex brand, but they seem like decent batteries.

      You can see your NiMh batteries need replacing, if you have a smart charger — the charger will indicate the condition of the battery each time you charge.

  53. Jimmy W.

    You still have a job as a taxi driver? I ask because of Uber & Lyft being able to operate without a taxi medallion and skirting around the laws that are in place for this industry.

  54. longtimealaskan

    Question for those knowledgeable about rechargeable batteries: I am not particularly knowledgeable about rechargeable batteries and suitable battery chargers. The article mentioned PowerEx MH-C9000 as a good battery charger. I have an earlier PowerEx battery charger, the PowerEx MH-C204W model. I have been using Energizer 2500 mah rechargeable batteries but would like to try the Eneloop Pro batteries. I would assume any charger that charges NiMH AA batteries would be suitable to charge the Eneloop Pro batteries as well. Am I correct that my PowerEx charger would work fine to charge the Eneloop Pro batteries?

    1. Jose Antonio Vicedo

      Gustavo,
      Hopefully you are doing fine in your new company but defenitly not agree with your product. Here it is the brand new digital battery discharger, which work like a load bank and it is manufactured originaly by Bassi in Italy, recently adquaried by Borwarner. I bought one from this link to the distriburtor Digamel, they have a big stock of them:

      Feel free to take a look:
      https://subestaciones.digamel.com/en/products/battery-discharger-analyzer/

  61. billy baroo

    Yes it is. The exact same voltage as a rechargeable D cell. And if you put an alkaline aa in a d cell adapter it is the exact same as an alkaline D cell battery. Rechargeable nimh batteries are typically 1.2 volts vs 1.5 volts for alkaline. This includes aaa, aa, c and d. All the same power just varying capacity. So, obviously, a D cell will last longer than a c which lasts longer than AA etc. So when you put a AA battery in a D cell adapter, you get the same exact power, it just won’t last as long.

  66. Old luddite

    Regarding practical uses, cordless phones seem to be one of the most universal applications. However, describing the 500-2100 recharges of Eneloop batteries, most folks just plop the phone back into the base unit – which then recharges, so 500 recharges can easily occur in six or even two months. Flashlights and other common utilitarian applications of rechargeables may completely discharge a battery set in heavy use, but phones seem to be an exception where frequent, even constant recharging is more likely. What does this mean for cost effectiveness, lifespan of typical batteries, etc? I’ve gone through several generations of batteries in a Panasonic phone, and just now have two separate phones with Energizers, that seemed to work better than Panasonic or oem brand for a year or more, suddenly, both pairs are unable to hold more than a weak charge, will not recharge more even in a different charging unit, as if the two sets of batteries crossed some threshold number of charges literally one week to the next. I’d made a point of leaving the handset out until it showed a low battery display to avoid such issues, but apparently that did not help. Ideas?

  67. Ronald Racher

    I’m looking to buy several of these: https://www.thesolarcentre.co.uk/products/Kodiak_Solar_PIR_Post_Light-822-104.html – Solar PIR post lights and want to know the best AA size rechargeable batteries to use.
    Am intending using the lights to illuminate a driveway at night by turning on whenever motion is detected then to turn off again about a minute later. Otherwise the lights would always be off. Which would be the best AA size rechargeable batteries to use in the lights where they are being recharged by day by the solar panel in the post light.
    Of interest is the number of times the batteries may be recharged by the solar panels, so how long they might last? And to what extent they would be recharged during each day in southern UK where the winters are generally cloudy with little direct sunlight?

    Have read good reports of Eneloop Pro rechargeables.
    Any advice on these questions would be welcome. Thanks

  72. Carson B Wagner

    Actually, yes, they do. In elementary school, I’d first learned that, with my “Stomper 4X4s,” the undersides onto which you could jigger a connection for a C-sized battery, which provided “the same amount of juice” but would last forever, as compared to the AA-sized batteries for which those awesome little cars were built. The standards for battery sizes were likely originally set by the IEEE — the association that has “governed” technological standards, from computer parts down to literally nuts and bolts sizes — and so it was a long time before I was in elementary school.

    Anywho, the usual AAA-, AA-, B-, C-, and D-sized batteries deliver the exact same “amount” of power, as in 1.5 volts of electricity (shooting for 1.21 gigwatts standard, of course, regardless of voltage) per battery, but the bigger the battery, the longer it can put out those 1.5 volts. That’s why smaller 9-volt batteries, that used to be used to power something that needs a lot of juice but doesn’t have room for even 6 AAA (1.5 x 6 being 9) batteries, like a transistor radio or an LCD Mattel Football game, were made — not just so that you could put your tongue on the + and – terminals, to get an electric shock, the way we used to test how much juice was left in a battery. Hope that helps.

    1. Earl

      Hello, I hope you can help.
      I am looking to buy the Lego rechargeable battery for Lego EV3 Mindstorms. The Lego Product Details are quoted below….
      “The lithium ion EV3 Rechargeable DC Battery is designed for use with the EV3 Intelligent Brick and features a capacity of 2050 mAh. It provides longer run time than 6 AA batteries and can be charged without taking the model apart. ”
      Based on the comments in your articles below, this 2050 may is less than one AA Eneloop. So 6 AA Eneloop would be more than 6 times as much as this lithium ion EV3 Rechargeable. Can you tell me if there is something I do not understand? I would appreciate your help.

  75. J White

    MAHA POWEREX “ULTIMATE PROFESSIONAL” CHARGER
    Is the only way to go for my business .. I have to use this charger every other day and it has held up like a champ.

    J White
    MAHA POWEREX “ULTIMATE PROFESSIONAL” CHARGER

    I have to use this charger everyday – it holds up like a champ.

  76. Koko O Santos

    Hello. I’m planning on investing in a rechargeable battery/charger set to be used with Pure Enrichment’s PurePulse Duo TENS/EMS unit (unfortunately, it doesn’t have a built-in rechargeable battery). I’m not sure if this has been asked before. My battery choice is Panasonic’s Eneloop and need some guidance as to whether it would be all right to settle for the Smart & Quick charger bundled with the battery pack or if I would be better off buying one of the Maha Energy chargers you have recommended. Fortunately, all the items I have mentioned are available here in my country (Philippines). Unfortunately, though, that also makes it a bit harder for me to decide what to get. Thanks in advance.

    1. Angora Cat

      Eneloop was originally developed by Sanyo. Panasonic aquired Sanyo and in that deal, the Japan factories were sold to Fujitsu…

      XX is the first generation eneloop pro by Sanyo, while the Fujitsu eneloop pro is 2nd generation and made in Japan.
      All Panasonic eneloop are made in China and other countries but not Japan.

      shouldn’t be any issue to use the Sanyo charger. I used mine for years to charge the eneloop.

  78. Oliver

    fact is, ANY made-in-japan LSD nimh IS a “eneloop”, no matter what “brand” is selling it,
    as all are made by fujitsu.
    any difference between them (when identical capacity) will stem from the different gen’s (1-5; amazons are 2nd gen), so any LSD made in japan will be superior to any other nimh.

  79. tt

    I just recently got a set of 4 AA Duracell. The package no longer marked them as 2400MAH, but as 2500MAH. Could these just simply be the rewrapped overpriced Eneloop XX they were talking about? The tops are black.

  81. Kev

    I have a rechargeable gaming mouse I use for work, and have been looking at other rechargeable AA batteries to replace the stock AA NiMH battery that came with it. I came across some 3500 mAh AA Ni-MH 1.2V rechargeable batteries from UltraFire.

    3500 mAh seems huge! Has anyone ever heard of the brand UltraFire? Are these batteries legit?

    1. JRSP

      They are not legit. Most of the UltraFire high mAh claims have been debunked as well as a lot of fake ones on eBay. I still don’t understand how eBay allows this to continue especially since it’s a complete scam. I guess the loop hole is taking all the batteries that come in the listing and wiring them in parallel.

      If you get a good charger that can test battery capacity ($50), you can see for yourself. I have some lithium ones that claim to be 6000 mAh and it’s a complete joke. I will have to test on my new BT-C3400 charger and update my blog once I get around to it. Ever hear about the exploding ecigs that use high discharge batteries? I wouldn’t risk it. Use the right battery for the application. I had ordered LG lithium batteries for my headlamps and stopped using the UltraFire since I don’t want to risk a battery exploding near my head. It’s like a ticking time bomb strapped to the back of my head, no thanks. Even reputable manufacturers like Samsung had to replace all those Note 7s recently. Also Amazon is asking for people who had purchased recalled scooters to pretty much get rid of them for a full refund.

      As for the gaming mouse. Spend the extra and get the eneloop pro. They are the best rechargeable batteries especially since they have set the bar on LSD (low self-discharge). I’m actually going to get a set myself since my Apple Magic Mouse likes to eat batteries for breakfast.

      Definitely invest in a good charger like the one I mentioned BT-C3400 that can charge li-ion, nicd, and nimh rather than the MH-C9000 which doesn’t support li-ion and at the same price point ($55), the BT-C3400 is the best value. A cheaper alternative is the La Crosse BC700 ($35) which I don’t own, I have the upgraded BC1000 ($55).

      If you need more information, read the reviews on Amazon by NLee the engineer.

    2. Tom

      Bought a Quad pack of Ultra Fire and singles from the Netherlands through eBay,
      low static discharge for a Solar Storm dual Cree LED bike light, used daily with the 4 pack, which is
      the 18650 battery in a wrapped pack ( one unit ), stay bright until the pack runs out of juice.

      I Must have got lucky, they have been going strong with no noticeable degradation for about
      1.5 years of every day use – in the winter I use it to do trade and computer tech work – installed on
      a small camera podium, they have been invaluable as a mini trouble light.

      When Ultra Fires are good they are really good and almost equival my Eneloops, though
      this may not prove true as they are not as time tested, So Far my Ultra Fires are an amazing
      2nd best to any battery I have ever used.

      The small super bright 18650 fitting ( single batttery ) Cree LED Flashlights are indispensable
      and able to light up a 100 foot square area from a 3rd story window like it was a headlight.

      I have been a computer tech (18years), stage tech an avid bike rider and multi tech repair guy
      with no less then 30 types of flash lights ( no kidding – really more ) so Eneloops & Ultra Fires
      with the brightest Cree LED bulbs available are the only way I go now.

  82. erikdenhouter

    Is here anyone who can confirm something I read in the user manual for the Powerex MH-C9000:

    “If more than one battery is inserted at a time (without key press), the charger will prompt for programming in the order in which the batteries were inserted.”

    Does this mean that when I insert 4 batteries, I have to program -every- of these 4 slots separately ?
    If so, I don’t find that very user friendly, specially because I also can’t find anything about a memory for the last used settings.

    2. dkrugman

      Yes – it is a bit tedious. You can pop four batteries in and let them charge at the default 1000mA rate, but that’s not what you bought an expensive charger/analyzer to do. It’s not complicated, but it does take some thinking to understand how it works. I often make five or more button presses per battery, e.g. down > down > enter > down > enter to set a battery to break-in at 2400mA.

  83. Huw Thomas

    Hi

    I have been using non-rechargeable Duracell 9v batteries with my wireless microphone but they don’t last long before the radio mic stops working (even with brand new, the batteries don’t appear to show as fully charged on the meter i.e. less than 9v and out of the ‘green/good battery life’ zone. How can that be? It is very expensive to keep replacing them therefore I am looking for the best 9v rechargeables to power my wireless microphone. Do Eneloop do an equivalent ? If not, what 9v would be best suited for wireless microphone use? (microphone is used up to half an hour at a time on a weekly basis). Also, what’s the best 9V charger out there? Thanks.

    2. Matt

      Keep that chart from the article in mind for radio mics. Many radio mics use voltage to give an indication of remaining power. That can drop suddenly (i.e. mid performance) with rechargables. It is still doable if you are aware of this and know how long your healthy fully recharged rechargable will normally last in the mic (rather than using the mics indicator).

  84. Cindy

    I’m having issues with eneloop batteries I bought from Amazon. I create illuminated sculptures and am looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly. Up until now, I have been using alkaline batteries. The string LED lights I use attached to a battery box with a timer. I have been testing the eneloops on a battery box that takes three AA batteries. The timer turns the lights on for 6 hours every day at the same time. With alkaline batteries I get about 3 weeks. With the eneloops I got from Amazon I get one day at full power and the next day they come on bright and dull after about an hour. The third day they don’t work at all. This isn’t right. Aren’t they supposed to last longer than alkalines?

    1. web master

      Cindy,

      I agree – it sounds like something is wrong. The Eneloops should last at least as long as the alkalines. I uses Eneloops to power wireless mice and they last for months. Perhaps the Eneloop were damaged somehow — possibly during charging.

      Justin

    2. Vinay

      What voltage do your lights need? That is most likely the issue here. An alkaline cell produces 1.5v initially and this then reduces over time. A NiMH cell only produces 1.3v initially and this settles to 1.2v.

      You will probably get acceptable results with NiMH if you switch to using a 4-cell battery box and use the appropriate series resistor to limit the current through the LEDs.

  86. Terry N.

    Seems that a recommendation on full function chargers / analyzers is appropriate to many of the posts from casual or new users.

    While there are many ‘decent’ single and multi-chemistry chargers, smart chargers and analyzers out there, two in particular stand out for their range of features that should be demanded by users. Unfortunately, you actually need both to have the FULL set of features for all occasions.

    First, the XTAR VC4 charger. It is a state of the art digital four channel ‘smart / intelligent’ charger technology for almost all chemistry versions of Li-Ion and Ni-MH [ not Ni-Cad], for 1.2v in AAA through C / D, and up to 3.7v in the10440 through 32650 sizes. You can’t find a better charger, with all the safety features for protected and unprotected batteries. BUT, its claim to fame for me and reason I have one is the ability to revive over-discharged batteries from 0v, even tricking a tripped ‘over-discharge protection circuit’ into allowing the battery to come back to life, which is a feat few other chargers can match. The caveat is that revival is possible in many cases, but not if the battery is damaged internally, chemically or mechanically, by serious or complete over-discharge. I can’t live without mine for all normal charging needs, with its digital displays and info, including an approximation of mAh capacity after full charge. Its one major flaw is that it does’t have a discharge/charge cycle to condition and renovate batteries and give you a more accurate mAh capacity reading. The price is right though, in the $21+ range.

    The second must have unit is the digital four channel OPUS BT-3400 [current version 3.1] for Li-Ion, Ni-Mh and Ni-Cad. In addition to all the ‘smart / intelligent’ charging and protective features of the XTAR VC4 [minus the 0v revival function], it is a full ‘analyzer’, where the VC4 is not. It includes the ability to run single discharge / charge refresh cycles and then show the tested mAh capacity of the battery. It also can auto run that cycle three times and show the last tested mAh rating of the battery. That three cycle feature is what most battery manufacturers suggest be done with new batteries to ‘condition’ them and bring them to full capacity. Doing this three cycle feature will likely show your new battery to gain substantial capacity with each discharge / charge cycle for the first several times. I have adopted the technique of doing two of the three cycle charges on all new batteries. By the end of that, they are unlikely to show any further increase in capacity. You can use that as an accurate comparison test of claimed ‘rated’ capacity, which many cheapo chinese batteries miserably fail. Doing the three cycle on used batteries may ‘renew’ them substantially as well. The OPUS also tests internal resistance, which indicates decay / degeneration of the internals, due to age, cycles and/or poor quality mfg and QC. Price is around $50-55 on Amazon and eBay recently. Make sure you get the current version if you are paying that full price. Older version should be discounted.

    Neither unit can currently handle the unique new dual voltage 1.5v/4.2v AA and AAA batteries from Jugee or Kentli, nor the 1.5v-1.7v hybrid NiMh AA and AAA batteries coming on the market, but here’s hoping for an upgrade from one of the makers [hint to XTAR and OPUS] that would properly deal with all these chemistries and features.

    G’day y’all.

    1. Sebbie

      So, you might get 4x more charge cycles out of the 800mAH but you also don’t get anywhere near as much juice before you have to stick them back in the charger.
      2100 x 0.8AH gives me 1,680AH of power in it’s lifetime. The 2500mAH only gives you 500 cycles but that works out to 1,250AH of life.
      Personally I’d quite readily accept a quarter less lifetime of the battery if it means I only need to recharge it a 3rd as often.

  87. Edward

    IKEA’s latest Ladda LSD batteries (manufactured in Japan), AA 2450 mah and AAA 900 mah (both rated at 500 cycles), are worth a very serious look. Word on the street is that they are rebranded from the same Japanese factory that manufactures Panasonic “Japanese” Eneloops. “Japanese” is in quotation marks because rumor has it that Panasonic is also labeling some batteries from a Chinese factory as Eneloops when there is a distinct difference between those batteries and the ones actually manufactured in Japan.

  89. lil lamont

    i am new to chordless micraphones how long can i get from the ones AA ‘s that i have bought as i entertain and can expect to be using it for 2 hours please advise lil

  90. Brennan

    I need a AAA/AA/C/D battery charger that not only does cell conditioning but also does a capacity test. Like the La Crosse BC 9009 or Maha Powerex C9000 but for C and D cells as well.

    Does anyone know who sells a universal charger that also does a capacity tester for AAA/AA/C/D batteries?

  91. Brian

    Yes for a bears trimmer they would be fine, I use them in my last a long time. You can recharge them.at any time you don’t have wait for them to be completely drained so when the power starts to go down you can just recharge them. The ones in my trimmer I usually top off once a month. I trim once a week as well.

  93. james

    If someone could correct my thinking on this, I always had the perception that standard (non chargeable) AA batteries last longer than ANY rechargeable AA batteries. I have always used standard (Alkaline) AA batteries for everything. Many years ago, I tried the Energizer rechargeable charger with there rechargeable batteries and it appeared I was changing batteries frequently and was not getting good life out of those batteries. I was finding myself charging batteries more so than using them. I understand that the device or product that you are using the batteries with, plays a factor in battery drainage.

    I am looking at the panasonic eneloop charger for my rechargeable needs.

    1. Brian

      New rechargeable batteries will last much longer then alkaline now a days. I suggest a good charger the panasonic one is fine. Avoid the duracell and energizer ones and any chargers that charge in pairs. You want a charger that charges each battery slot independent. A good cheap one is the poweradd charger. I prefer the opus charger because I can run test and check the capacity of the batteries to see what useful life they have. And can refresh batteries that have sat for several months. Rechargeable batteries hold about 2-3x the energy of alkaline. The key to batteries isn’t how much mah they hold its how much can be extracted from the battery. Alkaline cells have around 2600-2800 mah but their internal resistance is so high you’ll never get close to all the energy from it. Lots of its power is wasted overcoming its internal resistance. In my high powered flashlight. Rechargeable 2450-2550 batteries will provide turbo for slightly over a hour before needed recharging. Turbo being 1000 lumens around 3 amp draw. Alkaline batteries last roughly 20 mins and completely done for. Alkaline batteries can not handle high drain devices. Flashes cameras and flashlights all recommend nihm rechargeable or lithium primaries and rate there abilities off them not alkalines. Alkaline also leak, how many times over the years have you opened a old flashlight, remote, kids toy to find the inside completely rusted out. Usually leak when dead but not always. Lithium and rechargeable don’t have this issue. Very very very rare. I suggest getting the amazon pro batteries or the duracell rechargeable from Wal-Mart. The black top ones. These are name brand eneloop pros just with a different wrapper. Look them up you’ll see the discharge curve is the same and cycle life. The author is wrong about the duracell batteries. Any nihm rechargeable made in Japan is made from the same plant. Fdk produces them all for many companies. They own the technology not panasonic. They are the only plant in Japan that can produce nihm rechargeable batteries. Sanyo had to sell that division before the merger with panasonic so panasonic wouldn’t have a monopoly on rechargeable batteries. Panasonic owns the eneloop name but not the technology. Eneloop made in China are not the same quality as made in Japan. They last only half as long as many independent test show. Make sure you get batteries that are made in Japan. Only exception the imedion batteries. Amazon pro, duracell, fdk batteries all made in Japan. I’d say replace them every 2-3 years depending on use. I buy a set every 2 years even though life is left. It’s cheaper to buy $60 in batteries every 2 years then what I’d spend on alkaline. If you don’t use many batteries and want to stick with alkaline, purchase them online. I keep 200 on hand for emergency situations such as hurricanes etc. Even though I can recharge my batteries in a vehicle it might not be realistic. I was ground zero for Katrina with 40ft of water. Do not purchase from a store, order online. 100 alkaline batteries should cost no more then $25-30 a.c. delco Aa batteries on Amazon and ebay. I purchased 180 aaa batteries for $35 shipped on eBay. Good to have as back up since they last 10+ years I also on Amazon receive 8 lithium batteries aa size monthly that is my new stash I’m collecting as soon as I run through my alkaline batteries it will be nothing but lithium. Holds 85% energy for 20 years and last much longer then alkaline in high current devices and won’t leak and ruin things. There are many options rechargeable is the best and lithium but alkaline has its place, it’s good for emergency and cheap. But lithium is much better then alkaline and easier on the environment. That way I can have weeks worth of lighting if another storm comes and its 3 weeks without electricity again. I can power all my lanterns and flashlights and run fans. 18650 powered flashlights is another thing I’d look into. I had 30 of those batteries and on those alone I could have light for weeks. And recharge them with a cigarette lighter or my solar panel and my nihm. You can get a decent solar panel for $50 with two usb connections and you can recharge your batteries off the grid if you needed to. I know I went off topic a lot but there are many options out there. If you don’t use many batteries per year. 100 alkaline batteries for $30 might be a better option for you. If 100 batteries would last you 3-4 years its cheaper route then rechargeable even if you go all rechargeable I still recommend some back ups. Alkaline and lithium last decades so if nothing else you have time to slowly use them. And if you have kids to buy presents for 100 batteries with the toys is always a nice addition.

        1. Sue Stevens

          Can I charge lithium rechargeable batteries in a norml battery charger or do I have to buy a charger especially for lithium batteries? Thank you

          1. Vinay

            Sue,
            Lithium Ion batteries have a different voltage compared to NiMH rechargeables, and the charging algorithm is also different so yes, you will need to buy a specialist Li-Ion charger. There are many available on amazon or Ebay with differing features and charge speeds but make sure you check some reviews before you buy. The Nitecore D2 or D4 can charge Li Ion or Ni Mh cells and it’s quite a good unit for a reasonable price.

        2. Vinay

          Chris,
          When he talks about Amazon Pro batteries – he means the “Amazon Basics High Capacity AA Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries 2500 mAh” – these are effectively the same spec batteries as Panasonic’s Eneloop Pro and they are made in Japan.

          Chris also mentions that Eneloops made in China only last half as long as Eneloops made in Japan. This is really not the case, and the spec for both types is the same. Many people feel Japanese-made batteries are the best and I would probably agree with that, but Panasonic’s NiMh business would have been closed down by now if they were selling batteries with fake specifications.

  94. michael dunne

    Does ‘Eneloop’ supply rechargeable 9volt pps batteries and the appropriate charger? Can ytou advise me on alternatives if you dont make them in Eneloop?

    1. Nick Fones

      My FRS walkie-talkies (maybe about 20 years old) quit when AAA batteries get to about 1.2v, so recargeables may only last for minutes. I’m trying enloop 750 mAh (tested @ 1.33) and pro 950 mAh(1.31). What do you recommend, including new radios.

  95. Alex

    If I use an item once per week(like a beard trimmer) for 10 minutes, should I use rechargeable AA Nimh LSD batteries(like Eneloop, Eneloop Pro or Energizers)?

    1. Gary

      Yes, they are perfect for that since they don’t self-discharge. Where I wouldn’t use them, or any other rechargeable, is in life-threatening situations. Rechargeable batteries have a cut-off point that is abrupt and you don’t see it coming. For example, you could check your avalanche before you leave the house and it would read full. By the time you get to the car, it could hit the cut-off voltage level and shut off. Not good in that situation.

    1. Eddy Cheah

      i have a sony nimh charger. The charger will show a yellow light when charging and go off when completed. if the battery is no good it will blink. if the battery is blinking, can i resuscitate the battery?

      1. erikdenhouter

        Have the same problem with a GP Power bank Travel.

        I am used to ‘downgrade’ my cells to low power users like a cordless headphone after a cell has served for years in a high power user like a DAB+ radio or camera.
        But when they loose a bit performance in the first, this GP Power bank Travel charger blinks, and won’t start charging. It mainly tells (orders) me to buy new cells. And I ensure you that these cells are not completely drained, at least 1/3 of their charge was left in them when they were rejected by the charger.
        And then, when I put these same cells in a ‘dumb’ charger (one that does not monitor, but just puts a current of 220mA for 14 hours trough them), they perform very well again.

        I think it would be a good idea to have a good dedicated charger for NIMH, but it should have a ‘dump’ setting too (fixed current(s) with timer). I cannot see why I should buy new cells simply because a charger tells me, and just will not start charging, while I know that the cells perform well again after that dumb charging.
        I suggest you also buy a dumb charger to be used beside these sophisticated ones that cannot do so.

    2. Robert Munro

      No. Don’t run the battery down all the way. Charge it whenever performance starts to degrade, or before if you want. Make sure you get a charger that treats batteries individually, not in pairs and that shuts off automatically.

  98. Jopower

    I have had VERY good luck with the Duracell Duralock NiMH batteries combined with a Duracell QuickCharger (model CEF 12N). This is a very common pulse type AA/AAA NiCad/NiMH charger. For digital cameras (like my 10 year old Canon Powershot 540) they have lasted well over their rated 600 cycles. After so-so life from the Harbor Freight specials (usually 4-500 of their advertised 800 cycles), I’m getting 3+ years and maybe 800+ cycles from each pair and have taken about 20,000 shots and 500 hours of video. Much of it recording Bluegrass jams in low light.

    I usually do buy packs of 4 and run several cycles in an old fashioned flash light just breaking them in. I then meter each battery after being fully charged INDIVIDUALLY and match the closest batteries as a pairs. 2 then go in the camera and 2 sit as spares in the camera case. I swap in sets as needed, never dividing them. After 5-6 cycles, I get a solid full charge in them and meter test again for matching up pairs. I then hashmark the batteries with permanent marker as set 1 or 2. They might get another test in 6 months or so as if they were new to verify all is well. The good batteries will all come up to 1.32-1.34 volts fully charged and should hold near that for a week sitting. The current set of 4 are 2014 vintage and still charge to 1.31-1.33 volts after around 400 cycles.

    My old, “retired” NiMH sets go into my LED flashlights, various devices and clocks, and back door and motorcycle shed motion detector lights. In such light duty, they last many moons and are not cycled much.

  100. Michael

    I purchased the AA eneloop batteries ( 4 ) pack with a Panasonic Advanced charger. They came from China , sold on eBay. There were two of the dark and light blue batteries. They never get a full charge, even though the charger indicates a full charge and they will not last through 2 pictures in my point and shoot camera. I am thinking since there are nothing but great reviews, that these batteries must be FAKE.

  102. web master

    You are wrong on all counts. Every single one. The charger *does* has short-circuit protection, over charge protection and reverse polarity protection. It also has alkaline battery protection. It is manufactured the highest standards in ISO-9001 Certified Facilities.

    Here is the description from Thomas Distributing (a very reliable battery vendor):

    Integrated Safety Protection Device

    Battery Polarity Reversal Protection – Prevents Charger damage and operation in case a battery is inserted into the MH-C808M backwards.
    Alkaline battery Protection – Automatically recognizes an Alkaline battery and Prevents Charger operation and damage.
    Short circuited Battery Protection.
    Globally certified for safety.

    Ultra Precision Microprocessor Controlled

    0.001V voltage detection.
    Recharges your batteries correctly each and every time. No over charge, no under charge. Just the right charge each and every time.

    Heavy Duty International AC Adapter

    Universal auto-ranging switching adapter assures Worldwide voltage compatibility.
    Made to last in rough environments, and uses a rugged DIN style connector.

  103. LAM

    I have AA chargers that are at least 10 years old. They have settings for NIMH and …… batteries. Do I need to get a more up to date charger for the batteries you have currently recommended? Will the new batteries charge faster on a more modern charger?

    1. web master

      I recommend getting a good charger for your batteries. A good quality charger will revive and recondition your batteries, and they will indicate if a battery is malfunctioning, which is quite useful.

  104. MYmetaefficient

    Hi,

    How does it compare to Alkaline rechargeable battery?

    So the newer version of nimh is better than before? If so by how much?

    There was blue planet battery, it is pretty good.

    1. web master

      Yes, the newer NiMh batteries have a longer shelf life, and are generally more reliable than the older kinds. I see no reason to continuing using alkaline batteries.

  105. Xbox360 Wireless Controller

    I was searching for options for a rechargeable AA sized battery and charger to serve as an option/back up for our torch lights and for my Xbox 360 wireless controller too(I don’t like the ones they sell for Xbox 360) and I saw your article. I just have a few questions, will this work on Xbox 360 wireless controllers or are these high powered, and for the charger do I need to purchase a separate one or will the kit(if there is one) be okay since I won’t be doing heavy use for it, just mostly for gaming and for some torch lights at home.

    Hoping I could get a response.

    1. web master

      I use rechargeable batteries in every device in my home (requiring batteries), and I don’t have any issues. I don’t think you’ll have problem with the wireless controller. I recommend spending money on a good charger whenever possible. The better chargers will recondition the batteries, and they allow you to weed out the problematic batteries easily.

  106. dan

    If the eneloop are the best batteries why doesn’t Panasonic have it’s own top rated charger? We see the batteries being sold with chargers but the chargers are not highly rated? So we should use a non Panasonic charger for the top of the line Eneloop batteries?

  107. SomeDude

    I tried quite a few battery brands until I found eneloop years ago. I’m quite impressed by it since the “xx” version of pro, but of course i can only say this about the AA size. I charge them with a nitecore D4 charger and so far it has been my perfect combination, since i can charge them at home and in the car too.

  109. Scott

    Over time I’ve seen a number of battery manufacturers recommend using their chargers only with the batteries they produce. With so many chargers available, does it really matter if the charger is a different brand to the battery, or is this a marketing push? Do chargers made by the same battery manufacturer have some sort of optimisation for their batteries? Can a charger produced by a different manufacturer cause any sort of performance degradation/damage to batteries produced by other manufacturers?

    Thanks, great article!

  114. Jose Pacifico

    I have read a number of comments positive about Enloop batteries. However I am not impressed with Enloop for C & D Cell size rechargebles. Enloops use of a AA battery to power a D-Cell casing is a poor substitute.

  117. Lex

    Hi, what is the best battery charger that also has a 12v car adaptor?
    I am happy with a AA & AAA only charger, If it does C & D also that is fine.
    Thanks!

  118. Michael

    I fly RC Helicopter’s almost daily and I have tried many generic rechargeable batteries but nothing compared to the Eneloop. Overall, my flight time has increased almost one and a half times before using Eneloop. My remote controller has twice, if not, more usage time when using Eneloop.
    I just can’t say enough positive things about Eneloop rechargeable batteries but try them for yourself. Thanks Tim for all your information!

  119. Omar

    quick question.. i have an older gen Sanyo charger I guess.. for eneloops – but if i get the Pro version batteries.. can i still use that white charger? i think you link to it with older gen. i’m guessing i need a pro charger… ? thanks for all the info..

  120. Dave N.

    Great, informative article! I just found out about the eneloop pros and was wondering what the difference was between them and the regular eneloops. I’ve used the regular eneloops and they are great.

  121. Garry

    If I buy for high performance batteries with higher energy capacity, then I will get far less charging cycles, and if go for higher charging cycles, then I lose the capacity. I am quite aware of that. Tell me if you got that can give me a balance of both?

  122. CKJAGUAR

    One word of warning. LaCrosse products have no customer service or support, none at all, anywhere. This is evident from the lower ranked customer reviews on Amazon.

  126. Todd

    It’s also important to keep in mine their cycle life. For example the Eneloop Pro‘s have the highest capacity at 2550 mah but only last 500 charge cycles, compared to 1000 charge cycles for the Imedion cells at 2400 mah, and 2000 charge cycles for the 2000 mah normal Eneloop cells.

    So while the Eneloop pros might be the highest capacity, they are more expensive and will only last 1/4 as long as the normal eneloop cells. It also depends on how you use them, if you only charge them twice a year in rarely used items, you’ll likely never wear any of them out so then capacity might be worth it.

  127. JP White

    This article may need an update. I find the envelop pro recommendation as the ‘best’ to be outdated. The gen IV Panasonic brand Eneloops can be recharged 2100 times versus the 500 times for the pro and retain their charge for much longer. The Modest reduction in capacity is in my opinion more than compensated for by the 4X better durability and very low self discharge characteristics of the newer Eneloops.

  129. ed

    I’ve been using Sanyo’s AA Eneloops for a few years now on my Canon S2is digital cameras and they do lasts longer than most AA’s i’ve used in the past.

    On my Xbox 360 controller. i have the XX Eneloops and they lasts for weeks.

    Recently, i’ve been using Duracell Pre-charged AA 2400mah batteries on my cameras and they worked just as well as the Eneloops.

  130. Jim

    great article; I’ve been using maha powerX AA &AAA for about ten years, since I got my first digital camera. I went thru two sets of copper tops in about thirty pix. I was, woe this is going to get real pricey quick!! So I went on line and hit a battery research site;long story short Maha powerX was THE go to for digital cameras. Later I got into their Imedion 2400 mah, and I’ve had great luck with the dumb charger. Think I may get into one of the smarts. I may try some of those Eneloops if/when? the Imedions finally die. Thanks, One very satisfied customer!

  131. William

    Anyone have any perspective on the Amazon Basics High Capacity AA batteries? They are approx 50% less expensive than the Eneloop Pro XX and currently have a 4.4 rating (vs 4.9 on the Eneloop).

    1. web master

      I’m sure they are decent batteries, but from everything I heard, Eneloops have a definite performance edge.

      See this from WireCutter:

      The AmazonBasics only powered our test flashlight for 2 hours, 12 minutes while the high-capacity version improved to 2 hours, 39 minutes. The equivalent eneloops bested them by burning for 2 hours, 45 minutes and 2 hours, 56 minutes. Even in our camera flash tests, the AmazonBasics batteries only strobed 80 percent as many times before being completely run down. While we know this has something to do with a faster voltage drop, we didn’t have the equipment on hand to measure exactly what was happening.

      We doubt the AmazonBasics are identical, even if they’re proven to be made in the same factory. The eneloops performed well enough and we like the value when bundled with the charger. The AmazonBasics, on the other hand, should be skipped—especially because at around $2.12 per battery, they’re not much cheaper than our picks and their better overall performance. You’d be paying about 80 percent of the price for about 75 percent of the performance.

  135. kathryn turner

    i bought a battery charger for my TENS UNIT and the ENERGIZER BATTERIES are not recharging enough to charge my unit for a full day. i dont know if they make a rechargable 9-volt that lasts for a day but i have not seen these batteries or the charger for the batters what store carries them and how expensive are they thank you for your time

  136. BahoPuwet

    I don’t know if this thread is a promo ad/posting for Eneloop but i know this:
    – they are highly rated by users/consumers per Amazon dot com;
    – a friend of mine has been using Eneloop and he swears by them… that they are Gr8
    – I just got them from Target on-line, so far so good I’ve only had them for a few days
    – will post updates when appropriate

    Dec, 2013

  138. tt

    I got a set of Sanyo XX Eneloops after the Kodaks were sadly discontinued, and I love the new Sanyo brand I have. Worth every penny. You just have to remember to keep the stronger cell on every 2nd, 4th, e.t.c bay if using the Maha C808m, and they will eventually even out and stay there. You do have to manually terminate the charge on the first charge as this charger does not do a good job of forming the cells.

    1. Clint

      tt,

      I just got the Maha MH-C808M…

      “You do have to manually terminate the charge on the first charge as this charger does not do a good job of forming the cells.”

      What (I don’t understand)? I can not leave them in the charger for a week? I have to “manually terminate” because of “forming the cells”?

      Thanks,
      Clint

      1. tt

        The Maha C808M is designed to keep going all the way to something like 20000MAH for a D cell or higher. To compensate for any possible design for any future battery capacities (likely with D cells), and perhaps to allow for different capacities on all cells, Maha did not put a safety backup timer in their charger for ANY of the battery sizes. So if the batteries are new, and not AT 0.8 volts per cell when put in, the charger is LIKELY to miss the termination on at least SOME of the cells, and keep charging away. One such solution is to use the Duracell Ion speed 8000, but you also have to wait until the batteries are empty, and wait until the green lights turn solid. One dangerous feature of that charger is to charge at the 4C rate when the battery is almost full if you put it back into the charger, and the charger assumes you are starting from 0% again. So, for BOTH chargers, you have to wait until the battery is deeply depleted. This will ensure battery wont overheat or vent, and is never above 75% when the 4C rate finishes. Oh, and don’t use the white AAA Eneloops on either charger. The Maha doesn’t terminate reliably on them AAAs, and the other charger causes the cells to bulge at the bottom and hiss, due to everything being crammed so tight inside. You should be alright for AA on the Maha, but you want to make sure that the charger sees the slight voltage drop when the AA batteries are first new. All the indicators should change to DONE within 15-20 seconds of each other, if one continues blinking charging for longer, just pull the set out, and use it normally. I would not recommend putting AAs on any other but the Maha.

      2. tt

        Don’t worry about the initial 4C rate for the Maha, that is only for the Duracell Ion speed 8000, which works great on Eneloop Pro AAAs when they are discharged first.

      3. tt

        I finally got an MH800S charger. I just got tired of the missed charged termination on my other charger which works good on d cells. MH800S requires a 1 AMP current for AAA, I tried 500MAH current and it also missed charge termination. They made a MH980 as well. I wonder if they made these because of the problem with the previous charger they made? This is why I never considered the MH801D. If Dueacell ION core 8000 is used, there are some real capacity from Amazon. Reacell 2800MAH AA and 1100MAH AAA. I checked the weight, they looked real. They are a great workaround if you only have the Duracell 8000. Otherwise, I don.t recommend using the Duracell 8000. I did not find it as damaging as the Energizer 15 minute one. If you got the new Maha turbocharger you have to remember to activate the turbo mode when doing AAA. These seem to be Mahas response to the MHC-808M and the 801D missed charge termination issues with AAAs.

  139. Jasmine

    I have been using SANYO ENELOOP batteries for a few years. They are totally worth to buy and use. Batteries can last for a very long time. Love this brand. I am gonna get XX of them. lol

  140. Discouraged Consumer

    I think all this about length of charge and milliamp-hours misses the point: if I am told to put 3 AA batteries into a gadget, it needs the voltage to drive the gadget. If the volts are insufficient, it won’t be right for the use of the gadget.

    I am returning Energizer rechargeables which, after the recommended charging time, only made 1.42 volts, in a standard 1.5 TV remote, in this case. After a few hours, it would not function properly. And the rechargeable AA batteries were only rated for 1.2 volts!!

    In Direct current, voltage matters; Alternating Current it does not.

    1. web master

      Only in some rare occasions will a gadget have problems with the voltage of rechargeables. Personally, I’ve never encountered a gadget that will not run on rechargeables, and this includes their use in bike lights, flashlights, remotes and toys.

    2. Richard

      Discouraged consumer, I agree with web master: The slightly lower voltage of a rechargeable battery will RARELY ever be a factor. Both conventional carbon-zinc batteries and alkalines quickly lose their initial higher voltage in use, whereas nickel-metal hydride rechargeables maintain their initial voltage for a much longer period. They also generally have a higher milliamp hr capacity than alkalines and are MUCH better in high drain applications, such as digital cameras and strobe lights.

      Rechargeables were designed for and may still work best in high drain situations, such as cameras, stobe lights, toys, power tools and heavily used flashlights. That is due in part to their self-discharge characteristic. Except maybe for the newest models with a very low self-discharge rate, they really aren’t that well suited for use in low drain applications such as clocks and remote controls where a battery typically lasts a year or so. At least until very lately, and maybe still now, I’ve considered alkalines best for those applications.

      In short, I think you are putting much too much emphasis on the slight voltage difference between alkalines and rechargeables. In real life use, it’s almost never a factor.

      1. Boyd

        I stumbled onto this forum and it has explained an issue I had. I have a R.A.T. wireless mouse that will not function at all on 1.2 volt rechargeable fully charged batteries.It works great as long as it has 1.5 volts. Just as Discouraged Consumer pointed out having these issues they do occur just when you thought it was possible to use rechargeable’s in all battery powered devices.Thank you,Great discussion !

  144. VICENTE CARDONE

    Hello. I have 8 Eneloop, 8 Ray O Vac and 6 Duracell (all 2000 mAh) batteries for use in photography equipment and daughther toys. I think all of them are excellent batteries. My problem is the charger (I have 2) Digipower DPS-3000+ brand, almost unknow, I get it in a promotion half price in Amazon. They are suposed rapid charger, charge 4 batteries in a bit over 3.5 hours, and end of charge detection by -dV 0-24 mV. Six batteries of that brand dead in 2 years, so I have some fear about the charger. Until now they work as advertised but I would like to know if some one have experience with them. Happy New Year and thanks on advance.

    1. tt

      24 mv seems to be extremely high for a NIMH battery. Case in point, I used to use a pack charger, and it waited for a relatively large voltage drop before shutting off. Result? Almost $300 worth of ruined batteries, and some even bulged and leaked! With such a large voltage drop, you are likely to wind up with overcharged cells, and some cells losing capacity before other cells, resulting in a badly matched pack. Have you ever wondered why you had to replace you cordless drill NiCad packs so often?

  145. Karen

    We all should do our share in taking care of our environment. We can start by going green. I found this fun social networking site, motleygreen.com, that lets you share green acts with fellow environmental advocates.

  146. Ewesuk

    Apple rechargables are the best!! Suck it Android batteries.

    Yeah, Apples are rebranded Enloopes. It’s actually a better deal just to get the originals because you get more batteries for the same price.

  147. marc

    Why spend money for a charger that’s “solar powered” what people really need is a solar panel, a rectifier and a battery and then a cheap inverter and now they can use the power for whatever device they want.

    2. Vinay

      Sanyo sold their rechargeable business to Panasonic in 2010 (and the technology also went to FDK (=Fujitsu)).
      So you will probably not be able to buy Sanyo any more. Fujitsu Ni-Mh are only made in Japan and they are probably as close to original eneloop as you can buy.

  149. Otis G. Sanders

    I’ve been using the Ray-0-Vac 15 minute rechargeable batteries from some time now, but they are coming to the end of their usable life. I use them for my on camera flash (SB-800). Is there another 15 minute rechargeable battery out there that’s as good?

    1. Jason Woodson

      No, there is such thing as a good 15-minute charger. The problem is that it charges in 15 minutes. While that may sound good to have batteries charged in 15 minutes it destroys the acid inside the battery from having too much current pushed through them. A good charger doesn’t charge faster than 1 1/2 hours and pulse charges the battery not raw current.

      1. tt

        I used to use the old blue pack charger with a battery holder, and I am thinking it used raw current, and it waited for TOO LARGE of a voltage drop before stopping. I have ruined about 200-300 dollars worth of batteries, and I found the same charger in the airsoft forums! Some of them even bulged and leak, and I had one that actually blew its seal and spilled acid! Even my Nicads got ruined with even the lowish 0.9 AMP setting. I am using Maha charger currently.

    1. tt

      That is quite true. I was at Walmart yesterday, and they had an ion speed 4000 charger made by Duracell. The problem was, that the charger only charged the included batteries in pairs. I have had so many batteries destroyed by chargers charging in pairs. One of the batteries in the pair seem to always wind up slightly overcharged, and get more and more out of balance as time goes on. Just read my forum on the battery pack charger. This is why SO many NIMH battery packs fail early, and frequently.

  151. J.B.

    I have an “Energizer Class 2” charger that came with Energizer Recharge AA batts(2300 mAh Nimh0. Can I use this charger to charge other brands of recargeable batts?

      1. tt

        I did find a use again for that pack charger. NIMH don’t get messed up ONLY if you use the 1/10th of a C rate to top off. However, the disadvantage is that it takes at least a minimum of 6 cells to work. I could only use the 0.9 amp setting for the 10000MAH D cell without risk. The only good use I can now get out of it is to use it as a balancer for 85% charged cells. Well, I guess it’s better than nothing at least.

  153. Anonymous

    It was a good start but where are any of the solar energy rechargers? I felt like this whole article was a walking ad for eneloop. too many glossy pictures and not enough hard data. Thanks for trying. It gave me some ideas of what to look for.

    1. Anonymous

      I was just about to go with Eneloop until you mentioned this. I feel that you are right that this was sort of a walking ad, or at least a bias add. I wish Consumer Reports reviewed rechargables.

  154. mick Derriks

    What would you describe as the highest capacity battery when the time they hold their charge is not important. ie <you load today and use till empty the next day. So total capacity is more important than the time for self discharging. (Ansmann 2850 or Vapex 2900 are among the highest I found, but how real are these capacity's)

  155. Rouble Narine

    Good day! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my
    comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m
    having trouble finding one? Thanks a lot!

  157. Jabman

    Wondering if anyone can offer a recommendation on a 12V recharger, i.e. a AA battery recharger that can be plugged into a 12V car socket

    If you’d never consider doing this with your Eneloops, why?

  159. fiesta

    dear visitors,
    I do load my enloops aa with a solar charger from cresta (sl878), but I do not know will it stop in time when the enloops are fully charged. I can not see-find out, that this device will stop at time, or stop at all? Can someone help with info ?
    greetings
    fiesta

  160. Felipe

    This may sound stupid but I’m planning to buy som eneloop XX battery, but I don’t have enought money to spend into a charger. Can I use my old Sony Cycle energy BCG-809HNB with my new batteries?

      1. paulette

        I have a set of hand held radios by Dakota ( Dakota MURS Two Way Hand Held). They came with some off brand NiMH batteries AND with an ‘adapter’ that goes into the wall and a ‘prog’ that goes into the ‘port’ on the radio. They SAY you can recharge the batteries while they are IN the radio. I DUNNO ??????? Is this a safe practice? I tossed the off brand batteries and i am using the Eneloop.

  162. Carl

    @Fred
    Sounds like you have experienced pretty typical German customer service.

    I was considering the Ansmann Energy 8 plus charger until I saw a number of reviews saying that it frequently refuses to charge batteries and sometimes will charge the same battery it previously would not after re-inserting. It’s an expensive charger and too expensive to have such problems, so I won’t waste money on it.

    1. tt

      Just get the $83 Maha C808M, and be happy. Sad to say, you will either need another charger to do AAA reliably, or find a way to get old Nicads if using AAA.

  164. Bob

    Occassionally we experince power outages; the most recent was for two days. My goal is to have rechargeable lanterns for us to use in such occassions. I recently bought a Coleman model 2000006663 LED lantern that can run either on a CPX6 cartridge or on 4 D cell batteries. I also have a solar charger that can recharge rechargeable batteries. My question is this: since these batteries may sit unused for years, which D Cell rechargeable battery would you recommend? I have to recharge the CPX6 cartridge once a year, when it is not in use.

  165. Chris

    I use the Eneloop AA and AAA batteries in my kids toys all the time. One thing to keep in mind with them, the performance actually improves after the first few charges.
    Also, Eneloop has updated their batteries. The new ones can be charged 1500 times. The old ones are HR-3UTG or HR-4UTG, and the new ones are HR-3UTGA and HR-4UTGA.
    And as someone mentioned above, the new ‘XX powered by eneloop Technology” have the higher capacity, but rechargeable only 500 times.

  166. Fred

    I was way happy with the Ansmann “Energy 8 plus″ charger (recommended here), until a spring broke on one of the negative terminals. They claim to have a 3 year warranty, but they are making so difficult to return, it’s just not worth it. So, I will likely try to fix it myself, or toss in the trash. Bottom line … great design, poor craftsmanship.

  169. Frank Davidson

    1 Of course the iPower US Li-Poly batteies are re-chargeaable. This is a thread about rechargeable batteries, so why would I post about a non-rechargeable battery?
    You’d need to check with the manufacturer about stockists. You could always try their website, you know … with a browser and search engine.

  170. Martha Rosson

    Hi! It’s Martha. Again…AND–It’s high time I admit my need for HELP!!!!
    OK, now #1
    DO ‘they’ make 9V rechargeable batteries??–Of course I’m pretty sure they MUST, but I’ve just never ever seen them anywhere. Reading on, possibly they do..(?)…
    —-Frank Davidson appears to have read my mind as to the “non-cylindrical batteries–such as the 9V E batteries” that he found are “iPowerUs 52o mAh Lithium Polymer” I need to ask though, are these recargeable? & Where are they to be found?
    AND, #2!!
    Who make’s a no-too-expensive charger that would handle 4-6 D cells at once? And what’s the best “lasting AND bright” battery for those good, Big And Long REALLY “MANLY” type Mag Lights–Seriously, guys, I’m left with at least 3 of them!

  173. Mallinath.D.Kololgi

    I have not tried eneloop batteries. But as some one said routinely available cells get discharged fast. I found Pre charged cells are more economical and useful for an amateur photographer ratherthan rechargeable NiMh cells.
    Mallinath.

  176. Frank Davidson

    If you want to add non-cylindrical batteries to the list, the best 9V E batteries I have found are iPowerUs 52o mAh Lithium Polymer.

    What is the current highest capacity Hybrid AAA?

  177. Martha

    I need to RE-PHRASE my just posted “comment/Question”–
    Will these newer hybrid NIMH batteries, such as the “Eneloops” or the “Hybrio” give me an equivalent brightness to the disposeable Alkaline ones I hate paying for and throwing away/recycling?
    Martha

      1. Anonymous

        Martha again–
        Thanks–That tells me neither my charger nor my eyes are faulty!! Which batteries hold their power best? Do they run down on a sorta straight diagonal line (as it were) or more like a gently sloping plateau, then whoomph! go!! on down & be ready for recharge quickly?
        Also, I understand these don’t have memory as to recharging–is that right or wrong? Are they on the retail market or more online? Maybe other readers like Jed, already know everything, but I NEED to you all ask to learn!
        THANKS to all who’ve responded even with humor, help or knowledge about how these batteries work. –Martha

        1. Jed

          Why wasn’t my prior response to this person’s post approved?
          They personally attacked me for absolutely no apparent reason.
          I at least deserved some “right of reply”…

          Users posting totally off-topic posts that “are” approved…
          And another w/poor reading comprehension that results in them thinking I’m a “know it all”.

          I’m done, nice site, shame about some of the folks in this thread.

          1. Larissa

            Every time you transfer enegy from one famort to another, you lose part of the energy. You are transferring energy three times, so you will be pedalling like mad while you are barely moving.

        2. tt

          Rechargeable batteries have a flat discharge curve, so they will start out slightly lower than alkaline, drop slightly rapidly until a 1.25, 1.2 volt plateau, and will have a curve that will stay flatter than a NiCad for a long period, then will kneebend widely at close to 1.1 volts and then drop rapidly. You will see the difference when using say, a Sony boombox. The OPR/BATT light will react differently from using alkalines. Alkalines will drop in a diagonal line. If using well matched rechargeable D cells, the battery light will seem to keep staying lit forever, even when playing CDS. It would take longer to dim than for an alkaline battery, but wont start out as bright for a rechargeable battery, and wont allow playback for as long as an alkaline battery if the light is all dark.(On a well matched quality set)

  178. Martha

    I’m trying to choose the best rechargeable AAA batteries for my small LED flashlights–ones that became widely available about a year ago for $10.00 or less–each requires three AAA batteries at a time. I like what I read about the new NIMH hybride sort being discussed here, but I need batteries that hold their power close to it’s peak and are as bright (or equal) to the average, name-brand 1.5 alkaline ones I’m used to. What throws me is your mention of 1.2 volts somewhere in all the comments above–I was a late “surprise” little girl in an engineering family, but my grasp of things electrical usually needs a bit of explanation re. the why’s and wherefore’s.

    1. tt

      See my earlier post about the NIMH used in a Sony boombox analogy. The discharge curve is flat, so you won’t get much warning when the battery is low. The NIMH start out slightly lower than alkaline, so they are not always a suitable drop in replacement for all uses. However, most of the time they will work fine. Most battery indicators are designed for alkaline, so when using even a well matched set, when the OPR/BATT indicator on your boombox is all dark, it is time to recharge the battery NOW! Alkaline may give about 2 hours at the same level using the CD player , assuming they are all matched. The indicator light on the boombox would start brighter with alkalines, but not stay at any given brightness as long. NIMH may get slightly shorter or longer runtime than alkaline depending on the application.

    1. tinker71

      Yes, you can charge then in a good quality charger, cheaper chargers tend to be deleterious to the long term life span. Avoid chargers that push a fixed current flow into the batteries for a fixed time.

      1. james

        Agreed! Make the investment into a good charger. I have used my Enloops once (they come charged) then put them into a charger that pushes a fixed current for a fixed time. I then got around 10% of the initial life span out of them. I would avoid this again and am getting one of the mentioned chargers! Don’t mess around with them they are amazing. I honestly thought they were going to go on forever in my camera and portable speakers!!

  181. Jed

    Thanks for the review, fairly insightful…

    Not sure why my earlier comment was removed…
    It wasn’t like some of the other SPAM in this thread.

    Although it did allude to the somewhat commercial nature of these reviews.

  182. Jed

    Thanks for the round-up,

    Perhaps next time you could determine which smart/universal chargers…
    Sit at the “very top” in terms of: functionality/reliability/performance etc.

    ATM the moment you’re comparing the same makes/models from year to year.
    Instead of starting with a wider selection & “whittling it down” from there.

    Excellent job as is, thanks again!

  187. Thomas - ElectricCar

    Even for electric vehicles, the NiMH technology is not dead. The robustness and safety aspects are a special advantage of thise cells. Maybe there will be further progresses in the future which make them competative to Li-Ion cells. Especialls for Hybrid Cars!!!

  188. Olmo | EV Simulator

    Nice compilation, thank you.

    I have Sony Ni-MH Batteries, they re pretty well. I have measured them after 4 years of operation and they have 92% of the original capacity. I guess they have a higher resistance, but it doesn’t matter for my use.

    Thank you!

    Olmo

  189. Jason

    Do the ansman or maha charge any kind of hybrid batteries, and is there d hybrids. putting a AA in a big case seems like a real dumb Idea. If they thought AA provided enough power they would have made the device use AA not D. Or are the hybrid AA somehow as strong as standard D batteries?

  191. KarthiK

    I used uniross 2500 MA battery for the past 6 months..
    Now the battery is totally worn out.
    I think I must have not charged more than 50 – 60 times.. dont know.. y. 🙁

  192. Dave

    I have found the PowerEx to be much better than Tenergy or any other NiMH out there in all sizes. The Maha charger does a great job and the PowerEx not only provide a nice long steady use period they also hold a nice charge when not used after charging.

  193. M Mc

    I bought some Hybrio’s AAs that were pretty useless and wouldn’t hold a charge. The 800 mAh Elenope’s are not strong enough to keep up with my professional camera flash. I still get better performance out of old 2500 mAh Energizers that have been recharged hundreds of times than out of the new Enelopes. I recently bought some Rayovac Platinum 2100 mAh rechargeables that I’m not too happy with. I had some great Panasonic rechargables that don’t seem to be around any more.

    2. photoguy

      If you have 800mAh Eneloops, then you must have the AAA size [or really are using something called an Elenope]. I’ve never seen a professional flash unit take anything less than a double A (I have a Nikon SB800 and several Vivitar 283s).

      I don’t see how your flash unit would even work with batteries too short to fit.

  195. FredEx

    For those looking for longer battery life you could make a battery pack of larger cells. Right now I use a pack I made using 4 10,000 mAh D size batteries. I went that route since in my junk drawers I had a D size series battery holder and a coiled cord with connector to fit my camera’s power input jack. I clip the pack on my belt, have a clip on my camera to hook the cord in for strain relief and then plug it in the jack.

    I use a 16 GB memory card and that 40,000 mAh pack and I’m ready to go without worrying about my batteries.

    I’m going to make a pack using 4 5000 mAh C size, since I have yet hardly taxed the D’s. That would reduce the pack down to 20,000 mAh. The C pack of course would be smaller and lighter. It will be cheaper too.

    1. JB

      Your packs will be 40,000 or 20,000 mah only if wired parallel to provide 1.2 volts to your camera, which I don’t think is the case. Wired in series, like most battery holders are, will provide 4.8 volts at 10,000 or 5,000 mah using D and C cells respectively.

  196. khurram

    hi sir i am khurram from pakistan basically i am professional photographer in pakistan since 19 years. I have a problem about cell aa size. Kindly suggest me what charger i use in future and cell. Which power time more than 600 pictures exposing

      1. pallen1962

        lmfao…
        Drive to India… Why is that so frigging funny?
        You must understand, Pakistan has no technology. They have camels, sand, IED’s, and a bunch of people who prey to the wrong God.
        That’s it. Nothing else. The only ones capable of producing any technology use it to make a bomb, strap it onto their back, and blow themselves up, so they never get around to producing that battery charger, car, or indoor pluming. I guess if I had to ride a camel all day with a crotch-full of sand, I’d be pissed too, but I’d find a better way of venting my frustrations.

        1. Jed

          ^ WTF?
          possibly the most ignorant off-topic comment i’ve read in any thread “EVER”.
          Who cares about your ignorant, pointless, comment…
          Add something related to the thread topic, or nothing at all you fool.

    2. Faisal Shahzad

      Dear Khurram ,

      I suggest you to try UNIROSS Rechargeable Batteries as its World’s No.1 in Rechargeabl Batteries , Uniross is the European leader in Rechargeable Batteries since 1968 , and all their products comes with 1 Year Warranty , Complete Range of Uniross Products are available in all cities of Pakistan since May’2010.

  197. Serge

    Swear by Eneloops. I have used them for a year now and will never buy regular alkaline batteries again. Have them in all my remote control, high powered flashlights (with Cree Q5 LEDs), and especially useful in camera flashes. Recycle rate is much faster and they last significantly longer.

    1. Ashok

      for most uses u can buy the eneloop plastic D sleeve and put an Eneloop AA battery in it. This brings it up to D size Will work fine in all but the most demanding devices..

      1. Vicki

        Thanks Ashok. Been doing a little bit more research and found the Tenergy D which is 10,000 mAh, as opposed to the 2,500 mAh of the AA batteries. I haven’t quite figured out if it holds it’s charge when not in use. Any idea???

        1. tekwyzrd

          I’ve been using tenergy aa and aaa for a couple years now. They’re a bargain compared to other brands and work well in infrequent use or low power items (remote controls, flashlights, weather station and remote sensors) and just as well in higher demand items (cordless phones). I wasn’t aware their D-cells were rated at 10,000 mAh. I’ll have to get a bunch and a suitable charger.

          1. Vicki

            Good to hear you’ve been happy with Tenergy. Amazon was selling a T-2299 Universal Smart Fast Charger with eight Tenergy D 10,000 mAh batteries fo $69.95. I haven’t bought it yet but it sounds like a good deal.

          2. Battsy

            If you have a need for the D batts to sit for a long time (months and months, such as in a flashlight) then you might want to go with low self discharge rechargeable batts
            See Bearwobble.com, click “Rechargeable Batteries” under “Shopping Categories”: for AccuEvolution ultra low self discharge rechargeable Nimh C & D batts.
            -If- the Tenergy D batts are low self discharge, that’s a really good price for the T-2299 charger/8 batt combo deal – D rechargeables are pricey and smart chargers for C/D/9v are rare. Even if the Tenergys are not LSD batts, still…

        2. tt

          The blue Tenergy Premiums hold their charge better than a typical non low self discharge D battery, but not as good as a LSD battery. Still, they hold it WAY better than that EBL D battery being sold on Amazon. I have decided that the AA and D battery is the only one I would buy from them due to quality being all over the map for the other sizes.

  199. Angry Llama

    What makes the eneloop rechargeable batteries any better/different than rechargeable batteries that have been on the market for the last 10 years? The specs listed are that of any average 1.2V rechargeable battery. They look cooler? {sigh}

      1. Ashok

        Regular NiMH batteries are almost useless for general purpose use as far as I’m concerned since they discharge to nothing in a very short time even when not uses. The Eneloops discharge very slowly. That is a nigh-day difference in usefulness.

    2. Balboos HaGadol

      A less well-known advantage of the ‘precharged’ type of NiMH batteries is their lower internal resistance. What this means to you, the user, is that they can supply higher current. I found this to be important in surprising places – such as a digital camera with a large LCD screen: it wouldn’t work with most standard NiMH’s – batteries which otherwise worked fine in my own power-hungry ZD710 camera.

      Switching to the pre-charged type and all is well. As for my ZD710? I like finding the camera ready-to-go after a bit of storage, instead of having to change batteries.

  202. The Best Something

    I swear by Sanyo eneloops. I think they’re especially good in low-power devices like bluetooth mice and keyboards. It’ll be interesting to see how their new XL line compares. I can’t say I care for the Sanyo charger, though. If you can get by with a two battery charger, I love the Apple battery charger. It gets the job done and looks great.

    1. cin

      looks great? did you mean to post that? looks great? it’s a battery charger for god’s sake……do you carry it around like a handbag? looks great? that is incredibly lame.

      4. James

        “Based on the designed life cycle and anticipated user scenario, Apple says that its batteries will offer a service life of up to 10 years. Apple also claims that the included six AA batteries have an “extraordinarily low self-discharge rate,” and can sit without use for a year and maintain 80 percent of their original charge. The real test, of course, will come after months of use with the batteries. As anyone who has used other rechargeables can attest, the batteries often do not continue to hold a charge after less than 10 months, let alone 10 years.”
        I am still using these batteries and charger today. 10 years later! I found this looking for some replacements for the future. These were made pre-planned obsolescence. Yes the charger looks nice but, it works great.
        10 YEARS cin, 10 YEARSSSSS on the same AA batteries. If you don’t respect that, You are incredibly lame.

    1. Jan

      I have an Olympus 600UZ and I just want the best brand and charger to work in this camera. Quick charge is not as important as staying power and shelf life after charging. Give me the best shot.

    2. zebedee

      Flash guns require high voltages to re-charge the flash.

      NiMH (eneloops) has a nominal voltage of 1.2V
      Alkalines are 1.5V
      Lithiums are rated at 1.5V but start out significantly higher and can damage some equipement because of this, but in flash use, will recharge the fastest.

      If you were serious about using your flash you are better off using a custom (professional) flash battery pack, which anything professional would be based upon lithium technology (such as quantum).

      1. assumption

        Don’t assume that people reviewing AA batteries are professional. Also don’t assume that NiMH cells are inferior to Lithium-ion. Lithium-ion only has an upper hand in energy density, as far as commercially available products are concerned. NiMH has a fairly high energy density nonetheless, and is indeed capable of outliving even the best treated Lithium-ion batteries, simply for the fact that Lithium-ion has a short shelf-life. Low Self-Discharge NiMH may require slightly more frequent charges than Lithium-ion, but it will work for several years, it will work in cold temperatures and it will cost less money in the long run for the typical consumer. It also happens to be compatible with the majority of applications that require standard AA cells. Lithium-ion must be used in equipment that can handle higher voltages than standard AA cells, or you must use spacers to reduce the voltage, but this reduces capacity by roughly two thirds, and winds up being less viable than simply using NiMH.

  206. Ramdas Chaugule - Kolhapur,Maharashtra

    I have just started to use the Eneloop AA rechargeables in my digital Kodak camera and have to say they are definately the best rechargeable batteries I have ever used. Eneloop Batteries one of the best in all over world.

  208. Boundock phasykaysone

    Pls advise me what kind of charger should I go for ? my requirement is to charge 9000mAh battery for UXO detector, so I need the strong one (heavy duty) suppose Energy16 is it ok for me? or there’s other one’s better? Quantity I need 20-30 sets.

  212. ankit

    i want sum information about the solar batteries which is discharge at working time .give me any technology which charge the batteries by the external soures.

  217. Wingnut79

    I use NiMH rechargeable AAA batteries in a Kyosho Mini Z (small scale RC car). High discharge rate with a performance motor, the best Nationally recognized brand I have found is Energizer 850 mAh. I get the longest run time with minimal voltage drop with these. Duracell, Rayovac AAA NiMH batteries don’t get close to measuring up against the bunny!

  218. Raghav

    i think HYBRIO is also a very good choice when it comes to ready to use batteries. i am using a pair 1900 mAh with charger which i got for Rs. 645 INR.
    after all Uniross is one of the trutsed brand in rechargeables.

  221. Erica

    Do I have to buy the same brand of rechargeable batteries for the charger I already have or can I use another brand as long as it is the same type of battery?

  222. herbolaryo

    According to an independent comparison of low self discharge battery where the initial 1-hour, 1-week, 4-week, 3-month performance was measured.
    The most efficient AAA is GP Recyko 800 mAh .
    And here is the ranking:
    #2 MAHA IMEDION 800 mAh
    #3 Sanyo Eneloop 800 mAh
    #4 Duracell Precharged 800 mAh
    #5 Accupower Acculoop 800 mAh
    #6 Hybrio by Ultralast 800 mAh

    For AA low self discharge battery:
    #1MAHA IMEDION 2100 mAh
    #2Kodak Pre-Charged 2100 mAh
    #3GP Recyko 2100 mAh
    #4Duracell Precharged 2100 mAH
    #5Hybrio by Ultralast 2100 mAh
    #6Ansmann Max-e 2100 mAh
    #7Nexcell EnergyON 2000 mAh
    #8Eneloop by Sanyo 2000 mAh
    #9Hybrid by Ray-O-Vac 2100 mAh

    https://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1023&thread=26078814&page=2

    Of course, the comparative review done on this is just one and would be excellent if can be repeated by others to verify the accuracy of the findings.

    I hope Justin you can post comparative reviews &/or proofs for the metaefficient products. I am just curious on how to categorize a product as being the best metaefficient product in its class.
    Nevertheless, you have an excellent website… Keep up the good work.

  224. Farouk E Abu Shara

    Dear Sir;
    Your webpage is great as well.
    We need extensive information on your entire range of batteries and chargers to satisfy the need of certain customers.
    For more impression, we need a few sets of hard- copy catalogs and your export price list before discount.
    Your prompt response way generate business for both of us.
    I look forward with interest to hearing from you in due course.
    Kind regards.

    Farouk E Abu Shara
    Executive Director

  226. Luis Botelho

    Hi. Your site is great and provided me with lots of very useful information. Thanks

    I would like to buy a rechargeable battery with 12V and 2Ah (or 6v and 3Ah). I’ve been reading your article about the new hybrid Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) cells. It provides info about the battery amperes but not about their voltage. Would you please point me to where I can get such information?
    Thanks a lot
    –Luis

  227. Tom Dibble

    My setup, which I am VERY happy with, is a large supply of Eneloop batteries plus one 4-cell smart charger (The Lacrosse BC-900 reviewed above). Works GREAT.

    The folks having problems with their eneloops probably need to put them on a “recharge” cycle with one of the smart chargers. I understand that you can often get these kinds of issues by using “fast” chargers rather than “slow” trickle charges.

    Where to buy:

    Costco is where I got my initial stash of Eneloops (got two travel packs and just never use the charger). However, for the next couple of weeks Thomas Distribution (https://www.thomasdistributingshop.com) is having a hell of a sale on Eneloops, 4 AA’s for under $10, and they throw in a travel case for each set as well. The price goes down even more (moderately so) if you buy a bunch.

    We have a family with 6 kids, and went through a LOT of batteries before switching to rechargables. We also tried “old style” rechargables before hitting on the eneloops. We’d end up with “dead” batteries after only a few recharges; I understand now that was most likely because we’d let the batteries completely discharge before recharging them, which apparently can ruin standard NiMH batteries.

    In any case, we started off with the Lacrosse charger and the 8+2+charger+shells+travel pack deal from Costco (see https://www.eneloopusa.com/products.html about 1/2 way down), then quickly discovered we’d need at least twice as many eneloops. Six months later and still going strong, and I’m upsizing our battery supply with a bunch more eneloops from Thomas Dist (see above).

    As or C and D cells: https://www.sanyo.com/news/2008/08/08-2en.html – Eneloop “real” C and D cell batteries will be released in September. Bad news: initial release is in Japan, although I suspect we’ll see them in the US soon after.

  228. Missy

    I use the Eneloop batteries in my vibrator, and oo-ee-oo I can have multiple orgasms and keep on going if I want (though I usually get too sore after about a dozen). Great batteries and last a long time in my vibrator!

  231. Lindy Cheng

    This article is very timely; you’ve convinced me to upgrade to the new rechargeable technology. I’ve been using rechargeable NiMH for eight years now and they are starting to die on me. I have noticed that there is significant variation in quality according to brand. If you want to hang onto the older battery technology, I like the Sony NiMH batteries. I’ve used them for 8 eights years and they’ve really held up to frequent use… or is it abuse? The quick charge Rayovac’s are convenient but the batteries don’t last like the Sony’s. As for the no name brand… what is that suspicious bulge on the side of the battery that formed after less than 3 years of light use?

    Thanks, also, for the tip about Costco selling the eneloops. Great price. You get 8 AA’s, 2 AAA’s, a bunch of plastic sleeves that convert the AA’s to C’s & D’s and a charger for under $30 (as of Aug. 3, 2008).

    The charger is pretty darn basic. It’s the type that will sense when the charge is complete and turns off the charge process. The charger holds 4 batteries and it charges in pairs. You can mix AA’s and AAA’s but only in pairs. No “smart” features like deep discharge. But the the price at Costco is pretty much the cost of the batteries with the charger tossed in for free. I’m not complaining. The charger will work with 120-240 V and is very light and compact. For those of you who hesitate over the hefty price of rechargeables vs. alkalines, last time I traveled I got caught without a charger and paid $15 at a fancy tourist trap hotel shop for 4 alkaline AA’s for my camera. 4 eneloops for $12 at Amazon vs. $15 alkalines? Switch and don’t leave home without the charger!

    Oh, wait. This is the new technology. Just charge up before you leave. Duh.

  232. SCedG

    The Eneloops aren’t that widely available in stores around DC from what I’ve seen, so I stick with Duracell Precharge Rechargeables because they’re cheap and hold a great charge too

  234. U. Krain

    I bought my first set of Eneloop on christmas in 2006 and they are still going strong like they were new. I use them every day in my camera and I never had anything comparable, they are just perfect, ready every time I want to go, they were never ever discharged when not used. That’s what I was missing all the years before: This reliability! Priceless!

  235. J Weiner

    I have used a set of 4 Eneloop AA for my digital camera, which I use a lot.
    At first they lasted a month before needing charging, but now they last only one or two shoots…
    There are no charging directions that I can find.
    Bought from Tandy, Australia

  237. batteries

    There are several steps you can take to help you get maximum performance from your laptop battery: Prevent Memory Effect – Keep the laptop battery healthy by fully charging and then fully discharging it at least once every two to three weeks.

  238. Bob

    Does anyone know what the best option is for nimh size D batteries. I don’t want to use the adapters that convert size AA to D, they don’t have enough juice. Are there any hybrid size D or C’s out there?

  239. Les Anderson

    Purchased Eneloop charger with four batteries two months ago. Charger works great and ONE set of batteries operates my digital camera great but the other set lasts only about 15 minutes before I get the “change batteries” signal on my camera. Probably just one bad battery dragging the other one down but it’s beet a little frustrating. Batteries and charger purchased at Walmart.

    1. tt

      Invest in a good battery tester. I cannot stress that enough. You MIGHT have a weak/bad cell dragging the whole set down. That has been my one major beef with rechargeables. If your charger charges in pairs, it is likely that ONE of the batteries in your weak set continued to get slightly overcharged, until it got much weaker. I cannot count the number of batteries I lost this way, not including the lousy pack charger I no longer use. Get a charger that charges each cell individually. I know they cost more, but they are worth it in the end. Maha sells their d/c/aa/aaa series, as well as their smaller sized unit. The D cell one sells for about 80-$90 and I think the non D cell version sells for about $60. There is a Duracell Ion speed 8000 that will do up to 4, (gotta wait till battery is empty on that one), and there is a Maha MH900(costs about $70, does 4.)

    1. Charly Wiliamse

      I have thought so many times of entering the blogging world as I love reading them. I think I finally have the courage to give it a try. Thank you so much for all of the ideas!

  242. Jeff Howard

    The Eneloop batteries are outstanding — by far the best rechargeable I’ve ever used. They hold a charge extremely well (as well as alkalines) on the shelf and when in a device but not being used. They hold plenty of power for cameras, radios, telephones, recorders. And they do not have the “memory” problems that plague ni-cads, the ridiculous discharge flaws of rechargeable alkalines, or the lousy shelf life of conventional ni-mh’s. Eneloop + a top quality charger such as the MAHA MH-C808M is the way to go. The Rayovac Hybrid ni-mh is also a cut above, but not as good as the Eneloop.

  243. Gestalt

    Yes, the brand of rechargeable can make a difference, but for heaven’s sake, you should be charging them with a SOLAR POWER BATTERY RECHARGER!

    Using coal powered electricity to recharge your batteries is just wasteful. Let the sun do the work directly. Take the coal out of the loop.

  244. Ian

    I agree, I have not been happy with the performance of any rechargable batteries I have bought over the years including Rayovac and Energiser, they do seem to go bad very quickly and dont seem to hold a full charge so much that I dont even bother using my rechargable battereries any more.
    I buy the bulk packs of duracell batteries for $10 a pack they last so much longer in my digital camera than my rechargable ones. I dont mind paying $10 every couple of months for packs of batteries that last a long time in my camera.
    I do mind paying $20 even one time for rechargable ones and charger that dies on me after such a short time of use.

    1. Jeff

      It’s not just about the cost. There are other ramifications of our “throw away” society. Batteries are just one of many things slowly (or quickly), ruining our environment. Please consider more than just the dollar when making purchase decisions.

    2. tt

      Remember those 2500MAH Energizers a while back? I had a 2 pack go bad in less than 10 recharges. One of the two lost about 95% of its capacity. Of course it didn’t help that the charger charged them in pairs. They also lost their charge in just a matter of DAYS. There are many forums about them, most not so good.

  245. bob

    I’ve been having lots of problems with some of the cheaper NiMH rechargeables I’ve bought over the years. They seem go all go bad after just a few charges. I think it’ll be worthwhile to spend a bit more and get some top rated ones instead of the lousy ones I’ve been getting.

    1. tt

      Same here. I decided to never buy Tenergy Centura again due to my recent experience with them. I wish I had gotten the Eneloop Pro. Not only that, as if the cell inconsistency was not bad enough, their tops were too short to work properly in my Ion speed 8000 charger.

  246. Linda

    What Dsize recharge batteries do knowledgeable people recommend for torches? Thank you for your help.

    I am still using two ARLEC Ni-cad Dsize batteries which were charged by me for the first time in 1996. After more than one hour’s continuous use it still keeps going. It may not hold the charge very long though.

  247. Alex

    The problem with rechargeable alkaline is that it lowers full capacity with a deep discharge and it needs its own charger. Imho hybrid nihm are much better.

  248. Ralph Kramden

    You should look at the “Pure Energy” line of rechargeable alkaline batteries. They’re MUCH better than NiMH – they retain their charge and are cheaper.

  250. Raul

    Please respond…I have the IC3 Rayovac 15 minute rechargeable NimH 2000 mAh batteries..and they work great…but don’t feel like having to go online to get more. Using the PS6 recharger…am I able to buy the Energizer 15 minute rechargeable batteries and use the same charger that I use for the IC3’s…thanks

    1. tt

      Energizer makes NO 15 minute batteries, it just merely cooks the batteries in 15 minutes due to high charge current. Rayovac and some old Radio Shack company were the only 2 I know that made IC3 batteries.

  256. Michael

    Nice review. Informative.

    I feel it is important to choose a smart charger with individual charging channels because paired channel chargers do an inadequate job; they do not charge each cell optimally.

    1. tt

      You are so right. I lost hundreds of $$ because an old Radio Shack charger did them in pairs, and cooked them. It would keep missing charge termination whenever it wanted to. I destroyed a $70 set on it. They got so hot that the wrappers literally MELTED! I got rid of the charger.

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