For all those devices we depend on, someone did a test to find the best batteries.

Battery test

Too bad I bought my last alkaline battery about 6 months ago - have transitioned entirely to rechargeable eneloops. My alkaline AAs are intended solely for smoke alarm back up batteries.

I do have some lithiums on the shelf purchased ~6 years back; useful if I need some AAs and don't have access to chargers. But in 99.99% of scenarios, I can recharge my eneloops.

Alkalines are my backups too. If my device will take them, I use rechargeable Li-Ion 14500's as the preferred power source. If not, NiMH Eneloops are used. Alkalines are used only for emergency backups for me (and for the extremely rare device that won't work with NiMH). I throw Alkalines into carry bags, tuck them into car glove boxes, etc. Pretty much they never get used, but are there as emergency spares.

So based on "emergency spare use only" for me, I buy alkalines based on price, not performance. Usually that means Costco ("Kirkland") brand alkalines.

I won't buy alkaline AAs any more, especially for emergency and backup. They don't last as long as lithiums in storage, and they leak.

Kirklands represented a good value in a study by Consumers Union about a year ago. But alkalines ar essentially an obsolete technology. What about a study evaluating rechargeables? Over their service life, they are almost certainly much cheaper....

Yup,always liked the Kirkland.....back in the day.

Eneloops here now.

Defenitely lithiums. But it would be interesting to see some unbiased reviews of the new Energizers with the claimed 10-year shelf life. About the only way I will use alkalines anymore is if I know they won't be in the device long. Cleaning up after a battery leak is a pain.

Hmmmm. That is interesting. Thanks.

battery testing

Isn't this the same test referred to in a current thread?