Most experiences with Eneloops have been rather good. Off brands seem to be a different matter. Charge retention is a trivial matter. if a battery is low, pop it on the charger or connect to a power bank and replenish. It is just a different mindset from using "one and out" clunkers. Do the math and see how much money you will save....

As with any battery stock, keep a suitable number of charged batteries on hand for instant replacement.