Cheaper rechargeable aa/aaa's

I'm trying some less expensive rechargeable batteries - Enloops are too pricey. Has anyone tried the imported ones?

My experiences were not positive a few years ago. The Amazon Basics brand haven't been as good for me as Eneloops, but they're not bad. For me, Eneloops have proven to be the most cost effective based on longevity.

For what purpose? If it's just for things like remotes and other less demanding things, then the ikea ones are pretty decent.

Eneloops at Costco! I've been looking at getting some. Starter package includes AA, 4-AAA and a charger. I think they have a battery only package too.

I am very happy with Eneloops, bought the cheapest at Costco. Amazing savings compared to other battery types, such that the original Eneloops purchase price is trivial.

My brother bought some imported ones off Amazon (I'll ask him the brand when I see him next). He says they're pretty good but they don't last quite as long on a charge as the Eneloops. They were only marginally cheaper, too, so it probably wasn't worth is. Eneloops aren't that expensive and can be charged thousands of times. Going cheaper is probably false economy IMO.

I bought some cheaper NiMH one time and a couple leaked.

Maha Imedion are pretty close to Eneloops. But the cost of Eneloops are low enough that it doesn't really save to buy cheaper.

I also have to add that my Eneloops are still working fine; bought most of them in 2008...

As someone suggested, top-shelf Eneloops might be overkill for minor stuff like remote controls and computer mouses. Sure, if you're headed out into the weeds, bring the best you have. For mundane household stuff, though, any low-self-discharge batteries will serve, provided you have a decent charger.

Since frugalism is the goal, the trick is to keep an eye out for clearance sales. Otherwise you're spending almost as much per battery as top-shelfers, which is not wise. For example, last year, Ikea was clearing out tons of 750mA LSD AAA's for a dollar per four-pack. Did I buy a couple of cartons? Of course I did. Way more than I need, but the rest turn into stocking stuffers and office gifts, so they save me money. 25 cents a cell, and they work fine.

I have never had a NiMH leak, BTW. I have dozens, cheapies and top-shelf, and have used them constantly for years and years.

Well put! I don't mind cheap batteries in remotes and stuff although as they die instead of using new disposables I've been trying to Eneloops. It's a bit "greener" and more convenient.

Today I made a good score at Target! They had 8 packs of Ultimate Lithium AA's on clearance for $5! That's a great price. I don't use rechargeables in my lights as a rule, I prefer lithium. At least the ones that I use for hiking and camping, or for storage in the car.

I had "titanium" brand and RadioShack NiMH's leak so it is possible for NiMH to leak.

Fair enough, I don't doubt that it's possible. But my experience indicates that it's not probable. Unlike AlkaDestroyers.

Personally, I have no qualms whatsoever about leaving NiMH's in equipment. YMMV of course.

In the past, I used to get cheaper NiMH than Eneloops for devices like cordless phones. Those don't need the Eneloops ability to hold a charge for a really long time, since they sit in the charger most of the time anyway. So I went for non-Eneloops for those devices. Not because the alternates were cheaper than Eneloops, but because they had higher total capacity than the Eneloops (at least that was the case at the time I bought them). But nowadays, I just buy Eneloops for everything that doesn't also support LiIon rechargeables (my preferred battery type). But even those LiIon devices, the 14500 sized ones, also have AA sized Eneloops available for long-term storage backups.

I still haven't found a Lithium Ion that will last a decade like NiMH so I still stay away from those.
My kids still use my Sanyo 1650mAH (pre-eneloop) from 1999.

For UK subscribers 'Which?' magazine regularily tests rechargables. The mag is available at libraries. There were some suprising results from what I remember. Price was a very poor guide to how well they did.
And they had their longest storage after being charged, then used up, about 5 times. If you want ones for a survival kit.
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