AA battery VFM showdown

[dylanwinter]

http://www.batteryshowdown.com/results-lo.html

gonna give up on maplins and start buying Ikea

D

 

[Sailingsaves]

http://www.batteryshowdown.com/results-lo.html

gonna give up on maplins and start buying Ikea

D

Nice chart Dylan, where did you find that? (there is supposed to be a tongue in cheek smiley here)

Amazon sell some of the very good Varta batteries. But there are more than one type of 'professional' Varta.

 

[dylanwinter]

Nice chart Dylan, where did you find that?

Amazon sell some of the very good Varta batteries. But there are more than one type of 'professional' Varta.

some bloke sent it to me

very useful for us AA users

if it ain't double A it ain't on the boat

 

[Thistle]

I've been convinced for many years that Costco Kirkland Signature AA cells are longer-lasting than the equivalent Duracells in, for example, my handheld GPS (Garmin 12). I was lucky if I got a full day's walking with the Duracells. I regularly get 4 times that with the Costcos.

 

[Sailingsaves]

some bloke sent it to me

very useful for us AA users

if it ain't double A it ain't on the boat

Now don't go telling them all about those nice plastic adapters too.

At least not until I buy shares in whoever makes them (that is the only smiley I know how to do)

 

[Sailingsaves]

And if you do go the Varta route (I would only fork out for them in a piece of vital equipment that I really wanted to last) there are at least 2 varieties of Varta professional:

Tesco £3 for 4 - not bad http://www.tesco.com/direct/varta-professional-aa-lithium-battery-x4/563-6597.prd
Amazon £9 for 4 purple topped. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Varta-Professional-Lithium-Batteries-4pack/dp/B004RPMHBE

And never, never, buy Kodak AAA - just take my word for it _ like pee-ing to windward those useless lumps of junk.

 

[Sailingsaves]

I've been convinced for many years that Costco Kirkland Signature AA cells are longer-lasting than the equivalent Duracells in, for example, my handheld GPS (Garmin 12). I was lucky if I got a full day's walking with the Duracells. I regularly get 4 times that with the Costcos.

Did you know that Duracell were owned by Proctor and Gamble.

I had a good old chat with them a while back. "Yes sir, we'd really like to look at your ideas".

Then I realised that I could only afford a patent in the UK and Proctor and Gamble are actually a US of A company, so they could have truly stuffed me (at least on that side of the pond, they wouldn't have been able to import my stuff over here).

Then again, some people make more money from sue-ing infringed patents than from selling the products (if you have the time and inclination for long drawn out legal cases).

 

[JumbleDuck]

http://www.batteryshowdown.com/results-lo.html

gonna give up on maplins and start buying Ikea

Lidl Aerocells don't seem to be on that chart, but in the tests I have seen they do exactly the same as Duracell. They cost £1.99 for 8 AA.

Which? recently tested AA batteries and gave "Best Buy" to a lithium one which did about 20% better than Aerocells and cost four times as much. A reader wrote in to query this and the published reply said that they do not take cost into account when determining "Best Buy". Which? is weird.

 

[nigelmercier]

http://www.batteryshowdown.com/results-lo.html
gonna give up on maplins and start buying Ikea

I wouldn't buy anything in Maplins, they are the electronics equivalent of PC World.

I've been using Ikea batteries since this site was first mentioned in here (about 6 months) so it's too early to tell if they are as good as claimed. However, if they don't leak, like Duracells, I'll be happy. Ten batteries for a little over a quid, no brainier.

However, I use AA Lithium cells for my backup GPS: http://amzn.to/1kc94e6
and 9V Lithium cells in my smoke detectors: http://amzn.to/1cNa7Qa

 

[zzyyxx]

It'd be good to see the same for rechargeables...

 

[Ruffles]

http://www.batteryshowdown.com/results-lo.html

gonna give up on maplins and start buying Ikea

D

Great analysis. Doesn't show temperature performance though. I use AAAs for cycling every day. Lights tend to dim when I get out in the cold evening air.

I buy Procells because they come in a cute box. Is that a bit sad?!

 

[nigelmercier]

It'd be good to see the same for rechargeables...

I think rechargeable NiMH batteries have had their day, I certainly wouldn't use them in a torch.

I buy Procells because they come in a cute box.

I always used Procells until about 6 months ago, when I found my first leak; two more followed. Since then I've been going round replacing them with Ikea ones.

 

[zzyyxx]

I think rechargeable NiMH batteries have had their day, I certainly wouldn't use them in a torch.

Possibly, but lithium is expensive and is it really suitable in a wet environment?

 

[alahol2]

I think rechargeable NiMH batteries have had their day, I certainly wouldn't use them in a torch.

I think the newer Ni-MH batteries, sometimes described as 'hybrid', are much better then the older ones. I now use them in cameras, H/H GPS, head torches etc. They hold a charge, if unused, for quite a considerable time. Admittedly they are only 1.2V, which may affect ultimate performance in an overdriven LED torch, but I can't tell the difference.
I use a slightly older version of these (mine are min 1950 mAh) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-HHR-3XXE-Rechargeable-Pre-charged-Batteries/dp/B00E5MIVDW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1393500758&sr=8-3&keywords=evolta+batteries

 

[nigelmercier]

I think the newer Ni-MH batteries, sometimes described as 'hybrid', are much better then the older ones... Admittedly they are only 1.2V ... http://amzn.to/1hW4DqB

They may be a useful compromise, but with Ikea AA batteries at 12p each I don't really see the point. The voltage is also a problem for some torches, although probably not the LED ones that take a single AA battery.