Best AA battery at the moment

[stevehertz]

According to Which? the best value (all aspects considered) AA battery at this point in time is the Aldi Activ Energy. I stress at this point in time because brands swap and change different battery manufacturers through time, and obviously the quality and performance will vary on that basis. They're priced at £1.69. Probably less for a multipack, not sure, but anyway, cheap.

The best 'out and out' performer is the Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA at just £8.80 a pop (!). They're said to be the longest lasting battery on test for high drain, energy-guzzling devices.

[paulsherwin]

My current favourites are the own-brand alkaline packs sold at Primark checkouts. Cheap, decent life (though not class leading) and no leakage problems. Poundland are less competitive than they used to be.

As you say though, things tend to change without warning in the consumer battery market, and it's all a bit of a minefield.

Obviously lithium chemistry will always outperform alkalines.

[kalee20]

But what do you mean by 'best?'

For a clock, it could be the one with the lowest self-discharge.

For something with a powerful motor, it could be the lowest internal resistance.

For something that's used once a year, it could be the one that leaks least.

For something like a camera, it could be the one that packs the most energy in.

So the third and the fourth, for instance, are at odds with each other, you can have more sealing and absorbance in the AA packaging, which would subtract from the space left for chemicals and energy capacity.

No one size fits all!

[stevehertz]

I said "best value" not "best", so that explains it in itself.

Here's what Which? says:

Put a set of one of our Best Buy AA disposable batteries in your most power-hungry devices, such as a camera or torch, and they will last around three hours longer than the worst. Put them in a medium-drain device, like a games console or Christmas lights, and you'll get an amazing fourteen extra hours.

For high-drain devices, low-cost batteries may only be fractionally cheaper per hour of intensive use than some of our Best Buys. When the latter will last longer, is the extra hassle of buying, replacing and recycling them more often worth such a small saving?

[Paul_RK]

Originally Posted by stevehertz

Aldi Activ Energy.... They're priced at £1.69. Probably less for a multipack, not sure, but anyway, cheap.

I've been using Aldi ActivEnergy AA and AAA cells for a few years now wherever I'm not using rechargeables - both come in packs of 10, I'm not sure of the in-store price but online I'm seeing £2.25. Life seems good and I've yet to have one leak.

Paul

[kalee20]

Originally Posted by stevehertz

I said "best value" not "best", so that explains it in itself.

True, but not in the title! which is what had stayed in my mind.

Thanks for the Which? report summary!

It does raise the point, that batteries rarely have the amp-hour capacity stated on either them, or the packaging... I would hope that it becomes mandatory. It would be so much easier to compare, then!

[ortek_service]

Originally Posted by kalee20

It does raise the point, that batteries rarely have the amp-hour capacity stated on either them, or the packaging... I would hope that it becomes mandatory. It would be so much easier to compare, then!

It's maybe because the achievable capacity / lifetime is so variable with current -drain, due to relatively-high internal resistance on most primary AA cells.

It used to be in the datasheets, for some of the batteries-only manufacturers, like Duracell (Although it's rumoured they didn't have their own factory, and were made for them - I once opened up a Panasonic PP3, and found the inside surface of its outer sheet metal wrapper was printed as a Philips one), but often only at fairly-moderate loads and they didn't show performance at a few hundred mA's / low-temperature (Probably as they were rather bad). So while AA Alkalines should be a bit over 3Ah, they could be very-much less than this (Especially in older Digital Cameras, that took only two AA's, and drew 3Watts)


With a pack of four Low Self Discharge NiMH rechargeables, which hold most of their charge for > 1yr, often being sold at Lidl for < £3 then there's often now little reason to buy single-use Alkalines (which are not much less-expensive). And Sanyo(Now Panasonic) Eneloops are even lower self-discharge (Still have most of their charge after 3yrs).

Although LSD NiMH AA's are usually only just over 2Ah - compared to non-LSD NiMH's that are typically upto 2.9Ah. There are more-expensive 2.5Ah LSD Eneloops, but have rather-less charge-cycles rating, so seems better to just use standard ones, and change them slightly-more often.


I've never seen an AA-Rechargeable damage battery-contacts, due to leaking. But plenty of Alkalines have (even some still before expiry-date, and not flat when it seems chemistry is even more likely to leak and damage).
Leaving Alkalines in no longer in active-use A/V equipment Remotes, is often a bad mistake (Although the plating on some contacts does seem to withstand the leakage much better than others).

[Vintage_RC]

For me the most important parameter is one least prone to leaking. I have found GP Ultra alkaline to be very good in this regard.

[broadgage]

Best for high rate discharge=Energiser ultimate lithium
Best for shelf life=ditto.
Best for leakage resistance=ditto.

Best all round winner for general use, varies a lot, might as well go with the recommendation in the Which report.

[its ur aerial]

Originally Posted by Vintage_RC

leaking. I have found GP Ultra alkaline to be very good in this regard.

Me too, I get my ones from CPC.

Ken, G6HZG.

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by Vintage_RC

For me the most important parameter is one least prone to leaking. I have found GP Ultra alkaline to be very good in this regard.

TBH it's best not to leave batteries in equipments that are not going to be used for long periods. Leaving batteries in equipments long enough for them to leak is too long, as any battery can leak. Personally I leave batteries in daily use equipments, in anything else I remove them after use/testing. An empty battery compartment cannot leak, and no battery is infallible in this respect, though some are better than others.

[G.Castle]

A bit OT but I always pass on the advice to grease battery compartment contacts with vas (petroleum jelly), a little messy but it does help stop the dreaded corrosion if you've been unlucky, or forgetful.

As for capacity ratings it would be useful for the likes of us to have an Ah/1 and Ah/20 tested and stated. Some brands I've used in the past that have been good value have suddenly become dreadful, I've been using JCB brand recently, solely as its what the local shop stocks! They don't seem bad capacity and as yet I've had no leaks.

For low drain stuff, (I have an ER model K in frequent use that runs 60 AA), I have been using 'Panasonic' branded cheapo zinc chloride that have a reasonable life, but there aren't many modern applications that have that low a drain... zinc chloride cells always leak when completely exhausted though.

[linescan87]

I'm with Paul (Sherwin) the Primark, Pennies in Ireland, are great value. I always stock up when in there. The Poundland, Dealz in Ireland, batteries are now a 5 pack instead of 6 and priced at €2.50 as opposed to the €1.50 that they were. How's that for inflation?

The Primark ones are still €1.75 for a ten pack, same price for many years. I wonder when they will cop on that they're so cheap?

[G6Tanuki]

Currently using a set of Aerocell alkalines from Lidl. They seem OK, but I'm only using them in low-current applications, and have a series of Outlook 'repeating appointments' set to remind me when batteries in things have been in service for six months [visual-check-for-leakage] and a year [replace-with-new].

[stevehertz]

We can all have our favourites but can we say that we've lab tested them against others to compare performance and price? That's what Which? have done.

"Aldi’s own-brand AAs are exceptional batteries, lasting a long time across every draining scenario from energy-hungry gadgets where they’ll last over seven hours to low-drain devices such as clocks where you’ll get more than 90 hours of charge. As alkaline batteries, they don’t have the shelf life or won’t run for as long as lithium alternatives, but their low cost makes them great value in cost per hour."

My 'favourite' used to be Wilko AA batteries because they were best value (price vs performance), but at present the Aldi ones are, a ten pack costing £2.25. Your favourite battery can change overnight if the brand starts to use another manufacturer. It may look just the same..

[stuarth]

I switched to the Aldi batteries a while ago, and they've been well rated in Which for quite some time. The only cells which were better (for battery life) were the Energiser Lithiums at 10 times the price per cell, and I think you'd only see an advantage on very high drain applications, ie one where battery life was significntly less than 10 hours, eg digital cameras or flashguns.

The last Aldi cells I bought in the shop were £2.09 for a box of 10, but I wouldn't be suprised if they were £2.25 now. So far, out of 150 Aldi cells I've monitored, one had leaked. Corresponding numbers for Duracells (which have less life than the Aldi cells, and are 4~5 times more expensive at £4 to £5 for 4) are 18 leaky cells out of 110.

It's difficult to quote capacity in Ah for these cells, bacause it depends on temperature, acceptable end point voltage, duty cycle, etc. and for Alkalines cells, capacity varies with load current. Data sheets from Duracell, Energiser and Panasonic for AA alkaline cells show a capacity of about 2.7Ah at low current, but capacity, not just run times, falls as the current rises and falls very significantly at high load currents. Typically, you might get only 1Ah at a 1A load current. Some manufacturers have "standard" and "premium" cells in their range, and the difference seems to be not really capacity, but the ability of the cell to maintain a decent terminal voltage at higher currents, and less fall off in capacity at high load currents. The differences are not huge though.

The bit advantage of Lithium AA cells is not the higher Ah (3Ah instead of 2.7Ah for alkalines), but their ability to maintain that capacity with increasing load, so at 1A load, you still get 3Ah capacity, not the 1Ah you'd get from an Alkaline. That difference gets even bigger as you go above 1A. Also, Lithiums can maintain their terminal voltage at high currents, their internal resistance is so low that Energiser fit a safety cut-out in the top of each cell.

It's easy to justifying spending twice as much for Lithiums over Durcells, but a lot less easy to justify spending 10 times as much as the Aldi cells. Unless you have something with a very high load (which typically would have a more modern version with Lithium rechargeable batteries), or you need a very long shelf life without checking the batteries, or working in extreme cold, or some other unusual situations.

Stuart

[murphyv310]

Hi
Lab testing is all very well but what happens in the lab and in real life is two totally different kettles of fish!
Take for example the massive temperature swings in my shed going from say minus five in winter to plus 35c in summer. Then add in the high levels of moisture in winter with a gas heater on. Does the lab tests take into account various types of equipment that may have a continuous very small load then a high level pulse, to me there is too many variables that can occur. Personal experience is by far the best. I use a varied source of AA & AAA batteries from Lidl Aerocell, Energiser Ultimate Lithium to GP Alkaline from CPC all are good in their own way but I'd not vote for one particular type and although the Energiser is excellent it cannot be used in everything with its 1.8v nominal voltage, when series connect it can over run some equipment.
IMHO Duracell are by far the worst with leaking and reverse polarity, I've seen burning and popped electrolytic capacitors caused by these batteries

[Nickthedentist]

Has anyone tried the "Amazon Basics" cells? I've been using them for 6 months or so, and have been impressed so far. Currently 28p/cell if you buy 40:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasic...c=1&th=1&psc=1

And yes, avoid Duracell/Procell lilke the plague. I've had countless gadgets wrecked by them over the last few years.

[stevehertz]

Originally Posted by murphyv310

Hi
Lab testing is all very well but what happens in the lab and in real life is two totally different kettles of fish!
Take for example the massive temperature swings in my shed going from say minus five in winter to plus 35c in summer. Then add in the high levels of moisture in winter with a gas heater on. Does the lab tests take into account various types of equipment that may have a continuous very small load then a high level pulse, to me there is too many variables that can occur. Personal experience is by far the best.

Now you're being esoteric. The Which? tests and results are aimed at the general user, not for someone wanting to know if an AA battery meets a military spec. But anyway, how can personal experience possibly be "by far the best" unless one is buying and comparing batteries from many sources, and getting through them all regularly given that brands are often changing suppliers. You can't. Which? regularly do these comparative battery tests and so the results are not only up to date but take into account a wide range of batteries.

My intention in posting was to do fellow forum members a favour in advising the results of the Which? AA battery tests. But I get that we all have different views and methodologies.

[stevehertz]

Duracell isn't the high quality battery manufacturer that it once was. The various take-overs are complicated but Wikipedia explains all:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duracell