Best Rechargeable Batteries

Today's rechargeable batteries are powerful and long-lasting

Just a few years ago, rechargeable batteries were kind of a pain. You had to charge them before you could use them, a real inconvenience when you need battery power immediately, and they lost their charge quickly.

Today's rechargeable batteries have solved those problems so thoroughly that experts now recommend you use rechargeables in just about everything -- especially frequently used, high-drain devices such as digital cameras and wireless game controllers like Nintendo's Wiimotes. Rechargeables now deliver plenty of power, and some can keep their charge quite nicely for years on the shelf. Many come pre-charged, with kits that include "smart" chargers so you don't have to worry about over-charging or wasting electricity. Lots of stores accept rechargeable batteries for recycling (check Call2Recycle.org for stores near you), and experts say they're far more eco-friendly than disposable batteries. The Union of Concerned Scientists recommends rechargeables, citing an industry-commissioned study that found that "using a disposable battery to create 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity has a global-warming impact equivalent to driving a car 283 miles; using a rechargeable battery is equivalent to driving 10 miles."

Rechargeable batteries can also save you a lot of money over time. "My old audiobook player took AAAs that I recharged nearly every day, saving me hundreds of dollars over two years," writes Carrie Kirby at the Chicago Tribune. And electricity for recharging costs just pennies per year. "Don't worry about the effect of the battery charger on your electric bill," says Brian Nadel at TomsGuide.com. "Most chargers use just a few watts -- less electricity than a child's night light."

In short, rechargeable batteries are now so good that when one consumer organization recently tested five popular brands of rechargeable AA batteries, all five were recommended.

But check user reviews -- written by people who have actually used the batteries over weeks or months in their own digital cameras, flashlights and children's toys -- and one rechargeable battery easily outshines all others: the Sanyo Eneloop Rechargeable (*Est. $12 for four AA) . Experts and users both rave about it. In fact, 92 percent of the more than 1,600 users who have reviewed the Sanyo Eneloop at Amazon.com give it 4 or a perfect 5 stars. When one nonprofit consumer organization tested 10 popular brands of rechargeable batteries, the Sanyo Eneloop was the very best at keeping its charge while on the shelf and at recharging to the max even after 200 charges. It was also one of the top batteries for long-lasting power.

"The Sanyo Eneloop batteries that I've been using in my Nikon camera since January 2007 are still going strong, averaging 300 or more photos and three months between recharges," says photography enthusiast Stefan Vorkoetter in an article from early 2009. The Eneloop wins his test of 11 rechargeable batteries at StefanV.com.

Sanyo Eneloop batteries come pre-charged, and the company says you can recharge them up to 1,500 times. Even if you leave them sitting on a shelf for three years, they can keep up to 75 percent of their charge, according to Sanyo. They come in AA and AAA sizes, but you can also get adapters to use them in devices that use C or D batteries. The Sanyo Eneloop Power Pack (*Est. $40) includes a four-battery charger, eight AA batteries, two AAA batteries, two each of the C and D adapters, and a carrying case. In addition, each component is available individually. Sanyo also makes a USB charger kit (*Est. $15) that comes with two AA Eneloop batteries.

Kodak (*Est. $12 for four AA) and Duracell Rechargeable (*Est. $17 for four AA) batteries both perform well in expert tests at various nonprofit consumer organizations, but they don't get as consistently good user reviews. Some users complain at sites such as Amazon.com and Steves-Digicams.com that these batteries die too quickly. The Kodak batteries come pre-charged like the Sanyo Eneloop, but Duracell charges extra for its Duracell Rechargeable Pre-charged (*Est. $19 for four AA) batteries. Neither claims to offer as many recharges as the Sanyo Eneloop. Kodak claims "up to 1,000" recharges, and Duracell says its batteries can be recharged "hundreds of times."

Energizer Recharge (*Est. $14 for four AA) batteries also do a good job in several expert tests, although they don't come pre-charged. An optional 15-minute Energizer Recharge Rapid Charger (*Est. $40) works with either a wall outlet or your car's power port, which PopPhoto.com's tester finds very convenient. However, TomsGuide.com and some Amazon.com users say the batteries come out of the quick charger too hot to handle, and TomsGuide.com says it actually takes 22 minutes to recharge them. Energizer Recharge batteries run only one-third to one-half as long as the Sanyo Eneloop in TomsGuide.com's flashlight and CD player tests. Again, user reviews are inconsistent: Many Amazon.com users downgrade the Energizer Recharge batteries to a 1-star rating, saying they lose their charge extremely quickly, but other users say they work fine. Energizer says its batteries "can be charged up to 150 more times" -- fewer than the other rechargeable batteries discussed here.