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Duracell Rechargeable

*Est. $13 for eight AA

Reviewed

February 2013

by ConsumerSearch

Pros

Decent battery life
Can be used even with high-drain devices
Has 1,000 charge cycles

Cons

Drains quickly when not in use
Slow charging times

Where to Buy

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Our Analysis
Specs
92 Amazon Reviews

Bottom Line

Duracell's Rechargeable cells are well regarded, but they simply can't compete with Sanyo's Eneloops (*Est. $12 for four AA) , which last longer and charge more quickly.

Staying Power

So-so battery life. In a test conducted by Choice magazine, Duracell's rechargeable batteries received an overall performance score of 84 percent, coming in third after Energizer e2 Lithium and Energizer Rechargeable batteries. According to the test, you'd be able to take 470 pictures before the batteries need to be recharged.

Gizmodo.com's Brian Lam uses an LED flashlight to compare the performance of Duracell's rechargeables against Energizer's rechargeables. The results show that Duracell's rechargeables lasted about three times as long as Energizer's. In Wired's test, Duracell's rechargeables were able to take 1,377 photos per charge.

Performance

Not the best. It takes up to 620 minutes (about 10 hours) to recharge a Duracell rechargeable, according to Wired's Maren Jinnett. Duracell.com reviewer "LanthanumK" warns against using fast NiMH chargers because one of his cells exploded when he charged it with Energizer's 15-minute charger.

Reviews have generally been poor when it comes to discharge rates as well. Amazon.com reviewer Jeff Kraus notes that his batteries lost their charge when he didn't use them for 24 to 36 hours after he charged them. Amazon.com reviewer "Martin" echoes his sentiments, noting that the batteries don't hold a charge for very long in spite of Duracell's claim that the batteries can hold a charge for up to a year.

Sanyo Eneloop AA NiMH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries - 4 Pack

from Amazon.com

New: $14.99 $9.27

In Stock.

Average Customer Review:

Where To Buy

Duracell Rechargeable AA NiMH Batteries, MIGNON/HR6/DC1500, 2450mAh, 8-Count Package

(92 reviews)
Buy new: $23.95 16 New from $11.99

In Stock.

Store Rating	Notes	Total Price
235 store reviews	In Stock. Fantastic prices with ease & comfort of Amazon.com!	$29.95	See It
9,134 store reviews	In Stock. New Low Price Guarantee	$29.99	See It
1,257 store reviews	In Stock. Earn 2% eBay Bucks on qualifying purchases! Backed by eBay Buyer Protection Program. Terms and Condi	$20.00	See It
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Our Sources

1. Choice magazine

Review Credibility: Excellent Choice magazine editors test 10 samples of 12 different battery brands by using them to take photos with a digital camera. Editors exhausted all the batteries and computed the costs of capturing 10,000 shots.

Review: High Capacity Batteries Review, Editors of Choice, June 14, 2008

2. Gizmodo.com

Review Credibility: Excellent Gizmodo.com's Brian Lam tests Duracell's rechargeable batteries against Energizer's rechargeable batteries. After several trials, he finds out that Duracell's rechargeable batteries can outlast Energizer's by roughly three more hours.

Review: Battlemodo: Energizer vs Duracell Rechargeable Batteries, Brian Lam, Feb. 12, 2009

3. Wired

Review Credibility: Excellent Wired's Maren Jinnett tests four different battery brands by using them to power a Canon PowerShot camera. Duracell tops the list, having taken 1,377 photos per charge.

Review: Battery Bout, Maren Jinnett, April 2009

4. StevesDigicams.com

Review Credibility: Fair Forum user "itsme000" offers a review of Duracell's rechargeable batteries based on his own use. He's generally happy with their performance.

Review: Review: Duracell 2650mAh AA NiMH, "itsme000", May 23, 2006

5. Amazon.com

Review Credibility: Fair With over 80 reviews at Amazon.com, Duracell's rechargeable batteries earn an overall score of 3.2 out of 5 stars. Opinions are mixed, with some raving about their performance and others saying their batteries didn't hold a charge.

Review: Duracell Rechargeable AA NiMH Batteries, Contributors to Amazon.com, As of February 2013

6. Duracell

Review Credibility: Fair More than 20 users offer their opinion of Duracell's rechargeable batteries on Duracell's site. Reviews here are also a mix of rants and raves. As at Amazon.com, some users say that their batteries couldn't hold a charge.

Review: Duracell Rechargeable, Contributors to Duracell.com, As of February 2013

Energizer Recharge *Est. $11 for 4 AA

1 pick including: Amazon.com, Engadget.com…