Batteries Reviews

We found excellent performance tests of batteries, but the big roundup reviews at Consumer Reports and its Australian equivalent, Choice magazine, aren't recent enough to cover new hybrid rechargeable batteries that come pre-charged and hold their charge well between uses. Reviews at a personal enthusiast site, written by Michael G. Hains, are more current, as are the reviews by an engineer testing hybrid batteries for a DPReview.com forum, and by an aviation enthusiast, Stefan Vorkoetter. The top-ranked Sanyo eneloop (*est. $15/4) hybrid batteries also receive over 350 reviews - far more than most products -- from owners at Amazon.com.

Hybrid batteries also get good coverage by technology writers at USA Today and The New York Times, as well as in computer magazines. This is partly because they're an extremely cost-effective investment - and a "green" product most people can easily afford.

There's a fair amount of buzz about new rechargeable batteries with built-in USB chargers, eliminating the need for a separate charger as long as you have a laptop or desktop computer handy. Reviews find them practical, but not the best value. The USBCell rechargeable batteries (*est. $20 per pair) made by Moixa not only cost more than hybrid batteries, but lose their charge much faster.

As for regular alkaline batteries, reviews recommend buying based on price, as long as you stick with major brands or well-known store brands. Comparison tests show only tiny differences among alkaline batteries when it comes to performance and battery life. Since they keep their charge for about seven years, it's fine to buy them in bulk when you do find an especially good price. However, hybrid batteries are the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly choice.  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

The eneloop and Hybrio batteries get top ranking among hybrid rechargeable batteries, and are recommended for most purposes. If long runtime is the priority for digital camera use, reviews recommend Energizer e2 Lithium batteries. Panasonic Oxyride batteries are recommended over alkaline batteries unless you find the latter at an especially good price.