In A Nutshell
Overall, the best rechargeable AA battery is the Eneloop Pro (aka Sanyo XX Battery Powered By Eneloop). These batteries hold their charge for 12 months. They also have a high energy capacity (2500 mAh), and they perform better than similar high-capacity AAs (see my article for more information).
Another good rechargeable AA is Maha’s Imedion battery, which is cheaper than the Eneloop Pro (about $5 less for a pack of 4). Imedions are also low-discharge, high-capacity batteries, but they do not perform quite as well as the Sanyo XX (see this reviews for the details on their performance).
The Details
Today, the best rechargeable batteries are the “low self-discharge” Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) cells. These low-dischrage batteries have a lot going for them: they come fully charged (like alkaline batteries), and they can hold their charge over many months (unlike regular Ni-MH rechargeables). Because they can hold their charge for so long, they are suitable for low-drain devices like remote controls and flashlights. They are also ideal for use in high-drain electronic devices like digital cameras, where they out-perform alkalizes.
So, basically, these “low self-discharge” Ni-MH batteries offer the convenience and shelf-life of alkalines, and the high-drain performance of older Ni-MH batteries.
Generally, the best low self-discharge batteries are made in Japan (the others are made in China), these are: Sanyo’s Eneloops, Duracell, Energizer and Sony. The Eneloop Pro batteries from Sanyo definitely hold their charge the longest, and they are my top recommendation. I review the batteries in more detail below, and review some of the best battery chargers at the end of this article. I do not recommend the Energizer or Duracell rechargeable batteries — these name brands seem to produce inferior rechargeables, perhaps to protect their sales of alkaline batteries.
See also my review of best rechargeable D Size Batteries, C Size and 9V batteries.
Eneloop Rechargeable Batteries by Sanyo
Better designed than other rechargeables, Eneloop batteries have become a best-seller for Sanyo. Eneloops can be recharged up to 1000 times, and they will retain their charged capacity even after 6 or 12 months of storage. After 6 months, they retain 90% of their charge. After 12 months, they retain 85% of their charge (when stored at 20 degree Celsius). Sanyo recommends keeping the batteries in a cool location to maximize charge retention.
The AA-sized Eneloops are rated at 2000 mAh, and the AAA-sized Eneloops are rated at 800 mAh (mAh stands for “MiliAmp hours” — a unit that indicates how much energy a battery can hold.)
The charge times are as follows: AA Eneloops charge in 230 minutes, and AAA Eneloops charge in 135 minutes.
Eneloop batteries are available at Amazon in 8 packs, and 16 packs and 32 packs. They are also available with a charger: 8 Eneloop Batteries with a Charger. Note that these links to the second-generation 2000 mAh eneloops.
You can also get a special edition Eneloop Glitter pack, which features multi-colored Eneloops.
Eneloop Pros (or Sanyo XX Battery Powered By Eneloop)
Sanyo has released a new version of the Eneloop, called the Eneloop Pro (in Japan) or Sanyo XX Battery Powered By Eneloop (in the US and Europe). The Eneloop Pro battery has a capacity of 2500 mAh — which is 500 mAh more than the regular Eneloops.
Eneloop Pro batteries are available on Amazon.
The Best Battery Chargers
How about some good battery chargers to go with these batteries? The chargers featured below are some of the smartest out there — they have built-in protection to prevent overcharging or undercharging. They can also handle most battery sizes.
LaCrosse Technology BC-1000 Alpha Battery Charger
The LaCrosse Alpha BC-1000 Charger has sophisticated monitoring circuitry that controls the charging process, and it is also capable of “renewing” batteries by running fully-controlled discharge-recharge cycles.
The charger shows battery voltage and charge status on its digital display. It has four separate charge channels so you can charge one, two three or four batteries at a time – even on individual charge programs. This allows you to test one battery while charging the others. It comes with four AA and four AAA batteries, four battery adapters (which convert AA sized battery to C and D sizes) and a carry case. Note, however, if you want to charge C or D size batteries, you’ll want to get the Ansmann chargers below.
You can get the LaCrosse BC-1000 Alpha Charger at Amazon for about $60, and you can find the BC-700 Charger available for around $36 (this is essentially the same charger but does not include bonus items the four AA & AAA cells, plus the four C + D-cell converters).
PowerEx MH-C9000 WizardOne Charger-Analyzer
This newly released charger could be a serious rival to the LaCrosse charger — we will post a full review soon.
The PowerEx MH-C9000 is available at Amazon for about $50
Ansmann Deluxe “Energy 16″ Charger
.
Ansmann is a German company known for their range of high-end, intelligent battery chargers. Ansmann’s “Energy 16″ charger can handle both NiCad and NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) rechargeable batteries. When the batteries are inserted into the charger, they are analysed, and batteries needing reconditioning are automatically restored by several cycles of charging and discharging. The charger will also indicate if a battery has been damaged and cannot be charged.
This charger has ten charging positions: six for AAA, AA, C or D sized cells, and four for 9V cells. The six top positions can handle two AAA or two AA cells or one each of the larger C or D cells.
A LED display shows the state of charging for each cell.
This charger can be used worldwide — it accepts 100-240V 50-60Hz AC.
It’s available from Amazon for around $87.
Ansmann Deluxe “Energy 8″ Charger
Ansmann’s “Energy 8″ charger has all the features of the “Energy 16″ charger, but has 8 charging points instead of 16. It has four AAA/AA/C/D and two 9V positions.
It’s available from Amazon for around $56.
Maha PowerEx “Ultimate Professional” Charger
The Maha’s Ultimate Professional Charger almost lives up to its hyperbolic name. This compact charger can charge any combination of 1 to 8 batteries. You can mix and charge AA, AAA, C and D sized cells at the same time on individual charging circuits. Each battery size also has its own fixed contact charging points (i.e. not a spring). An LCD display shows charging and conditioning status of each rechargeable battery.
Like the Ansmann chargers, Maha’s chargers can restore batteries to their optimal performance level by repeatedly charging and discharging them. It also has intelligent charging technology and overcharge protection. It also comes with an international AC adapter, and short-circuit protection.
It is available from Amazon for around $83.
good share!!keep go on!!!nice post!!
Good day! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering if you knew where I could locate a captcha plugin for my
comment form? I’m using the same blog platform as yours and I’m
having trouble finding one? Thanks a lot!
What would you describe as the highest capacity battery when the time they hold their charge is not important. ie <you load today and use till empty the next day. So total capacity is more important than the time for self discharging. (Ansmann 2850 or Vapex 2900 are among the highest I found, but how real are these capacity's)
It was a good start but where are any of the solar energy rechargers? I felt like this whole article was a walking ad for eneloop. too many glossy pictures and not enough hard data. Thanks for trying. It gave me some ideas of what to look for.
I was just about to go with Eneloop until you mentioned this. I feel that you are right that this was sort of a walking ad, or at least a bias add. I wish Consumer Reports reviewed rechargables.
Not sure why you guys think I’m biased, Eneloop performs a better than the other batteries. However, the other brands I mentioned are good too!
If the electricity goes off….What’s a good ‘solar’ battery charger and efficient LED lamp to read by.
I have an “Energizer Class 2″ charger that came with Energizer Recharge AA batts(2300 mAh Nimh0. Can I use this charger to charge other brands of recargeable batts?
Yes, it should charge any AA NiMH cell.
It’s great to see charger reviews as the chargers that come with most standard reusable batteries are not very good.
I’ve been using the Ray-0-Vac 15 minute rechargeable batteries from some time now, but they are coming to the end of their usable life. I use them for my on camera flash (SB-800). Is there another 15 minute rechargeable battery out there that’s as good?
No, there is such thing as a good 15-minute charger. The problem is that it charges in 15 minutes. While that may sound good to have batteries charged in 15 minutes it destroys the acid inside the battery from having too much current pushed through them. A good charger doesn’t charge faster than 1 1/2 hours and pulse charges the battery not raw current.
Where can I find the Sanyo rechargeable batteries? I do not know which seller to trust on amazon..
Adorama and BH Photovideo are respectable stores with good prices.
Why spend money for a charger that’s “solar powered” what people really need is a solar panel, a rectifier and a battery and then a cheap inverter and now they can use the power for whatever device they want.
Apple rechargables are the best!! Suck it Android batteries.
Yeah, Apples are rebranded Enloopes. It’s actually a better deal just to get the originals because you get more batteries for the same price.
We all should do our share in taking care of our environment. We can start by going green. I found this fun social networking site, motleygreen.com, that lets you share green acts with fellow environmental advocates.
Hello. I have 8 Eneloop, 8 Ray O Vac and 6 Duracell (all 2000 mAh) batteries for use in photography equipment and daughther toys. I think all of them are excellent batteries. My problem is the charger (I have 2) Digipower DPS-3000+ brand, almost unknow, I get it in a promotion half price in Amazon. They are suposed rapid charger, charge 4 batteries in a bit over 3.5 hours, and end of charge detection by -dV 0-24 mV. Six batteries of that brand dead in 2 years, so I have some fear about the charger. Until now they work as advertised but I would like to know if some one have experience with them. Happy New Year and thanks on advance.
Nicely done: thorough, to the point, useful.
Awesome rechargeable batteries. I’ve been looking for the best rechargeable batts for my camera. Thanks a lot for sharing this info. It really helped me big time.
About the Ansman battery charger: On Amazon reviewers are saying that although the name is German, this battery charger is made in China.
I think all this about length of charge and milliamp-hours misses the point: if I am told to put 3 AA batteries into a gadget, it needs the voltage to drive the gadget. If the volts are insufficient, it won’t be right for the use of the gadget.
I am returning Energizer rechargeables which, after the recommended charging time, only made 1.42 volts, in a standard 1.5 TV remote, in this case. After a few hours, it would not function properly. And the rechargeable AA batteries were only rated for 1.2 volts!!
In Direct current, voltage matters; Alternating Current it does not.
Only in some rare occasions will a gadget have problems with the voltage of rechargeables. Personally, I’ve never encountered a gadget that will not run on rechargeables, and this includes their use in bike lights, flashlights, remotes and toys.
I have been using SANYO ENELOOP batteries for a few years. They are totally worth to buy and use. Batteries can last for a very long time. Love this brand. I am gonna get XX of them. lol