What Brand of Batteries do You Use?

[gnuarm]

I used to be a big fan of Costco batteries.  They perform well in reviews.  I've used a couple of the large packs over the years.  But more recently they seem to go bad in my devices, leaking and often ruining the device such as radio controlled wall clocks and multimeters.  The last pack I bought actually leaked in the package before they got into a device. 

Costco would not pay for the damage (unlike Duracell) and wouldn't even refund the purchase price of the batteries.  That and some other issues caused me to drop my membership. 

Now I use the low cost Sunshine brand I buy at Dollar Tree.  I've used them from time to time and they have never leaked.  What's in your gadget?

[JohnnyMalaria]

Rayovac (disposable), Tenergy (rechargeable)

[georges80]

Panasonic eneloops AAA and AA in pretty well everything that takes that form factor. Many are 5+ years and lots of recharge cycles and not one has leaked, even in clocks, remotes, etc.

cheers,
george.

[retiredcaps]

Eneloops or rewrapped eneloops.  Ikea sells the LADDA and I have several of those.

https://eneloop101.com/batteries/rewrapped-batteries/

Never ever had Eneloop leak.

I'm surprised Costco didn't take back the bad batteries.  They usually take back everthing.

[BeBuLamar]

If I buy at other places I get Rayovac. If I get from Costco I get the Duracell.

[ferdieCX]

VARTA is the only one that I trust

[wizard69]

I feel your pain with respect to the leakage problem and frankly that a couple of years ago had me punting alkaline batteries where ever possible.   In this respect I'm trying out two alternatives.

• I'm making use of Lithium primary cells in the form of AA and AAA sizes.   I'm using the lithium cells sold by the big battery manufactures along side their alkaline cells.   So far no leakage and better performance.
• The other approach is to make use of rechargeable batteries.   This I'm just getting started with and in that regard I have some AAA and AA cells from Harbor Freight.   These are NiMH batteries, made in China, with HF supplying a cheap wall mount charger.   I have no idea who the OEM is but they seem to be surprisingly good considering HF.   This is working out well so far as the 1.2 Volts output doesn't seem to impact the devices I have them in.   As a result I'm looking into buying some Enloops due to reputation and hopefully a better charger. (suggestions welcomed for chargers)

A third approach, that hasn't gone far yet, is cell phone back up packs with 18650 cells in them and USB output ports.   A couple of things have converged to make these a consideration.   First; Ollies had or has a bunch of them dirt cheap which is always a plus.   Second; they have built in charging circuitry so basically self contained units.   Third; articles here in these forums and elsewhere highlight how they can be used with out too much trouble in DIY projects.   Fourth; the same packs can be used for cell phone backup or even my ARM based laptop, if the need ever arrives.   In any event these are useful anywhere a low power device easily hooked up to USB exists.   This might lead to far more use of 18650 (or larger cells) if the results are positive    Of course this doesn't do much for devices demanding AA or AAA format cells but if there is an auxiliary power input port I can see myself buying or making a pack for stuff that uses a 12 VDC imput.

The other real driver towards lithium cells is the great results I'm seeing with respect to power tools.   Lithium cells are a game changer here.    I might be late to the Lithium era but it is hard to deny how well these batteries work with respect to older rechargeables.   I just wish more manufactures would get on the band wagon and put the alkaline industry to rest.   Alkaline batteries have caused me real cash and a lot of grief so if there are any instrument makers out there (HPAK, Fluke, Flir - whomever) you really need to discontinue the use of alkaline batteries.   It is the 2020's we expect better out of high end electronics makers, don't wait for the Chinese to blow you out of the water.

[Miti]

+1 for Ikea LADDA. They are as good as Eneloop.

[all_repair]

Check up lithium rechargeable, available in AA and AAA size.  Give out 1.5V and recharge by 5V.  Xiaomi subbrand zimi offers the cheapest AA Lithium rechargeable as of now.

[Photoman]

For alkaline, the amazon house brand.  Never had one leak yet (I know famous last words).
Eneloop, EBL and the amazon basics for NiMh rechargeable's.

[IanB]

But more recently they seem to go bad in my devices, leaking and often ruining the device such as radio controlled wall clocks and multimeters.  The last pack I bought actually leaked in the package before they got into a device. 

Costco would not pay for the damage (unlike Duracell) and wouldn't even refund the purchase price of the batteries.  That and some other issues caused me to drop my membership. 

Now I use the low cost Sunshine brand I buy at Dollar Tree.  I've used them from time to time and they have never leaked.  What's in your gadget?

All alkaline batteries leak. It's what they do. If you are worried about leaking batteries, don't use alkalines. If you use alkaline batteries, then sooner or later one will leak and ruin something.  There is no safe brand, unless it is not "alkaline". Alkaline batteries have to leak, it is part of their chemistry. Either they have to leak or they have to explode. There is no third option. Since exploding is not considered consumer-friendly, leaking is what they will do.

I liked the Sunbeam brand that Dollar Tree sold, they were good value and less likely to leak than others, but lately my local Dollar Tree has stopped stocking Sunbeam products of any description. Annoying.

As many others will tell you, if you are worried about leaky batteries, then use rechargeable Eneloops or use lithium batteries.

In case you are curious, alkaline batteries with "high power", "high energy", "super long life" or other marketing buzzwords are much more prone to leaking than plain, simple, inexpensive batteries. That's why the Sunbeam batteries are so good, they don't come encumbered with marketing buzzwords. They are just simple, ordinary batteries.

[tkamiya]

I switched to Panasonic.  I buy bulk from DigiKey.  Duracell and Energizer has both destroyed lots of stuff.

[bdunham7]

Cheap zinc batteries from Dollar Stores are great for stuff that sits around and isn't critical.

Eneloops for A and AA for anything high-use.  Tenergy Centura for C and D sized.

Energizer Lithium for critical stuff that needs to work, as well as TV remotes and such where you would like to not worry about them for years on end.

EBC 9-volt lithium rechargeable for smoke detectors and 9-volt high usage applications.

Duracell is banned as well as the Costco clones.

[gnuarm]

At least Duracell will pay you for the damage if you report it.  I got a $100 check from them for a radio controlled clock their batteries ruined. 

I found this comparison which talks about the Sunbeam batteries as well a e-circuit batteries from Dollar Tree.

https://www.smartfamilymoney.com/best-aa-batteries/

Looks like this report paid $1.00 for three Sunbeams vs. $1.00 for four e-circuit cells.  The resulting cost per hour of use comes up the same in that case. 

[1Ghz]

Energizer Lithium for AAA and AA.
Ultralife Lithium for 9V.
And random alkalines for the EEVblog BM235.

[bingo600]

Seems like the IKEA LADDA are going to be dicontinued 
I just ordered some AAA , but AA are gone in DK

Well back to ENELOOP again

/Bingo

[ResistorRob]

From your question it sounds like you want a traditional battery and not a rechargeable. This is an area I think I have some good answers.

I buy and flip old equipment on eBay. A lot of stuff has batteries left in them, so I have a pretty large data set to go from. I have also done a lot of research on this myself.

Please stay away from Duracell. Even their Quantums leak. I mean I use them if it's something I will burn through quickly and they won't be in the device for long, because they have excellent capacity but terrible leak protection. Also stay away from Energizer, except for maybe their lithium ones? I don't know. I don't have experience with those ones in particular.

Years back the Diehard home batteries NEVER leaked. I don't think they make these anymore.

Sunshine batteries at Dollar Tree... yes I have used hundreds of these. No leaks but die very fast! Value-wise is it worth it? I got tired of the low remote battery warning on my TV every 5 weeks.

So what is the Holy Grail of batteries? Rayovac Fusion! These are clones of the Duracell Quantums but won't leak all over the place if you leave them in your gear for 2 years. Price is cheaper too!
I now almost use these exclusively and love them. Regular Rayovacs are fine, but these have incredible  life. Tip: Buy them at Lowe's or Walmart (no C, D, or 9V at Walmart). Why? Because unbelievably people have created counterfeits of these and if you buy from Amazon or other online sellers you have a pretty good chance of getting the knock-offs.

If you want to experiment Harbor Freight has new batteries called Thunderbolt Edge which are on par with Duracell and only cost $8 for 18 of them. I ran a capacity test in my home lab and are excellent batteries as far as capacity goes, but who knows about leaking? Probably good to stick in kids toys, gifts, and stuff you don't care about. 

Anyway, I strongly suggest going with the Rayovac Fusions (bought locally). I have a drawer in my toolbox stuffed full of them in every size and is my go-to for almost everything. There are exceptions like in my smoke detectors I run Kidde 10 year 9volts.

Don't forget to come back in 3 years and thank me when you are in battery nirvana! 

Edit: I just looked on Amazon at the Energizer Lithium batteries. Wow! Tons of people complaining about dead batteries, leaking, and the like. I'm going to guess these are probably counterfeits. I ordered some other brands locally and on Amazon and cut them apart and tested them for voltage, capacity, and peak current output. And have confirmed counterfeits for Duracell and the Rayovac Fusions. I think this is a rampant problem nobody is talking about. I thought about making a YouTube video about it, but didn't want to come under wrath from Amazon. They have lots of money and lots of lawyers!
 

[Robert Smith Eco Warrior]

Amazon Basics for AA and AAA but our old Maplin ones are still going on and on.
C and D sizes are a bit of a random heap.
Varta for car and tractor batteries.
Trojan T1275 for our off grid batteries.

[ROMUZ]

Many years I use Energizer Lithium AAA for my weather station (including outdoor sensor) and different meters. No issues at all, even in very cold winter.
Be aware that lithium cell has higher initial voltage than ordinary alkaline cell (1.85V vs 1.6V). Possible it may cause issues with over voltage protection.

[AVGresponding]

I don't use primary cells any more; they're all crap nowadays.

Rechargeable technology is so good now it's largely pointless to use anything else.

I use mostly Turnigy NiMH and NiZn. These consistently exceed their stated capacities and are amazing value. You can get them from HobbyKing. I also have some Vapex NiMH, they're pretty good, but under the stated capacity and more expensive.

I've been using a Znter Li-ion PP3 in my Fluke 87V, they're quite pricey, but very effective.


Most modern items that use AA and AAA cells seem to be designed to accept the lower voltage you get from NiMH, and there's NiZn and Li-ion AA/AAA pattern cells for any that won't. So far I've not found a handheld DMM or IR remote that won't work with the 1.2V nominal chemistries, though I filled my Fluke 289 with the 1.6V NiZn to see how it does, and it likes them just fine.

One recent bizarre experience was when I filled my recently acquired Agilent U1401B with Turnigy NiMH LSD AAs, eight of them! They are slightly larger in diameter than the alkalines that came in it, by about 0.4mm or so, and when you try to put the last cell in, it forces another one to pop out! Tried my Vapex cells with the same result, so ended up juggling popping out cells until I could force them all in.

[rsjsouza]

I have been taking notes with several A-brand alkalines sold in the US retail and, in my experience over the span of 15 years, I can't guarantee that a single brand will not leak - AA and AAA being the absolut worst offenders (C, D and 9V don't leak as often)
I can guarantee the quality eroded with Duracell, then Energizer and lately Ray-o-vac.
I never had issues with Sunbean, Insignia (Best Buy brand) and Tianqiu (came with several of my kids' toys), but I never had used them widely.

I currently use Energizer Lithium non-rechargeable for the expensive equipment and just got a set of Panasonic Industrial from Digi-key to try.

Other posts I did over the years:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/chat/leaking-aa-and-aaa-batteries/msg2060989/#msg2060989

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/blog/eevblog-1296-alkaline-battery-leakage-testing-2-electric-boogaloo/msg2987604/#msg2987604

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/disaster!/msg3449330/#msg3449330

[wizard69]

For those that have not had an alkaline leak yet, you might want to buy a lottery ticket if you are that lucky.   years ago I literally implemented a plan where I replaced all of the alkalines in my house, with brand new batteries, to try to avoid leaks.   I did this on my birthday and frankly I still ended up with ruined equipment.   This was in indoor equipment, a thermostat and outdoor equipment, flashlights kept in the truck.   Brand didn't seem to manner.   

This is what has resulted in me trying to eliminate every alkaline that I control.   It is just disgusting to have to buy a new flashlight and it is far too much trouble to chase down a battery manufacture for a warranty replacement.   By the way in a few cases i managed to clean up contacts and get reliable operation again but I really shouldn't have to do that, after all this is the 2020's, not the 1950's.   This is why I find it frustrating that instrumentation makers are not more innovative here.   

It is sad that your local auto mechanic can buy from Snap-on a flashlight that can sit on a qi recharge mat and always be ready to use.   Why Fluke or Agilent (or whatever they are calling themselves today), can't be more progressive, with a similar approach, is beyond me.   I just want a trouble free solution that can work with a rational battery replacement plan.   Like I said above we will likely see this from a Chinese manufacture if somebody doesn't get on board soon.   

[bson]

Panasonic.  I buy from Mouser.  Panasonic CR2032 cells for example cost $.281 in 10+, $.217 in 100+.

Too much fake crap on Amazon, and their house brand is usually half dead on arrival already, with voltages all over.

[all_repair]

I don't use primary cells any more; they're all crap nowadays.
Most modern items that use AA and AAA cells seem to be designed to accept the lower voltage you get from NiMH, and there's NiZn and Li-ion AA/AAA pattern cells for any that won't. So far I've not found a handheld DMM or IR remote that won't work with the 1.2V nominal chemistries, though I filled my Fluke 289 with the 1.6V NiZn to see how it does, and it likes them just fine.

Be careful with some DMMs.  Took me a while to chase down the inaccuracy of my E14 inhouse clamp meter was due to the  voltage of the rechargable 9V cell (so dont get the 8.4V type).  There was also no "weak battery" warning  but my AAENG and alike meters were giving high resistance measurement when I was using the NiMH AA and AAA, I have since changed to rechargeable Lithium.

[IanB]

Be careful with some DMMs.  Took me a while to chase down the inaccuracy of my E14 inhouse clamp meter was due to the  voltage of the rechargable 9V cell (so dont get the 8.4V type).  There was also no "weak battery" warning  but my AAENG and alike meters were giving high resistance measurement when I was using the NiMH AA and AAA, I have since changed to rechargeable Lithium.

Either it gives a "low battery" warning or it gives an accurate reading. If it does neither it is a crap meter and should not be trusted.