Ranking 12 Of The Most Popular Battery Brands From Worst To Best

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It's easy to find nearly any type of battery in a store, but the numerous brands that you can encounter can make it feel overwhelming to know which one to choose. After all, the battery world is expanding, with new types that don't degrade with use and fungus batteries that need feedings. It can all be a little complicated to keep up with. 

Every time you step into the electronics section of a store or browse the online market, you'll find the same battery packs with different brands on them. Although these battery packages may all have the same type of batteries available, the quality varies. Some battery brands are better at providing you with more power, meaning your controllers for the Meta Quest 3 will be ready when you need them. Others are better suited for your clocks or smaller devices, as they consume less power. 

We've selected 12 distinct brands and ranked them from worst to best to highlight which brands you should typically reach depending on what you need. As we go up the list, these are the ones that ranked well for power and garnered more positive reviews and test reports. We also examined a brand's overall performance with the battery, and we will offer our details about our methodology at the end. 

Fuji makes more than pretty cameras makes more than pretty cameras, but its batteries are a choice best used in low-performance devices, such as a clock or a television remote. Even then, there are better options available. The Fuji batteries offer mid-range performance and endurance when used in these low-performance items, but their overall drain means you'll likely need to replace them sooner than you'd like.

Customers who have purchased these batteries reported that Fuji batteries have a short shelf life, with them becoming unusable within a few years. The advertised amount claims a decade, which is nowhere near what several reviewers have shared. Some have even had experiences where these batteries corroded while in devices or still in the packaging after a few months, and others dealt with the battery chemicals leaking out. Given these reviews and the overall quality of these products while in low-performance devices, it'd be better to find an alternative product, despite being on a budget. If you still wish to stock up, they're currently available on Amazon for $43.05 for a 48-pack.

As far as rechargeable batteries go, Deleepow ranks among one of the lesser recommended choices. The Deleepow AA rechargeable batteries supposedly contain 3,300 mAh, but the New York Times tested them at closer to 2,000 mAh, which means your devices will power down much more quickly. You could still consider them for low-performance devices. You can get an 8-count with a charger on Amazon for $16.99.

Reviews for Deleepow's AA rechargeable batteries detail that they take a long time to charge, and when they're ready to go, they don't last long. Others report the batteries completely stop functioning several months after using them, and they would stop holding a charge. The custom charger is also a frustrating caveat for several users, as it requires a USB-C cable, and when you get it, there's no outlet plug. You'll have to get that yourself. The low battery quality and slow recharging place this on the lower end of useful batteries. You may only want to use it for low-performance devices you infrequently use, such as your television remote.

When you're on a budget, the PKCell battery is an affordable option for nearly everyone. You can get a 24-pack of 12 AA and 12 AAA batteries for $9.99 on Amazon. The same affordable pricing extends to PKCells' AG3 packs for $3.99. Although promoted to have a 10-year shelf life, one customers found that this is not always the case, as the batteries received did not hold a charge. When you do use them, the overall drain from high-performance devices might leave you swapping them out faster than you expect.

There are more generally positive reviews when it comes to PKCell's AG3 battery, which is what you use for small clocks, calculators, watches, and even toys. However, when you examine the customer reviews for the AA, things take a turn. Several reviews note that the batteries don't last long, or even a good chunk of them won't work out of the box. Although given the price PKCell is asking for these batteries, customers say they expect this type of low quality and quick turnaround from this product. You'll want to stick with low-performance devices if you're using this product, and even then, the quality of the battery from the pack can vary as the brand has low reliability.

The EBL battery brand could be a decent choice, and it does rank higher on the lower section of our list. There are a few drawbacks to these batteries that pull them away from being closer to the middle. Their overall power capacity likely won't hit the mark, as it's under the advertised 2,800 mAh amount. There are reviews detailing that the EBL rechargeable battery products don't lose too much power after consistent use, but some customers have experienced otherwise. You can pick a 16-pack on Amazon for $23.29, and the specialized charger for eight rechargeable EBL batteries costs $13.99.

Customers who use EBL report that they work effectively on their devices and appreciate the value they get for their money. However, there are numerous mixed reviews regarding the product's charge retention. Some say they charge well and work well for multiple days, while others say that they don't hold a charge, even if they haven't been used for several years. It comes down to long-term degradation, but one intriguing complaint from a customer is about the size of these batteries, as they seem a hair too large for their device slots. 

GP batteries are the brand you reach for when you want a decent battery, regardless of what device you plan to use with them. They can go into nearly any type of gadget, although devices with a heavy draw might drain them exceptionally quickly. These are advertised as having 1,500 mAh.Where these batteries suffer is when demanding a significant amount of energy in a short amount of time. You can pick up a pack of 40 for $39.88 on Amazon.

Consumer reviews find these batteries exceptionally useful for low-performance devices. These can operate in stronger devices, but for a short time. You're better off going with a different brand for high-drain devices. However, you could choose to upgrade to a more powerful version of the GP battery, such as the GP Ultra, which has a higher claimed energy capacity of 2,500 mAh. One tester discovered the GP Ultra AAs provided over 1,600 total mAh through a cycle. The cost does go up significantly, though, and it might not be worth it as the standard AA from GP is available at more competitive pricing.

We have Panasonic Eneloop batteries on the lower end of the medium scale. These have decent capacity and usually charge to the advertised 2,000 mAh, with a tested capacity of 1,926 mAh. These marks are still slightly below some brands when you're looking for batteries with larger capacities. Still, these are a reliable option when putting them in your devices. The real downside for many consumers is that they'll have to look at these batteries as an investment, especially with the rechargeable version. For the best quality, go with the Panasonic Eneloop Pro. You can pick up an eight-pack for $39.49, and chargers range from $19 to $40, depending on how many batteries you want to recharge at once.

When it comes to customer reviews, many praise the overall quality. There are reviews highlighting the life of these batteries and how well they work in a range of products. There are customer-reported issues with these rechargeable batteries steadily losing quality as time goes on. Overall, Panasonic Eneloop can be a good option, but many feel like it's an investment that has a high overhead cost, which other batteries can do better at a lower price.

There's more consistency with the batteries made by Tenergy if you're looking for a reliable brand. The mAh is close to what's advertised on the packaging, and the drain does not dip too much if you're using the rechargeable ones, as shared by Wirecutter. It comes down to what type of battery you'd like to use, as the company offers several options for everyday low-performance, professional, and high-performance devices. Tenergy has rechargeable and single-use batteries for sale, but they have a better reputation for their rechargeable products. A pack of 24 with 12 AA and 12 AAA is available for $38.49.

Customers who pick the Tenergy Premium Pro Rechargeable batteries find that they last for a long time. Some reviews say they last longer than standard batteries. After recharging them, the batteries don't significantly decline in quality and continue to run on similarly high charges, at least for the initial charges. Customer reviews after a few months indicated the quality in these batteries drops at a steady rate, even with inconsistent use. Select customers who also encountered a handful of batteries in the pack that were defective. It doesn't happen often, but it has happened enough times to warrant caution when buying larger packs. Some reviews also warn about the size of these batteries, claiming they are slightly too large for standard AA battery slots. 

When you're on the lookout for a battery that you want to leave in devices that are low-performance, the Varta brand is a reliable and solid mid-range choice. There are better battery choices when you want to use a device consistently with a significant energy draw. However, if you know you're using it on a clock, a television remote, or have small toys for your children, the Varta AA battery performs exceptionally well with these devices. You can leave it in there and expect to continue running for several months before changing it again. You can grab a fairly large pack at a low price, available on Amazon for $14.25 for a pack of 48.

Customer reviews back up the reliability of the Varta battery. Those who have purchased them highlight that they have good power capacity, and it's a reasonable deal for what they pay for based on how many they get in a pack. It's cheaper than the other, larger brands. The downside is that there are mixed reviews on a Varta battery's overall lifespan. These poor reviews seem to correlate with the use of these batteries in high-performance devices, such as MP3 players or trail cameras. It's a significant drawback that leaves them at fifth on our list. 

The Rayovac battery brand is a competitive choice when you're looking for a cost-effective option for your devices, and you want moderate quality and performance. These batteries do not rank at the top of the charts in terms of overall power, but they don't drain too quickly on your demanding devices. Still, there's considerable power drain, and that may mean you have to keep multiples of this battery near your devices to replace them often. You can get these on Amazon in a 36-pack for $15.49.

The reviews for the Rayovac are generally positive, as they center around how much value customers get with these batteries. Given the price of a 36-pack, reviews say it's great that they get so many for how much they pay for it. There are mixed reviews regarding how long these batteries last, but some customers agree that they last longer than some of the smaller brands that offer as much power. However, a problem with Rayovac is the chance of leakage, which is a significant issue for all alkaline batteries. The leakage issue is reported in customer reviews, and others claim that these batteries have poor shelf life. 

When it comes to achieving a balance between price and performance, the Amazon Basics battery does surprisingly well. Even if they are on the cheaper side, they do rather well as a consistent battery. These batteries have reliable performance that brings them ahead of other brands. Plus, if you're looking to purchase them in bulk, there's little chance you can find a more affordable and quality option on the market. However, these do have a high power drain, which means using them on high-performance devices may force you to swap them out sooner than other options. You can pick up the Amazon Basics AA battery 40 pack for $15.49, or you can go well beyond that to get up to a 450-count for $62.79. You can potentially get them for cheaper if you catch them available during a Prime Day, along with some electronics to power them with.

The customer reviews for the Amazon Basics battery praise the product's quality, given the price. Others detail the quality of these batteries, while there are mixed reviews for how much power these batteries give to specific high-performance devices. There are customer reviews indicating that these batteries may not have the same capacity as those of other brands, as some devices consume them quickly, necessitating frequent replacement. Overall, customers rate Amazon Basic's batteries at 4.6 out of five stars. 

When it comes to choosing between the top choices for the best battery brand, we're left with Duracell and Energizer. When you stack up everything, these two are close, but Duracell lands slightly lower when it comes down to overall performance and market price. You'll typically find Duracll higher on the price range, bringing them down a notch when you compare them to Energizer. You can get a pack of 20 AA batteries on Amazon for $17.24 at the time of writing.  

The reviews and overall customer satisfaction are high across almost all Duracell batteries, as they all range above a 4.7-star rating, with tens of thousands of customer reviews. A majority of these reviews praise Duracell's overall quality, its longevity, and how well it functions in various devices. There are a handful of negative reviews that question the shelf life of these batteries, but the majority of customer feedback is positive. You can't go wrong with picking Duracell batteries, but these are not budget-friendly choices if you need to buy large quantities frequently.

What gives Energizer the edge over Duracell is the overall performance of these batteries, and they are a slightly more wallet-friendly option. You can pick an AA pack with 16 batteries for $11.39. They earn good scores in reliability, power, and superb shelf life. The price does go up with the lithium option, as a 24-pack costs $44.99, but so does the battery quality.

On Amazon, Energizer Max AA batteries have earned 4.8 stars based on over 125,000 reviews. The overwhelmingly positive reviews praise the value customers get for how many batteries they receive, the overall battery quality to power devices, and how long they last. Energizer is one of the most recognizable battery brands for a reason, and testing and customer reviews report high satisfaction and competitive performance. These are the types of batteries you'd want in energy-hungry devices, such as some of the powerful flashlights we've found on Amazon that you rely on to work when you need them most. 

When selecting battery brands to place on our list, we focused on the ones that had at least an average 4.0-star ranking on Amazon. These were products that had a reputation and could be used by anyone looking to utilize AA batteries, the most common type that appears in standard household gadgets and appliances.

Once we had selected the 12 battery brands to feature, we focused on consumer reviews and test reports shared by those who had extensively used these batteries. We examined a brand's overall performance with the battery, including whether they offered rechargeable options, the battery's power capacity, how that energy was drained to devices, reliability, and the frequency of battery leaks. All batteries have a chance to leak chemicals, but some brands have a reputation for their batteries to leak frequently, even while in the package