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How to choose the right batteries

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Not all batteries work the same

Very few batteries can perform well in various devices and situations. For example, they can work well in your digital camera, but will perform poorly in your remote control.

Photo: amazon.com

Contents at a Glance

Batteries
Battery test results - performed by Cons...
Nonrechargeable battery safety tips
Which company makes best CR2 batteries?
Which company makes best AA alkaline bat...
Which company makes best AA lithium bat...

Batteries

A battery is a device consisting of one or more electrochemical cells, which store chemical energy and make it available in an electrical form. There are many types of electrochemical cells, including galvanic cells, electrolytic cells, fuel cells, flow cells, and voltaic cells. Formally, an electrical "battery" is an array of similar voltaic cells ("cells") connected in series. However, in many contexts it is common to call a single cell a battery. A battery's characteristics may vary due to many factors including internal chemistry, current drain, and temperature. Generally, battery life can be prolonged by storing the battery in a cool place and using it at an appropriate current.

Although an early form of battery may have been used in antiquity, the development of modern batteries started with the Voltaic pile, invented by the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta in 1800. Since then, batteries have gained popularity as they became portable and useful for many purposes. Unfortunately, the widespread use of batteries has created many environmental concerns, such as toxic metal pollution. Many reclamation companies recycle batteries to reduce the number of batteries going into landfills. Rechargeable batteries can be charged hundreds of times before wearing out; and even after wearing out they can be recycled.

There are two types of batteries, primary (disposable) and secondary (rechargeable), both of which convert chemical energy to electrical energy. Primary batteries can only be used once because they use up their chemicals in an irreversible reaction. Secondary batteries can be recharged because the chemical reactions they use are reversible; they are recharged by running a charging current through the battery, but in the opposite direction of the discharge current.

[read the whole Wikipedia article "Battery (electricity)" here]

Battery test results - performed by Consumer Reports magazine

Batteries were tested in lab conditions, used in a typical digital camera with flash and in a CD player. Here are some of the results:

rechargeable batteries are least expensive in the long run.
Energizer e2 Lithium battery is better than all other types and was noteworthy in the camera-flash test. It provides up to six times more flash photos than the average alkaline battery - it's less expansive to use, even though it costs more per battery.
Nickel Oxy Hydroxide batteries are good for digital cameras, but not good in other situations - CD players, flshlights, toys, clocks, remote controls. For those devices alkaline batteries are a very good, inexpensive choice.
Energizer e2 Lithium battery is much more expensive than other batteries, but perform very well in both digital cameras and in other devices.
Well-performing cheaper alternatives - Kirkland Signature (very inexpensive!), Rayovac and Panasonic Digital Extreme.

Nonrechargeable battery safety tips

(from Consumer Reports)

Batteries shouldn't be recharged and exposed to high heat or strong impact as they could explode.
Batteries shouldn't be mixed - by types, brands or ages.
Batteries shouldn't be installed backwards.
Remove the batteries if the device is powered by household current.
If a battery feels hot, changes color or shape, or emits an odor, then dispose of it immediately.

How to choose the right batteries

Not all batteries work the same

Contents at a Glance

Contents at a Glance

Batteries

Battery test results - performed by Consumer Reports magazine

Nonrechargeable battery safety tips

(from Consumer Reports)

Which company makes best CR2 batteries?

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Which company makes best AA alkaline batteries?

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Which company makes best AA lithium batteries?

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