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NiMH Battery Buying Guide

Get the best NiMH batteries

Last update: May 14, 2024

Amazon pays me a if you buy any of the stuff I link to.  At the end of the month I pile up all the money on the bed and roll around in it.


Best AA NiMH batteries

Some readers want my personal recommendations, but the experience of thousands of customers on Amazon is more reliable data than just one person's experience.  (For the same reason, don't ask for recommendations for contractors on Nextdoor; one or two neighbors' opinions isn't nearly as authoritative as dozens to hundreds on Yelp, even after factoring in a small percentage of possibly fake reviews.)  Also, I used to recommend a brand I initially had a good experience with, but those batteries then died after a few years (after only dozens of charge cycles), making me regret my rec.  So now, please enjoy this survey of the highest-rated AA cells on Amazon that I did:

Best NiMH AA batteries
Brand Capacity
(mAh)
LSD? 1+2 star
reviews
# reviews Price per 8
Zonhood 2800 LSD 7% 385 $15.99
RayHom 2800 LSD 8% 469 $14.31
Powerowl 2800 LSD 10% 314 $16.98
Voniko 2600 LSD 4% 102 $14.66
EBL colors 2500 LSD 2% 107 $15.20
eneloop pro 2500 LSD 6% 3739 $41.98
Energizer 2300 LSD 5% 349 $22.35
Energizer 2000 LSD 6% 5333 $14.38
eneloop 4th gen. 2000 LSD 8% 661 $26.99
Energizer 2000 LSD 4% 1264 $32.82

"LSD" means low-self-discharge.
Data from July 2020.
Also see my recommended chargers.


Best AAA NiMH batteries

Here's my survey of the best-rated AAA batteries on Amazon in July 2020.

Best NiMH AAA batteries
Brand Capacity
(mAh)
LSD? 1+2 star
reviews
# reviews Price per 8
EBL colors
1100
LSD
2%
107
$11.19
Soluser
1100
LSD
5%
195
$11.99
Zonhood
1100
LSD
7%
166
$12.99
RayHom
1100
LSD
7%
198
$19.04
EBL
1000
LSD
6%
2230
$11.46
Voniko 950 LSD 1%
73
$15.99
eneloop pro
950
LSD
4%
83
$26.66
Eneloop 4th gen.
800
LSD
7%
95
$19.96
Energizer
800
LSD
3%
105
$20.39
Powxs
800
LSD
6%
232
$10.78

"LSD" means low-self-discharge.
Data from July 2020.
Also see my recommended chargers.


Some Bad brands
There are dozens to hundreds of cheapo brands, and I can't list them all, this is just a sample.
BTY
CTA ("1200mAh" more like 750, and many of the 20 I bought were DOA or had puny capacity)
Firepeak
• Go!Green
GODP
GTL
Precision Design
Sunpack
Tangfire
TOMO
Ultrafire
Zeikos

IKEA NiMH batteries

Readers asked me to comment on IKEA's “LADDA” brand of LSD NiMH batteries, so here you go:  At $6.99/4-pack (AA or AAA), they're cheaper than Amazon for AA but more expensive than Amazon for AAA.  And that's as long as you don't mind a trip to IKEA; if you want the batteries sent to you then I imagine the shipping/delivery charges will outweigh the savings versus Amazon batteries, but I can't say for sure because the IKEA website refused to tell me the cost of delivery because the batteries were out of stock.  As for quality, the stated capacities are 2450 and 900 mAh respectively, and if the customer reviews on IKEA's website are to be believed, the batteries themselves are fine.


Don't buy batteries on eBay

eBay has lots of off-brands you've never heard of that are pure garbage, giving only a tiny fraction of their rated capacity.  I've tested lots of these off-brand batteries, and I know before I stick them in the tester that they're junk because they're usually light as a feather.  I've tested batteries labeled as 1500mAh which are actually only 300!  So when buying NiMH batteries, you absolutely have to stick to the well-reviewed brands like those listed above.


Most NiMH are now "low self-discharge"

When NiMH first came out (around 2000), they had a high self-discharge rate, meaning they would lose their charge from just sitting around for a few months unused.  Gradually manufacturers came out with "low self-discharge" (LSD) varieties that don't suffer from that problem, and now (~2021) nearly all NiMH batteries that you're likely to run across are the LSD flavor.  The only advantage of non-LSD NiMH batteries is that they have a little extra capacity (~8%), so if your application means that you're running your batteries down quickly and charging every month or two, then you might prefer the non-LSD version.

On Amazon, LSD batteries are advertised as such, and all flavors of eneloop are LSD.  In stores, most packaging doesn't specify explicitly, so look for "code words" that indicate that they're LSD, such as "Pre-charged" (since normal NiMH's always require charging before use), "Ready to Use", or "Hybrid".  And of course, the dead giveaway is anything on the package that says how much charge the batteries retain after one year or more.

No longer recommending Maha/Powerex

I used to recommend Maha/Powerex (highest capacity at the time, black with yellow lettering), but after a few years, most of them have severely reduced capacity (like 88%) and/or discharge within a few minutes of taking them out of the charger.


Most charge cycles

Sanyo claims 2100 charge cycle for their latest brand (4th generation eneloop), but even if you charge them every single day, then even batteries that get "only" 1000 cycles will last nearly three years, so for most users the extra recharge cycles vs. other brands (or older eneloops) aren't a big advantage.

C- and D-size LSD NiMH's

C- and D-size eneloops are available only in Japan, but other brands are available elsewhere:

You could also get an upsizer (adapter) that lets you put an AA battery into a C- or D-shaped case.  (Adapters that take more than one battery are risky because if one battery fails, melting or a fire is possible.  Multiple batteries in an upsizing adapter is different from multiple batteries in most devices, because in most devices the batteries run in series, while in upsizing adapters, the batteries are parallel.)

eneloop varieties compared

There are lots of flavors of eneloops.  Here's how they compare:

Sanyo/Panasonic eneloop types compared

Capacity
("up to")*
Recharge
Cycles
("up to")
Remaining charge after...
Price6 Model No. Identifying
Characteristics
Notes
6mo.
1yr 2yrs
3yrs
eneloop pro
(2nd gen. of
  eneloop XX, 2013)
AA: 2550 mAh
AAA: 950 mAh
500x

85%

$18.72
$14.99
AA: BK-3HCCE
AAA: BK-4HCCE
black body Great balance of capacity & shelf-life, but pricey.
eneloop (4th gen)
 released Apr. 2013
AA: 2000 mAh
AAA: 800 mAh
2100x
90% 85% 80% 75% $14.99
$12.35
AA: BK-3MCCE
AAA: BK-4MCCE

Good, all-around batteries.
eneloop lite
  2nd gen; Apr. 2013
AA: 1000 mAh
AAA: 600 mAh
3000x no longer
avail. in U.S.
AA: BK-3LCCE
AAA: BK-4LCCE
"eneloop lite" on body Lower capacity, but cheaper
non-eneloop Sanyo NiMH
AA: 2700 mAh
1000x
70%
50%
0%
discontinued GES-NH2700-4BP black top, silver body, red logo Higher capacity than eneloops, but lose charge faster when sitting idle
Notes/Footnotes:
  1. Capacity.  eneloops used to have a stated rating for capacity, but now there's an "up to" figure, and a "minimum" figure, which is usually 100 mAh less than the "up to" figure for AA's, and 50 mAh less for AAA's.  My tables show the "up to" figures.
  2. Discharge rate.  The 3rd generation eneloops are rated to have 70% of their original charge left after five years of idle time.  While I couldn't find five-year figures for the current generation of eneloops, I'm guessing that the five-year rating hasn't changed.
  3. eneloop plus.  There an "eneloop plus" model with a special feature to prevent overheating (for safer kids' toys), but as I write this they're not available in the U.S. and I can't find good specs on them.
  4. Panasonic/Sanyo.  Sanyo was the original manufacturer, then Sanyo was acquired by Panasonic.  eneloops have been a Panasonic brand since April 2014.
  5. Temperature.  All all eneloops above are rated for use down to -4°F.  Only the very first generation eneloop was rated for "only" 14°F, which is still well below freezing and PFC (pretty freakin' cold).
  6. Prices last checked Aug. 2020, and are for 4-packs without the charger.
  7. History.  Eneloop debuted in 2005.  Here's its history.


And here's data on older eneloop models:

Older (discontinued) eneloop models

Capacity
Recharge
Cycles
("up to")
Remaining charge after...
Model No. Identifying
Characteristics
6mo.
1yr. 2yr.
3yr.
5yr.
eneloop XX
 released 2011;
 now called 'eneloop pro'
AA: 2500 mAh
AAA: 950 mAh
500x
75%


AA:4HR-3UWX
eneloop lite
 1st gen; June 2010
AA: 1000 mAh
AAA: 600 mAh
2000x
90%
85%
80%
75%

AA: HR-3UQ
AAA: HR-4UQ
"eneloop lite" on body
eneloop 3rd gen.
  rel. Nov. 2011
AA: 2000 mAh
AAA: 800 mAh
see footnote above
1800x
>90%
90%
80%
80%
70%
AA: HR-3UTGB
AAA: HR-4UTGB
gray top, crown logo on side
eneloop 2nd gen.
 rel. May 2010
1500x
90%
85%
80%
75%

AA: HR-3UTGA
AAA: HR-4UTGA
gray top, crown logo on side.  Some of these also came in "glitter" colors.
eneloop 1st gen.
  rel. Nov. 2005
1000x


75%


AA: HR-3UTG
AAA: HR-4UTG
white top, no crown logo on side

Sources for the eneloop tables:

eneloop Pro:  Charge cycles, capacity, 1-yr. self-discharge rate
eneloop lite: Panasonic
eneloop 4th gen.:  Capacity, recharge cycles, model number, 1yr. self-discharge 

eneloop XX:
Charge cycles, capacity, self-discharge rate
2nd generation (1500x): Capacity, cycle life
1st generation (1000x):
  Capacity, cycle life, temperature, model #'s (PDF), 2-year discharge rate, release date

Discharge rates:
1st/2nd gen, lite, and non-eneloop; 3rd gen. 3-yr., lite
Prices as per Amazon on 12/17/12
Other:  An eneloop fan has compiled lots of eneloop stats & info
I used to have more sources, but Panasonic/Sanyo removed the old pages from their sites, and most of them are not in the Wayback Machine either.


Various brands' actual capacities compared

Hobbyists have done capacity testing on various brands of NiMH batteries and here are the results:



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