Best Rechargeable Batteries 2024: AA and AAA Cells With Serious Staying Power
More power, longer life, and better for the environment – the best AA and AAA rechargeable batteries deliver on all fronts
The best rechargeable batteries ensure your compatible devices always have plenty of stamina, without any of the baggage of legacy battery technology. We’ve been writing about battery technology for more than a decade now, and have covered everything from hearing aid batteries to solar storage battery systems. So, for trying to find the best battery solutions out there, we’ve definitely put in the work.
In our roundup below, we bring together some of the best rechargeable batteries you can buy today. Each of the products in the list has something that makes it special, and in our testing those strengths (and weaknesses) have been laid bare. Scroll further down and you’ll also find a useful buying guide, which will help you find the right batteries for your needs.
Best rechargeable batteries: At a glance
| Best AA rechargeables | Panasonic Eneloop Pro (~$25) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best combination of value and performance | Amazon Basics (~$16) | Check price at Amazon |
| Best-value AA rechargeable batteries | Energizer Recharge Power Plus (~$15) | Check price at Amazon |
| Great low-cost, high capacity rechargeables | HiQuick High Capacity 2800mAh Rechargeables (~$20) | Check price at Amazon |
How we test rechargeable batteries
To put these batteries to the test, we used them to power a cheap children’s radio-control car (these machines are renowned battery consumers), timing how long each set took to deplete. As expected, there were running time discrepancies between batteries of different milliampere hours (mAh), but all of the batteries featured here performed well.
READ NEXT: Best Power Banks
The best rechargeable batteries you can buy in 2024
1. Panasonic Eneloop Pro: Best AA rechargeables
Price when reviewed: $25 (4 x AA) | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… long term storage and maximum endurance
- Not so great for… long term durability and smaller budgets
Google “best rechargeable battery” and chances are Panasonic’s Eneloop range will top the bill. We tested a four-pack of black 2,500mAh Pro AAs and found they were nearly fully charged straight out of the box. Eneloops are said to retain around 85% of their charge after a year in storage. However, we’d always advise that you give any rechargeable battery a boost before use, especially if you plan to use the device they’re powering out in the field.
Granted, these are some of the most expensive batteries we’ve tested here, and you can only charge them around 500 times before they lose their mojo. However, when it comes to stamina they reign supreme, lasting more than four-and-a-half hours in our radio-controlled car test. That makes the Eneloop Pro the go-to batteries for power-hungry devices, including toys, cordless landline phones, and high-performance torches. If you still use AA batteries in your digital SLR, then the Eneloop Pros will keep it snapping for longer than any rival.
Key specs – Capacity: 2,500mAh; Charging cycles: 500
2. Amazon Basics: Best combination of value and performance
Price when reviewed: $16 (8 x AA), $13 (12 x AAA) | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… balancing price and performance
- Not so great for… long-term storage
When it comes to buying batteries, most users prefer to stick with reliable, trusted brands. So, most are likely to avoid a plain-looking battery with the words Amazon Basics on it, right? Wrong. Some unfounded rumors have suggested that these Amazon-branded batteries – which arrive in an unprepossessing cardboard box – are made in the same factory as the Panasonic Eneloops. Whatever the truth, they’re an excellent choice, even though they’re not necessarily the best-value battery in this lineup.
Amazon’s batteries ship in high-capacity 2,400mAh versions and a slightly cheaper 2,000mAh version, and if you’re looking for longevity then you’ll be surprised by how well they perform. The high-capacity rechargeables couldn’t quite match the Panasonic Eneloop Pros in our tests, but they outlasted the HiQuick High Capacity 2,800mAh batteries, surviving 3hrs 57mins in our radio control car; they weren’t far behind the Kratax Lithium batteries, either, which is impressive stuff. Amazon also claims that, once charged, they will maintain 70% capacity for up to six months and 50% capacity over a year.
Key specs – Capacity: 2,400mAh (AA), 800mAh (AAA); Charging cycles: 500
3. Energizer Recharge Power Plus: Best-value AA rechargeable batteries
Price when reviewed: $15 (4 x AA) | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… holding charge
- Not so great for… long lasting
This great-value AA battery has a charge capacity of 2,000mAh and can be recharged up to 1,000 times. What’s more, our four-pack arrived fully charged and are said to remain at near-full capacity for up to a year of storage.
They didn’t last quite as long as the Eneloops in our test, but they’re under half the price. However, when we discharged and recharged them a few times, they displayed the same level of charge as when they first came out of the packet, and that’s a sign of a great battery. Special mention must also go to Energizer’s exceptional Recharge Pro charger, which comes bundled with four AA batteries at a very reasonable $20 or less.
Key specs – Capacity: 2,000mAh; Charging cycles: 1,000
4. HiQuick High Capacity 2,800mAh Rechargeables: Great low-cost, high capacity rechargeables
Price when reviewed: $20 (8 x AA) | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… high capacity needs
- Not so great for… maximum endurance
A quick search on Amazon will turn up a host of smaller brands selling high-capacity 2,800mAh batteries at super-low prices, but these HiQuick batteries are the most reliable we’ve tested. Performance in our test remote-control car puts them slightly behind the Amazon Basics batteries, despite the higher nominal capacity, clocking 3hrs 49mins of use in our radio-controlled car. However, when we tested them in a torch, a DAB radio, and an Xbox controller, they performed well over long-term use.
These units also held up over repeated discharge and recharge cycles in our tests, maintaining a steady voltage, while HiQuick claims that they can hold 80% of their charge even across three years in storage. Don’t expect Eneloop levels of stamina, but if you’re after a solid, cheap, long-lasting battery, then they’re a great option.
Key specs – Capacity: 2,800mAh; Charging cycles: 1,200
5. Kratax 3500mWh Lithium: Best rechargeable lithium AA batteries and charger
Price when reviewed: $35 (4 x AA, 4 x AAA plus charger) | Check price at Amazon
- Great for… charge endurance
- Not so great for… longevity
These are the first lithium rechargeables we’ve tested that we’re happy to recommend. As you might expect, they offer plenty of stamina; tested in a 500-lumen torch, they maintained their full 1.51V for just under two hours of continuous use, at which point most NiMH rechargeables we’ve tested are either fading fast or all but dead.
When they do go, they go quickly, and longevity isn’t up there with the Eneloop Pros when it comes to remote control toys; three AAs kept the wheels spinning on our remote control car for 4hrs 3mins; but the Eneloops kept them moving for an additional 28 minutes. However, they’ve been consistently good with an Xbox controller, lasting for two to three weeks at a time, rather than the usual seven to 10 days with a pair of 2,000 to 2,100mAh cells. The Xbox battery indicator doesn’t fall at all until they’re nearly empty. However, due to the voltage drop curve, this is expected with lithium batteries.
Kratax states the capacity as 3,500mWh, which sounds extremely impressive until you convert it to 2,333mAh at 1.5V, which is a little lower than some NIMH AAs. Still, the charger brings them back from empty in just under two hours and takes its power conveniently through a USB Type-C port. It’s still early days for lithium rechargeables, but you can see the potential.
Key specs – Capacity: 2,333mAh; Charging cycles: 1,600
How to choose the best rechargeable battery for you
What type of battery should I buy?
Most of the batteries featured here are of the nickel-metal hydride variety, or NiMH. These batteries cost only a few pounds more to buy than disposable alkalines and yet they will power most devices for longer. They will also do so more efficiently because the voltage of a NiMH battery is maintained at 1.2V for most of its operating time. The voltage of alkaline batteries tends to taper off while they’re being used.
Lithium batteries are even better at maintaining a consistent voltage, and they are now available at AA sizes. However, they come with a steep price premium and require their own chargers, while the running times with high-voltage devices isn’t usually up there with the best AAs. The biggest manufacturers – Panasonic, Duracell, EverReady, Varta – don’t seem to be in any rush to put Lithium products out there, so it means taking a punt on a smaller brand. From our initial tests, they’re quick to charge and very effective in some devices, but you might still want to wait for the technology to mature.
Can I use rechargeable batteries in devices that use disposable alkaline batteries?
In most cases, yes, but where high-performance alkalines generally run at 1.5V (to start with), rechargeables are often designed to run at 1.2V, which can cause problems with a few devices that require a constant high voltage from four or six batteries to operate. However, many rechargeables can run at a higher voltage than their nominal voltage, and then hold on to that voltage for a longer time, even under a high drain. In other words, the best rechargeables actually work better. We didn’t run into any actual problems during our testing related to this issue, but you should keep it in mind on a case-by-case basis.
What does mAh mean?
This number, which stands for milliampere-hour, covers the NiMH battery’s capacity and its ability to run a given load over a longer period of time. The higher the number on the battery, the bigger the capacity and the longer it will maintain an ample working charge while powering a specific gadget. We recommend you choose batteries with a capacity of 2,000mAh or more, so you don’t run out of charge when you’re halfway through doing something, and you don’t need to recharge quite so often. The capacity is usually listed on the box as well as on the battery itself, and you will also see it listed if you’re buying batteries from an online store.
What’s the best charger to buy?
Obviously, you’re going to need a charger, and if yours is ancient you might want to replace it with one of our charger recommendations. If speed isn’t important there are some great basic options, including some that will charge from a standard USB port. Otherwise, you might want to look at high-speed chargers from Panasonic, Energizer, or Duracell, which can charge a set of AA batteries in around sixty to ninety minutes. You can usually save some money by buying a charger and four batteries in a bundle but check the capacity of those batteries before you buy; some manufacturers will throw in cheaper, low-capacity AAs. In our testing, newer chargers did the job faster, while producing less waste heat. So, it really is worth using a modern charger designed for the specific battery technology you’re using.
