Best AA alkaline battery

Energizer Max AA alkaline batteries

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$16 at Amazon

Best C alkaline battery

Duracell C alkaline batteries

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$18 at Amazon

Best D alkaline battery

Amazon D alkaline battery

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$13 at Amazon

Best 9V battery

Amazon Basics 9V battery

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The holiday season has come to a close, but the need for batteries remains, as people continue to enjoy the gifts and toys they received from family and friends. Whether you’re powering up new gadgets, keeping holiday decorations lit or fueling a child’s favorite toy, the reliability of batteries remains paramount.

Gianmarco Chumbe/CNET

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AA batteries are likely the most popular battery size, given their widespread use in a variety of electronic devices. They don’t hold as much charge as a C or D battery, which means you’re probably going to be replacing them a lot. Again, it comes down to bulk price and performance.

The two leading AA battery brands, Energizer and Duracell, stood out in the competition, displaying similar performance, with Energizer having a slight edge. The decisive factor turned out to be price.

A single Energizer AA Maxbattery powered three fan motors arranged in parallel for an impressive average of 30 minutes, 15 seconds, marking the best score among the group.

Furthermore, Energizer AA Max batteries are the second most affordable option. The 20-pack is currently priced at approximately $15 at the time of this publication, equating to around 74 cents per unit.

With outstanding performance and an affordable price, if you’re in the market for AA batteries to power your holiday gifts or any other device, this is the optimal choice.

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D batteries are predominantly used in high-current drain devices that require prolonged running times and emergency gadgets such as flashlights, radio transmitters, and even some water heaters. It should come as no surprise that, in this case, we particularly value performance over price.

Amazon D batteries excel in performance. They were able to sustain our five-motor parallel circuit for nearly 18 minutes on average, the highest score in this category. Impressively enough, they maintained a voltage output higher than 1.2 volts throughout each of the three runs. That’s a lot of juice.

That said, they are the second priciest option on our list. The 12-pack is priced at approximately $18 at the time of this publication, translating to roughly $1.50 per unit.

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How we test batteries

For this round of testing, we gathered four of the most popular battery brands and tested five battery categories, including AAA, AA, C, D and 9-volt. Our objective was to find out which battery manufacturer offered the best value for your money. To assess battery performance, we used our custom-built battery test rig and timed the longevity of each battery, paying attention to their voltage output over time, and compared the difference in price per unit.

Battery performance and voltage drop

Measuring battery voltage output is more complex than simply sticking multimeter probes on the positive and negative ends of the battery. For instance, AA, AAA, C and D batteries are rated at 1.5 volts. If you measure voltage output directly on the battery, the reading may be close to 1.6 volts, which is generally a good sign for a new battery. Even batteries that are no longer usable can display a value equal to or higher than 1.5 volts when measured directly. The correct approach is to test voltage output under a load condition, such as when the battery is connected to a resistor or powering a device. Meet the CNET Labs Battery Test Rig:

For the 9-volt types, we arranged six load components in series. A series arrangement evenly distributes the voltage from the power source across all load components. Since each of our fan motors takes at least 1.5 volts to run, using a 9-volt battery provides 9-volt/6 loads = 1.5-volt per load.

Gianmarco Chumbe and Ry Crist/CNET

Price per unit

The cost of batteries can vary greatly depending on where and when you buy them. For that reason, we sought out the most economical source for each battery and compared the price per unit. Check out the table below, which we’ll update regularly:

Other alkaline batteries we’ve tested

Duracell AAA: Second-highest price per unit but a close contender for best performance. Not a bad deal.

Energizer AAA: Lowest performance among the options, and the second most affordable. Not the best quality choice.

Rayovac AAA: Most expensive AAA battery with room for improvement in performance, ranking second to last.

Amazon Basics AA: Impressively low performance, nearly half the average run times of competitors. However, it’s the cheapest option.

Duracell AA: Highest price per unit, but the second-best performer and a close contender for the best pick.

Rayovac AA: Second most costly AA battery with moderate performance. Not necessarily the top option available.

Amazon Basics C: Lowest price per unit among C types, significantly cheaper than the competition. A good choice for bulk purchases.

Energizer C: Priced closely with others but lacking in performance, securing last place with an average run time of only 4 minutes.

Rayovac C: Priced similarly to competitors, offering low performance but not the worst.

Energizer D: A potential splurge pick with great performance but higher cost compared to others.

Duracell D: Falls in the median for both performance and price, lacking any remarkable features.

Rayovac D: The most affordable D battery, suitable for bulk purchase with acceptable performance.

Energizer 9V: Hard to justify due to its higher price and failure to outperform the competition.

Duracell 9V: The most expensive option, tying for last place with Rayovac in terms of battery lifetime.

Rayovac 9V: Takes the last place in performance but offers better pricing than the competition.

Alkaline batteries FAQ

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Alkaline batteries are disposable batteries that use MnO2 (manganese dioxide) and Zn (zinc) as electrodes to generate electrical power. They are known for their reliability and are commonly used in a wide range of electronic devices.

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Store them in a cool, dry place at room temperature, avoiding extreme temperatures and especially humidity. Proper storage helps maintain their performance over time. Always remember to take batteries out of toys and electronics you don’t plan on using for a long time. 

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