Over at Amazon, they’re having a sale on Energizer AA and AAA batteries.
An 8-pack of AA batteries is typically priced at $13-$16. At this time, it’s $10 for the 8-pack, or $15 for the 12-pack, with a per-battery cost of $1.25.
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If you already use these batteries, now is a great time to buy more.
And if you don’t, there are 3 reasons why you might want to give them a try.
Better cold-weather performance.
Leak-proof, unlike alkaline batteries.
Better high-power output compared to alkaline.
Long storage life.
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If keeping a flashlight in the car, I use Energizer lithium batteries. If I’m looking to power a higher-draw device, I use Energizer lithium batteries. When I want something to work 2 years after I last touched it, I use Energizer lithium batteries.
I still use alkaline batteries, although sparingly these days, and have moved to rechargeable NiMH batteries and Energizer lithium batteries for most things.
At this price, I would encourage naysayers to give these batteries a try if any of the above scenarios or benefits are desirable.
Both AA and AAA batteries are on sale at $1.25 each.
Buy Now: AA via Amazon
Buy Now: AAA via Amazon
There are 3 types of battery users – 1) users who have had great experiences with lithium batteries, 2) users who have never tried lithium batteries but should, and 3) users who wouldn’t benefit from the advantages lithium cells have over alkaline.
Which type of user are you?
Nate B
Ah dangit, I just bought a batch! Can’t hurt to have some more, I suppose, if sales are a signal that they have plenty of supply…
Likewise, I use these in emergency lights and stuff that has to work even after it’s been tucked in a glovebox for years. Those LED pucks that take the place of roadside flares, for instance.
They’re also splendid in outdoor weather sensor transmitters, which typically get a year or more out of a battery anyway, but start missing readings when the temperature plummets and nickel gets sad.
These are NOT appropriate for things like my labelmaker, which eats a set of batteries every 3 days whether it’s turned on or off. (Brady, you should be ashamed of yourselves!) That gets nothing but rechargeables, and it should really get launched into the sun.
I’ve completely stopped buying and using alkalines. Their sole purpose is to leak and destroy devices they’ve been entrusted with, as far as I’ve concerned. I have a lot of 18650 stuff now, but for anything that’s still AA/AAA, it’s either nickel-based rechargeables, or these lithium primaries.
Tom D
My doorknob would eat any batteries given it in a week or so – it’s now hardwired. Next is to route the wire nicely through the door itself
Wayne R.
I’m with you 100% here.
Stuart
It’s not so much that there are sales right now, but that all those electronic Christmas and Holiday toys and presents are going to need batteries. What better time to hook customers to a new brand?
Lyle
As soon as I read that your label maker ate batteries I immediately thought it must be a Brady.
Steve
Back in the early 2000s when I was doing lots of car shows I used these all the time in my digital camera because they were the only batteries that lasted more than 5 minutes and the rechargeable pack it had didn’t last long and took forever to charge. They are great batteries, I remember paying around $10 a four pack back then.
Right now most things I use have some sort of rechargeable Li-Ion battery, so I haven’t bought these in a while, I probably should for the lights I have in the car like Stu mentioned.
Also, right now I have 3 kids under 3 so I’m going through a ton of AA and AAA batteries in all their toys. I’ve almost used up all the freebie heavy duty batteries I got from Harbor Freight and I’ve bought large packs of cheapo alkaline batteries at black friday prices and only had one or two leak in the packaging so far. They never last long enough in the toys or the toys are never around long enough to leak in those. When the kids are out of this phase I stop buying those, but when you get 30-100 for $3-$10 I don’t mind a small failure rate.
Tom D
The toys is exactly why I got a bunch of eneloops – they last long enough and recharge helps keep the hurt down.
Wayne R.
Eneloops & Lithium, the only two we use in AA or AAA.
Bob
I wonder if the main stream battery companies Duracell Rayovac and energizer all let their alkaline battery QC go to shit so we would spend more money on these lithium’s ?
But I have not seen anyone besides energizer makes these lithiums. So much for that theory. “Never attribute to malice what you can chalk up to stupidity.”
Anyone ever see any lithiums in D or C size?
Tom D
I think most of the battery market has been taken over by built-in rechargeable packs – at least for the high end things that would eat big batteries.
Anything that takes C or D I modify to take an M12 adapter if possible.
Aaron
I’d be interested in more details on this. Are you putting the m12 into the existing battery cavity?
Tom D
It depends – here’s an example: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PTL15D6/?tag=toolguyd-20
This swing has the option to take 4 D batteries to swing without a plug. I like that because then the kids can’t strangle themselves on the cord; but D batteries are expensive.
So I opened it up, unplugged the wire going to the cord, and connected it to a buck converter set to 6 volts (I used https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081N6WWJS/?tag=toolguyd-20&th=1 but others exist, a bit finicky to get to work, you really have to crank down that dial). I shoved the converter and the wires into where the batteries used to go and drilled two holes in the top of the lid (actually 6, two for wires and two to mount this https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086VNPCWM/?tag=toolguyd-20 or similar ) which I bolted onto the top.
It’s quite sturdy and a M18 lasts quite awhile.
My next is to try the same with an M12 – I think if I cut open the battery tray I can get the whole thing to fit inside and the wife won’t be as unhappy about my impromptu Milwaukee advertisement.
Thom
I made the switch from Alkalines a few years ago after having to replace 2 Fluke DVOMs due to leaks.
Wayne R.
I was thinking about new Lithium 9V batteries for my Fluke stuff too, but I’ve never seen a 9V Duracell leak, so I haven’t yet, but wrecking a Fluke anything would be a very bad day for sure. Were the leaky batteries “good” ones?
Thom
I think they were Rayovac and Duracell respectively. Keeping the meters in my car during the winter probably didn’t help but no issues since switching to the Lithium
Lyle
Ok so I also had a Fluke DMM that I left some Duracell batteries in. Yes they leaked. I found out that if you call Duracell, you can file a claim and they will cut you a check. I also found out that Fluke makes the battery covers and the battery contacts replaceable. I repaired my Fluke DMM for $20 and my Fluke LinkRunner for $30 and Duracell reimbursed me for both.
JD
Great Deal.
I’ve switched over to them for anything I care about. Even premium grade alkaline seem to leak within a few months in storage. I can’t understand why they haven’t solved that problem in the last 100 years.
They are expensive, but the price of the equipment you don’t have to replace justifies the cost.
loup68
After reading the comments on Stuart’s previous post on Rayovac alkaline batteries leaking, I have switched to Energizer lithium batteries and only in a couple places Energizer Max alkaline batteries.
My crazy Microsoft wireless mouse will eat only ONE of the two lithium batteries in about a week! Tried that twice and only one went dead, makes no sense to me.
Brandon
I went through similar usages with a wireless mouse. I pitched it once I found a mouse with a built-in 3.7v battery that charged off my cell phone charger and never looked back. Now maybe once a week it gets charged if it has heavy use.
Kent
I switched to rechargeable Eneloops 5 years ago, and haven’t looked back.
If you aren’t familiar with modern rechargeable batteries, they have solved the problems. High drain applications? No problem. Long term storage? No problem. I think the battery in my TV remote has been in for over a year now.
In the long run, they are much cheaper than these, and they don’t end up in the landfill so soon.
Stuart
It depends on the task.
For a flashlight that’s kept in the garage or car and used infrequently, lithium cells will hold for much longer and at lower per-unit cost.
Eneloops are $3 to $4+ per cell depending on capacity and rating.
Ikea Ladda are very attractively priced at $7 for 4.
Lithium batteries are BETTER than NiMH for when you don’t plan to have to recharge the batteries regularly.
LEGO Technic battery packs? Rechargeable. Emergency flashlight? AA or CR123 lithium.
There are also some tasks where lithium cells would perform better, such as with toys, since the voltage level is going to be higher.
4x AA lithium = 6V
4x AA NiMH – 4.8V
I’m in the “get both, use the best one for the task” camp. Yes, NiMH batteries are excellent, and I bought a whole lot more this year because of that. But lithium costs less and is sufficient for many tasks.
It’s also not cost-effective to put Eneloop batteries in toys that will likely be donated before they need to be recharged. I do, because I can recharge the batteries when needed. If lithium cells are moved from a toy that takes 3 cells to a toy that takes 4, their capacities are unmatched, which isn’t ideal. So, fresh batteries would be taken, and the 3x partially drained batteries would have to wait for devices that take 1x, 2x, or 3x cells.
Eneloops are way more than are needed in a TV remote. I have some low-capacity low-power Ikea cells for those, and wish they were still available under Ikea or Eneloop branding.
Kent
I use flashlights daily (I’m very rural) and use Eneloops in a Coast 4xAA, as well as an Olight with a USB rechargeable cell (can’t remember what it is).
We all do things our own way, but I’d much rather spend $10 on batteries for a flashlight that will last 5 years than buy a new set for $4 every month.
As for the “this toy requires 4 batteries but I just took 3 from a different toy” problem… I have enough batteries that I just grab 4 off the shelf and put 3 on the charger. I also don’t have kids, which solves all sorts of other problems. 🙂
Wayne R.
I’m with you here, but I put the Lithium cells in things that’ll get cold, like anything in the vehicles. I tend to forget about those, too.
BTW, the La Crosse chargers have coddled my Eneloop collection for over a decade now. They’re pricy (got a second off eBay) but help us get the most out of the Eneloops.
https://www.lacrossetechnology.com/products/bc1000
JR3 Home Performance
I put them in anything that I wouldn’t want ruined by leaking alkaline batteries. All my diagnostic and test equipment
Andrew
Even cheaper if you do not need them right away and do subscribe and save!
Stuart
If the price goes up between now and when your order is processed, you don’t get the sale price.
Andrew S
That’s only after the first shipment. I always just cancel after first shipment.
res51cue
And my wallet just got a bit lighter haha. While I run Eneloops for my more common daily-use items, I keep these Lithiums in my emergency kit (Garmin 401 GPS, MS2000 strobe light). Great to leave-and-forget without worrying that they’ll leak everywhere.
Marc
Just an FYI, the AAA battery price is not a sale price – it’s the same price I’ve paid for them from Amazon the last 3 times (12 packs for $14.98 each).
On the other hand the AA batteries are a nice savings, last time I bought Energizer AAs I paid $14.19 for 8, so I will definitely be buying some of those.
Stuart
The last time I ordered them from Amazon, I paid $6.10 for 4, and the time before that they were $14.15 for 8.
$10 for 8 or $15 for 12 seemed like a good deal to me.
A few years ago I paid $12.65 for 8 AA.
I don’t remember where my other batteries came from, but Amazon doesn’t sell them in that packaging.
M
Looking back through my Amazon history I’ve bought 7 12 packs of aaa, and 5 12 packs off aa since June 2018. Highest and lowest aaa 16.99 and 13.49. Highest and lowest aa 15.98 and 14.94
Reed Prince
The only AAA quantity that is on sale is the 8 count, which is usually $12.65.
A W
For long term storage (emergency flashlights or the Michelin LED pucks), what the advantages of these over eneloops?
Stuart
Lower cost per battery, longer shelf life.
NiMH batteries have become much better about slowing down the self-discharge over time, but you still do lose some capacity.
Eneloop says:
A W
Thanks Stuart.
Ordered and here already. That was fast!
Stuart
You’re welcome!
Mine arrived today, and I’m going to order more.
20 year shelf life. These will be perfect for things where NiMH don’t seem perfectly fitting.
DHCrocks
if you got a sam’s club membership they have them for $22 for 18 AA or AAA. they often go on sale for $5 off so that makes it less 96 cents each.
MoogleMan3
Thanks for the heads up! I keep a stash of these in my battery drawer. 🙂
Brandon
I’ve used these before in my Nikon camera for a while until they just became cost prohibitive. They’re great batteries, but can be costly if you go through several in shorter intervals. As a workaround, I bought the Energizer Ni-Mh AAs and charger and have been using them for a decade now. It has only been the last year that I have noticed the capacity beginning to drop off. But for the cost and length of use, I can only imagine how much I’ve saved and would have spent on on-time use batteries. For the cost and availability, the very similar capacity batteries from Harbor Freight work quite well, too. For under $7, after using a coupon, you can get a 4-pack of the Ni-Mh batteries if you cannot wait for Amazon to deliver.
It has been a slow process, but the battery powered items at my house have been switched over to Ni-Mh and 18650s whenever possible, except for the smoke alarms.
Hilton
Bugger, thought these were chargeable.
Hon Cho
I’ve been using the AA Engergizer Lithiums since the mid-90s when I was living in Alaska and they were the best cold weather performer. Energizer has made a variety of patented changes to the formula over the year but their patents should be running out before too long which will bring some competition and probably lower prices to the disposable AA/AAA lithium market.
Depending on the use case, these batteries are easily worth the price differential. Anything that sits around for long periods without use deserves these. Emergency flashlights are a good example. Clocks, remote sensors, test meters and the like where they may not be used for long periods of time. The lithium batteries have a long storage life and don’t leak.
As for the folks touting replaceable 18650 rechargeables, they’ve never done a product liability risk assessment for a commercial insurer. Show me a common B&M store where you can buy a reliable / quality example of an 18650 other than perhaps some Vape shop. No reputable manufacturer wants the liability associated with making widely sold consumer goods that have cell level replaceable rechargeable lithium chemistry cells. You may find a stray product here and there sold to specialized markets but definitely not intended for the general public. People routinely fail to read and follow instructions, even big warning notices so the liability risk is just too great in giving customers flexibility. Not to mention, selling proprietary battery packs can be very profitable.
Nate B
Good points, all.
Regarding the patent expiration and knockoffs, I did notice some third-party names on Amazon already, but I assume these are sneaking around intellectual property protection somehow. And since the reason I’m buying these specific batteries is their reliability, I opted not to try the suspiciously cheap brand I’d never heard of…
On the liability of 18650’s, I mean I’ve had NiMH’s vent and fill a car with smoke when I had an absent-minded moment involving a foil-wrapped slice of pizza on the passenger seat while swapping batteries in my Garmin. And as a kid I melted a lot of Capsela before I came to understand short circuits.
Seen through the lens of today’s product liability, what would _any_ naked battery technology look like? Are lithiums actually that much worse than legacy chemistries, or are we just treating them as new? Honestly curious here, I don’t know how the market sees that stuff.
Selling proprietary battery packs seems to do fine for larger packs, but when said pack is merely a wrapper around a single 18650, it seems to be a death-knell for the product line. Ryobi’s Tek4 was a flash in the pan, Milwaukee’s M4…. Milwaukee had an M4? They have some whackass “redlithium USB” things that I can’t quite figure out what they even are. Any of those tools, I’d happily own if I could use my own batteries in them, but foregoing the benefit of interchangeability while still having the poor power of a single cell, is just a non-starter in the market, it seems.
Stuart
Redlithium USB are (to my knowledge) regulated 18650 cells in a proprietary hard-shell case.
JML
AA and AAA lithiums whenever Eneloops aren’t appropriate: cold weather applications, long-term storage, infrequent use (remote controls), and anywhere I don’t want alkalines to leak. 9V lithiums in EVERY application (for tools and smoke alarms, and exterior garage door remotes). I have never had any problem with the AA and AAA lithiums; they last far longer than anything else and won’t leak. The voltage is slightly higher than alkalines, by the way.
CR123 batteries in the car flashlights and hazard lights, with extra backup cells in a water-tight case. Rechargeable flashlights are great (18650 and 21700) but for emergency use the disposable lithiums are the best insurance plan.
C-cell lithiums are not interchangeable with alkalines, even though you can find them online, because the voltage is more than double, so beware! I just ordered some long-life storage C-cells from Everyday Max, because I will never use Duracells in AA, AAA, C, or D because all will leak.
JML
* Eveready’s Energizer Max C-cells, not “everyday.”