It’s a conspiracy between Santa Claus, the elves, and battery manufacturers. All of the best toys need batteries and those alkaline batteries run out over the course of a Christmas afternoon.
If you had one of the best lithium ion batteries powering your toys from Christmas, however, you won’t have your wallet running dry from the high cost of batteries. For the cost of 2-3 regular batteries, consider purchasing some of these as 2015 makes its presence known.
#1. Powerex
These are the batteries that you’re going to need for those bigger toys. It’s one of the view battery makers that will give you the full range of sizes instead of the AA or AAA standard sizes. You can also use them straight out of the package as well – a definite plus. They’ll hold their charge for at least a year while on standby time and last a bit longer than their alkaline cousins. Charge them up overnight and you’ll have daily play for hundreds of recharges. Price: $15
#2. Energizer Silver
These are the batteries that you need for the toys that the kids didn’t get. Cameras especially benefit from using these, giving users a strong flash for hundreds of pictures on a single charge. Other portable electronics are going to respond well to these batteries as well and they are rated to last in storage for up to 20 years. As an added bonus, you can take your equipment out snowshoeing for winter pics and the batteries are still going to work. They’re even able to charge in just 15 minutes under certain conditions and they’ll feel like they last forever. Price: $11
#3. Sanyo Eneloop
If you just need one of those everyday batteries that will power most items in your home in the AA or AAA size, then this is the best brand for you. They can withstand 1,500 charges, so do the math: they last as long as an alkaline battery, but replace 1,500 batteries. That equates to thousands of dollars. They’ll also keep a charge for up to 3 years, but they do suffer from battery memory. Charge them up all the way and then drain them all the way to get the most life out of these rechargeable batteries. Price: $18.
#4. Rayovac
These are the rechargeable batteries for households that are on a budget. You can pick up a set of 4 AA batteries at your local store or online for a better price than any of the other batteries on the list and they have a decent lifespan as well, though it’s about 50% of the Sanyo batteries. Recharging them takes about 6 hours when they’re fully drained and you’ll want to charge the batteries up before using them, but if you’ve got 4 or 5 sets of toys that need batteries, your money will stretch a lot further with these and give you good run times. Price: $9.50.
#5. Duracel Duralock
These batteries might round out this list of the best batteries, but don’t think that it makes them inferior. They’re still a great set of batteries, especially if you can pick them up on sale. They have comparable power and charging times to all of the other batteries on the list, but you’ll only get about 300-400 total recharges out of them. That’s why finding them on sale is a good thing. At the regular price, you won’t necessarily get as much value as spring rolls around in 2015.
Don’t fall for the alkaline battery trap that Santa sets up for you every holiday season. Invest in the best rechargeable batteries and you won’t be disappointed with the results.
