Ready to drop disposable alkaline batteries for rechargeable AAs and AAAs? Not so fast, you first have to figure out which brand is best for you.
Batteries might not seem like a household commodity that you need to form an opinion about. That is, unless you have a collection of high-tech devices like security cameras, digital cameras, or even your Bluetooth mouse. In that case, you probably have some thoughts about what batteries perform best or, more accurately, last the longest. Thinking about what happens to disposable batteries may also inspire you to turn to rechargeable varieties.
When it comes to non-rechargeable batteries, there are some differences between lithium and alkaline varieties, and it makes sense to feel like you have to splurge a bit to get longer-lasting power. Of course, when it comes to those times when it’s more cost-effective to use rechargeable batteries, you still want to know you’ll get some bang for your buck.
We came up with a methodology for ranking the best rechargeable battery brands based on consumer reviews and industry recommendations. Stay tuned after the very best battery brand for more on the methodology behind our picks — and keep in mind that even the “worst” battery brands still have a review rating of 4.5 stars or higher.Granicell
Amazon has a ton of battery brands on offer. Although you might not have heard of them all before, the reviews tend to speak for themselves. Granicell batteries have an overall good reputation on Amazon, with the highest-rated rechargeable AA batteries we found earning 4.5 stars. The reason Granicell holds the very worst spot on our ranking list is the fact that the star rating is about all it’s got going for it.
The brand doesn’t have nearly as many reviews as competitors, with just over 1,000 reviews on the 24-pack of AA batteries we checked out. Speaking of reviews, while the average rating is relatively high, there are, of course, plenty of negative reviews to outweigh the 5-star ones. Some customers had issues with charging the batteries, which are meant to be rechargeable up to 1,300 times. Other reviewers say the 2800 mAh capacity is too high an estimate.
We also couldn’t find much social support in terms of industry recommendations. If you want to check them out for yourself, Granicell batteries are available on Amazon in a variety of package sizes ranging from four to 28 batteries. Some packages come with a charger, too.Ldsmnli
Ldsmnli could very well be a brand you’ve never heard of, unless you’ve browsed rechargeable batteries on Amazon. Ldsmnli is a Chinese brand that makes everything from batteries and chargers to charging cabinets and solar umbrellas. Ldsmnli batteries have a pretty good reputation on Amazon, but it’s the relative lack of reviews that bumps them down into nearly-worst territory.
Fewer than 50 ratings on a product might give most consumers pause (as it did us). However, the best-rated Ldsmnli battery listing earned 4.9 out of five stars on Amazon. The brand’s 2800 mWh batteries (the orange and white ones; other colors signify different mWh ratings) are also an overall pick on Amazon and are supposed to last for 1,000 recharge cycles. That said, we didn’t see any industry experts lauding the brand or its batteries, which means we can’t weigh it more positively.
Ldsmnli has a variety of battery products available on Amazon, but the best-rated product we found was a listing for a four-pack or eight-pack of rechargeable 2800 mWh batteries. Each battery uses a USB-C plug to charge, unlike other varieties that clip into a charging base.KeepSync
KeepSync has some great reviews on Amazon, but it’s another rechargeable battery brand that needs more social proof for us to highly recommend it. Of all the KeepSync listings we looked at, the highest-rated was 4.8 stars out of five, but there were fewer than 100 reviews in total. As great as the overall review rating is, industry experts may not have heard of KeepSync, because we didn’t find that it was ranked well in other places.
However, according to consumer reviews, the claim of 400 working hours per charge may be accurate. Many customers say the brand is worth the price, though not everyone was impressed, given that the score wasn’t a full five stars. A couple of reviews did note some problems, like the inability to hold a charge while being stored, and a finicky charging cable.
Similar to other brands, KeepSync notes a recharge count of 1,000-plus uses, and each battery has a USB-C port for charging. The brand promotes a 2900 mWh rating, and this particular model of battery (the best-rated the brand has) comes in packs of four, six, or 12 on Amazon.Bonai
Bonai batteries are not the highest-performing in our ranking, but they do have a few thousand reviews that are mostly positive. The top-rated Bonai rechargeable battery listing we found had a rating of 4.4, with the score coming from a total of over 6,000 reviews. However, like other lesser-known brands, Bonai hasn’t turned many heads, and the only social proof is that of the customer reviews on Amazon.
Those 6,000-plus customer reviews tended to agree that Bonai’s 2800 mAh rechargeable batteries performed well enough. However, some reviews pointed out both charging and longevity issues. The brand says you can use the batteries for 1,200 cycles, but with subpar charging, it seems some consumers will achieve far fewer cycles. In some industry tests, such as Wirecutter’s, Bonai batteries underperformed when compared to their mAh rating.
Some reviews also complained that the batteries were not a standard size, which would clearly be a compatibility issue with many battery-powered devices. Others had negative sentiment toward the overall functionality. In terms of functionality and range, Bonai batteries come in different capacities, but the highest-rated Amazon listing was the 2800 mAh variety (they are black — other capacities are blue, gold, or white).Tenergy
Tenergy batteries were the first brand I recognized while organizing our ranking.
