The 9 Best AA and AAA Rechargeable Batteries to Buy in 2018

Energizer’s eight-pack pre-charged rechargeable AA batteries are a super choice for all your gadget needs. With more than 1,000 charge cycles at your disposal, the Energizer rechargeable batteries will retain their charge for up to 12 months when not in use, so there’s always available power when you need it. When it comes to actual power, Energizer claims that one full AA battery will allow you take around 230 digital camera photos or play a handheld game for around five hours before needing recharging. Additionally, the five-year battery or shelf life pairs up nicely with the 1,000 charge cycles, offering long-lasting power without breaking the bank.

Widely regarded as some of the best rechargeable batteries around, Sanyo’s 16-pack of Eneloop AA batteries are another outstanding choice. They are rechargeable up to 1,500 times over the course of their lifetime and your purchase also includes a free battery holder for up to four batteries for easy swapping of charged batteries. The five-year shelf life offers more than 70 percent of its original capacity in the fifth year, which is good news for the buyer, but also good news for the environment with less waste overall. With an 82 percent 5-star rating on Amazon, there’s little question the Eneloop name is paired with some of the best AA and AAA rechargeable batteries available today.

Amazon’s quest to offer up inexpensive alternatives under their own brand name has found its way into the rechargeable battery market. This AAA 16-pack come pre-charged for use right out of the box, and the AmazonBasics brand battery will hold up 80 percent of their capacity over the course of their shelf life.

Panasonic’s also offers both AA and AAA Eneloop rechargeable battery. When it comes to ordering the Panasonic, you can choose from four packs all the way to 16 packs in both AA and AAA varieties, as well as a joint package containing both battery types. With more than 2,100 potential recharge cycles, the Panasonic batteries will hold up to 70 percent of their charge for up to 10 years when not in use during that time. These batteries come straight from the warehouse pre-charged via solar power for extra energy efficiency. Panasonic also highlights that their Eneloop brand can handle temperatures up to negative four degrees Fahrenheit before suffering from performance issues. 

Amazon has another set of AA and AAA rechargeable batteries that come with 850mAh of capacity. Additionally, this budget-friendly variant of the AmazonBasics line can hold up to 65 percent of original charge before running out after three years of storage. That number can rise to 80 percent of original charge life when looking at just 12 months of inactivity before plugging this AmazonBasics variant into a device.

Energizer’s rechargeable AAA 700mAh Power Plus batteries available in both a four- and eight-pack count are pre-charged with more than 700 mAh of power. That’s low compared to some of the other models on this list, but with a price tag that’s just about $10 for the four-pack, the budget-friendly pricing matches nicely with the smaller doses of power. Still, the Energizer EVENH12BP4 battery can retain its charge for up to 12 months when not in use, so power is always available. Additionally, there are a full 700 charges before this battery is considered no longer viable. Standing on its own, that claim offers a better environmental impact than non-rechargeable batteries and at a better price point. Ideally, this Energizer model will help you take around 350 digital camera photos, as well as operate a standalone electronic toy for seven hours before dying out.

With another entry on this list, this AmazonBasics AAA and AA rechargeable model offers a very wallet-friendly price in both four- and eight-pack sizing. With more than 1,000 recharge cycles available, there’s 800mAh of capacity contained within this set of Amazon-made batteries. Like the rest of the AmazonBasics line, the “charged for years” performance is all based on optimal storage condition, which is ideally discovered around 68 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celsius. Amazon claims these batteries are “perfect for high-power, high-drain” devices such as well-lit flashlights or electronic toys that require peak performance.

While you might not know the EBL name as a household brand of batteries, the 16-point, high-capacity 1100mAh battery will change that right away. Available in both AA and AAA 16-pack varieties, the EBL choice is already a No. 1 bestseller on Amazon with a 4.3 out of 5-star rating. While the high capacity will help your devices last longer with each charge, there’s also the capability for more than 1,200 battery recharge cycles over the course of the lifetime of the batteries. Additionally, if stored in ideal conditions, the EBL battery can hold up to 75 percent of its performance for up to three years. EBL also prides itself on manufacturing batteries that are 0.1V higher than other competitor models when fully charged, which makes them ideally suited for longer use over their total lifetime.

Sofrin is another battery manufacturer that doesn’t exactly ring a bell as a household name, but their 2200mAh rechargeable batteries are excellent. Available in four, eight and sixteen-pack varieties, the lower-sized four and eight packs offer a strength of 1100mAh, while the 16 pack kicks the sizing up to 2200mAh. Fortunately, both sizes are good for up to 1,100 recharges and arrive out of the box already pre-charged using solar energy. Additionally, the Sofrin models can be recharged whether they are fully or partially discharged. In ideal conditions, around 95 degrees Fahrenheit or 35 degrees Celsius, the Sofrin AA rechargeable batteries can sit for years without needing to be recharged. In fact, you can even store these batteries in a more grueling negative 20 degrees Celsius and still find optimal performance for the length of the original life of the batteries.