3. PowerGenix NiZn Rechargeable
Makers of rechargeable batteries are vying to help stop you from tossing dead batteries. Which is brand and technology is the best?
Price:
Charger and 4 AA batteries – $30
4 AA batteries – $15
3.5 Stars
+ High voltage
+ Long battery life
+ Adapter for C and D cells
+ Quick Charge
- Too much voltage for flashlight
- Too big for some uses
Because they’re based on a different chemistry make-up than the other rechargeable cells in this group, PowerGenix NiZn Rechargeable batteries set the pace for long life--but there’s a snag. These cells are slightly thicker and produce so much power that they can burn out a flashlight’s bulb. Clearly, they’re not for all uses.
These batteries use the chemical interaction between nickel and zinc and can store more energy than nickel-metal-hydride, nickel cadmium or lead acid batteries.The batteries come pre-charged and deliver 1.79 volts. That’s 15 percent better than disposable Duracell batteries and 22 percent higher than the three rechargeables reviewed here that use nickel-metal hydride technology.
Rated at 2,500 mili-amp hours of power, the NiZn cells zoomed to the top of the class of long-lasting rechargeable batteries. They ran the CD player for more than 14 hours, three-times longer than the Energizer Rechargeables could.
On the downside, they burned out bulbs in two flashlights I tried: the Husky light I used for testing, as well as a Mini-MagLite, but worked well in an LED flashlight. The company representative I spoke with said the company plans to add a warning to the packaging.
Plus, the cells measure .01-inch thicker than Duracell disposable batteries, making them a tight fit in some gadgets. The Rayovac cells also suffered from this problem.
During charging the NiZn cells and charger are quick and quiet. The charger holds up to four AA or AAA batteries and it’s impossible to put them in backwards. You can charge one, two, three or four cells at once, unlike some of the others which require charging in pairs. Unlike the Rayovac charger which doesn’t tell you when it’s done, the NiZn charger’s red light turns green when the cells are ready.
It took 1 hour 24 minutes to juice up a pair of AAs, four times longer than the Energizer’s quick charger. They came out of the charger warm, but much cooler than the Energizer cells. This is much shorter than the 7 hours and 40 minutes that the Rayovac charger required. The NiZn charger uses 4 watts and will cost less than 3 cents a year in electrical costs.
The charger itself weighs 4.3 ounces, and is in between the heavier Energizer and lighter Eneloop device. Like the others, it has a fold open two-prong plug, making it perfect for travel.
Rated at 1,000 charge cycles, the NiZn batteries can outlast most of the other rechargeables, making the $30 investment for a charger and 4 AA cells go down easier. A pack of four extra cells costs $15. They come with a 1 year warranty.
Bonus: if you mail in the product’s packaging and a copy of your receipt, the company will send you a pair of holders to use the rechargeable AA cells in devices that require “C” and “D” cells. Looking for the longest-lasting rechargeable batteries for electronics around? Look no further than PowerGenix’s NiZn cells. Just don’t put them in a flashlight.
- 1. Green Power-Up
- 2. Energizer Rechargeable
- 3. PowerGenix NiZn Rechargeable
- 4. Rayovac Hybrid Rechargeable
- 5. Sanyo Eneloop Rechargeable Battery
- 6. Testing
It's worth noting that Kill-A-Watt type meters may not give reliable numbers at extremely low power consumptions.
After some extensive testing that I looked at from my work I went with PowerEx batteries for myself. They've got a 2700 mAh capacity, and they held up at high current (> 10A). They weren't the cheapest ($19/4 pcs)
It's also worth noting that NiMH batteries all have the same chemistry, and can be charged by a standard NiMH charger.
How does this article not point out the BIG difference between the regular nimh batteries and the new hybrid cells? The hybrid batteries, like the eneloop, will hold their charge when not in use. Regular nimh batteries will lost their charge quickly, even when not in use ( this is what allows them to ship the hybrid batteries pre-charged ).
Sanyo Eneloops Are The Best Rechargeable Batteries. I Have Ever Seen.
does anyone know if the chargers can be mixed-and-matched? I used a set of the rayovacs for a year with my digital camera, and they no longer work well. I am going to get eneloops now -- can I use my old rayovac charger?
does anyone know if the chargers can be mixed-and-matched? I used a set of the rayovacs for a year with my digital camera, and they no longer work well. I am going to get eneloops now -- can I use my old rayovac charger?
Generally, you can do it. I'v been using an Energizer recharger on my Sanyo's.
Just a little tip: Keep an eye out on Amazon deals for Sanyo rechargeable. I got a 48 pack for under $20 during a sale (with out charger).
I forget the total price for my Eneloop's but it was under $40 for four AA's, Four AAA's, a charger, and both a C and D converter at Costco.
They last ten times longer in my Digital Camera Compared to Disposables.
They are the best.
There are a lot of differences from battery to battery.
First the technology. Throw-away Alkalines have good capacity, reasonably good shelf life, and good voltage to start with but their voltage goes down a lot as they are used which is what causes flashlights to start going orange and dim after you use them a little while. NiMH and NiCad will usually maintain their voltage a little better until the end. LiIon is the best here but I don't think you can buy LiIon rechargeables in AA size. Also Alkalines don't work very well when cold, and their voltage will drop a lot under real heavy load. NiMh will maintain higher voltage and put out more current at the same time.
Different brands of NiMh have different capacity ratings, in milli-amp hour (mAH), and even at the same capacity they will vary in actual use just like these tests showed. NiCad is the worst for self-discharge, but NiMh is not too bad. They will work OK for devices that you use reasonably frequently but not for a flashlight that you put in the closet and use once a year. Alkalines will work better for this, but if you leave the device for several years then when you get ready to use it the batteries might have leaked and ruined the device. Use Lithium throwaways for this.
I haven't used the NiZn. I wonder what their voltage characteristics are under load.
NiCad and NiMh usually require different chargers but some chargers have a switch for this. I don't know if the NiMh and newer NiMh can use the same charger. Unfortunately the good battery chargers can be pretty expensive. Slow chargers tend to be the cheapest but a good fast charger can be a lot more convenient.
Something the review also omitted is that eneloops are known for exceptional performance retention after 500+ cycles of use whereas some other competing low self-discharge cells will degrade much faster.
I have also heard of nutty people discharging them at more than 12C inside home-built portable aircraft landing lights with no damage where cheaper cells literally melted down.
I'm the guy adding +1 to all the eneloop comments, for good reason. These are almost perfect batteries. True, the voltage is a little lower, but like mustang1068 pointed out, they retain a charge of 80% after 12 months of no use. I have them in all the game console controllers and kids toys.
Hey great article minus the missing conclusion... I have both the Sanyo Eneloop and the Energizer rechargeable batteries with real world use for over a year. The Energizers are a pure waste of money. I bought 5 packs of 4 packs of the Energizers and have two of the chargers. After 3 months of use 6 of them stopped charging. Then 6 months later about half of them burned out. I noticed the Energizer batteries get realllllly hot when charging. The battery life on them drop significantly after 20-30 charges. The fast charging seems to kill them. The Eneloop batteries still work but the discharge rate sucks. I have a Canon 480EX camera flash and the Eneloops can't keep up. After 4 successive shots, it pauses for about 4 seconds. The Energizers can push out 9 successive shots before a pause but only good for maybe 60 shots and discharges to 20% if not used. Regular Alkaline batteries will give me 14 successive shots and give about 200 flash shots. Plus I can have them in the flash for months without worrying about them discharging to nothing. So at this point both the Eneloop and Energizers just sit in a tub and everyone once in awhile I have to pull out an Energizer that begins to corrode. At this point I've gone back to Alkaline batteries at Costco which is 48 AA for about $12. With Alkalines they have the perfect balance of longevity, discharge, and cost. I may try out the PowerGenix NiZn though... I just worry that it may toast my $400 camera flash.
Hey great article minus the missing conclusion... I have both the Sanyo Eneloop and the Energizer rechargeable batteries with real world use for over a year. The Energizers are a pure waste of money. I bought 5 packs of 4 packs of the Energizers and have two of the chargers. After 3 months of use 6 of them stopped charging. Then 6 months later about half of them burned out. I noticed the Energizer batteries get realllllly hot when charging. The battery life on them drop significantly after 20-30 charges. The fast charging seems to kill them. The Eneloop batteries still work but the discharge rate sucks. I have a Canon 480EX camera flash and the Eneloops can't keep up. After 4 successive shots, it pauses for about 4 seconds. The Energizers can push out 9 successive shots before a pause but only good for maybe 60 shots and discharges to 20% if not used. Regular Alkaline batteries will give me 14 successive shots and give about 200 flash shots. Plus I can have them in the flash for months without worrying about them discharging to nothing. So at this point both the Eneloop and Energizers just sit in a tub and everyone once in awhile I have to pull out an Energizer that begins to corrode. At this point I've gone back to Alkaline batteries at Costco which is 48 AA for about $12. With Alkalines they have the perfect balance of longevity, discharge, and cost. I may try out the PowerGenix NiZn though... I just worry that it may toast my $400 camera flash.
I'll second the Energizer rechargeable batteries are horrible.
I just threw out 8 of them after 7 stopped working within 4 months.
They missed testing the Duracell rechargables rated at 2650. I have the Sanyo, Energizers & the Duracell's. I like the Energizers the least. I have about 24 of the Energizers & about 6 of them will no longer take a charge. That's with using a $50.00 smart charger to charge them with. They failed to mention that Energizer has a variants out on the market; the 2200, 2400 & 2500, some are made in Japan & others are made in China.
The Sanyo's have the longest shelf life of all of them, followed by the Duracell's. I also have a Canon Flash (the 580 EX) & don't have any trouble using the Sanyo's. I don't always shoot using full powered flash & also use Canon's power pack which adds another 8 batteries to the loop.
GEE! I must be out of touch with reality. I only have two items that use batteries, my cell phone and one led flashlight. I don't know the brand name of the battery in my cell phone. All I know is that I've had the phone and battery since 2004. I recharge the battery regulary and it still works I bought the led flashlight just about two years ago. It has three standard, no name, generic AAA batteries. It works fine.
3 universal remotes, four wireless mice, and a couple of xbox 360 controllers (esp since the batteries in that play and charge kit are terrible regular niMH batteries). (I bet there's more that I can't remember offhand) The rayovac hybrids do a pretty good job of lasting quite a while, especially compared to regular NiMH batteries. I'll be trying out the eneloop ones as well. Though when you're talking months for the majority of this stuff it isn't as important.
I'm the other guy adding the +1 to eneloop comments. Personally I'm never going back to regular NiMH's as the eneloops are a pretty much charge-and-forget kind off battery. You know that when you need them, they'll just work and rechargeable to boot.
* This probably applies also to the other low self discharge NiMH batteries out there.
Oh well... just another article in the usual amateurish TH style... The title should have been something like "What cell/charger/flashlight/CDP combo we found to be the ...".
While a grossly inconsistent, and empirical method of evaluation was used, it amounts merely to a loss of time and resources, the whole green propaganda left aside. Still no clue about the already caught red handed high priests of AGW?
If cell quality would've been the issue, then try to use at least some more scientific methods, like testing under the same conditions, using some calibrated measuring gear, proper for the task, and so on...
Hint: use a battery analyzer, which offers charge/discharge curves, at different rates, eventually at different temperatures.
Every cell chemistry offers some advantages, and disadvantages: (dis)charge rates (mainly depending on internal resistance), self discharge, ability to work under extreme temperatures, cycle life, and so on. It's all about compromises... depending mainly on the application.
A lot of pertinent information is available on the net... just do a little search.
e.g.: http://www.powerstream.com/AA-tests.htm
For example, Maha products (not even a mention about them...) are highly regarded, offering high capacity/high self discharge Powerex cells, or lower capacity/low self discharge Imedion cells, and one of the better chargers around: MH-C9000.
If I was you manager, I would not let you submit a report with simple data missing. Now get back to work and fill in the DNF data. The Boss.
Where's the note about fast charging vs. slow charging? After a fast 15 minute charge, the Energizers don't work for hardly anytime. But after a good 6 hour charge, they can last me a whole wedding reception blasting a professional level flash. Now, the Eneloops are better for sure which we also love, but we still have some Energizers that work just fine. Also, no measurements of life after a week or 2 on the shelf? This is where the Eneloops really shine. Average article, but you left out some of the key discussion points for batteries which doesn't cut it on a site like Tom's.
Another +1 for Eneloops.
Last year I bought 4 each Energizer, Duracell, and Sony rechargeable AA batteries, and only 1 Duracell is still working today. All the others refuse to charge - the Energizers crapped out very quickly after 3 months. The Eneloops I bought are still working perfectly (even though I charge them with non-Sanyo chargers) and I can't notice any decline in run-time. There really is no negative to using these rechargeables, especially in high-draw devices like a Wiimote or RB/GH controller.