Are lithium pencil batteries overpriced and overhyped?

[Fordulike]

I have a television remote that lights up the control pad every time it's moved. Very handy, but also heavy on battery juice.

I've been using Energizer lithium AAA's in it since I bought it, but although they seem to last a while, was wondering if the lithium batteries were cost effective compared to regular ones.

I can buy 4 fancy lithium Energizer batteries for roughly the same as 20 standard Duracell ones.

4 x Energizer AAA ULTIMATE Lithium Batteries

20 x Duracell Industrial AAA Alkaline Batteries

Obviously the alkaline won't last as long as the lithium, but you get 5 times more in the pack!

Has anyone done any testing on pencil batteries between the two chemistries?

 

[anotherkiwi]

I only use rechargeable. They are Ni-MH.

 

[flecc]

I've long found buying disposable alkaline in bulk is the most economic and convenient,

In a test quite a while ago of AA batteries from all sources, the best performance/life/price balance were the bulk ones from Maplin. I've been using their AA and AAA for a very long time, but sadly they are closing down so I'll have to find a new source.

Buying in bulk if possible is invariably best since the much lower prices that can be obtained reduces the importance of the life factor.
.

 

[Emo Rider]

I have a television remote that lights up the control pad every time it's moved. Very handy, but also heavy on battery juice.

I've been using Energizer lithium AAA's in it since I bought it, but although they seem to last a while, was wondering if the lithium batteries were cost effective compared to regular ones.

I can buy 4 fancy lithium Energizer batteries for roughly the same as 20 standard Duracell ones.

4 x Energizer AAA ULTIMATE Lithium Batteries

20 x Duracell Industrial AAA Alkaline Batteries

Obviously the alkaline won't last as long as the lithium, but you get 5 times more in the pack!

Has anyone done any testing on pencil batteries between the two chemistries?

I use to use a Kodak digital camera that took four AA bateries. Even using the lithium diposibles, I only was able to take 20 high resoultion picture and two or three short movies before it died. Going to the recharagable Energizers was amazing. I could take over 60 high rez shots and more than a dozen movies. I used my camera a lot and a set use to last about 1.5 to 2 years. I am sure they paid for themselves and you weren't changing batteries all the time. Probably more environmentally friendly as well.

 

[Fordulike]

So, have pencil rechargeable batteries advanced greatly over the last decade?

I haven't used them for donkey's, but seem to remember them being fairly pants.

 

[anotherkiwi]

I have no problems with the Carrefour ones. I did have one that exploded of the E.Leclerc brand, all of those went in the bin (recycling)... I also have a few Energizer ones.

Keyboards (2), wall clock, bike lights (4), all work fine.

 

[Danidl]

The Aldi and or Lidl rechargeable ni mh are great value, last and work for years. Maplins are more expensive but give equally good service. I gave up buying the other types long ago. My understanding is that the lithium type non rechargeable are optimised for very long life not high power and might be useful in security systems where the draw is tiny or non existent and you might want them to operate five years later.
The only problem with these rechargeable cells is that they struggle to get up to 1.5v , and sometimes that matters... Led flashlamps ,but they are the business for any type of radio, camera . They are much much more environmentally friendly than primary cells.

 

[flecc]

The only problem with these rechargeable cells is that they struggle to get up to 1.5v , and sometimes that matters... Led flashlamps ,but they are the business for any type of radio, camera .

They were a failure for me in a camera due to the low voltage at full charge meaning they expired after very few shots. The inconvenience was too great, costing shot opportunities. Wildlife isn't very patient.
.

 

[Danidl]

They were a failure for me in a camera due to the low voltage at full charge meaning they expired after very few shots. The inconvenience was too great, costing shot opportunities. Wildlife isn't very patient.
.

Inappropriate matching of camera and battery. For the earlier digital cameras I had .. a Fuji and later a Samsung, they would only reliably work with hi mh and not with Duracell primary cells.. horses for courses. , Later cameras have veered into the efficiency of li ion ...

 

[flecc]

Inappropriate matching of camera and battery. For the earlier digital cameras I had .. a Fuji and later a Samsung, they would only reliably work with hi mh and not with Duracell primary cells.. horses for courses. , Later cameras have veered into the efficiency of li ion ...

Maybe. This quite early digital camera was ok with various alkaline primary AAs, but with NiMh and their low starting voltage they reached cutoff far too quickly to be useful enough.
.

 

[mike killay]

Horses for courses I guess.
I have a Marine VHF hand set. It came with rechargeable NiMh.
Over the years this battery degraded and I discovered that I could replace it with 6 AA cells.
These 6 AA cells will last non stop over a weekend, and more importantly I can carry 6 spares in my pocket, thus ensuring radio communications in dire circumstances.
I would never revert to rechargeable for the radio.
But my phone, my vapes, my Kindle will never be life threatening if they run flat.
So, I use rechargeable in them.

 

[tillson]

I use Kodak Extra Life from Poundland. £1 for 5 I think, last time I bought some. They seem to work well in clocks, computer keyboard, torches, remote controls etc.

From these tests (see link) VARTA seem the best by a smallish margin. Screwfix sell those I believe. Current drain can shake the results up a bit.

http://www.batteryshowdown.com/static/images/mah_large_1000mA.png

 

[soundwave]

i found 4 aa ones for £4.27 so see how long they last in my mouse fkn thing uses 5v 500ma!

 

[flecc]

see how long they last in my mouse fkn thing uses 5v 500ma!

Yikes! Has it got headlamps?

Still, at least I suppose it keeps your hand warm.
.

 

[D C]

A little off topic but I've just replaced two Duracell AA batteries in a rarely used radio.
I noticed they had a best before date of 2003 but still worked fine.
Dave.

 

[flecc]

A little off topic but I've just replaced two Duracell AA batteries in a rarely used radio.
I noticed they had a best before date of 2003 but still worked fine.
Dave.

The shelf life of alkalines is quoted as 5 years, but that's for selling as new so with very little loss. It follows that they will last very much longer with a gradually increasing loss of capacity.

The main problem I've noticed with age is corrosive leakage on the less well made batteries.
.

 

[soundwave]

Yikes! Has it got headlamps?

Still, at least I suppose it keeps your hand warm.
.

 

[flecc]

In the world of digital rodents, that's not a Mouse, it's a Capybara!
.

 

[soundwave]

its a £150 rat lol

 

[jhruk]

I have a television remote that lights up the control pad every time it's moved. Very handy, but also heavy on battery juice.

I've been using Energizer lithium AAA's in it since I bought it, but although they seem to last a while, was wondering if the lithium batteries were cost effective compared to regular ones.

I can buy 4 fancy lithium Energizer batteries for roughly the same as 20 standard Duracell ones.

4 x Energizer AAA ULTIMATE Lithium Batteries

20 x Duracell Industrial AAA Alkaline Batteries

Obviously the alkaline won't last as long as the lithium, but you get 5 times more in the pack!

Has anyone done any testing on pencil batteries between the two chemistries?

The Consumers Association have tested various AA and AAA batteries and published fairly comprehensive reports in their Which magazine. You can read them online if you sign up but most libraries around here seem to keep copies in the reference section, which is where I read them. The latest report for AA size was in the December 2017 edition. AA and AAA sizes are in the December 2016 edition.

Their ‘Best Buys’ ignored price so tended to favour the more expensive ones, which generally lasted a little longer, particularly with high drain devices. However, what I found most interesting was the ‘Cost per hour’. For medium drain devices this was 14p for the AAA Energizer Ultimate Lithium @ £1.75 per battery compared to only 1p for the Wilko Extra Long Life @ 12p per battery. So although the Wilko was the worst performing, lasting 2/3 the time of the Energizer, it was 14x cheaper.

Going back to the original question, and going by the CA test results, I would expect the Lithium ones to possibly last a little longer, like for like, but those Duracell alkaline ones to be much cheaper overall.

Why not buy some and compare them yourself?