Duracell or Energizer - which batteries are better?

Of course, the range of the two companies is not limited to AA and AAA batteries. Many of us have appliances that require different batteries. For example, miniature taillights for bicycles and very thin remotes, into which CR2032 lithium batteries or some similar are inserted, are becoming increasingly popular. Both manufacturers are able to offer them. Also on sale you can find CR2 and CR123 batteries, which are usually powered by doorbell buttons. They are also offered by Energizer and Duracel. And there are zinc-air batteries of a special form factor. They are mainly produced by Energizer.

Owners of old technology will have the greatest difficulties. Fortunately, Duracell continues to meet these needs. Without any problems, you will find on sale both a “crown” and very thick batteries, which used to be powered by flashlights and radio tape recorders. A competitor also produces such batteries, but they are a little less common on sale.

In fact, the assortment of both companies is approximately the same. But for some reason, in our country, Durasel offers the greatest variety. Especially when it comes to older form factors. Well, we will give her our preference.

If you urgently need batteries, then you are unlikely to want to go to a store located on the other side of the city to get them. What can I say, many will not agree to go for the sake of finger batteries and a couple of blocks. Fortunately, Energizer and Duracell outperform their many competitors precisely in terms of prevalence. You can find them in almost any supermarket. But you must understand that in such a place you will definitely overpay for them.

Which company's products are found near the cash register more often? This question is difficult to answer. We will only note that the best models should be looked for in the relevant online stores and in those places where they sell all kinds of electronics. In supermarkets, they sell mainly basic batteries that do not have a high capacity. And the brand seems to depend on the mood of the management of a particular chain of stores. Somewhere the emphasis is on the Energizer with the image of lightning on the package, and somewhere on Durasel with his toy hare. However, more often exhibited approximately the same number of products from both brands.

It would seem that the so-called finger batteries have existed for many years. What can be new about them? Especially if we leave out the materials that make up such batteries, which we will talk about separately. But some of our readers will now be surprised. Certain Duracell batteries show their remaining charge on their own! To do this, take the battery in your hand and put your thumbs on the marked points. The charge level will be displayed as a green or red bar.At first it seems like magic! Basically, this function should be looked for in AA batteries from the Duracell Ultra series.

As for the Energizer, these batteries do not have any special features. They just take a long time. Or supposedly for a long time, we will clarify this later. However, the manufacturer can be understood. Not everyone will take the batteries out of the device to check their charge level. Yes, and modern technology is most often able to independently show whether the currently used batteries are very discharged. Therefore, we give the advantage to Duracell, but not the biggest.

Let's separately evaluate the existence of AAA and AA rechargeable batteries. They are not so common in stores. This is due to the fact that their cost is much higher. But in retail outlets with all kinds of electronics, such batteries are found without any problems. Moreover, you can also purchase a charger. Including distributed under the Energizer brand - it is relatively inexpensive. Duracell does not produce such an accessory, relying on other manufacturers.

The assortment of both companies includes rechargeable batteries of different capacities: from 750 to 2500 mAh. It is on this parameter that their cost depends. The average price tag for the products of the two brands is very similar. Usually it differs by only 100-150 rubles, especially if you compare batteries with almost the same capacity.However, Duracell in this case looks less attractive. This is due to the fact that its instances have five times fewer recharge cycles. This is strange, because the batteries are made using nickel-cupronickel technology identical to the Energizer. It is possible that the company is simply playing it safe, indicating understated figures in the documentation.

Whatever one may say, but at this stage of the comparison, Energizer deserves a higher rating. At least due to the fact that the buyer has the opportunity to purchase a kit consisting of a charger and several rechargeable batteries.

As you know, AA and AAA batteries can be produced using different technologies. The cheapest are saline. But they are morally obsolete, and therefore they are no longer in the assortment of the two companies we have chosen. Alkaline - much more interesting. They are not so expensive to manufacture, and provide a good charge. They are the most common ones. Finally, for some time now there have been lithium specimens. You have to pay a lot for them, but such batteries are less likely to require replacement.And they do not lose voltage when discharged. The reverse side of the coin is the fact that some equipment for various reasons does not support such batteries.

If we talk about alkaline models, it is noticeable that Duracell is trying to squeeze all the juice out of this technology. At least that's how it feels when you visit a store. At least due to the fact that the packaging of the top Duracell Professional will cost more than Energizer Max. However, measurements with a special device, made by one of the curious visitors to the famous Habr website, showed that the products of both companies have a similar charge level. And it is consumed for almost the same period of time, especially if high current efficiency is implied. Energizer still loses, but something else is curious: many other competitors, who were also present in the test, show themselves much better. Varta, GP Super, Mirex, Diall, Lexman all showed noticeably better results. There is a suspicion that Energizer and Duracell do not have very strict quality control, because a lot of money is spent on creating and distributing advertising.

It is curious that now Energizer is betting on lithium batteries. Especially if they belong to not the most common form factor. Tests show that a wireless doorbell button with such a battery can easily work for a couple of years. In this case, the overpayment seems quite logical.As for the more popular AAA and AA form factors, they can also be lithium. But tests show that the gain over Duracell alkaline batteries, if any, is negligible. And the cost of such batteries will be much more expensive, as you will see a little later.

However, our words are only partly true. If the device is supposed to be high power consumption, then lithium batteries do last longer. This means that they are the best option for placing in the remote control of a radio controlled toy. It should also be noted that Duracell continues to rely on alkaline batteries. At least when it comes to finger and little finger standards. Lithium from this company are basically only "tablets". Is it good or bad? Neither one nor the other. It just means that a fan of the company's products will have to change the batteries a little more often. At the same time, he will pay, in terms of an hour of using the device, even less.

It must be admitted that the products of both companies are expensive. And it doesn't matter what kind of power supply we are talking about. Of course, AA lithium batteries are among the most expensive. But the price tag of some modest G12 battery will not suit all of our readers. As an example, we indicate the average cost for the most common battery models.We remind you that in a conditional supermarket you need to expect significantly higher prices.

And what happens? Duracell batteries are often more expensive. What is it connected with? It is possible that with large contributions to marketing. However, the difference in price is not too great. Sometimes it can even be neglected. Yes, and tests show that the charge of Durasel dries out more slowly. This means that an hour of device operation will cost you the same or even less. So Duracell is a slightly better deal. At least when it comes to finger or little finger batteries. But in this nomination, we compare specific price tags, so we still have to give Energizer a higher rating.

As expected, the two brands are running almost on par with each other. Yes, Duracell batteries have won more awards. Yes, they got a slightly higher average score. But take a look at the table below. The difference is minuscule.Therefore, we do not advise you to seriously puzzle over what kind of batteries to buy. Especially if the batteries are purchased for, say, a fan remote control, and not for some more complex equipment.

Finally, we recall once again that there are other brands. Tests show that even conditional batteries from IKEA show themselves on a par with the two brands we examined. You definitely shouldn't turn your nose up at them.