The Best Rechargeable AA Batteries of 2023

Duracell, the 800-pound gorilla of the battery world, offers rechargeable batteries, and they’re a solid pick. We found that each battery held about 2,400 mAh of charge, just a bit below their 2,500 mAh rating. The Duracells kept our fan running for over seven hours and our LED flashlight running for three hours and twenty minutes.

One possible issue with these batteries is that they’re only rated for 400 charge cycles. That’s a lot less than the thousand or more that others offer, and that might be an issue if you use them on a daily basis.

The EBL 2,800 mAh High Capacity batteries came close to living up to their name. We found that they held an impressive 2,600 mAh—the largest capacity of any battery we tested. The EBLs ran our fan for just under six hours and our flashlight for three and a half hours. They come pre-charged and in a handy plastic case that makes them easier to store.

This might sound like a small thing, but storing them properly helps prevent self-discharge, where the charge slowly leaks out over time.

For rechargeable batteries, you have to consider two things: how much charge the battery can hold, and how long it can hold it for. The Eneloop Pros don’t have the largest capacity in our tests: we found that they held about 2,200 mAh in each cell. This made them capable of keeping our fan running for over five hours and our flashlight shining for over four and a half.

Enloop Pros have a reputation for holding onto their charge, when not in use, for a long time. Panasonic claims that they will still hold onto 85% percent of their initial charge after sitting on a shelf for a year.

That’s important for devices that you don’t use that often, but which need to be ready to go when you need them, like a lamp you keep for power outages. They would also be a great pick for an emergency preparedness kit.

They aren’t cheap; sometimes, they cost twice as much as the same number of Amazon Basics batteries. But if you need a battery that you can rely on in a pinch, they’re a sound investment.

These Panasonic Eneloop Pro AA batteries held an impressive 2,300 mAh of charge. That’s less than the 2,700 mAh they’re rated at, but still respectable—especially given their price.

Powerex says their batteries will retain 75% of their charge after a year on the shelf. That’s 5% less juice than Panasonic claims for their Eneloop Pro. However, the Powerex Pros sell for considerably less.

Bonai’s inexpensive high-capacity batteries are rated to hold 2,800 mAh of charge. In our tests, we found that they stored closer to 2,200 mAh. That’s very respectable for such a low-cost battery.

Bonai claims that these batteries will survive 1,200 charge cycles: that’s a couple of hundred more cycles than most. Charge them once a day and they should last you over three years.

Tenergy is a newer battery manufacturer that is making a splash by offering low-cost batteries with high capacities. Their premium AA batteries come with a 2,500 mAh rating, Unfortunately, in our tests, the batteries only held about 1,900 mAh of charge. This translated into a short run-time for our test devices: long. just under six hours for our fan, and just over three and a half for our flashlight.

Tenergy's value-priced AA batteries are designed for more general use in low powered devices, like a universal remote or kitchen scale. A pack of twelve of these batteries is the smallest quantity that you can invest in. Need more? Tenergy has you covered: a gross of 60 of their AA batteries can be had as well.

During testing, we found the Tenergys had a capacity of 2,000 mAh—that’s slightly more power than our Best Value pick. Despite this, we suggest most people stick with our Amazon Basics pick: most people simply don’t need 12 or 60 AA batteries rolling around their home’s junk drawer. A pack of eight often proves to be more than enough.