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Your guide to types of household batteries (AAA, AA, C, D, and 9V)

Good (rechargable)Bad

NICKEL-METAL HYDRIDE (NiMH)If you want to recharge your batteries, use Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH). These replace obsolete NiCad rechargeables. NiMH's have much higher capacity than NiCd's and don't suffer from memory effect. Thomas Distributing and C. Crane have great prices on NiMH's and carry the highest capacity D's (9-11,000 mAh). Radio Shack sells them too but they cost a little more (and their D's have less capacity). Also see our recommended chargers. NiMH's are great all-around batteries but they have a high self-discharge rate (they go dead after a few months even if you don't use them) so they're not good for things like emergency flashlights or smoke detectors.

NICAD: NiMH is betterRECHARGEABLE ALKALINE:few recharge cycles, small capacityHEAVY DUTY/GENERAL PURPOSE:puny; die quicklyLITHIUM: Expensive, toxic, can't recharge (good only for smoke detectors, or sub-freezing temperatures where long shelf-life is required)NiCad's are obsolete rechargeables. They've been replaced by NiMH's which last longer, don't suffer from the memory effect, and aren't toxic. (more...)Rechargeable Alkaline (Pure Energy, AccuCell) can't be recharged nearly as many times as real rechargeable batteries (like NiMH & NiCad). They also can't be used in high-drain devices like digital cameras, and their capacity drops every time they're charged. But they're good if you need a rechargeable that puts out more voltage than an NiMH. (more...)Heavy Duty, General Purpose. These are Zinc Chloride and Carbon Zinc, respectively. "Heavy Duty" is a big misnomer; these are really "puny duty". General Purpose are very susceptible to leaking. (more...)Lithium batteries are the most powerful batteries you can get, but they're expensive, you can't recharge them, and they're toxic so you can't just throw them in the trash. (You're supposed to take them to your community's hazardous waste facility.) They're great for devices that use the 9V size, since they'll last a long time (10 years in smoke detectors), but for other sizes NiMH is a better bet (see left). (Note: Lithium ion batteries are rechargeable but they're not available in household sizes like AA, AAA, etc.) (more...)

Good (standard)OXYRIDE or ALKALINEIf you don't use many batteries and don't want to get a recharger, then just buy oxyride or alkaline batteries. They're both inexpensive and give plenty of power. Oxyrides last way longer than alkalines and are only slightly more expensive, so they're usually your best bet.

Standard alkalines don't work well in high-drain devices like digital cameras. For those use either high-drain alkalines (such as the Duracell Ultra, Energizer Advanced Formula, or Kodak Photolife), or oxyrides. You can get regular alkalines or high-drain alkalines at most grocery stores, and generic is nearly as good as brand-name as long as it's alkaline. But if you buy batteries more often than once a month or two, you should probably consider rechargeables instead.

Best Batteries | Batteries Compared | Battery Types | Battery Tips | Chargers | Charging Tips | LinksHousehold Battery Types Compared (AAA, AA, C, D, and 9V)OxyrideAlkalineRechargeable AlkalineNickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH)Nickel-Cadmium(NiCad)LithiumCarbon Zinc (General Purpose)Zinc Chloride(Heavy Duty)Volts1.7

1.5

1.5

1.2

1.2

1.75

1.5

CapacityHighHighHigh at first, but less each cycle

HighLow

HighLow

Capacity in mAh (AA)?

2400

2000 at first1300-2900depends on brand

600-1000depends on brand

2100

500-1000

Capacity in mAh (D)not made in this size

12,000

8000 at first2200-11000depends on brand

1800-4500depends on brand

not available in this size

3000

Performance in high-drain devices (e.g., digital cameras)

ExcellentStandard: PoorSpecial: Good

Poor

ExcellentGoodExcellentPoor

Rechargeable?Not reallyNot reallySort of*Yes (but see note about C & D sizes)

Yes (but see note about C & D sizes)

No

No

Recharge cycles6?

??? I'm guessing