Most of the time people don’t stop to think about stocking up on batteries until the last minute or when something dies. After being in that situation one too many times I started looking around for inexpensive but long lasting batteries and the Eveready brand fit the bill on all levels. They are inexpensive, last a relatively long time and are made by Energizer [Energizer Holdings, Inc]. So aren't more people buying and using them? Chances are it's because of the name and the stigma that they are 'generic' batteries. These are a far cry from generic. There is one brand called Orbit; I saw them at the sure de-dooper cheap store and there were ten batteries for a dollar. When I popped one of them in my MP3 player there wasn't even enough power in it to get half the power bars lit up. That's when I learned the true meaning of "cheap batteries".

The listing here is rather vague as there are several different types of AAA sized batteries in the Eveready family. The two most popular are the standard black and silver ones that have the old school black cat / nine lives logo on them and the more snappier looking black and gold ones that are marketed under the Gold Alkaline name. Both are good batteries but you have to stop and think about what they are going to be used in, how often it is used, the length of time it is being used for and how much of a power hog the item is. Anything with a backlight, clock or slow draining feature will take its toll on a battery even if it isn’t actively being used. For comparisons sake, I'll tackle both batteries in one review instead of writing individual ones for each.

Gold Vs. Standard

Since the image here at Epinions is for the Gold Alkaline batteries but the listing is for the standard Eveready Alkaline Batteries I figured I'd go into a little detail about both of them and which is a better pick for electronics and household items. If you have something that gets used often like an MP3 player or portable CD player, the Gold version might be a good pick but if it is something that is overused, meaning three to four hours a day, chances are you aren’t going to see more than an hour of extra playing time. Considering the Gold Alkaline batteries cost almost twice as much as the regular ones, I can't see spending more money on them for my electronics. That's just me, some people insist on buying something that "looks" better or has a fancier name.

Even though I love the Duracell ProCell batteries, they aren't cost effective for my MP3 player. I wear this almost all day when I am working and when I am around the house cleaning, doing laundry or on the treadmill. For that type of use, the regular Eveready Alkaline batteries are the best pick. If I wear it four hours a day I can get a solid three days of use from it then turf them off to the various remote controls around the house for a few months of use. For digital cameras that use the AAA sized batteries, go for the Gold. You will get a lot of use from them but if they sit in the camera for a few weeks without being used they won't lose their power.

Price

My local dollar store has the four packs of the standard Eveready AAA batteries for one dollar a pack. The Gold ones run from $2.00 to $2.50 but I have no idea why the price keeps changing on them. How come they are a dollar at my dollar store and other stores charge more? Who knows. I asked the clerk and he gave me a look like I was asking him a question about quantum physics. I have seen them at Wal-Mart for under two dollars but over one dollar so for once, Wal-Mart doesn’t have the lowest price on something. Are they old or aged batteries? The ones that I purchased didn’t have a date on them but I called Energizer, the parent company of Eveready, and was told that based on the lot number, the batteries has at least a year and a half more shelf life to them. Hey, I am not going to argue with four batteries for a dollar, especially when they last as long as they do and are made by Energizer. On a side note, this store also has AA sized four packs of batteries for a dollar. With the holidays approaching I am going to stock up on them so they if I give gifts that require batteries or come with tester batteries in them, the person getting the gift won't have to make a made scramble to buy new ones.

The Bottom Line

I know, some people are going to tell me that I should invest in rechargeable batteries and do the environment a favor. I have rechargeable batteries and they last and hour or two and need to get put back into the dock. I do make sure to dispose of my batteries in proper fashion and have been pushing for our local recycling center to accept AA, AAA, C, D ad 9 Volt batteries for some type of recycling or at the very least some environmentally safe way of disposing of them. As far as I am concerned, these are inexpensive batteries that are made by one of the leaders in the market, Energizer. Doubt me? Check the back of any package of Eveready batteries and see what the contact information is. Why pay more for something when there is a cheaper alternative that works, in most cases, just as well.


As always, thanks for the visit…

~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~

© 2007 Freak369


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