Don’t buy these AA batteries

By Kate Harvey

Content Manager | Pou Whakahaere Ihirangi

When you’re next reaching for a pack of AA batteries, there are three our testing has found you should avoid.

The Eveready Super Heavy Duty AAs, a popular sight on battery stands, and the Anko Carbon Zinc AAs, from Kmart, share bottom spot in our test results. They both have an overall score of just 18 out of 100. Along with Panasonic Extra Heavy Duty batteries, which got a score of 19, they’ve been given a “Don’t Buy” warning from our test team.

The three to avoid:

While the Anko Carbon Zinc batteries are the cheapest in our test at 21c each, the Eveready Super Heavy Duty batteries are 99c each, making them more expensive than some of the best batteries we have tested.

Product test writer Amy McNabb explained the three poor performers are carbon zinc. “Carbon zinc batteries often have words like ‘heavy duty’, ‘super heavy duty’ and ‘extra heavy duty’ in their name even though they’re the worst performing type,” Amy says.

“Lithium batteries are the best performers but also the most expensive. They’re a good choice for high-drain devices like remote-controlled toys, as you won’t need to replace them as often as other battery types.”

Amy said alkaline batteries are the middle ground as they perform well despite sometimes costing under just $1. Six of the nine alkaline batteries we tested earned our recommendation.

Amy says whichever battery you end up choosing, it’s best not to buy in bulk. “Even if they’ve never been used, disposable batteries go flat over time. You’re better off buying only what you need or might need soon,” she says.

“And remember, when it comes to batteries, you don’t necessarily get what you pay for. Some of the cheapest AA batteries we’ve tested got high scores and our Consumer Recommended tick.”