At this time of year you need plenty of batteries on hand to power up new toys and other devices, but not all batteries are created equal.
Many of the battery brands have claims like “world’s longest lasting” and “lasts up to nine times longer” on their packages. Despite the hype, if you make the wrong choice, it can cost you.
Consumer Reports evaluated 15 kinds of AA batteries, both lithium and alkaline. The Toys “R” Us Ultra alkalines delivered just fourhours of flashlight time and 49 shots from a digital camera. Compare that with Energizer Ultimate Lithium, the top-rated battery that racked up more than sevenhours of flashlight time and 609 shots.
Lithiums are more expensive, but the extra lithium boost is worth it for digital cameras, gaming controllersand devices that need more power.
But Consumer Reports says alkalines are the way to go for toys that are used less often. The Duracell Quantum proved to be the best alkalines and are half the price of the lithiums.
