should i buy Duracell Rechargeables StayCharged AAA Batteries reviews

- The name of this product has been changed to As far as I can tell, those are the same batteries previously marketed as 'Pre-Charged'. In other parts of the world, those are also marketed as 'Active Charge'. They are stlll available in either 'white top' (made in Japan) and 'black top' (made in China) versions.

- Amazon has combined the AA and AAA versions of those Duracell batteries into the same product page. So now I look like a fool who says the same things twice. Oh well...

[Previous update on Dec 24, 2008]
I was only half-right when I boldly proclaimed that "Duracell Pre Charged AA are rebranded Sanyo eneloop cells" in my original review. It turns out that the first batch of Duracell AA cells I bought from Amazon are made in Japan, and those are identical to eneloop (both mechanically and electrically). But lately I bought some more Duracell AA from a warehouse club. Those are made in China, and they are identical to the Rayovac Hybrid.

[Original review follows]

Judging from similarity of technical specifications and physical shapes of (+) and (-) terminals, I am convinced that the underneath a different wrapper. Therefore all the good things you heard about eneloop apply to Duracell 'Pre Charged', too.

My own testing has shown that the capacity of eneloop AA cell is slightly above the claimed 2000mAh, and it is able to retain at least 85% of its charge after 5 months in storage. The  starts with slightly higher capacity at 2100mAh, but it 'only' retains 80% capacity after 5 months. For all practical applications, both are equally good. Just pick whichever brand (Sanyo, Rayovac, or Duracell) is on-sale, and you can't go wrong.

One small problem with the Duracell 'Pre Charged' cell is that: it looked too similar to the well-known 'Copper Top' alkaline cell. So there is a good chance that people may mistaken it for a disposable cell. Personally, I prefer the distinctive-looking white case of the eneloop cell. - The name of this product has been changed to. As far as I can tell, those are the same batteries previously marketed as 'Pre-Charged'. In other parts of the world, those are also marketed as 'Active Charge'. They are stlll available in either 'white top' (made in Japan) and 'black top' (made in China) versions.

- Amazon has combined the AA and AAA versions of those Duracell batteries into the same product page. So now I look like a fool who says the same things twice. Oh well...

[Previous update on Dec 21, 2008]
I was only half-right when I boldly proclaimed that "Duracell Pre Charged AAA are rebranded Sanyo eneloop cells" in my original review. It turns out that the first batch of Duracell AAA cells I bought from Amazon are made in Japan, and those are identical to eneloop (both mechanically and electrically). But lately I bought some more Duracell AAA from a warehouse club. Those are made in China, and they are identical to the Rayovac Hybrid (see my scan in the Customer Images section). Note that the Rayovac Hybrid AAA has an average capacity of about 780mAh (compared to about 830mAh for eneloop AAA), so is not as good a value.

[Original review follows]

Judging from similarity of technical specifications and physical shapes of (+) and (-) terminals, I am convinced that the underneath a different wrapper. Therefore all the good things you heard about eneloop apply to Duracell 'Pre Charged', too.

My own testing has shown that the capacity of eneloop AAA cell is slightly above the claimed 800mAh. The  is usually cheaper, but its capacity is slightly below 800mAh. Both brands are able to retain at least 85% of their charge after three months of storage. Just pick whichever brand is on-sale, and you can't go wrong.

One small problem with the Duracell 'Pre Charged' cell is that: it looked too similar to the well-known 'Copper Top' alkaline cell. So there is a good chance that people may mistaken it for a disposable cell. Personally, I prefer the distinctive-looking white case of the eneloop cell. I use these batteries for a laser pointer, as a toy for my cat! I shine the light around for her to chase (like a bug!) and have used it for hours per day. Before I bought the duracell, I went through batteries like crazy but these batteries are truly long lasting. You won't be disappointed. I go through a lot of throw away batteries, which add up in $$$ over time rather quickly. I decided to make a large one-time investment and purchase rechargeable batteries and chargers. I bought these plus the Duracell charger and Ray-O-Vac Charger and Ray-O-Vac batteries and have no regrets over the purchase. These batteries work as advertised and arrived promptly. As advertised, they arrive charged and they hold their charge well while waiting to be put to use. They charge quickly and can charge in any charger, not just the Duracell one. A great investment I will use over and over again. This is a product I can recommend without hesitation. Please do buy rechargeable batteries over single use batteries! You'll help save some resources and money by buying rechargeable batteries like these. We must all do our part, and this is a small step towards being a little more environmentally conscious.