| Battery | Size | Chemistry | Capacity | Cycles | ~$/cell | $ / 100 units* | Cost / cycle† | Best for |
|---|
* Price per 100 capacity units (mAh for NiMH, mWh for Li-ion). Lower is cheaper energy upfront.
† Price divided by rated cycles, in cents - what one full charge cycle costs you over the cell's life. This is usually the number that matters. Capacities and prices are approximate 2026 figures and move around.
Read cycles before you read capacity
Capacity is the number on the front of the packet, and it is the wrong one to lead with. A standard Eneloop holds 2000mAh and is rated for roughly 2100 cycles. An Eneloop Pro holds 2500mAh - 25% more - and is rated for about 500 cycles, roughly a quarter as many. You are trading three quarters of the cell's working life for a quarter more capacity.
In a camera flash, where high drain is the whole point and every second of recycle time counts, that trade is worth making. In a TV remote it is close to throwing money away. Sort by cost per cycle and the picture inverts: the cheap-looking high-capacity cells become the expensive ones.
The 1.2V question
NiMH is 1.2V nominal, alkaline is 1.5V, and this worries people more than it should. NiMH holds its 1.2V almost flat until it is nearly empty, while alkaline starts at 1.5V and sags steadily. Averaged over a discharge, NiMH often delivers the higher voltage - which is why rechargeables outperform alkaline in high-drain devices rather than merely matching them.
A small number of devices genuinely need the full 1.5V and will misread the battery level or refuse to start on NiMH. That is the actual case for USB-C lithium AA cells like Pale Blue and Tenavolts - not general superiority. They cost two to three times as much per cell and each one has to be charged over its own port.
Where these figures come from
We do not run a test lab. Capacities and cycle ratings here are manufacturer figures, cross-checked against published independent testing - lygte-info.dk being the reference most of this community trusts - and against consensus that has held up over years. Where a claim is contested we say so rather than laundering it into a fact. The IKEA LADDA and Eneloop Pro connection is the standing example: very likely, widely reported, never officially confirmed, and only ever about the Japan-made 2450.
Prices are ballparks for comparison, not quotes. For the reasoning behind specific picks, see the best AA rechargeables and best AAA rechargeables guides.
Common questions
Which rechargeable AA battery is best?
For most people, a standard Panasonic Eneloop. It is rated for around 2100 cycles against roughly 500 for high-capacity cells, holds charge for years in storage, and performs consistently. Eneloop Pro or IKEA LADDA 2450 make sense only in genuinely high-drain devices like camera flashes, where the extra capacity is worth trading most of the cycle life away for.
Is IKEA LADDA the same as Eneloop?
Widely believed, never officially confirmed. The Japan-made LADDA 2450 is thought to come from the same FDK plant as Eneloop Pro, and published independent testing shows very similar performance. But IKEA has never confirmed it, production origin has varied, and it only ever applied to the Japan-made 2450. Check the country of origin on the packet, and treat it as a strong likelihood rather than a fact.
Are USB-C lithium AA batteries better than NiMH?
They solve one specific problem: devices that genuinely need a full 1.5V and misbehave on NiMH at 1.2V. In exchange you pay two to three times as much, get fewer cycles, must charge each cell over its own USB-C port, and lose the ability to charge a set in one tray. If your devices are happy on NiMH, NiMH is the better buy.
What does cost per 100 units mean in this table?
Price divided by capacity, showing what you pay upfront for a fixed amount of energy - lower is cheaper. It deliberately ignores cycle life, so read it alongside the cycles column. A cell that costs more but lasts four times as many cycles is far cheaper over its life, which is why the cost per cycle column is usually the more honest one.
Next: find a charger for these cells, or check how long they will run your device.