Haven’t you always wanted to buy a bunch of different brands of batteries, test them side by side in the same appliance, and see which one lasts the longest? No? Well, let’s pretend that you have. Everyone uses batteries at some point, and our fully-charged colleagues over at Consumer Reports tested some for all of our benefit.

The winners? Big brand names. Among lithium batteries, Energizer took the top prize. Alkaline batteries are much cheaper, but don’t last as long. The best performance came from a Duracell battery, and the best buy for your money a 48-pack of Kirkland brand batteries at Costco. This presumes that you use a lot of batteries, but between digital cameras and every other gadget in your home, 48 batteries may not last that long.

Which battery is right for you? It depends on what kind of device you want to power. For a relatively low-power device like a flashlight or a toothbrush, the best choice is probably an alkaline battery. If you’re shopping for batteries for a power-slorping device like a digital camera or a handheld gaming device, lithium batteries might be a better choice.

AA batteries that shine [Consumer Reports]

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