Today I’ve spent some time researching the topic of rechargeable vs single-use batteries. Mostly just for fun but also to see if I could save some money and use better products than I’ve used till now. I usually use rechargeable batteries at home for my electronic devices, and had a cheap charger that always seemed to do the job.

Most of what I’ve learnt today is neatly summarised in this PDF, however these are the main points:

• The best choice of rechargeable batteries on the market is the Sanyo Eneloop brand, they lose very little charge over time
• It’s important to have an intelligent charger to properly take care of your batteries, the best one is the AccuCell BC-700
• Rechargeable batteries are better for the environment
• Know where you should use rechargeable and where to use single use

Lets talk a bit more about that last point. Single use batteries are ideal for low-drain devices such as that clock on your wall, safety devices (best to change them yearly as part of a maintenance plan). For anything else (wireless keyboards/mice, cameras, flashes, bike lights etc.) it makes sense to use rechargeable batteries.