A YouTuber wanted to compare the models of batteries sold in stores and what he discovered could well change your purchasing habits.
Although they are increasingly being replaced by rechargeable batteries, batteries are still widely used in our homes. If you’ve ever looked to replace the batteries in a toy or remote control, you’ve probably been faced with the mountain of battery brands available in some stores. There are so many different brands that entire shelves can now be made up of just batteries!
AAA, AA, LR6, Lithium, charging at 1.5 volts… The variety of calibers and powers allows brands to offer all kinds of different models. Faced with this multitude of options, the Youtuber “Bricolage c’est cool” wanted to test as many batteries as possible sold in stores to check if the most expensive models were really more interesting compared to the “discount” versions that we can be found at Action, Amazon, Auchan, Cora, etc… The results of its analyzes are quite shocking: the most profitable batteries are clearly not the most expensive! We explain to you the why and how.
The “Bricolage c’est cool” channel carried out the same high and low current use tests on 59 different brands of batteries. These were sorted according to three main categories: “entry-level” with an average price of €0.24, “mid-range” with an average price of €0.48 and “high-end” with an average price of €1. .02 €. Some stores also sell a single brand, but under several pictograms which categorize them for regular, intensive or maximum use.
By reporting the performance of each type of battery with their price, the YouTube channel revealed that the most “high-end” batteries and sold as among the best on the market are clearly not the most profitable. Some batteries like the Duracell Plus and the A-Force from the Action store even have completely similar power levels even though the first costs 8 times more than the second! The Youtuber even specifies that saline batteries should be avoided as their capacities are lower compared to alkaline batteries.
The biggest difference goes to the Varta Longlife Max Power battery sold for €1.30 which has exactly the same performance as the Simple Alkaline battery sold at Carrefour for €0.16. In the end, the majority of “high-end” batteries finish at the end of the ranking of the most profitable batteries based on their price and capacities.
The YouTube channel reports that battery distributors generally do not specify the mAh capacities of their products, but hide their performance behind names like “Pro Power”, “Longlife”, “Ultra +”, etc. Names which do not mean much, but mislead the consumer who thinks they are getting a good deal when discount batteries can have the same performance but are more profitable given their prices.