Energizer Max AAA Batteries (LR03) - 4 Pack

This is a pack of four AAA alkaline cells from the Energizer Max range, each one delivering the standard 1.5 volts. The trade code is LR03, which is the same cell as AAA under the international naming system, so if a device manual asks for LR03 rather than AAA, this is what it wants. The pack states a 10 year shelf life, and it also notes that the cells include recycled materials, with the steel up to 10 per cent recycled.

AAA is the slimmer of the two everyday household sizes, and it tends to live in the things that stay in the room rather than the things you carry: television and set top box remotes, wall clocks, wireless keyboards and mice, kitchen scales, digital thermometers and a great many children's toys. Most of those devices take cells in twos, so a pack of four covers two remotes, or one toy and a spare set. It is worth checking the polarity diagram inside the battery compartment before you drop them in, because AAA cells are short enough that a reversed one still seats neatly and the device simply stays dead.

The pack also claims up to 100 per cent longer lasting performance, measured against the IEC standard minimum average duration in toys rather than against another brand, so read it as a guide to the class of cell rather than a promise for every device. This listing is sold as one pack of four cells, and the minimum order is 12, sold in multiples of 12, so the smallest order brings 48 cells. We stock the wider Energizer range alongside it, including AA and AAA Alkaline Power cells, C and D sizes, a 9V and the lithium coin cells. Keeping a sealed spare pack in the drawer is the cheapest way to avoid a dead remote on a Sunday evening.

Is LR03 the same thing as AAA?

Yes. LR03 is the international code for an alkaline AAA cell, and this pack carries both markings, so a manual asking for either one is asking for this cell.

How many cells do I actually receive?

One unit of this listing is a blister pack holding four AAA cells. The minimum order is 12 packs in multiples of 12, which works out at 48 cells.

Can these replace rechargeable AAA cells in my device?

Physically yes, as the size is identical. Alkaline cells sit at 1.5V rather than the 1.2V of a typical rechargeable, and they cannot be put back on a charger.

Are they suitable for something that draws a lot of power, such as a games controller?

They will run one, though any alkaline cell empties faster under a heavy continuous load than it does in a remote or a clock that sips power over months.

How long will they keep before I use them?

The pack states a 10 year shelf life, so a spare set bought today should still be usable well after the cells you fit now have been replaced.

Can I mix one of these with a cell already in the device?

Best not to. Fit all four fresh together, because a part used cell alongside a new one drags the whole set down and shortens the useful run.