Panasonic Eneloop AAA Batteries (HR03) - 8 Pack

Eneloop is Panasonic's ready-to-use rechargeable cell, and this listing is the AAA size supplied eight cells to a box. Each cell is nickel metal hydride with a nominal 1.2V, and the retail pack prints a minimum capacity of 800mAh and up to 2100 recharge cycles. They leave the factory pre-charged, so the cells in the box will run a device straight away without a first charge. The pack also prints that after ten years of storage around 70 percent of capacity remains, which is the low self-discharge behaviour these cells are bought for.

AAA is the size that empties fastest in a house: remote controls, wireless keyboards and mice, cordless phone handsets, wall clocks, children's toys, head torches and the small sensors dotted around a connected home. Eight cells covers four two-cell devices at once, or gives you a charged set sitting on the shelf while the other set is in use. Rotating two sets is how most households get the value out of rechargeables, and buying in eights rather than fours makes that rotation straightforward.

The one figure worth checking before you switch is voltage. A fresh alkaline AAA reads 1.5V and this cell reads 1.2V, which the great majority of AAA devices tolerate without trouble, although a few voltage-sensitive meters and older gadgets will object. Any standard NiMH AAA charger will take them. They reach us in multiples of twenty packs, so the minimum order is twenty boxes, which is 160 cells in total. If you want a smaller quantity, or the larger cell size, we also stock the Eneloop AAA in a 4 pack and the Eneloop AA in a 4 pack.

Do these arrive charged, or do I need to charge them first?

They are pre-charged at the factory and the pack describes them as ready to use, so a cell can go straight into a device. If a pack has been stored for a long time before you open it, a top-up charge will bring it back to full.

Will 1.2V work in a device that came with alkaline AAA batteries?

In most cases yes. An alkaline AAA is 1.5V fresh and falls away as it drains, while this cell holds close to 1.2V for most of its run. A few voltage-sensitive meters and older gadgets may not accept the lower figure, so check the device instructions if it is unusual.

How many cells do I receive, and what is the minimum order?

One unit of this listing is a box of eight AAA cells. The minimum order is twenty of those boxes, sold in multiples of twenty, so the smallest quantity we can supply is 160 cells.

What sort of charger do they need?

Any standard charger made for AAA nickel metal hydride cells will handle them. A charger with individual bays and per-cell indicators is worth having, because it lets you charge an odd number and see each cell finish on its own.

How long do they hold charge when they are sitting unused?

These are low self-discharge cells, and the pack states that around 70 percent of capacity remains after ten years of storage. That is what makes them suitable for clocks, remotes and emergency torches that sit idle for months.

How many times can they be recharged?

The pack states up to 2100 recharge cycles. Real-world figures depend on how deeply you drain each cell and how warm it gets while charging, so treat the printed number as the best case rather than a guarantee.